<s>
Darq	B-Application
(	O
stylized	O
as	O
DARQ	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
puzzle-platform	O
adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
independent	O
studio	O
Unfold	B-Application
Games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marketed	O
as	O
a	O
psychological	O
horror	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
Darq	B-Application
follows	O
a	O
boy	O
named	O
Lloyd	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
trapped	O
in	O
a	O
lucid	O
dream	O
state	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
manipulates	O
the	O
physics	O
system	O
which	O
governs	O
his	O
dream	O
world	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
solve	O
puzzles	O
and	O
evade	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
initially	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
on	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
titled	O
Darq	B-Application
:	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
,	O
which	O
collects	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
and	O
all	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
PC	O
on	O
December	O
4	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
and	O
ported	O
for	O
multiple	O
console	O
platforms	O
in	O
March	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
Darq	B-Application
gained	O
significant	O
media	O
attention	O
following	O
public	O
disclosure	O
by	O
Unfold	B-Application
Games	I-Application
founder	O
Wlad	O
Marhulets	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
rejected	O
numerous	O
offers	O
from	O
several	O
publishers	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
exclusivity	O
deal	O
with	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
received	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
on	O
PC	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
whereas	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
received	O
a	O
more	O
favorable	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
is	O
presented	O
as	O
a	O
2D	O
side-scroller	O
with	O
greyscale	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
predominantly	O
accompanied	O
by	O
minimalist	O
ambient	O
sounds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
upgraded	O
and	O
expanded	O
version	O
called	O
Darq	B-Application
:	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
includes	O
two	O
additional	O
levels	O
,	O
“	O
The	O
Tower	O
”	O
and	O
“	O
The	O
Crypt	O
”	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Unfold	B-Application
Games	I-Application
,	O
an	O
independent	O
studio	O
founded	O
by	O
professional	O
composer	O
Wlad	O
Marhulets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
for	O
the	O
project	O
began	O
in	O
2015	O
,	O
when	O
Marhulets	O
downloaded	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
the	O
Unity	B-Application
game	I-Application
engine	I-Application
and	O
decided	O
to	O
learn	O
more	O
about	O
computer	B-General_Concept
programming	I-General_Concept
and	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
3D	O
models	O
during	O
his	O
spare	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
ended	O
up	O
garnering	O
almost	O
2,000	O
endorsements	O
from	O
Steam	B-Application
service	I-Application
users	O
and	O
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
10	O
most	O
upvoted	O
games	O
within	O
two	O
weeks	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
positive	O
assessments	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Encouraged	O
by	O
the	O
positive	O
reception	O
,	O
Marhulets	O
decided	O
to	O
develop	O
Darq	B-Application
into	O
a	O
commercial	O
product	O
and	O
undertake	O
video	O
game	O
development	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
full-time	O
basis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marhulets	O
envisioned	O
Darq	B-Application
as	O
a	O
"	O
musically	O
charged	O
experience	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
slow	O
build	O
and	O
creepy	O
atmosphere	O
"	O
akin	O
to	O
the	O
pacing	O
of	O
Stanley	O
Kubrick	O
's	O
The	O
Shining	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
gameplay	O
features	O
were	O
announced	O
throughout	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
cycle	O
which	O
are	O
not	O
present	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
release	O
of	O
Darq	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
promised	O
feature	O
which	O
is	O
not	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
release	O
of	O
Darq	B-Application
include	O
procedurally	O
generated	O
elements	O
like	O
enemy	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2019	O
,	O
Marhulets	O
claimed	O
on	O
a	O
Reddit	O
post	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
rejected	O
twelve	O
offers	O
from	O
major	O
publishers	O
for	O
Darq	B-Application
as	O
they	O
contained	O
terms	O
he	O
deemed	O
unfavorable	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
publishers	O
wanting	O
up	O
to	O
a	O
80%	O
cut	O
of	O
the	O
profits	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
intellectual	O
property	O
of	O
Darq	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marhulets	O
also	O
disclosed	O
that	O
an	O
Epic	O
Games	O
representative	O
approached	O
him	O
about	O
an	O
exclusivity	O
deal	O
for	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
,	O
three	O
days	O
after	O
a	O
promotional	O
