View source for Alone in the Dark (1992 video game)




{{Infobox video game
| title = Alone in the Dark
| image = Alone in the Dark boxart.jpg
| caption = Cover art for the North American MS-DOS release and CD-ROM version in Europe
| developer = [[Infogrames]]{{efn|PC-98 and FM Towns versions developed by Arrow Micro-Techs Corp; 3DO and Archimedes versions developed by [[Krisalis Software|Krisalis]]; iOS version developed by Kung-Fu Factory.}}
| publisher = {{vgrelease|EU|Infogrames|NA|[[Infogrames|I•Motion]]/[[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]]<ref name="cgw_europe" />{{efn|The current publisher is [[THQ Nordic]], who purchased the game franchise from Atari in 2018.<ref name=":7"/>}}}}
| director = [[Frédérick Raynal]]
| programmer = {{ubl|Frédérick Raynal|Franck De Girolami}}
| artist = {{ubl|Didier Chanfray|Yaël Barroz|Jean-Marc Torroella}}
| composer = Philippe Vachey
| producer = [[Bruno Bonnell]]
| writer = {{ubl|Hubert Chardot|Franck Manzetti}}
| engine = 
| series = ''[[Alone in the Dark]]''
| platforms = [[MS-DOS]], [[RISC OS]], [[3DO]], [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]], [[NEC PC-9801|PC-98]], [[FM Towns]], [[iOS]]
| released = 1992
| genre = [[Survival horror]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
}}
'''''Alone in the Dark''''' is a 1992 [[survival horror]] video game designed by [[Frédérick Raynal]]. Developed and published by [[Infogrames]] in 1992 for [[MS-DOS]], the game was eventually ported to [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]], the [[PC-98]], the [[FM Towns]], the [[3DO]], [[RISC OS]], and [[iOS]]. ''Alone in the Dark'' is set in 1920s [[Louisiana]] and challenges the player to escape a haunted mansion. To advance, the player must solve puzzles while banishing, slaying, or eluding various ghosts and monsters. The player can collect and use weapons, manage a weight-based inventory system, and explore a partially nonlinear map.

Raynal was motivated to create ''Alone in the Dark'' due to his interest in 3D animation and his fondness for horror films. The game's storyline was inspired by the [[Cthulhu Mythos]] of [[H. P. Lovecraft]] and the work of directors like [[Dario Argento]] and [[George A. Romero]]; Raynal's programming team worked to convey much of this story via key texts scattered about the game's environment. To overcome technical limitations, the production team also employed a [[Virtual camera system|fixed camera angle system]] to dramatically frame the movement of three-dimensional characters on top of two-dimensional background images.

Upon its release, ''Alone in the Dark'' received acclaim, with critics applauding its unsettling atmosphere, effective soundtrack, and technical inventiveness. The game also won several industry awards and is regularly included in lists of the [[List of video games considered the best|best video games ever made]]. Often identified as the first [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[survival horror]] game, ''Alone in the Dark'' strongly influenced the production of [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Resident Evil (1996 video game)|Resident Evil]]'' (1996), and it also spawned a series of follow-up games and two films. A [[Alone in the Dark (2024 video game)|reimagining of the original game]], published by [[THQ Nordic]], was released on 20 March 2024.

==Gameplay==
[[Player character|Players]] choose between a male or female protagonist (Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood, respectively),{{sfnp|Robson|1994|pp=12-13}}{{sfnp|Roux-Girard|2009|p=148}}<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Infogrames |date=1993 |title=Alone in the Dark Manual |url=https://archive.org/details/Alone_in_the_Dark_manual/page/n5/mode/2up |access-date=9 May 2023 |pages=8{{endash}}12 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> and are then trapped inside the haunted mansion of Derceto. The player character starts in the attic, having ascended to the top of the mansion without incident, and is tasked with finding a way out of the mansion while avoiding, outsmarting, or defeating various [[supernatural]] enemies.{{sfnp|Roux-Girard|2009|p=148}}{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=7-8}}{{sfnp|Robson|1994|p=18}}<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Alone in the Dark: Walkthrough |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/03/alone-in-the-dark-1992-walkthrough-221260 |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Although able to kill most enemies with fists and feet, the player can also find and utilize various weapons.<ref name=":9" />{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=9}}{{sfnp|Bycer|2022|p=9}} Other opponents can only be beaten by solving a particular puzzle rather than a straight fight, and still others cannot be killed and instead must be avoided.{{sfnp|Bycer|2022|p=9}}

Much of the game involves exploration and puzzle-solving,{{sfnp|Bycer|2022|pp=9-10}} and the player can search through the house for clues as to what occurred before the player's arrival.{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=7-8}} The player can also open and close doors, push certain objects, and pick up and use key items.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":1" />{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=8}} The game's inventory is limited, and the player must often discard items to make room. It is possible to discard items needed to complete the game, but discarded items remain in play and can be retrieved later, even if the player character leaves the room.{{sfnp|Bycer|2022|p=50}} Inventory space is determined by weight, not number of items; for example, a player may discard several lightweight items yet still be unable to pick up a heavy object.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Mike |date=2022 |title=Eldritch Horror and Survival Horror Combined: 'Alone in the Dark' Turns 30 |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3697487/eldritch-horror-and-survival-horror-combined-alone-in-the-dark-turns-30/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]}}</ref>

''Alone in the Dark'' has a partially [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]] level design. The player character is initially restricted to the attic and third floor, whose rooms are arranged such that they must be traversed in a linear order. Completing the puzzle at the end of the third floor grants the player character access to the first and second floors. The player can explore the rooms in this area in any order and revisit the attic and third floor if desired. Upon completing a specific puzzle, the player gains access to the caverns beneath the mansion. The caverns are completely linear, and each puzzle must be overcome as it is encountered.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Kole |date=22 June 2016 |title=Retrospective: Alone in the Dark |url=http://www.hexcrank.com/alone-in-the-dark-1992/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=Hex Crank}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pro |first=Andy |date=April 2023 |title=Alone in the Dark |url=https://presentperfectgaming.com/alone-in-the-dark/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=Present Perfect Gaming}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cobb |first=Chris |date=9 May 2016 |title=It's In Your Blood: A History of Horror Games (Part Two) |url=https://www.warpzoned.com/2016/05/its-in-your-blood-a-history-of-horror-games-part-two/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=Warp Zoned}}</ref>

==Plot==
In 1924, Jeremy Hartwood, a noted artist and owner of the [[Louisiana]] mansion [[Atargatis|Derceto]], has died by suicide. His death appears suspicious yet seems to surprise nobody, for Derceto is widely reputed to be [[haunted house|haunted]] by an evil power. The player assumes the role of either Edward Carnby (a [[private investigator]] who is sent to find a piano in the loft for an antique dealer) or Emily Hartwood (Jeremy's niece, who is also interested in finding the piano because she believes it contains a secret note that explains Jeremy's suicide). Depending on whether the player chooses to play as Carnby or Hartwood, the game begins with that character going to the mansion to investigate. Upon entering the house, the doors mysteriously slam shut behind the player character, and once they make it to the attic, they are attacked by monsters. The player character progresses down through the house, fighting off various creatures and hazards.{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=6-7}}<ref name=":10" />

