Darkest Dungeon: The Color of Madness Critic Reviews

A worthy, meaty addition to one of the decade’s defining tests of gaming spirit and personal mettle. Come for the Farmstead, stay long into the night, proving that your will is stronger than any nightmare. This is Darkest Dungeon at its best.

Dark, terrifying, and endlessly aggravating in the best possible way. While the Thing that came from the stars doesn’t quite reach the horrifying peaks of the Shambler, or the *shudder* body horror of those damned mosquito vampires, any reason to revisit the homestead and check in on the poor, unfortunate souls who answered the call is good one.

The Color of Madness is another welcome addition to Red Hook’s tough-as-nails Lovecraftian horror RPG, and in contrast to the way the previous DLC,The Crimson Court, was implemented, this new content is mostly self-contained and doesn’t bleed out into the main campaign — a plus for newcomers who aren’t ready for it. While the add-ons in other titles can often feel superfluous or like a grab for cash, The Color of Madness delivers a strongly-realized idea that improves the core content while also adding to it.

Darkest Dungeon: The Color of Madness is a fine addition to an already great game. The Endless Harvest mode adds perpetual, challenging content fit for veterans, and builds up across a playthrough well enough to entice novices as well. While the comet’s presence doesn’t loom quite as large over the Hamlet as the Crimson Court vampires did, there’s more than enough reason to traverse the tainted soil of the Farmstead, seeking gold and glory.