15 Best Games Where You Are the Villain (2026)

The best games where you are the villain do more than let you be rude to shopkeepers. They build the whole experience around evil. Tyranny is the purest example: the dark lord has already won and you work for him. Baldur’s Gate 3, played as the Dark Urge, offers the richest villain story in modern RPGs. If you would rather run the evil empire than act it out, Overlord, Dungeons 4 and Evil Genius 2 put you in charge of minions, traps and lairs.

Below are 15 games where you play the bad guy, from story-driven RPGs to comic sandbox chaos and management sims. For each one you get the platforms, the genre and the specific way it makes you the villain, plus a comparison table, a short guide to choosing the right kind of evil, and answers to common questions. Some links on this page are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

Quick Picks

• Best villain RPG: Tyranny
• Best modern evil playthrough: Baldur’s Gate 3 (Dark Urge origin)
• Best minion commander: Overlord
• Best evil lair builder: Evil Genius 2: World Domination
• Best dungeon management: Dungeons 4
• Best comedy villain: Destroy All Humans!
• Best monster you control directly: Carrion
• Best story that judges you: Spec Ops: The Line

Games Where You Play the Villain Compared

1. Tyranny: Best Villain RPG

Platforms: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) | Genre: Isometric RPG | Release: 2016

Most fantasy games ask you to stop the dark lord. Obsidian’s Tyranny starts after he has already won. Kyros the Overlord rules almost the entire world, and you are a Fatebinder, a judge sent to enforce the law in the last region still resisting. Your job is to decide who lives, who dies and how harshly rebels are punished.

What makes it special is that “evil” has layers. You can be a loyal servant of the regime, play two of Kyros’s feuding armies against each other, or slowly build your own power base. There is no simple good path, only different kinds of control. The opening “Conquest” mode even lets you shape the war that came before the game.

Why it fits: you are part of the villain’s machine from the first minute. Skip if: you want action combat; this is a pause-and-plan RPG.

2. Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Modern Evil Playthrough

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Mac | Genre: Turn-based RPG | Release: 2023

Larian’s RPG is famous for its freedom, and that freedom includes being truly terrible. The best way to see it is the Dark Urge origin: a custom character with no memory and a violent drive that keeps pushing for murder. You can resist it, or you can give in and follow a dark path that changes the story, your companions and the ending.

Even without the Dark Urge, you can side with the main antagonists, betray allies, and sacrifice companions for power. The game reacts to almost everything, and evil choices have real, sometimes permanent, consequences.

Why it fits: the deepest evil storyline in a recent big-budget game. Skip if: you dislike long, turn-based fights.

3. Overlord: Best Minion Commander

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360; PS3 as Overlord: Raising Hell | Genre: Action strategy | Release: 2007

OVERLORD: RAISING HELL (PS3)

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Overlord casts you as a newly risen dark lord in a fairy-tale world, and its whole tone is a wink at fantasy clichés. You barely fight yourself. Instead you command a horde of gremlin-like minions who loot, smash and cheer for you, and you choose whether to rule through domination or destruction.

Your minions come in four types with different skills, and you can sacrifice them to make better gear. The humour is dry and British, and the “corruption” level changes how your tower and armour look. The PS3 version, Raising Hell, includes extra content.

Why it fits: you are the dark lord, full stop. Skip if: you need modern visuals; it shows its age.

4. Dungeon Keeper 2: Best Classic Evil Management

Platforms: PC | Genre: Dungeon management | Release: 1999

Bullfrog’s Dungeon Keeper series created the “evil manager” genre. You dig out a dungeon, attract monsters, keep them paid and fed, and crush the heroes who come to steal your treasure. The tone is pure dark comedy, with a narrator who loves every evil act.

The sequel added a 3D engine and the ability to possess any creature and walk around your dungeon in first person. It still feels clever today, and almost every evil management game since owes it something.

Why it fits: heroes are the enemy and you are the dungeon. Skip if: you cannot accept 1999-era graphics.

5. Dungeons 4: Best Modern Dungeon Management

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch | Genre: Management strategy | Release: 2023

Dungeons 4, Nintendo Switch

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Dungeons 4 is the modern answer to Dungeon Keeper. You play the Absolute Evil, building a dungeon underground with snotlings and monsters, then leading your army to the surface to corrupt the cheerful overworld. Each level mixes base-building with real-time strategy.

The series is known for its narrator, who mocks fantasy tropes and the player in equal measure. It also supports co-op play, so you can be evil with a friend.

Why it fits: evil management with modern polish. Skip if: you dislike timers and RTS battles.

6. Evil Genius 2: World Domination: Best Evil Lair Builder

Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One | Genre: Lair builder | Release: 2021

Evil Genius 2: World Domination (PS5)

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Ever wanted to be the Bond villain? Rebellion’s Evil Genius 2 hands you a tropical island, a casino front and a hollowed-out mountain. You build the secret base, hire minions and henchmen, and send agents around the world to run schemes, all while keeping visiting spies and agents from finding your doomsday device.