The player character finds documents throughout the house indicating that Derceto was built by an occultist [[pirate]] named Ezechiel Pregzt, and that beneath the house are caverns wherein Pregzt performed dark rituals to enlarge his fortune and unnaturally extend his life.{{sfnp|Robson|1994|pp=47-50, 59-62}}<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Swan |first=Cameron |date=18 August 2022 |title=Alone in the Dark: What to Know About Derceto Manor |url=https://gamerant.com/alone-in-the-dark-derceto-manor-setting-lore-backstory/ |access-date=10 May 2023 |website=[[Game Rant]] |language=en}}</ref> Pregzt was shot, and Derceto was burned down by encamped [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] soldiers during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=":11" />{{sfnp|Robson|1994|pp=47-50, 55-56}} However, Pregzt's spirit lived on, coming to inhabit an old tree in the caverns underneath Derceto.<ref name=":11" /> Over the course of the game, the player discovers that Jeremy Hartwood killed himself to prevent his body being used by Pregzt as a host; for this reason, Pregzt is now targeting the player.{{sfnp|Robson|1994|pp=25-29, 65-68}} If the player is incapacitated, their body is subsequently dragged to a sacrificial area and possessed by Pregzt, whereupon the game ends with an image of supernatural horrors being unleashed from the house into the world at large.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="cgw199611bestwaystodie">{{cite magazine |date=November 1996 |title=The 15 Best Ways To Die In Computer Gaming |page=107 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408023915/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 |archive-date=8 April 2016 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

In another ending, the player character finds a passage into the caverns in Hartwood's study and makes their way to the tree where Pregzt resides. The player character hurls a lighted lantern at the tree, then flees the collapsing cavern.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Swan |first=Cameron |date=16 August 2022 |title=What Happens in Alone in the Dark's Story |url=https://gamerant.com/alone-in-the-dark-franchise-story-summary-new-remake/ |access-date=10 May 2023 |website=[[Game Rant]] |language=en}}</ref> The flames consume Pregzt, and the house is purged of supernatural creatures and other effects caused by his influence. The player can finally open the front doors and leave the house (which, now empty of monsters, is largely safe to explore).<ref name=":1" /><ref name="GamaMake" /> The game ends with the player returning to their car, only to discover that the person behind the wheel is a zombie, who drives the car back to civilization.<ref name=":2" />

=== Cultural references ===
The story is heavily influenced by the works of [[H. P. Lovecraft]].<ref name=":2" />{{sfnp|Garner|2017|p=135}}<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Langshaw |first=Mark |date=29 October 2011 |title=Retro Corner: ''Alone in the Dark'' |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/retro-gaming/a347925/retro-corner-alone-in-the-dark/ |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=[[Digital Spy]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Grimoire]]s found in the mansion's library include the ''[[Necronomicon]]'' and ''[[De Vermis Mysteriis]]'', both taken from Lovecraft's [[Cthulhu Mythos]].<ref name=":2" /> The last name of the character Edward Carnby is a reference to John Carnby, a character in the Mythos tale ''[[The Return of the Sorcerer]]'' by [[Clark Ashton Smith]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Alone in the Dark'' Deserves Another Chance to Shine (series Retrospective) |url=https://www.highfunctioningmedium.com/blog/alone-in-the-dark-deserves-better-series-retrospective |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=High Functioning Medium |language=en-US}}</ref> Finally, several supernatural opponents are recognizable creatures from the Mythos (e.g., [[Deep One]]s, [[Nightgaunt]]s, Chthonians), and Pregzt even mentions [[Cthulhu]].<ref name=":10">{{Cite magazine |last=Lemon |first=Marshall |date=24 October 2015 |title=Alone In The Dark {{endash}} Dying To Be Remastered |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/alone-in-the-dark-dying-to-be-remastered/ |access-date=8 May 2023 |magazine=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gailloreto |first=Coleman |date=28 August 2022 |title=How Alone In The Dark Remake Is Different From The Original & Reboot |url=https://screenrant.com/alone-dark-remake-reboot-game-original-differences-compared/ |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en}}</ref>{{sfnp|Robson|1994|p=68}}

==Development==
=== Background ===
[[File:Frédérick Raynal.jpg|thumb|''Alone in the Dark'' was directed by Infogrames programmer [[Frédérick Raynal]] (pictured in 2007).]]
In 1991, the French video game developer [[Infogrames]] acquired the rights to adapt [[Chaosium]]'s ''[[Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)|Call of Cthulhu]]'' role-playing game (based on [[H. P. Lovecraft]]'s [[Cthulhu Mythos]]) into a series of video games. When brainstorming ideas for what an adaptation would entail, Infogrames CEO [[Bruno Bonnell]] proposed a game where players would use matches to gain snapshot views of a completely dark environment.{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|p=151}} [[Frédérick Raynal]], a programmer at Infogrames, was struck by the concept: As a fan of horror film directors like [[Dario Argento]] and [[George A. Romero]], Raynal had long wanted to create a horror-based game,<ref name="GamaMake">{{cite web |last=Alexander |first=Leigh |date=9 March 2012 |title=Inside the Making of Alone in the Dark |url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/165360/GDC_2012_Inside_the_making_of_Alone_in_the_Dark.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904234920/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/165360/GDC_2012_Inside_the_making_of_Alone_in_the_Dark.php |archive-date=4 September 2012 |work=[[GamaSutra]]}}</ref><ref name="EdgeMak">{{cite magazine |date=11 May 2010 |title=The Making Of: Alone In The Dark |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-alone-dark/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531065843/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-alone-dark/ |archive-date=31 May 2013 |access-date=9 October 2012 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]}}</ref> and so he approached Bonnell, asking if he could lead the project. Raynal also proposed that the game be rendered using 3D animation. Bonnell, however, felt that such a game was not possible, given the technical limitations of the time, and so he assigned Raynal to work on a French port of [[Maxis]]'s [[City-building game|city-building]] [[Construction and management simulation games|simulator]] [[SimCity (1989 video game)|''SimCity'']] (1989). Despite this setback, Raynal was determined to realize his horror game concept, and to convince Bonnell that such a project was feasible, he{{Emdash}}with the help of fellow Infogrames employee Didier Chanfray{{Emdash}}spent his evenings working on a 3D animation engine to power the game.{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|pp=151-152}}

Chanfray played a significant role in developing the nascent game's tone and visual style during this stage of production. Using white [[chalk]] and black [[Canson]] paper, he created a concept sketch of an individual standing in a dark, eerie hallway, illuminating the environment with a lantern{{Em dash}}a sketch that Raynal later called "iconic".<ref name="GamaMake" /><ref name="EdgeMak" /> To determine the game's set decorator, Raynal organized an internal contest among Infogrames' staff, inviting them to design potential background sets for the game. One of those who participated in this contest was Yaël Barroz, a graphic artist nearing the end of her fixed-term contract with Infogrames. Barroz's submissions emulated the style of traditional paintings, and Raynal found them so striking that he brought her on to help develop the look of the game's environments.<ref name="GamaMake" /><ref name="EdgeMak" />{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|p=152}}

