Darkest Dungeon RPG enters the world of graphic novels

The world of Darkest Dungeon is getting bigger, and this time we will not have to sacrifice half of our party to see what happens next.

Courtesy of: Red Hook Studios

Red Hook Studios has teamed with Vault Comics for an original Darkest Dungeon graphic novel, expanding the gothic horror RPG beyond the games with a story that is officially part of the series' canon. Even more interesting, Vault has confirmed that the story takes place after the events of Darkest Dungeon II, pushing the world forward rather than simply adapting something players have already experienced.

Darkest Dungeon is a turn-based RPG series built around sending groups of deeply flawed heroes into places filled with monsters, disease, stress, and enough psychological trauma to make you reconsider why anybody agreed to go adventuring in the first place. The original arrived in 2016, followed by Darkest Dungeon II in 2023, with both games developing a strong following around their brutal gameplay, narration, gothic atmosphere, and instantly recognizable artwork.

The graphic novel will be written by John Lees, whose horror work includes The Nasty, Sink, and Hotell, with artwork from Maan House, who has already spent some time in grim video-game territory through Dark Souls: Mother of Mourning. House has also worked on The Cemeterians. Most importantly, the pair are collaborating directly with Darkest Dungeon creative director and Red Hook Studios co-founder Chris Bourassa.

Bourassa has talked about how personal the move into comics is for him. He grew up reading them and learned to draw by studying everything from Bronze Age Batman to the huge splash pages of Image Comics. That connection runs deeper than simply making a graphic novel now. The visual identity of Darkest Dungeon itself was influenced by comic artists including Mike Mignola, along with medieval woodcuts and older artwork.

Bourassa has also made it clear that the book is intended to matter. He describes it as a meaningful part of the continuing Darkest Dungeon lore, giving existing fans new information while still introducing newcomers to the characters and world. Lees has previously discussed his belief that strong horror depends on what we do not know, rather than immediately showing and explaining everything, which feels almost tailor-made for a universe where the darkness usually contains something you really wish you had not found.

Specific story and character details are still being kept quiet, but we know our heroes will be heading beyond the known world following Darkest Dungeon II. Vault and Red Hook are promising new mysteries tied to the mythology of the series, which is exactly where I would rather see a project like this go instead of simply putting events from the games onto paper.

The Darkest Dungeon graphic novel campaign launches through BackerKit in October 2026, with more details and artwork being revealed ahead of launch.

Courtesy of: Red Hook Studios