Crypt of the NecroDancer vs Darkest Dungeon
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike RPG game from Brace Yourself Games (2014) while Darkest Dungeon is a horror roguelike game from Red Hook Studios (2016).
What each one is
Steam files Crypt of the NecroDancer under Roguelike and RPG. In contrast, it files Darkest Dungeon under Horror and Roguelike.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is an award winning hardcore roguelike rhythm game. Move to the music and deliver beatdowns to the beat! Groove to the epic Danny Baranowsky soundtrack, or select songs from your own MP3 collection!
Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Can you keep your heroes together when all hope is lost?
At a glance
| Crypt of the NecroDancer | Darkest Dungeon | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.8/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Steam rating | Overwhelmingly Positive (95%, 26,481) | Very Positive (92%, 161,942) |
| Critic aggregate | 87/100 | 84/100 |
| Price | $14.99 | $3.74 |
| Install size | 1.56 GB | 2 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Developer | Brace Yourself Games | Red Hook Studios |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Crypt of the NecroDancer vs Darkest Dungeon, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Crypt of the NecroDancerRoguelike RPG gameDarkest DungeonHorror roguelike gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Crypt of the NecroDancerRhythm, Female Protagonist, DifficultDarkest DungeonTurn-Based Combat, Dark Fantasy, Dungeon CrawlerThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Crypt of the NecroDancerScore 7.8 · 95% on Steam · 87 criticDarkest Dungeon ✓Score 7.9 · 92% on Steam · 84 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Crypt of the NecroDancer26,481 reviews · 14 add-ons · 1.56 GBDarkest Dungeon161,942 reviews · 7 add-ons · 2 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Crypt of the NecroDancer$14.99Darkest Dungeon ✓$3.74Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Crypt of the NecroDancerVerifiedDarkest DungeonVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Darkest Dungeon takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueCrypt of the NecroDancer and Darkest Dungeon on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PlayStation
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Darkest Dungeon (GamingPickz Score 7.9)
- The cheaper right now: Darkest Dungeon ($3.74)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Darkest Dungeon (161,942 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
DifficultRogue-likeDungeon CrawlerIndieRPG2DRogue-liteSingleplayer
Where they differ
RhythmFemale ProtagonistGreat SoundtrackPixel GraphicsMusicLocal Co-Op
Turn-Based CombatDark FantasyLovecraftianTurn-BasedPerma DeathStrategy
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Crypt of the NecroDancer is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Darkest Dungeon is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Crypt of the NecroDancer | Darkest Dungeon | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | Open GL 3.2+ Compliant |
| Minimum CPU | — | — |
| Minimum RAM | — | 2 GB |
| Install size | 1.56 GB | 2 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Crypt of the NecroDancer · Darkest Dungeon.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 10 accessibility features for Crypt of the NecroDancer and 1 for Darkest Dungeon. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Crypt of the NecroDancer and Darkest Dungeon in scope?
Crypt of the NecroDancer has drawn 26,481 Steam reviews, ships 14 add-ons and installs in 1.56 GB. Darkest Dungeon has drawn 161,942 Steam reviews, ships 7 add-ons and installs in 2 GB.
Is Crypt of the NecroDancer or Darkest Dungeon better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Darkest Dungeon rates higher (7.9 to 7.8). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Crypt of the NecroDancer or Darkest Dungeon?
Darkest Dungeon is cheaper right now at $3.74, against $14.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.