In September 1991, Raynal and his team presented an early [[proof of concept]] of their horror game to Infogrames. At the time, the game only contained a few rooms, but when Bonnell and Infogrames head of productions Éric Motet saw this demo, they were convinced of the game's potential for success and officially approved the project. Infogrames subsequently diverted resources to Raynal's project, which resulted in the development team expanding from three individuals to seven.{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|pp=152-153}}{{efn|Viz., Frédérick Raynal, Didier Chanfray, Yaël Barroz, Franck De Girolami, Philippe Vachey, Hubert Chardot, and Franck Manzetti<ref name="GamaMake" /><ref name="EdgeMak" />{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|pp=152-153}}}} During this phase of production, the game went by several working titles, including ''In the Dark'', ''Screams in the Dark, The Old Dark House,'' ''The Thing in the House'', and ''The Evil Fear.''{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|p=151}}<ref name="over">{{cite magazine |last=Rigby |first=Paul |title=Over There: enCore! enCore! |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_99/page/n83/mode/2up?q=encore |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |issue=99 |access-date=7 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{sfnp|Robson|1994|pp=148-149}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Boolauck |first=Dany |date=July 1992 |title=Avant-Premières: ''Screams in the Dark'' |url=https://archive.org/details/Tilt104/page/n17/mode/2up?view=theater |journal=[[Tilt (French magazine)|Tilt]] |language=fr |issue=104 |page=18 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> The name ''Alone in the Dark'' was eventually settled upon, with the word "Alone" being added to "reinforce the tragic nature" of the game.{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|p=154}}

=== Writing and animation ===
{{Multiple image
| total_width       = 350
| align             = left
| width             = 350
| image1            = H. P. Lovecraft, June 1934.jpg
| alt1              = This image depicts American author H. P. Lovecraft, taken in June 1934 by Lucius B. Truesdell.
| image2            = George A. Romero by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| alt2              = The image depicts horror director George A. Romero speaking at an event in Phoenix, Arizona.
| footer            = The story to ''Alone in the Dark'' was inspired by the [[Cthulhu Mythos]] of [[H. P. Lovecraft]] (''left'') and the work of horror director [[George A. Romero]] (''right''), among others.
}}
To help develop the game's story, Infogrames hired Hubert Chardot, a screenwriter who had worked for [[20th Century Fox]]. Chardot outlined the game's plot in only three afternoons, and he also wrote most of the game's dialogue.{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|pp=153-154}} While ''Alone in the Dark'' would go on to be advertised as a game "inspired by the work of H. P. Lovecraft",{{sfnp|Stobbart|2019|p=33}} Raynal has admitted that the works of Argento and Romero were stronger influences on the game and that Lovecraft was used simply to provide "ambiance, to give roots to the mystery and to add a few creatures to the bestiary".{{sfnp|Roux-Girard|2009|p=149}} This decision to allude to the author's creations rather than directly adapt one of his works led Chaosium to contend that the game was "too far removed from the spirit of H. P. Lovecraft", and so they subsequently revoked Infogrames' ''Call of Cthulhu'' license.{{sfnp|Ichbiah|2009|p=154}} Other sources claim that Chaosium revoked their license because they believed Raynal's game to be too simple to do justice to the complex rules of their pen-and-paper game.<ref name="EdgeMak2">{{cite magazine |date=11 May 2010 |title=The Making Of: Alone In The Dark |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-alone-dark/ |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531065843/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-alone-dark/ |archive-date=31 May 2013 |access-date=9 October 2012}}</ref>

Due to his belief that computer graphics at the time were not sufficiently frightening on their own, Raynal decided to integrate key texts into the game which could convey necessary backstory details: "A few polygons," he noted in an interview with ''[[GamaSutra]]'', "[is] not very frightening, so I knew that I needed the text to put the situation into a very heavy background story for the game."<ref name="GamaMake" /> In terms of time period and setting, Raynal also decided that the game should take place in a 1920s mansion, as such an expansive locale would be conducive to player exploration, and the specific time frame would allow "for weapons while avoiding the modern commodities that were too difficult to properly handle" or which would have "caused atmosphere and consistency problems".<ref name="EdgeMak" /> To heighten player anxiety, the game was designed so that simple tasks like walking down a hall, opening a door, or reading a book could potentially result in player death. While these deaths occurred in only a few areas, Raynal and his team included them to make the player worry about seemingly ordinary actions.<ref name="GamaMake" />

[[File:Alone_in_the_Dark_cameras.ogg|thumb|right|This brief video, which depicts Carnby walking through the Derceto mansion, illustrates ''Alone in the Dark''{{'}}s [[Virtual camera system#Fixed|fixed camera angle system]]. While this system was necessitated by the technical limitations at the time, the game's designers nevertheless used it to frame scenes and thus build tension.]]

Items and characters in ''Alone in the Dark'' are [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] objects, with characters averaging around 250 polygons.{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=1-2}}{{sfnp|Robson|1994|p=146}} These 3D objects are [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendered]] upon a [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] fixed background.{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=1-2}} Due to the technical limitations of the day, the mixing of [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygons]] and pre-rendered background images required the use of [[Virtual camera system#Fixed|fixed camera angles]]{{Emdash}}a situation which the game's designers used to limit the player's field of view,{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=1-2}}{{sfnp|Barton|2019|p=32}} thereby engendering an aura of "apprehension and fear".{{sfnp|Barton|2019|p=32}} Initially, Raynal had wanted to use photos of an actual mansion built in the 1920s as backgrounds, but this idea proved too ambitious for the 3D rendering tools available, and the team instead resorted to using hand-drawn [[bitmap]]s.<ref name="GamaMake" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |date=23 June 2008 |title=Alone in the Dark Restrospective [sic] |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/23/alone-in-the-dark-restrospective |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

The soundtrack to ''Alone in the Dark'' was created by Infogrames' in-house composer Philippe Vachey with the use of [[Ad Lib, Inc.]] [[sound card]]s.<ref name="GamaMake" /><ref name="EdgeMak" />{{sfnp|Hopkins|2022|p=108}} Vachey's "haunting and organic" score incorporated sonic essential elements often found in horror soundtracks, including piano [[Accent (music)|hits]] and [[Pizzicato|plucked]] [[String instrument|strings]].{{sfnp|Hopkins|2022|p=108}} Upon Raynal's request, Vachey also created musical compositions that corresponded to each of the game's many monsters. While Raynal intended these tracks to only play whenever a monster appeared on screen, Vachey proposed that they occasionally play even when an enemy was absent. This, Vachey reasoned, would scare the player into thinking they were in danger when they were otherwise perfectly safe.<ref name="EdgeMak" /> Raynal also wanted the game to incorporate realistic sound effects to heighten its atmosphere, and so Vachey incorporated [[Sound Blaster]] audio samples into his sound design.<ref name="GamaMake" /> While absent from the original release, the 1993 [[CD-ROM]] re-release of ''Alone in the Dark'' featured introductory [[voice-over]]s.{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=9}}