The 1960s spy-movie style is charming, and each of the four geniuses has a unique doomsday project. Traps are a highlight: you can lure an agent through a corridor of spikes, fans and dancing floors.

Why it fits: you are literally the evil mastermind. Skip if: you dislike management games with lots of micromanagement.

7. Destroy All Humans!: Best Comedy Villain

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch (2020 remake) | Genre: Action sandbox | Original release: 2005

Destroy All Humans (Nintendo Switch)

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Crypto-137 is an alien from the Furon empire, and he has come to 1950s America to harvest human DNA. You abduct cows and people, read minds, disguise yourself as locals and finally level small towns with a flying saucer. The satire of Cold War paranoia is the real highlight.

The 2020 remake rebuilt the original with modern visuals while keeping the structure and jokes. Its sequel, Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed, takes the formula to the 1960s.

Why it fits: the humans are the targets and you love it. Skip if: you want depth over silly fun.

8. Prototype: Best Superpowered Monster

Platforms: PS4 and Xbox One (Biohazard Bundle), PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Genre: Open-world action | Release: 2009

Prototype Biohazard Bundle

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Alex Mercer wakes up in a morgue in Manhattan with no memory and the ability to absorb anyone he touches. The game sells itself as a mystery, but you spend it consuming civilians and soldiers, turning into weapons and spreading chaos, and the story’s reveals confirm that Mercer is far from a hero.

The Biohazard Bundle packs the original and Prototype 2 for PS4 and Xbox One, and it remains the easiest way to play both on a console today.

Why it fits: power fantasy with no moral brakes. Skip if: you want a tight story; the plot is thin.

9. Fallout: New Vegas: Best Open-World Evil Choices

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Genre: Open-world RPG | Release: 2010

New Vegas is the RPG most often recommended for an evil run because of how it handles factions. You can side with Caesar’s Legion, a brutal slave-owning army built on Roman imagery, help the mysterious Mr. House take total control of the Strip, or go it alone and betray everyone.

Karma, reputation and dialogue skills all shape how people respond. Evil here is rarely cartoonish; it is a series of practical choices that leave the Mojave worse off.

Why it fits: villainy as a real political path. Skip if: you need modern controls; it is old and occasionally buggy.

10. Spec Ops: The Line: Best Story That Judges You

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Genre: Third-person shooter | Release: 2012

Spec Ops starts as a generic military shooter in a sand-buried Dubai and slowly turns on the player. Captain Martin Walker believes he is the hero, but the game makes you face what his choices, and yours, have done. By the end, it is clear who the real villain is.

It was removed from digital stores in 2024, so physical copies are now the main way to buy it.

Why it fits: the twist forces you to see yourself as the bad guy. Skip if: you want the shooting itself to be special; it is standard.

11. Carrion: Best Monster You Control Directly

Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4 | Genre: Reverse horror action | Release: 2020

Carrion (Nintendo Switch)

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Carrion flips the horror movie. You are the red, tentacled thing that escaped from a research lab, and the scientists and guards are your prey. You slither through vents, grab people and grow larger as you consume them, unlocking new abilities as you go.

It is short, around a few evenings, but it nails the feeling of being the creature everyone is afraid of.

Why it fits: you are the monster in the horror film. Skip if: you want a long campaign.

12. Plague Inc.: Best Evil Strategy in Small Doses

Platforms: iOS, Android; Plague Inc: Evolved on PC and consoles | Genre: Strategy sim | Release: 2012

In Plague Inc. you are a pathogen. You choose where to start, evolve symptoms and transmission routes, and race to wipe out humanity before scientists develop a cure. It is simple to learn and surprisingly tense.

The Evolved version adds more disease types, scenarios and a level editor. It is an easy, low-time way to play the ultimate villain.

Why it fits: the goal is the end of the world. Skip if: you want characters and story.

13. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Best Dark Side Power Trip

Platforms: Switch (2022 port), PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and others | Genre: Action | Original release: 2008

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Limited Run #146) - For Nintendo Switch

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The opening level puts you in Darth Vader’s armour, cutting through a Wookiee planet. From there you play Starkiller, Vader’s secret apprentice, hunting Jedi across the galaxy. The Force powers are wildly overpowered by design, which makes it fun to throw stormtroopers and TIE fighters around.

The story does push Starkiller toward redemption later, but the game also includes a dark side ending, so you can stay a villain to the last moment.

Why it fits: you work for the Empire’s most famous villain. Skip if: you are bothered by dated level design.

14. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2: Best Predator Roleplay

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Genre: Action RPG | Release: October 2025

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - PlayStation 5

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Bloodlines 2, developed by The Chinese Room and published by Paradox, puts you in the role of an elder vampire waking in modern Seattle. You feed on humans, play politics among vampire clans and choose how much humanity to keep. The Masquerade rules mean every feeding is a risk.

It is not strictly an evil game, but being a predator is built into the character, and many players lean into the darkest options. Story packs were announced for 2026.

Why it fits: you are, by nature, a monster among people. Skip if: you expect the open freedom of the 2004 original.

15. Dishonored: Best High-Chaos Assassin

Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One (Definitive Edition), PS3, Xbox 360 | Genre: Stealth action | Release: 2012

Dishonored Definitive Edition

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Corvo Attano is framed for murder and sets out for revenge with supernatural powers. You can finish Dishonored without killing anyone, but you can also leave a trail of bodies, and the game’s “chaos” system tracks it. High chaos brings more plague rats, darker dialogue and a grim ending in which the hero has clearly become something worse.

The Definitive Edition bundles all story DLC, including the two missions where you play Daud, the assassin who killed the Empress.

Why it fits: the game reflects how much of a monster you choose to be. Skip if: you dislike stealth.

Also Worth a Look

• Grand Theft Auto V: Trevor is one of the most unhinged playable leads in any game.
• Hitman: World of Assassination: you are a professional killer, though your targets are usually worse.
• Crusader Kings III: scheming, murder and betrayal as a dynastic strategy.
• Untitled Goose Game: a lighter take on being a nuisance to an entire village.

How We Chose These Games

This is a research-based list. We compared the games most often recommended across major “play as the villain” lists, player discussions and store tags, then sorted them by how the villain role works: evil as the default (the whole game is built around it), evil as a choice (you can play good, but the evil path is well supported), or evil revealed (the story shows you were the bad guy). Every pick had to do at least one of these well.

We confirmed platforms and release information through publisher pages and store listings, and noted cases where buying is harder, such as Spec Ops: The Line, which left digital stores.

How to Choose the Right Kind of Evil

Do you want to act it out or run it?

If you want to personally be the villain, pick an RPG or action game: Tyranny, Baldur’s Gate 3, Prototype or Carrion. If you want to manage evil from above, choose Overlord, Dungeons 4, Evil Genius 2 or Dungeon Keeper 2.

Serious or silly?

For serious, morally heavy stories, try Spec Ops: The Line, Tyranny or Fallout: New Vegas. For comedy, Destroy All Humans!, Overlord and the Dungeons series all joke about being bad.

Check your platform

Tyranny, Dungeon Keeper 2 and Fallout: New Vegas are best on PC. Switch owners can play Dungeons 4, Destroy All Humans!, Carrion and The Force Unleashed. PS5 and Xbox Series owners have the widest choice, including Baldur’s Gate 3, Evil Genius 2 and Bloodlines 2.

FAQ

What is the best game where you play as the villain?

Tyranny is the strongest pick because the whole game assumes you serve the conquering evil empire. For a more modern and flexible option, Baldur’s Gate 3 with the Dark Urge origin gives you a fully written evil storyline with consequences for companions and the ending.

What games let you be evil?

RPGs with moral choices are the best bet: Baldur’s Gate 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Dishonored and Bloodlines 2 all support evil paths. Management games such as Evil Genius 2, Dungeons 4 and Overlord are built entirely around being bad.

Which open-world games make you the villain?

Prototype and Destroy All Humans! are open-world games where you play a destructive anti-hero or invader. Fallout: New Vegas lets you side with the cruelest faction, and Grand Theft Auto V lets you play as Trevor, one of gaming’s most violent leads.

Is there a game where you are the final boss?

Dungeon management games come closest. In Dungeon Keeper 2 and Dungeons 4, heroes invade your lair to defeat you, so you are effectively the boss they are trying to beat. Evil Genius 2 has a similar setup with secret agents raiding your base.

Can you play as a villain in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Yes. You can side with the Absolute, betray or kill companions, and make cruel choices throughout. The Dark Urge origin is designed for evil play, with a character driven by murderous urges and a unique dark storyline.

Is Spec Ops: The Line still available?

It was removed from digital stores in 2024, reportedly because of expiring licences. Physical copies for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 can still be found, and anyone who already owns it digitally can still download it.

Which Villain Game Should You Play?

For a story-rich evil RPG, play Tyranny on PC or Baldur’s Gate 3 on PC, PS5 or Xbox. If you would rather build an empire of evil, choose Evil Genius 2 for spy-movie fun or Dungeons 4 for a modern take on Dungeon Keeper. If you want pure, silly destruction, pick Destroy All Humans! or Prototype. If you only have a few evenings, Carrion and Plague Inc. deliver a full villain fantasy fast. And if you want a game that makes you think about what you have done, Spec Ops: The Line is still unmatched.

Last updated: October 2026