The afterlife has been a source of storytelling for a long time, so it is no surprise that some video games explore the concepts of what happens after people die. Many versions of the afterlife portrayed in video games are inspired by real world mythology and religion. Despite that commonality though, no two video game afterlives are quite the same.
Of course, the most common version of the afterlife video games visit is Hell because Hell offers the most conflict for the player to solve through combat and puzzles. Some games entirely take place in the afterlife while others just have the afterlife as a brief arc in the story they are telling.
10 Afterparty
Released on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows, and Xbox One in 2019, Afterparty takes a more creative spin on the afterlife than other games. In this game, Hell is like a college town. In terms of genre, the game is a single-player adventure. The game focuses on two best friends that find out they can go back to Earth if they out-drink Satan.
The game was made by the same studio that created Oxenfree, which is another hidden-gem title but doesn’t have the afterlife element.
9 The God Of War Series
How many times does Kratos go to Greek Hell in the God of War series? The answer is a lot, and usually against his will. However, he always manages to crawl back out with a trail of blood behind him.
In God of War’s version of Hell, souls appear to be falling from the sky all the time while screaming in terror. There are plenty of monsters based on mythology, and Hades himself is an intimidating figure who is not met until the third game title.
8 Dante’s Inferno
Based on the famous historical epic of the same name, Dante’s Inferno had the exact same battle hack-and-slash mechanics as God of War. Seeing as the original epic was a self-insert fanfiction, it does make on wonder what the real Dante would think of this game.
Unlike the epic, this Dante fights his way through Hell to save the soul of his lover. The game is filled with body-horror and has compelling designs for the nine circles of Hell and its denizens.
7 The Doom Series
This long standing franchise is all about Hell, as it is the source of the demon invasion in all the games. In fact, it is a setting in many of the titles including Doom, Doom II, Final Doom, Doom 64, Doom 3, Doom Eternal, Resurrection of Evil, and Doom (2016).
Like God of War and Dante’s Inferno, Doom sports a ton of creative designs for Hell’s creatures. Some used to be human while others were made in Hell itself.
6 Bayonetta 2
The Bayonetta series is another hack-and-slash game much like God of War and Dante’s Inferno. However, it is not until the second game where Bayonetta gets to visit Hell. The game never strictly calls it Hell though, as the call the land “Inferno.”
The trip through Inferno provides a refreshing change of scenery from the original Bayonetta, as that game had the player use demons to kill angels. In Inferno, the player now gets to use demons to kill other demons.
5 Hades
The overwhelmingly popular indie title, Hades, has the player take the role of Zagreus. He is the son of Hades so hellish landscape is also home to him. The player fights through the dark and grim labyrinth of Tartarus to the vibrant fields of Elysium.
Throughout the adventure, players meet heroes from Greek legend such as Achilles and Sisyphus. In its Greek setting, it can be comparable to God of War but is much different in story and design.
4 Grim Fandango
This game is one of the more refreshing afterlife takes, combining Aztec afterlife beliefs with a film noir style of story. While the game was released as far back at 1998, it still stands up to the test of time and is available on PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows.
The game won a ton of awards and got nine out of ten across the board in terms of published reviews. The story is divided into four acts and is a must-play for those that love graphic adventure games.
3 Afterlife
This game is unique to others that explore the afterlife, as its a “god game,” meaning the player takes the role of a god. It is actually up to the player themselves to craft a functioning afterlife, making both a heaven and hell.
The player does get two advisors, a demon named Jasper and an angel named Aria. They give advice as to how to solve problems as they come up. The game is also flavored with comedy and satire.
2 Pom Gets Wi-Fi
Made by Brianna Lei, Pom Gets Wi-fi is an RPGMaker game. Unlike many other popular games made on RPGMaker, this title is not in the horror genre.
It is also one of the only games that explore Heaven instead of Hell. In fact, its not only Heaven, but Dog Heaven that players explore. That’s right, players take the role of a Pomeranian that goes to Heaven and is on a journey to get wi-fi there.
1 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Released in 2017, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice explores Viking Hell. Similarly to Dante’s Inferno, Senua is on a quest to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Unlike some other journeys to Hell, this one leans a little more on the psychology side of the story and the madness of it all.
The game has won numerous awards and a ton of praise for its storytelling and atmosphere. It was made by some of the same makers as the Devil May Cry series.
NEXT: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Devil May Cry