While most of ''Alone in the Dark''<nowiki/>'s production cycle was defined by a spirit of optimism and creative enthusiasm, the {{Nowrap|[[Software bug|bug]]-testing}} phase wore out the team. Raynal, in particular, grew dissatisfied with almost every aspect of ''Alone in the Dark'' and felt certain that players would notice all of its flaws.<ref name="GamaMake" /><ref name="EdgeMak" /> Raynal's mood further soured when, just before release, Bruno Bonnell requested that Raynal replace the line "Game created by Frédérick Raynal" in the game's credits with "Game created by Infogrames."<ref name="EdgeMak" /><ref name="600k">{{cite web |author=Fontaine, Gilles |date=5 February 1997 |title=Jeux vidéo: Une industrie lourde est née |url=http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/actualite-economique/jeux-video-une-industrie-lourde-est-nee_1409552.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201328/http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/actualite-economique/jeux-video-une-industrie-lourde-est-nee_1409552.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |work=[[L'Express]] |language=fr |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Raynal complied but felt as if he was being denied full recognition for his work (a snub he later called "the trauma of [his] life").<ref name="EdgeMak" /> After ''Alone in the Dark'' proved to be a success, Infogrames tapped Raynal to direct a [[Alone in the Dark 2 (video game)|sequel]]. However, they demanded that he "keep the same engine", which Raynal felt was too great of a restriction; he and his team left the company soon thereafter.<ref name="EdgeMak" />

===Releases, ports, and remakes===
{{main|Alone in the Dark (2024 video game)}}
Initially released for the [[MS-DOS]] operating system, ''Alone in the Dark'' was published in 1992 for the European market by Infogrames.<ref name="cgw_europe">{{cite magazine |last=Matthew |first=Robin |date=January 1994 |title=Over There: A Look at Europe's Latest |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_114/ |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |issue=114 |pages=94{{endash}}96 |access-date=16 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{sfnp|Green|2019|p=12}} The game was released in the United States in 1993 by [[Infogrames|I•Motion]] and [[Interplay Entertainment]];<ref name="cgw_europe" /><ref name="compute">{{cite magazine|last=Olafson|first=Peter|title=Alone in the Dark|date=1993|magazine=[[Compute!]]|issue=7|page=78|url=https://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue154/78_Alone_in_the_Dark.php|access-date=16 May 2023|via=the Classic Computer Magazine Archive}}</ref> that same year, it was released in Japan by Arrow Micro-Techs Corp. for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-98]] and [[FM Towns]] computers.<ref name=jp-PC-98-fm-towns>{{cite magazine |date=19 November 1993 |url=https://archive.org/details/LoginVol221993/page/84/mode/2up?q=alone+in+the+dark |pages=84{{endash}}85 |access-date=16 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]] |magazine=LOGiN Magazine|title=Alone in the Dark|language=ja}}</ref> In 1994, the game was [[porting|ported]] to [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]] by [[MacPlay]] and to the [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]] by [[Krisalis Software|Krisalis]],{{sfnp|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=9}}<ref name="Mac-3DO">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Macworld]]|date=April 1994|title=New: Alone in the Dark|url=https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9404_April_1994/page/n223/mode/2up|page=224|access-date=16 May 2023|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref name="3DO-mag" /> and the following year, Krisalis ported the game to [[RISC OS]] for the [[Acorn Archimedes]] and the [[Risc PC]].<ref name="Acorn">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Acorn User]]|year=1995|issue=163|title=Alone in the Dark|last=Turnbull|first=Pam|url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser1995Magazine/AcornUser9512Xmas/page/n64/mode/1up|page=65|access-date=11 July 2023|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Ports for the [[Atari Jaguar CD]] and the [[32X]] were also in development by Infogrames but were never released.<ref>Sources that discuss the cancelled [[Atari Jaguar CD]] port include:

* {{cite magazine<!--|url=https://archive.org/stream/Edge_UK_005#page/n9|access-date=7 May 2023|via=[[The Internet Archive]]--> |date=February 1994 |title=Jaguar Bares its Claws {{endash}} Complete Atari Jaguar Thirdparty Release Schedule |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |issue=5 |pages=10{{endash}}11}}
* {{cite magazine |author=The Ripper |date=February 1994 |title=Europa! |url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_03#page/n122/mode/1up |magazine=[[GameFan]] |volume=2 |issue=3 |page=123 |access-date=13 October 2018 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite magazine |date=March 1994 |title=Around the Corner: Expected Release Dates |url=http://www.stformat.com/stf56/pages_nx1500/stf56_048.jpg |magazine=[[ST Format]] |issue=56 |page=48 |access-date=21 September 2018 |via=the ST Format Shrine}}
* {{cite magazine |date=April 1994 |title=CD-ROM Unit Put On Hold: Hey, It's Alone In The Dark! |url=http://www.stformat.com/stf57 |magazine=[[ST Format]] |issue=57 |pages=48{{endash}}49 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=4 August 2018 |via=the ST Format Shrine}}
* {{cite magazine |date=May 1994 |title=Demnächst für Eure Konsolen |url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AVideoGames_DE_1994-05.pdf&page=75 |magazine=[[:de:Video Games|Video Games]] |issue=30 |page=79 |access-date=21 September 2018 |via=Retro CDN |lang=de}}
* {{cite magazine |date=June 1994 |title=Atari Ooze Confidence at ECTS |url=http://www.atarimania.com/mags/hi_res/atari-st-format-issue-059_57.jpg |magazine=[[ST Format]] |issue=59 |pages=56{{endash}}57 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=4 August 2018 |via=Atari Mania}}
* {{cite magazine |date=July 1994 |title=Warpzone {{endash}} Jaguar {{endash}} Angekündigte Jaguar-Spiele |url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AVideoGames_DE_1994-07.pdf&page=32 |url-status= |magazine=[[:de:Video Games|Video Games]] |issue=32 |page=32 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=21 September 2018 |via=Retro CDN}}
* {{cite magazine |date=February 1995 |title=Jaguar {{endash}} Una máquina felina para un mercado voraz - Compañías y juegos |url=https://archive.org/stream/HobbyConsolas041Hitech2/Hobby_Consolas_041_hitech_2#page/n26/mode/1up |magazine=[[Hobby Consolas]] |issue=41 |pages=26{{endash}}27 |via=[[The Internet Archive]] |lang=es}}</ref><ref>Sources that discuss the cancelled [[32X]] port include:
* {{cite magazine |date=June 1995 |title=Chips & Bits Inc. {{endash}} 'Alone in the Dark' (32X / $52) |url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_3_Issue_06#page/n122/mode/1up |magazine=[[GameFan]] |publisher=DieHard Gamers Club |volume=3 |issue=6 |page=125 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite magazine |date=October 1995 |title=Preview {{endash}} Coming Soon: In the Works |url=https://archive.org/stream/Game_Players_Issue_57_October_1995#page/n40/mode/1up |magazine=[[Game Players]] |publisher=Signal Research |issue=76 |page=37 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> In 2014, Atari released an official port for [[iOS]] that had been co-developed by [[Kung Fu Factory]].<ref name="ios-port">{{cite web |last1=Sainsbury |first1=Matt |date=26 May 2014 |title=Review: Alone in the Dark (iPad) |url=http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2014/05/review-alone-in-dark-ipad.html |access-date=22 February 2022 |website=Digitally Downloaded}}</ref>