trailer	O
was	O
released	O
which	O
revealed	O
the	O
Steam	O
launch	O
date	O
for	O
Darq	B-Application
,	O
where	O
Epic	O
would	O
provide	O
funding	O
support	O
on	O
the	O
condition	O
that	O
Darq	B-Application
was	O
to	O
be	O
withdrawn	O
from	O
being	O
sold	O
on	O
Steam	O
for	O
a	O
period	O
of	O
one	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marhulets	O
declined	O
the	O
offer	O
as	O
he	O
felt	O
that	O
withdrawing	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
a	O
Steam	O
launch	O
soon	O
after	O
announcing	O
its	O
impending	O
arrival	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
would	O
damage	O
the	O
credibility	O
of	O
his	O
studio	O
,	O
because	O
an	O
important	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
fundraising	O
efforts	O
for	O
Darq	B-Application
was	O
a	O
pledge	O
for	O
its	O
release	O
on	O
Steam	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
apparently	O
wishlisted	O
by	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
Steam	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
digital	O
rights	O
management-free	O
game	O
on	O
Steam	O
and	O
GOG.com	O
on	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
25	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
Marhulets	O
announced	O
that	O
additional	O
levels	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
later	O
in	O
2019	O
as	O
free	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
:	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
and	O
all	O
DLC	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
4	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
PC	O
storefronts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Owners	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
PC	O
version	O
of	O
Darq	B-Application
received	O
a	O
free	O
upgrade	O
to	O
the	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
following	O
its	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
:	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
March	O
18	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
and	O
on	O
March	O
25	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
with	O
free	O
upgrades	O
for	O
owners	O
of	O
the	O
prior	B-Application
console	I-Application
generation	I-Application
versions	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Darq	B-Application
was	O
initially	O
denied	O
a	O
store	O
spot	O
following	O
the	O
breakdown	O
of	O
negotiations	O
between	O
Epic	O
Games	O
and	O
Unfold	B-Application
Games	I-Application
in	O
2019	O
,	O
Darq	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
was	O
eventually	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
on	O
October	O
28	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
offered	O
as	O
a	O
complimentary	O
download	O
for	O
one	O
week	O
upon	O
its	O
debut	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
payout	O
from	O
Epic	O
Games	O
to	O
Unfold	B-Application
Games	I-Application
for	O
the	O
giveaway	O
would	O
help	O
fund	O
the	O
studio	O
's	O
next	O
project	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
said	O
to	O
be	O
much	O
larger	O
in	O
scope	O
than	O
Darq	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marhulets	O
announced	O
that	O
he	O
intended	O
to	O
donate	O
all	O
sales	O
revenue	O
for	O
Darq	B-Application
generated	O
through	O
the	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
to	O
charitable	O
organizations	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Gamers	O
Outreach	O
Foundation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
which	O
details	O
his	O
experiences	O
developing	O
Darq	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Marhulets	O
also	O
worked	O
on	O
a	O
comic	O
book	O
adaptation	O
of	O
Darq	B-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
intended	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
late	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Darq	B-Application
attracted	O
media	O
coverage	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
journalists	O
prior	O
to	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Austin	O
Wood	O
from	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
praised	O
the	O
"	O
remarkable	O
depth	O
"	O
Darq	B-Application
achieved	O
through	O
"	O
creative	O
lighting	O
and	O
a	O
thickly	O
detailed	O
foreground	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
weight	O
to	O
its	O
physics	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
lauded	O
preview	O
footage	O
for	O
Darq	B-Application
as	O
"	O
pure	O
,	O
helpless	O
horror	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
great	O
showing	O
for	O
a	O
promising	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dustin	O
Bailey	O
from	O
PCGamesN	O
noted	O
that	O
Darq	B-Application
attracted	O
"	O
broadly	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
both	O
critics	O
and	O
Steam	O
users	O
"	O
following	O
its	O
launch	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
Marhulet	O
's	O
disclosure	O
of	O
his	O
dealings	O
with	O
publishers	O
generated	O
a	O
level	O
of	O
fame	O
for	O
Darq	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
,	O
Darq	B-Application
was	O
generally	O
well	O
received	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
whereas	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
and	O
PC	O
versions	O
were	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
