The game's fantasy of power often turns players into noble leaders or saviors. But some of the most compelling experiences explore the darker side of authority, where cruelty, manipulation, and absolute control define the journey, allowing players to embrace villains as core parts of the gameplay rather than narrative twists.
Through tyranny, corruption, domination, and more, many games offer unique ways to rule out of spite, demonstrating that open systems and moral choices can transform leadership in ways that explore the destructive potential of power. The game gives players the freedom to rule without restrictions, allowing them to live out their ultimate dark fantasy of becoming an evil ruler who will never back down.
Total War: Warhammer III
Command an army in the name of darkness
Total War: Warhammer III It gives players the chance to rule as some of fantasy's most infamous forces, from the demonic hordes of Chaos to tyrannical legions of the undead. Each faction is built on domination, corruption, and conquest, making villainy a central theme rather than an option.
The game really rewards brutality and aggression in terms of strategic decision-making, while the battlefield offers countless ways to suppress your opponents until there's nothing left. By embracing the power of darkness, players can quickly spread corruption across the map and transform the empire through ruthless evil.
Tropico 6
rule with authority and oppression
Tropico 6 Players can take on the persona of “El Presidente,” a ruler bent on benevolence or authoritarian control. Choosing the latter turns governance into dictatorship, where citizens become tools that players can use and control to achieve their nefarious ends.
Maintaining power requires surveillance, propaganda, and sometimes the crushing of dissent. Players can mask their tyranny with charm, but ruling as an evil dictator provides endless opportunities to exploit their citizens, and the game gives players all the power to rule with as much force and fury as they wish.
Crusader Kings 3
Bloodline becomes a ruthless dynasty
In Crusader Kings III, players lead a medieval dynasty, but are not obligated to rule justly. Leadership can take many forms, and the evil path is a viable and rewarding path that leads players down a path of betrayal, assassination, blackmail, and more.
Open systems can often reward cunning over compassion. Through manipulation and cruelty, players can create a legacy defined by fear, proving that in grand strategy, evil is not only acceptable, but sometimes the most effective path to domination.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Building the Biliani Empire
evil genius 2 Players take on the role of a cartoonish supervillain trying to take over the world. From your secret island lair, every decision you make reinforces the illusion that you rule through fear, manipulation, and ruthless efficiency, your minions carry out your nefarious orders, and elaborate traps keep intruders at bay.
The core loop thrives on experimentation with tyranny. Expanding his lair, managing his minions, and coordinating global plans all reinforce the image of an evil ruler who holds absolute power. It's a modern strategy experience that embraces villainy without apology and elevates domination to an art and science.
Stellaris
Galactic-scale domination
in StellarisPlayers build empires across the planet and shape the ideologies and policies that define galactic existence. Embracing an authoritarian or xenophobic path transforms governance into interstellar tyranny, while an evil approach can lead to oppression, slavery, and purges, all in the name of progress.
Experimenting with styles of domination highlights how cruelty can change an entire civilization. The game rewards harsh policies with unrivaled advantages, making tyranny not only thematic but also mechanically powerful, and offering players alternative paths that can lead to greater acts of conquest than ever before.
Frostpunk
Authority as cold as the background
Frostpunk Players must lead a frozen city where survival requires harsh rule. Laws can enforce child labor, cruel punishment, or totalitarian rule, and choosing cruelty ensures order but erodes humanity, creating an interesting balance that players can tilt in either direction.
The moral weight of a decision defines the experience. Evil rule is not only acceptable but often practical, making tyranny an attractive path to survival. It highlights how authoritarian power can thrive in despair and how evil is sometimes inevitable when faced with difficult decisions.
Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord
Become the ultimate warlord
in bannerlordPlayers grow from mercenaries to monarchs, forming kingdoms through conquest and diplomacy. Embracing ruthless tactics turns leadership into tyranny, villages are destroyed, rivals are executed, and subjects are gripped with fear.
The sandbox design makes the villain a natural expression of power. The experimentation with cruelty offers tangible rewards, cementing the role of evil ruler as a legitimate path to domination in a way that few open world games can replicate.