Before the release of ''[[Alone in the Dark (2008 video game)|Alone In The Dark]]'' (2008), [[Eden Games]] attempted to remake the original game, but after the 2008 installment was met with lukewarm reviews, parent company Atari laid off most of Eden's employees and ultimately canceled the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenarrativ.com/portfolio/?p=1009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401024252/https://www.thenarrativ.com/portfolio/?p=1009|archive-date=1 April 2014|date=2014|author=Colomb, Guillaume|work=The Narrativ|title=Alone in the Dark {{endash}} Remake|access-date=7 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=TheLartek |title=Alone in the Dark 1 Remake (Canceled) |date=10 December 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWS9cATCSEo |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref> In August 2022, an announcement was made that a [[Alone in the Dark (2024 video game)|reboot of the original]] was in development at Pieces Interactive. [[THQ Nordic]], the new owner of the ''Alone In The Dark'' franchise, published the game for [[PlayStation 5]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]] on 20 March 2024. This remake features the same setting and protagonists as the original, but it has a completely new story written by Mikael Hedberg, a former [[Frictional Games]] writer who had worked on ''[[Penumbra: Black Plague]]'' (2008)'', [[Amnesia: The Dark Descent]]'' (2010), and ''[[Soma (video game)|SOMA]]'' (2015)''.''<ref name=":7">{{cite web |last1=Chalk |first1=Andy |date=12 August 2022 |title=''Alone in the Dark'' Is Coming Back with a 'Completely Original Story' from the Writer of SOMA |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/alone-in-the-dark-is-coming-back-with-a-completely-original-story-from-the-writer-of-soma/ |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Square |first=Push |date=2023-12-07 |title=Alone in the Dark Delayed Once More, Now Out in March 2024 |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/12/alone-in-the-dark-delayed-once-more-now-out-in-march-2024 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Push Square |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Reception==
=== Critical reception ===
{{Video game reviews
| 3DO = yes
| DOS = yes
| MAC = yes
| na = true
<!-- | GR = 90%<ref>{{cite web |title=Alone in the Dark (1992) |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/564567-alone-in-the-dark-1992/index.html |publisher=[[GameRankings]] |access-date=15 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802031704/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/564567-alone-in-the-dark-1992/index.html |archive-date=2 August 2009}}</ref> -->
| Allgame_DOS = 3.5/5<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://allgame.com/game.php?id=2011&tab=review |title=AllGame Review |access-date=5 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210211036/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2011&tab=review |archive-date=10 December 2014 |url-status=dead |via=[[The Internet Archive]]|last=Romero|first=Joshua|work=[[AllGame]]}}</ref>
| Allgame_MAC = 3.5/5<ref name=allgame-mac>{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=6821&tab=review |title=Alone in the Dark (Macintosh) Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115114451/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=6821&tab=review |archive-date=15 November 2014 |url-status=dead|via=[[The Internet Archive]]|first=Lisa Karen|last=Savignano|work=AllGame}}</ref>
| TILT_DOS = 19/20<ref name=tilt-review/>
| EGM_3DO = 9/10, 8/10,<br>7/10, 8/10,<br>8/10<ref name="EGM62">{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|volume=7|issue=9|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=September 1994|page=38|url=https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/126ee2a4-2009-41e0-94af-72402eb2bb01|via=[[Video Game History Foundation]]|last1=Semrad|first1=Ed|last2=Carpenter|first2=Danyon|last3=Manuel|first3=Al|author4=Sushi-X|last5=Weigand|first5=Mike}}</ref>
| Fam_3DO = 8/10, 8/10,<br> 9/10, 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Famitsu|Weekly Famicom Tsūshin]]|title=3DO Games Cross Review|issue=330|date=April 14, 1995|page=78|language=Japanese|publisher=[[ASCII Corporation]]|last1=Mizuno|first1=Bucho|last2=Saito|first2=Stapa|last3=Momokuri|first3=Takiko|last4=Meijin|first4=Mori}}</ref>
| NGen_3DO = 3/5<ref name="NG1"/>
| NGen_MAC = 4/5<ref name="NGen6"/>
| IGN_DOS = 6/10<ref name="ign-review"/>
| rev1 = ''3DO Magazine''
| rev1_3DO = 4/5<ref name=3DO-mag>{{Cite journal |date=December 1994 |title=Alone in the Dark Review |url=https://archive.org/details/3-do-01/page/40/mode/2up |journal=3DO Magazine |issue=1 |page=40 |access-date=6 April 2022|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
}}

''Alone in the Dark'' received positive reviews upon release, with many hailing it as a trailblazing piece of media. Dany Boolauck of the French gaming magazine ''[[Tilt (French magazine)|Tilt]]'' called ''Alone in the Dark'' "a real revolution in the field of gaming" and compared it positively to other groundbreaking titles like ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]'' (1987), ''[[Prince of Persia (1989 video game)|Prince of Persia]]'' (1989), and ''[[Another World (video game)|Another World]]''.<ref name="tilt-review">{{cite magazine |last=Boolauck |first=Dany |date=November 1992 |title=Alone in the Dark |url=https://archive.org/details/Tilt107/page/n125/mode/2up |magazine=[[Tilt (French magazine)|Tilt]] |language=fr |pages=125{{endash}}127 |access-date=10 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Likewise, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' called ''Alone in the Dark'' "a breakthrough game",<ref name="NGen6">{{cite journal |date=June 1995 |title=Haunting |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-006 |journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=6 |page=109 |access-date=15 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> and ''[[AllGame]]'' wrote that, among the games released in the early 1990s, ''Alone in the Dark'' "stands out as a graphical gem".<ref name=allgame-mac/>

Several critics wrote highly of the game's atmosphere and sound design. In a review of the 3DO version of the game'', [[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' wrote that "''Alone'''s subtle mix of eerie music, grim animation sequences, and suspense-filled storyline create an atmosphere of tense horror that adds an interesting new twist to the standard graphic adventure."<ref name="NG1">{{cite magazine |date=January 1995 |title=Finals |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher= |issue=1 |page=90}}</ref> [[Charles Ardai]], in his review for ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'', applauded the game's frightening ambiance, which he claimed caused him "jump in fright at the slightest sound [as if he had] been inside a real house".<ref name="ardai199306">{{cite magazine |last=Ardai |first=Charles |date=June 1993 |title=A Fragment of The Diary of Lt. Col. Lemuel Cork, Found Among His Papers After His Disappearance |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=107 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |page=62{{endash}}66 |access-date=15 May 2023 |via=the Computer Gaming World Museum |authorlink=Charles Ardai}}</ref> In the same issue of ''Computer Gaming World'', [[Scorpia (journalist)|Scorpia]] commended the game's designers for "establishing mood" through key interactables and for utilizing sound "to good effect".<ref name="scorpia199306">{{cite magazine |author=Scorpia |date=June 1993 |title=Scorpia Finds Herself Alone in the Dark |page=68 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=107 |access-date=7 July 2014 |via=the Computer Gaming World Museum}}</ref> Similarly, ''[[GamePro]]''<nowiki/>'s Lawrence Neves lauded the game's sound design, noting that "weird moaning, zombie laughter, and occasional hands-around-the-throat screams instill the right mood".<ref name=":0" /> Neves also held that the game's sparing use of music effectively enhanced key scenes.<ref name=":0" />

