It’s no secret that most people (gamers included) are drawn to the power fantasy of heroism and glory rather than villainy or mindless destruction. However, most people feel that urge to let loose and dive headfirst into chaos occasionally, even if just for a moment. Thankfully, most people can also let the impulse boil away without consequence.

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The morality systems in these games don’t just change the story, they also change how the game is played.

Then again, it is fun to imagine what it would be like to embrace those dark urges. Video games with virtual worlds offer safe yet satisfyingly reactive playgrounds for the inner madcap murderers to get their freak on, whether that means betraying allies, terrorizing NPCs, or just causing pure, unadulterated chaos.

8

Tyranny

Forging The Future (Of Evil)

Systems

Released

November 10, 2016

ESRB

t

Most people assume that the concept of “good and evil” oversimplifies a story, breaking it down into basic, uncomplicated components. Obsidian’s Tyranny blows this idea out of the water with the hook that the world has already been conquered by evil, its heroes vanquished, and the dark lord’s ambitions simmered down to cleaning up the stragglers.

Players take on the role of one of the dark emperor’s evil lieutenants, a Fatebinder, as they snuff out the world’s last flame of hope. The way this goes down is entirely left up the the player, but Tyranny heavily incentivizes evil. Chaotic evil is a viable way to go, and there are joinable factions and allies to be found throughout the story to accommodate the implacable psychopath playstyle.

7

Overlord 2

For Those Who Favor Destruction Over Domination

Overlord II

Systems

Released

June 23, 2009

ESRB

teen

As the title might imply, Overlord 2 is a game about going out into the world to do some serious evil. The morality mechanics are much improved upon the original in that it measures not the intensity of the Overlord’s evil (Corruption) but its type via the Tyranny Rating.

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Players are regularly given the option to dominate or destroy. Destruction naturally aligns with chaotic evil over lawful evil. By committing to senseless destruction, players gain more powerful versions of the spells that remove obstacles directly, as opposed to spells that manage various minions or turn enemies against each other.

6

Grand Theft Auto 5

Chaos And Evil Ride With Trevor Behind The Wheel

Released

September 17, 2013

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

With the exception of the buttoned-up fourth-numbered entry, the Grand Theft Auto series has always been a vehicle for mayhem. Grand Theft Auto 5 fully embraces that identity, especially with its third and most chaotic playable character, Trevor.

Michael might represent neutral evil with his passive reactionary attitude and Franklin could represent lawful evil through his stock manipulation and affinity for efficiency in crime, Trevor is one of the most unhinged GTA characters to date. Trevor was purpose-built for players who relish creating mayhem and for those who simply enjoy the challenge of up as many stars as possible before being taken down.

5

Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Reign Over A Gleefully Malevolent Barony

Released

September 25, 2018

ESRB

t

While some may argue that all kings are tyrants, the premise of Pathfinder: Kingmaker is that the player can claim, build, and manage their own kingdom, or, more accurately, their own barony. Depending on their moral alignment, their reign will produce a prosperous, happy community, or in the case of a chaotic evil player character, a carnival of carnage.

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In the place of inspirational monuments and bustling markets, there is a surplus of impaled or crucified bodies and extortionate guards running a protection racket. Kingmaker‘s kingdom management system allows players to make cruel decisions, betray allies, and spread chaos across the land.

4

Destroy All Humans

Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin

Released

July 28, 2020

ESRB

t

The human track record of visiting other lands and peoples and being a good guest is pretty poor, and if intelligent life out there is anything like it is down here, an encounter of the third kind will likely involve being enslaved or robbed by a technologically superior species.

That is exactly the premise of Destroy All Humans, a game that puts the player in the space boots of Cryptosporidium 137, an alien on a mission to wreck every single member of their home team with explosions, disintegration rays, and deadly, head-imploding probes up the rear.

3

Baldur’s Gate 3

Embracing The Classic Murder Hobo Archetype

Released

August 3, 2023

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

Few people in the world are still unaware of the absurd number of playstyle options available in Baldur’s Gate 3, but for those unaware, Larien went far out of their way to emulate the total roleplaying freedom provided in a tabletop game of Dungeons & Dragons in their adaptation. Most other games will find a way to prevent their players from screwing up the story with acts of chaotic evil.

However, in Baldur’s Gate 3, the story keeps rolling and even accommodates a player’s unpredictable selfishness. For example, one of the presets and possible companions (and the appealing face on all the game’s art), Asterion, is chaotic evil by default. The “Dark Urge” character origin even gives players an in-game canon reason for their constant need to murder hobo every NPC they lay eyes on.

2

Prototype

Become A Psychopathic Walking Talking Biomass

Alex Mercer (or at least the near-invincible supervirus that inhabits his appearance, memories, and identity) is not a good person. In his pursuit of answers and revenge, he is willing to destroy everything and everyone without remorse, directly or indirectly. Nothing prevents the player from continuously running around and absorbing every single person they see, enemy or passerby. In fact, the game’s mechanics are geared towards doing just that.

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In fact, trying not to be a vile monster in Prototype is difficult, as Mercer erupts with an explosion of tendrils, claws, and deadly force with the single press of a button, and the unfortunate pedestrian blood bags in his vicinity are extremely fragile by comparison. Every innocent walking, talking healthpack is somebody’s mother, brother, or aunt, but to Mercer, they may as well be plastic balls in a ball pit at the rate he tears through them.

1

Fallout: New Vegas

Roleplay The Reaper At The End Of The World

Released

October 19, 2010

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Fallout: New Vegas has a legendary reputation for being one of the most mature and compelling RPGs in video game history with relatable characters, deep philosophical themes, and meaningful choices and reactivity. It is also revered for its ability to offer players near-unlimited violence, should they wish to walk down that path. Chaotic evil isn’t just about violence: it’s about creating violence almost at random, and that often means spreading it somewhat evenly as well as sparodically.

Lawful evil types might find themselves siding with Caesar’s Legion, but chaotic evil characters have many chances to ruin things for everyone, whether that means murdering every single person in the game or choosing the worst possible options for energy and security management during the main story. A courier who sufficiently screws everyone over will be rewarded with a bleak (or darkly hilarious) set of end slides outlining the consequences of their malicious incompetence and/or bloodlust.

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