Darkest Dungeon Guide

It is a gothic horror RPG in which you send flawed adventurers into dungeons. Stress is tracked separately from HP, and heroes broken by fear can bring down the whole party. Managing rest, replacements and occasional losses as you rebuild the estate is central to the game. Developed and published by Red Hook Studios and released on January 19, 2016. Japanese is supported.

Stress ranges from 0 to 200, with thresholds at 100 and 200. At 100, a Resolve check occurs, usually resulting in an Affliction that hinders the party. At 200, a heart attack occurs. See [Stress and Torchlight Explained](/en/games/darkest-dungeon/stress/) for detailed responses.

You may be waiting too long to retreat. Retreating is a standard tactic rather than simply accepting a penalized defeat. If the situation turns against you, abandon the quest and return with your adventurers and some of the loot. A party wipe is the real loss.

That does not fit the game's design. Stressed adventurers need rest, and you are expected to use another party while they recover. Relying on one elite team leaves you unable to recover when that team breaks down.

Among games covered on this site, Slay the Spire, with its build planning and willingness to cut losses, Stoneshard, with injury management, and Kenshi, with its emphasis on managing defeat, share a similar spirit.