''Alone in the Dark''{{'}}s fixed camera angle system also engendered critical discussion, specifically regarding its similarity to horror film cinematography. Jacob Blackford of [[Computer Shopper (US magazine)|''Computer Shopper'']] praised this system, asserting that it created an "engaging, movie-like" environment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blackford |first1=Jacob |date=1993 |title=Alone in the Dark |volume=13 |work=[[Computer Shopper (US magazine)|Computer Shopper]] |issue=10 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A14343222/AONE?&xid=f2b6374c |url-access=subscription |access-date=8 February 2023 |via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale]]}}</ref> Similarly, a review in ''Computer Gaming World'' noted that the game's "clever use of camera angles" added a "startlingly cinematic touch" to the overall experience.<ref name="cgw199404">{{Cite magazine |date=April 1994 |title=Invasion Of The Data Stashers |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |pages=20{{endash}}42 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=10 November 2017 |via=the Computer Gaming World Museum}}</ref> In her review, Scorpia called the game's camera system its "unique feature": "Years of watching horror movies," she wrote, "have taught us that when the viewing perspective changes, it usually means that something is up"''.<ref name="scorpia199306" />'' For this reason, she argued that ''Alone in the Dark''{{'}}s decision to integrate perspective changes into the game "very effectively [keeps the player] alert and worried over what's about to happen".<ref name="scorpia199306" /> In a retrospective consideration of the game, John Cantees of ''GamingBolt'' wrote that the use of fixed camera angles was "a great way to set a cinematic tone" while also "work[ing] within the very tight technical limitations of the time."<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Cantees |first=John |date=30 March 2021 |title=Will Alone in the Dark Ever Come Back? |url=https://gamingbolt.com/will-alone-in-the-dark-ever-come-back |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=GamingBolt}}</ref>

Conversely, criticism was aimed at the compatibility of the game's fixed camera angle system with some of its more action-heavy set pieces.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="scorpia199306" /> Scorpia, for instance, wrote: "There are some situations where maneuvering the character while the angles change can make your life difficult. Imagine running around narrow library corridors while being chased by a critter ... while the perspective changes constantly as you move."<ref name="scorpia199306" /> Other criticisms were aimed at the ambiguity about which monsters can be killed, the existence of interactables that can kill the player without warning, the game's linear design, and the look of its monsters.<ref name="ign-review">{{Cite web |last=Chick |first=Tom |date=1 November 2000 |title=PC Retroview: Alone in the Dark |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/01/pc-retroview-alone-in-the-dark |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="scorpia199306" /><ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |last=Neves |first=Lawrence |date=November 1994 |title=ProReview: Alone in the Dark |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_064_November_1994/page/n185/mode/2up?q=interplay |magazine=[[GamePro]] |publisher= |issue=64 |page=176 |access-date=15 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

=== Sales ===
According to PC Research, ''Alone in the Dark'' was the second best-selling MS-DOS game of March 1993.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=PC Research Hits List of Tap-Selling Software|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_108/page/n159/mode/2up?q=%22alone+in+the+dark%22+I%E2%80%A2Motion|access-date=16 May 2023|page=160|date=July 1993|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issue=108|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> In February 1997, it was reported that ''Alone in the Dark'' had sold 600,000 copies, and by January 2000, that number had grown to 2.5 million.<ref name="600k" /><ref name="lib">{{cite web |author=Mauriac |first=Laurent |date=21 January 2000 |title=Bruno Bonnell, 41 ans, PDG de la société Infogrames, mène son entreprise ludique en héros rigolo de jeu vidéo |url=http://www.liberation.fr/futurs/2000/01/21/bruno-bonnell-41-ans-pdg-de-la-societe-infogrames-mene-son-entreprise-ludique-en-heros-rigolo-de-jeu_313862 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717182927/http://www.liberation.fr/futurs/2000/01/21/bruno-bonnell-41-ans-pdg-de-la-societe-infogrames-mene-son-entreprise-ludique-en-heros-rigolo-de-jeu_313862 |archive-date=17 July 2018 |access-date=7 May 2023 |work=[[Libération]] |language=fr}}</ref>

===Accolades===
''Alone in the Dark'' won numerous gaming and industry awards, including the [[European Computer Trade Show]] awards for "Best Graphics", "Most Original Game", and "Best French Game of the Year" (1993), and the [[Consumer Electronics Show]] award for "Best Foreign Game" (1993).{{sfnp|Robson|1994|p=ix}}

