I used to think that Dark Souls was a very serious game. A serious, serious game for serious, hardcore gamers. Grimdark, full of esoteric mysteries and depressing, philosophical themes. Tragedy in every sense. No hope for its characters. Any shred of light snuffed out by the encroaching shadow.

I have been delighted to learn in more recent years that this is actually wrong, and Dark Souls (and its sequels, both real and spiritual) are actually comedy games. Dark Souls is video-game Looney Tunes .

I give you Exhibit A, the Bonewheel:

What the fuck is that?! A skeleton attached to a wheel of bones? A bonewheel? I guess?!

Yeah, that’s some of the funniest shit I’ve ever seen. It’s basically just this:

A lot of games try really hard to be funny via attempts at witty writing or quippy characters. Some succeed, some fail.…