As fun as it is to play through a game as its hero, there’s a certain allure that comes from being a villain. Even games with morality systems often don’t delve too deeply into what it means to be truly evil. The games on this list don’t shy away from the concept, and even reward it, making them great choices for those who want to play fast and loose with righteousness.

12

Destroy All Humans

Destroy All Humans lives up to its name, with the core gameplay loop being comprised of destroying humans, their cities, army bases, and basically anything they hold dear. The game begins with you killing a farmer’s cows with telekinesis, and it only escalates from there. That’s not to say it’s all wanton destruction, as there are stealth sections to gather information, and you can pilot Crypto’s saucer to get around faster, though you’ll frequently be destroying everything in sight with it.

The game is as absurd as it sounds, and the quirky dialogue only adds to its charm. If your curiosity has been piqued, I’d give the 2020 remake a try, as it’s incredibly faithful to the original.

11

Baldur’s Gate 3

Many RPGs allow you to do unsavory things and make objectively wrong decisions, but you’ll still often leave the in-game universe better off than it was before you played. Without going into too much detail, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a special case because you can go completely off the rails with the decisions you make. There’s even a unique backstory called The Dark Urge, where you are overtly encouraged to be evil and kill people.

It’s difficult for me not to make the completely “good” decisions in RPGs, but the game provides a satisfying narrative for those who go with more unsavory choices. Notably, the last major content update, Patch 8, has finally dropped, meaning now is the perfect time to return to Baldur’s Gate 3, whether you’ve completed it before or not.

10

CARRION

Whereas most horror games have you fleeing from, or eventually confronting, a monster, CARRION does the opposite. Taking the role of an initially small amorphous creature, you grow in size and strength as you consume those in the facility that houses you, with the ultimate goal being to escape.

Its grotesque aesthetic definitely isn’t for everyone, but the unique, fast-paced gameplay makes it easy to recommend to those who like horror games and Metroidvanias.

9

Prototype

In Prototype, you play as Alex Mercer, a man who awakens with superhuman strength, speed, and shapeshifting abilities, as well as the ability to create weapons from his own body. You’re given a lot of freedom in how you interact with the world, which includes killing civilians and innocents. While doing so isn’t explicitly required, you aren’t penalized for doing so, and are actually rewarded for it since you gain health when consuming others, and can even take on their appearance afterward.

Prototype is an interesting entry to the list since Mercer qualifies as a villain in two ways. The first was already mentioned, but the second is the fact he serves as the antagonist in Prototype 2. The sequel unquestionably depicts him as villainous, with him believing that he needs to destroy humanity to give birth to a better world.

8

The Grand Theft Auto Series

One of the most popular video game franchises on the planet, every Grand Theft Auto entry has you control someone of questionable character, to say the least. While it would be unfair to say the protagonists are purely evil, the number of laws you break and people you kill for the story missions alone could easily be called psychopathic. Free roaming gives you even more opportunities to sow chaos, with the only real limit being how much you can do before the police arrest or kill you.

The freedom and flexibility the games provide is almost unparalleled, making any of them easy to recommend for anyone looking to indulge in some chaos. A few weeks ago, I would have recommended trying GTA VI, but its release has been delayed until next year. Luckily, you can play similar games right now to help make the wait easier.

7

The Mafia Series

The Mafia games typically task you with rising through the ranks of organized crime as you progress through the story. On paper, it might sound similar to Grand Theft Auto, but Mafia games are much more linear in nature and feel like playing through a crime drama or gangster film. They also differ in how much free roaming you can do between story missions, but for the most part, you can break laws and antagonize the police, if you wish.

Although you’re often going after other criminals, missions regularly involve intimidation, beatings, killing people, or some combination of the three, making it difficult to justify the actions of each game’s protagonist despite a level of nuance that other games rarely come close to.

6

The Overlord Series

If you’ve ever wanted to rule the world with a horde of minions at your beck and call, the Overlord series is right up your alley. Think Pikmin, but instead of little helpers picking up supplies and fending off enemies, you have demons to assist you as you enslave the human race. The minions can intimidate people, steal from them, or kill them, while you have abilities ranging from lighting people on fire to causing them to cower before you. The second game’s morality system doesn’t even have a good option; it’s more along the lines of choosing what kind of evil person you want to be.

I know the premise sounds dark, but the Overlord games have a cartoonish, zany tone. That and their humor make them fun games to play if you’re ever intent on world domination, but want to laugh as you do it.

5

The Dungeon Keeper Series

In RPGs, you often scour dungeons and tombs for treasure, but have you ever wondered about the people who made them? In Dungeon Keeper, you build and manage a dungeon, which involves lining it with traps and hiring minions to help maintain it, all to make sure “heroes” and other dungeon keepers don’t take your loot.

While you might be able to make the argument that your actions are justified since people are trying to steal from your dungeon, these visitors are often good, heroic people. You’ll also be killing them in a variety of grisly ways, so it’s difficult not to say you’re the villain.

4

The Evil Genius Series

Evil Genius games take the management system from Dungeon Keeper to another level, with the player being able to design their own lair, manage minions, and even create a doomsday device. As the mastermind, your goal is world domination, which means stopping the “forces of justice,” such as government agents, from interfering with your plans. You can get pretty sadistic with the traps you set up, with some only disorienting and confusing victims, and others outright killing them.

The over-the-top spy theme, art style, and music all culminate in a funny, rewarding series if you’re willing to put the time into it.

3

Tyranny

Releasing in 2016, Tyranny is a largely reactive game whose world changes depending on the decisions you make. You control a powerful Fatebinder in a world where the tyrant has already won, and it’s up to you to decide how you wish to shape the world. You can inspire stability and loyalty among the people, strengthen the current regime, or seek even more power for yourself. There is a remarkable amount of flexibility regarding how you react to situations that present themselves to you.

That being said, many of the decisions you make would definitely be considered evil, and the game frequently rewards you for it, making it easy to classify your character as a villain, or at least somewhat villainous.