''Alone in the Dark'' has been included on lists of the [[List of video games considered the best|best video games ever made]] by ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'',<ref name="cgw199611best">{{cite magazine |date=November 1996 |title=150 Best Games of All Time |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |pages=64{{endash}}80 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=25 March 2016 |via=the Computer Gaming World Museum}}</ref> ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'',<ref name="empire">{{cite web |title=The 100 Greatest Games of All Time: ''Alone in the Dark'' |url=http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/default.asp?p=95 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009084022/http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/default.asp?p=95 |archive-date=9 October 2014 |access-date=19 December 2013 |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|issue=138|date=October 2005|title=The Top 25 Most Influential Games of All Time: Alone in the Dark (PC)}}</ref> ''[[GamesMaster]]'',<ref name=GamesMaster1994>{{cite journal|title=The All Time Top 100 Ever|journal=[[GamesMaster (magazine)|GamesMaster]]|date=September 1994|issue=21|department=Bonus supplement}}</ref> [[GameSpot]],<ref name="GameSpot2000">{{cite web |date=2 January 2000 |title=GameSpot's 100 Games of the Millennium |url=http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/features/gotm_uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815090929/http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/features/gotm_uk/ |archive-date=15 August 2000 |access-date=5 September 2022 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> [[:de:Gameswelt|''Gameswelt'']],<ref name="Gameswelt2012">{{cite web |date=26 July 2012 |title=Gameswelt Top 100 |url=https://www.gameswelt.de/gameswelttv/video/plaetze-81-100-165185 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512080827/https://www.gameswelt.de/gameswelttv/video/plaetze-81-100-165185 |archive-date=12 May 2022 |access-date=14 May 2022 |website=Gameswelt}}</ref> ''[[IGN]],''<ref name="IGN2003">{{cite web |year=2003 |title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time |url=http://top100.ign.com/2003/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207120250/http://top100.ign.com/2003/ |archive-date=7 December 2014 |access-date=17 December 2014 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref name="IGN2005">{{cite web |year=2005 |title=IGN's Top 100 Games, 2005 |url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213111424/http://top100.ign.com/2005/ |archive-date=13 December 2013 |access-date=19 November 2013 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref name="IGN2007">{{cite web |date=2007 |title=The Top 100 Games of All Time! |url=http://top100.ign.com/2007/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203021612/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ |archive-date=3 December 2007 |access-date=28 October 2017 |website=IGN}}</ref> ''[[PC Gamer]]'',<ref name="pcgamerustop40">{{cite magazine |date=August 1994 |title=''PC Gamer'' Top 40: The Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[PC Gamer US]] |issue=3 |pages=32{{endash}}42}}</ref><ref name="pcgameruktop50">{{cite magazine |date=April 1994 |title=The ''PC Gamer'' Top 50 PC Games of All Time |magazine=[[PC Gamer UK]] |issue=5 |pages=43{{endash}}56}}</ref><ref name="pcgtop50">{{cite magazine |date=October 1998 |title=The 50 Best Games Ever |magazine=[[PC Gamer US]] |volume=5 |pages=86{{endash}}130 |number=10}}</ref> [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]],<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web |last=Polygon Staff |date=27 November 2017 |title=The 500 Best Video Games of All Time |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/27/16158276/polygon-500-best-games-of-all-time-500-401 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303210843/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/27/16158276/polygon-500-best-games-of-all-time-500-401 |archive-date=3 March 2018 |access-date=1 December 2017 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon.com]]}}</ref> and [[Stuff (magazine)|''Stuff'']] magazine.<ref name="Stuff2008">{{cite magazine |date=October 2008 |title=100 Greatest Games |magazine=[[Stuff (magazine)|Stuff]] |pages=116{{endash}}126}}</ref> The game was also included in [[Lagardère Publishing|Cassell Illustrated]]'s reference book ''[[1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die]]'' (2010)''.''{{sfnp|Mott|2010|p=216}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013 |title=1001 Video Games to Play Before You Die |url=http://1001beforeyoudie.com/1001_video_games_uk.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713145009/http://1001beforeyoudie.com/1001_video_games_uk.html |archive-date=13 July 2014 |access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{main|Alone in the Dark|Survival horror}}
''Alone in the Dark'' was followed by seven more games in the series: ''Jack in the Dark'' (1993),<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Tack |first1=Daniel |date=11 September 2020 |title=Replay {{endash}} ''Alone In The Dark: Illumination'' & ''Jack In The Dark'' |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/replay/replay/2020/09/11/replay-alone-in-the-dark-illumination-jack-in-the-dark |access-date=19 May 2023 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519194821/https://www.gameinformer.com/replay/replay/2020/09/11/replay-alone-in-the-dark-illumination-jack-in-the-dark |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Alone in the Dark 2 (video game)|Alone in the Dark 2]]'' (1993),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Infogrames |date=1993 |title=Alone in the Dark 2 |url=https://archive.org/details/msdos_Alone_in_the_Dark_2_1993 |access-date=8 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[Alone in the Dark 3]]'' (1995),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Infogrames |date=1995 |title=Alone in the Dark 3 for the PC |url=https://archive.org/details/alone3_a/alone3_a.jpg |access-date=8 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare]]'' (2001),''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Infogrames |date=2001 |title=Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PT-BR) (Alone in the Dark 4) |url=https://archive.org/details/alone-in-the-dark-4-2001-pt-br |access-date=8 May 2023 |via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref>'' ''[[Alone in the Dark (2008 video game)|Alone in the Dark]]'' (2008)'',''<ref>{{cite web |last=Clements |first=Ryan |date=3 April 2008 |title=Alone in the Dark Release Date Confirmed |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/03/alone-in-the-dark-release-date-confirmed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810145134/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/03/alone-in-the-dark-release-date-confirmed |archive-date=10 August 2018 |access-date=24 April 2018 |website=[[IGN]] }}</ref> ''[[Alone in the Dark: Illumination]]'' (2015),<ref>{{cite web |last=Belland |first=Christian |date=June 11, 2015 |title=Alone in the Dark: Illumination: Last One To Die Turn Off The Lights |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/alone_in_the_dark_illumination/b/pc/archive/2015/06/11/-alone-in-the-dark-illumination-out-today-on-sale-for-next-two-weeks.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612193431/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/alone_in_the_dark_illumination/b/pc/archive/2015/06/11/-alone-in-the-dark-illumination-out-today-on-sale-for-next-two-weeks.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=12 June 2015 |access-date=June 12, 2015 |publisher=[[Game Informer]]}}</ref> and [[Alone in the Dark (2024 video game)|''Alone in the Dark'']] (2024).<ref name=":7"/> The game also inspired two live-action films: ''[[Alone in the Dark (2005 film)|Alone in the Dark]]'' (2005) and ''[[Alone in the Dark II (film)|Alone in the Dark II]]'' (2008).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Erickson |first=Blair |date=2 February 2005 |title=Behind the Scenes: Uwe Boll and Uwe Boll's Alone In the Dark |url=http://www.somethingawful.com/feature-articles/behind-scenes-uwe/1/ |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=[[Something Awful]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shaffer |first=R. L. |date=25 January 2010 |title=''Alone in the Dark II'' DVD Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/25/alone-in-the-dark-ii-dvd-review |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref>

''Alone in the Dark'' is often heralded as the first [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[survival horror]] game,{{sfnp|Mott|2010|p=216}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=First 3D Survival-horror Videogame |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-3d-survival-horror-video-game/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=[[Guinness World Records]]}}</ref> and some commentators have asserted that the game was the first survival horror game regardless of graphical perspective.<ref name=":5" /><ref name="cbr-primacy">{{Cite web |last=Millsap |first=Zack |date=30 October 2020 |title=Alone in the Dark: The Game That Kicked off the Horror Genre |url=https://www.cbr.com/alone-dark-kicked-off-video-game-horror-genre/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sawyer |first=Logan |date=7 June 2019 |title=The 10 Best Stories in '90s Horror Video Games |url=https://www.thegamer.com/best-stories-in-90s-horror-video-games/ |access-date=7 May 2023 |website=[[TheGamer]]}}</ref> Critics have also credited ''Alone in the Dark'' with setting the standard for subsequent survival horror games by popularizing limited player inventory,<ref name="IGNevolution">{{cite web |first=Clara |last=Barraza |date=1 September 2008 |title=The Evolution of the Survival Horror Genre |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/906/906852p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414213839/http://pc.ign.com/articles/906/906852p1.html |archive-date=14 April 2009 |access-date=17 April 2009 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Lenzini |first=Alex |date=17 August 2022 |title=Why Survival Horror Fans Should Be Excited for Alone in the Dark's Remake |url=https://www.cbr.com/alone-in-the-dark-remake-survival-horror-thq/ |access-date=19 May 2023 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en}}</ref> a heavy focus on puzzle-solving,<ref name="IGNevolution" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilcox |first1=Jon |title=The History of Survival Horror Games |url=https://bit-tech.net/reviews/gaming/pc/the-history-of-survival-horror-games/1/|website=[[Bit-Tech]] |access-date=19 May 2023 |date=10 June 2010}}</ref> an emphasis on survival rather than direct combat,<ref name="IGNevolution" /><ref name=":6" /> and the use of fixed camera angles.{{sfnp|Mott|2010|p=216}}<ref name="extinction">{{cite web |first=Jim |last=Sterling |date=8 December 2008 |title=How Survival Horror Evolved Itself into Extinction |url=http://www.destructoid.com/how-survival-horror-evolved-itself-into-extinction-114022.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404021610/http://www.destructoid.com/how-survival-horror-evolved-itself-into-extinction-114022.phtml |archive-date=4 April 2009 |access-date=16 April 2009 |website=[[Destructoid]]}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Franzese |first=Tomas |date=24 October 2016 |title=République and the Potential of Fixed Cameras in Modern Games |url=https://www.dualshockers.com/republique-potential-fixed-cameras-modern-games/ |access-date=16 May 2023 |website=DualShockers |language=en}}</ref>

