Classic stories have been retold through many mediums over the course of their lifetime in movie adaptations, play scripts and yes, even games. But a story can only be revised so much to remain unique so what are some of the ways that creators have tried to retell the same story through a different lens? Here are a few games that have gotten dark, flipped the narrative or expanded a short form to a full narrative based on old modern tales.
Jekyll and Hyde
Based on the original mystery, MazM: Jekyll and Hyde is a psychological thriller in which the player follows the lawyer, Mr. Utterson as he unearths the truth behind his disturbing case while also investigating the elusive Mr. Hyde. The game has an incredibly intense atmosphere coupled with a creative Tim Burton-esque art style that is both beautiful and dark. It’s available as a free mobile game or on Steam with the story unlocked and free of ads.
Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton wasn’t the only one to take inspiration to make Alice in Wonderland a bit more gritty. American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns are two games that went dark and grizzly with Alice’s story. Faced with severe mental health issues after the tragedy took her family, Alice seeks solace in Wonderland, bouncing between her colorful imagination and the real monochromatic world as she seeks to uncover secrets lost to her broken psyche hidden on both sides. Available on both Xbox and Playstation consoles, this game has been a staple in action-adventure games that thrives on twisting dark spins on classic characters from this old storybook.
Walt Disney Classics
Another game that decided to take a twist on classic characters is Disney Twisted-Wonderland, a rhythm and battle game that follows the story of a school full of students training in magic. The spin to this story is that each dormitory follows one of Disney’s popular villains for its classic tales such as Lion King, The Little Mermaid and more. While the player is now stuck in this school, they need to wait out on a way to get home while trying to guide these students away from magic corruption, an ongoing issue that the player and the main cast will face. Available as a free-to-play mobile game, it has fun visuals, and a fantastic music score and has recently of this year been translated from its Japanese version to English for western fans.
The Crooked Man
The first among its Uri Games series is The Crooked Man, taking inspiration from the Mother Goose Rhyme. The game takes the classic form of a 2D RPGMaker horror game that has special art portraits for large scenes and endings. Players follow David as he moves into a new house rife with mystery and horrific secrets. As he tries to find out more about the secrets that are in the house, he finds he is not the only one hunting. A fantastic and simple game, it is a wonderful story with dark narratives that does classify it as a horror game. Be sure to check out its sequels as well if you find you enjoy the experience!
Jordan is a student studying Digital and Print Journalism at the University of North Texas. After discovering how much fun gaming journalism can be, she hopes to make a career in it once she graduates. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys playing games such as Genshin Impact, Ace Attorney, and Fire Emblem or watching Murder, She Wrote late at night on weekdays.
