Dark Matter

About

Dark Matter casts you as an ensign trapped aboard a decaying spacecraft overrun by parasitic horrors. You scavenge rusted corridors for blueprints and parts to build or upgrade four distinct weapons, tailoring ammo types and mods to suit your playstyle. The game emphasizes careful resource management and reactive combat, enemies adapt to your tactics, forcing you to rethink strategies after each encounter. Exploration reveals hidden dangers and sparse lore, with every door potentially hiding a swarm of clicking, bioluminescent threats. The game’s standout is its tense, unpredictable combat loop. Enemy AI often outmaneuvers expecting, turning scripted retreats into chaotic firefights. Customization adds depth, letting you prioritize brute force or precision over time. Community reviews note a 78% positive rating on Steam, with many praising the claustrophobic atmosphere and satisfying gun upgrades. While some find the difficulty curve steep, the payoff of outthinking a horde with a well-timed shotgun blast or explosive trap keeps the stakes high.

Storyline

Out of breath, you run into the door, slamming against its cold metal surface. The clicking of scuttling claws recedes into the distance, swallowed by the pitch black oblivion behind you. You know better than to feel safe. There are too many infested at your back, and another blank metal door ahead. With a quick reflex you check your ammo supplies, and slot a fresh magazine into your shotgun. With a quicker prayer, you flick the switch and open the door. The metal jaws open on endless night you don’t dare pierce with your flashlight, not to disturb those things that live in shadow. By the pale bioluminescence that washes up from the floor grates, you piece together the picture of a corridor, and what could be a stretch of exploding pods. Just beyond, the silhouette of a fully grown crawler stirs. Grinning in the dark, you turn on the weapon’s flashlight, and point it straight down the corridor. Predictably, the blisters swell up to full irritation, ready to explode at the slightest touch. The crawler turns to hiss at you, instantly aroused by the light, and your presence. In your mind’s eye, it dumbly rushes forward into the blister pods to kill itself, saving you precious ammo. It takes a precious moment to adjust to reality when the sleek shape crouches and jumps towards you instead. There is time for just one panicked shot before the inevitable flight, as you run for your life, barely keeping ahead of the claws slashing for you. In a moment of adrenaline-fuelled inspiration, you slam the wall panel as you retreat past the chamber’s door. The heavy, powerful mechanism smoothly slices the crawler in half just before the critter can reach and disembowel you. There is no time to congratulate yourself, as you hear a familiar hissing from above...