During the production of [[Capcom]]'s 1996 horror game [[Resident Evil (1996 video game)|''Resident Evil'']], the game's director [[Shinji Mikami]] discovered ''Alone in the Dark.'' Mikami believed that the game's cinematic fixed-view camera system enabled "greater expressiveness" and a higher level of detail than what was currently possible in fully 3D games, and so he decided to adopt a fixed-view camera system for his project.<ref name="lemonde">{{cite web|last=Audureau |first=William|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2014/10/14/shinji-mikami-aux-sources-du-jeu-d-horreur_4502400_4408996.html|title=Shinji Mikami, " Resident Evil " et la source du jeu d'horreur|language=fr |archive-url=https://archive.today/20171109190016/http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2014/10/14/shinji-mikami-aux-sources-du-jeu-d-horreur_4502400_4408996.html|archive-date=9 November 2017|work=[[Le Monde]]|date=10 October 2014|access-date=19 May 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="gamespot-mikami">{{cite web|last=Butterworth|first=Scott|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-creator-shinji-mikami-reflects-on-th/1100-6435918/|title=Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Reflects on the Series' Roots|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801212914/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-creator-shinji-mikami-reflects-on-th/1100-6435918/|archive-date=1 August 2016|access-date=19 May 2023|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=22 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In several interviews, Mikami has stated that, if it were not for ''Alone in the Dark'', the inaugural ''Resident Evil'' would have likely become a [[first-person shooter]].<ref name="lemonde" /><ref name="psu">{{cite web |last=Harradence |first=Michael|title=The History of Resident Evil: The Beginning {{endash}} PlayStation Universe |url=http://www.psu.com/a006698/The-History-of-Resident-Evil--The-Beginning |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222064318/http://www.psu.com/a006698/The-History-of-Resident-Evil--The-Beginning |archive-date=22 February 2013 |access-date=19 May 2023|publisher=PlayStation Universe}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Barton |first=Matthew |url= |title=The Playful Undead and Video Games: Critical Analyses of Zombies and Gameplay. |date=2019 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781138895461 |editor-last=Webley |editor-first=Stephen J. |location=[[New York City, NY]] |pages=30{{endash}}43 |chapter=Resurrecting 'Obsolete' Video Game Techniques From ''Alone in the Dark'' and ''Resident Evil'' |oclc= |editor-last2=Zackariasson |editor-first2=Peter}}
* {{cite book|last1=Bycer|first1=Joshua|title=Game Design Deep Dive: Horror|publisher=[[CRC Press]]|location=[[Boca Raton, FL]]|isbn=9780367721749|year=2022}}
* {{cite book |last=Garner |first=Tom A. |title=Echoes of Other Worlds: Sound in Virtual Reality |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2017 |isbn=9783319657080 |location=[[Cham, Switzerland]] |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-65708-0 }}
* {{cite book|last=Green|first=Paul|title=Encyclopedia of Weird Detectives: Supernatural and Paranormal Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Film, Television, Games and Other Media|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|location=[[Jefferson, NC]]|year=2019|isbn=9781476638379}}
* {{cite book|last1=Hopkins|first1=Christopher|year=2022|title=Video Game Audio: A History, 1972{{endash}}2020|location=[[Jefferson, NC]]|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=9781476646053}}
* {{cite book |last=Ichbiah |first=Daniel |title=La Saga des Jeux Vidéo |publisher=[[:fr:Éditions Pix'n Love|Éditions Pix'n Love]] |location=[[Triel-sur-Seine]], [[France]] |year=2009 |isbn=9782918272021|language=fr|trans-title=The Video Game Saga|edition=New|url=https://archive.org/details/lasagadesjeuxvid0000ichb|access-date=15 May 2023|url-access=registration|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite book |last1=Loguidice|first1=Bill|last2=Barton|first2=Matt|year=2009|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|publisher=[[Focal Press]]|location=[[Burlington, MA]]|isbn= 9780240811468}}
* {{cite book | editor-last1=Mott|editor-first1=Tony | date= 2010 | title=1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die | publisher=Cassell Illustrated  | isbn=9781844036813}}
* {{cite book|title=Alone in the Dark: The Official Strategy Guide|last=Robson|first=Johan|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|location=[[Rocklin, CA]]|year=1994|isbn=9781559586047|url=https://archive.org/details/aloneindarkoffic00robs|access-date=15 May 2023|url-access=registration|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite book |last=Roux-Girard |first=Guillaume |title=Horror Video Games: Essays on the Fusion of Fear and Play |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2009 |isbn=9780786454792 |editor1-last=Perron |editor1-first=Bernard |location=[[Jefferson, NC]] |pages=145{{endash}}167 |chapter=Plunged Alone into Darkness: Evolution in the Staging of Fear in the ''Alone in the Dark'' Series}}
* {{cite book |author=Stobbart |first=Dawn |title=Videogames and Horror: From Amnesia to Zombies, Run! |publisher=[[University of Wales Press]] |year=2019 |isbn=9781786834386 |location=[[Cardiff, Wales]]}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{moby game|id=/alone-in-the-dark|name=''Alone in the Dark''}}
*{{IMDb title|0302250|Alone in the Dark}}
*{{Internet Archive game|msdos_Alone_in_the_Dark_1992|Alone in the Dark}}

{{Frédérick Raynal}}
{{Alone in the Dark}}
{{The Fall of the House of Usher}}


[[Category:1990s horror video games]]
[[Category:1992 video games]]
[[Category:3DO games]]
[[Category:Acorn Archimedes games]]
[[Category:Alone in the Dark]]
[[Category:Cancelled Atari Jaguar games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Sega 32X games]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS games]]
[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos video games]]
[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:FM Towns games]]
[[Category:Games commercially released with DOSBox]]
[[Category:Golden Joystick Award winners]]
[[Category:Infogrames games]]
[[Category:Interplay Entertainment games]]
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Krisalis Software games]]
[[Category:Kung Fu Factory games]]
[[Category:NEC PC-9801 games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games about zombies]]
[[Category:Video games developed in France]]
[[Category:Video games featuring female protagonists]]
[[Category:Video games set in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Video games with pre-rendered 3D graphics]]
[[Category:Video games set in country houses]]
[[Category:Video games set in 1924]]
[[Category:Video games directed by Frédérick Raynal]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Alone in the Dark (1992 video game)|access_date=2026-02-25}}