Red Hook Studios and Vault Comics are teaming up to bring Darkest Dungeon into the graphic novel medium, with a new series planned as a canonical expansion of the game’s universe. The project will introduce a new story, familiar characters, and previously unexplored mysteries while giving the franchise’s established lore a new format. The move was facilitated by Maximum Orbit.
The graphic novels will not simply retell the events of the games. Instead, Vault plans to develop an original story within the existing Darkest Dungeon universe, with Red Hook Studios co-founder and creative director Chris Bourassa closely involved in the project. The books are expected to reveal additional details about the mythology at the center of the series while introducing new elements for both longtime players and readers discovering the world through comics.
The move into comics also has a connection to the creative origins of Darkest Dungeon. Bourassa has described comics as an important influence on his artistic development, and the game’s distinctive illustrated characters and gothic presentation have long given it a natural connection to the medium. He will oversee the creative direction of the graphic novels for Red Hook.
Vault has recruited John Lees as writer and Maan House as artist. Lees’ previous work includes horror comics such as The Nasty and Hotell, while House has worked on the Dark Souls comic series published by Titan Comics, along with other horror titles. Vault Chief Creative Officer and co-founder Adrian Wassel and Vice President of Special Projects and Crowdfunding Der-shing Helmer will lead the project for the publisher.
The graphic novel is being developed against the backdrop of a franchise that has grown considerably since the original Darkest Dungeon launched in 2016. The turn-based roguelike RPG places players in control of a group of flawed adventurers who must contend with monsters, disease, stress, and the psychological consequences of their expeditions. Its combination of difficult combat, character management, and gothic storytelling helped establish it as one of the better-known independent games of the past decade.
Red Hook expanded the series with Darkest Dungeon II in 2023. The two games have collectively sold millions of copies and have become a significant part of the modern roguelike genre.
For Vault, the graphic novel provides an opportunity to build on that existing audience while using a medium that closely matches the visual and thematic foundations of the games. Wassel has also pointed to the comic-book influences behind Darkest Dungeon as one of the reasons the collaboration makes sense, particularly with the series’ established cast now being used to tell a new story.
The first graphic novel campaign will launch through BackerKit, with pre-launch sign-ups already available. The Darkest Dungeon graphic novel series is launching in October 2026. More details, including a confirmed release date, are expected as the crowdfunding campaign approaches.
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