On May 24, Netflix released Bad Thoughts season 2, Tom Segura’s wildly ambitious and unapologetically dark, twisted comedy. This style of humor shouldn’t be for everyone, but if the show clicks with someone, they will want to find something that strikes the same chord after they run through the new 6 episodes. Rather than rely on other series, they should turn to video games instead, so they can live through their “bad thoughts” rather than just watch a character play them out.
Prepare for a trip through comedic hell, one defined by shocking visuals, uncomfortable laughter, and storylines that challenge your interpretation of “good taste.” To provide as wide a buffet as possible, let’s cover as many different genres as we can, so everybody should find something that suits them.
1
High on Life
The Definitive Modern Dark Comedy Game
Probably the most obvious comparison, High on Life relies entirely on crafting jokes that make players go, “haha… You actually did that.” Humor is subjective in any situation, but dark comedy takes that to the next level, and a movie, show, or game that doesn’t divide audiences isn’t taking enough risks.
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High on Life tends to be a love or hate-style experience, similar to Bad Thoughts. They push the envelope of common decency, showing a willingness to get really uncomfortable, disgusting, and sinister with their jokes. They mastered the art of eliciting reluctant laughter. Both properties also boast high production value that juxtapositions well with the style of comedy.
2
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
The Masters Of Psychological Comedy
Bad Thoughts‘ success goes beyond just pushing the envelope of what can or cannot be shown in a TV series, as Tom Segura constantly plays with the audience’s expectations. It’s a rare psychological comedy, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe might genuinely be the ultimate version of this genre.
In Bad Thoughts, Segura constructs elaborate sketches based on twisted logic and terrible human decisions (like trying to game a TSA line or playing a country star acting out a bizarre fantasy). The Stanley Parable is entirely built on this premise. The game wants you to make the wrong choice and listen to your worst impulses, rewarding “mistakes” with a new piece of humor rather than a punishment. Also, Bad Thoughts and The Stanley Parable both sound kind of dumb before you actually watch or play them.
3
Postal 2
Give In To Your Worst Thoughts
While its humor might be a bit more crude and unsophisticated, Postal 2 feels like Bad Thoughts‘ ancestor. The definition of a fever dream that sees an ordinary day spiral into an onslaught of mass murder and mayhem, Postal 2 imagines what would happen if somebody on the brink receives that final little push required for them to go, well, postal.
Like Bad Thoughts, the game doesn’t have a huge instigating incident that causes the chaos to follow; instead, everything happens due to simple, everyday interactions and annoyances. Just like Tom Segura taking a simple airport ordeal and turning it into a full-blown crisis, Postal 2 challenges you to complete basic, mundane errands while the game practically begs you to snap and give in to your worst impulses.
4
South Park: The Stick of Truth
This Is Where The Magic Happens
Of course, South Park deserves a mention, as the animated series’ influence on modern comedy cannot even be measured at this point. Despite its punchlines feeling like a greatest gags collection at times, The Stick of Truth manages to capture the unhinged magic of the source material, all the while delivering a high-quality RPG that can stand alongside the genre’s greats.
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Tom Segura’s sketches in Bad Thoughts use a lot of social satire, mocking celebrity obsession, corporate culture, and modern anxieties by taking them to their absolute, logical extremes. The Stick of Truth naturally operates on that exact wavelength, considering the show’s reputation for not pulling any single punch. It frames a childish game of neighborhood make-believe against a backdrop of government conspiracies, corporate greed, and social absurdity, making fun of absolutely everyone along the way without a single safety rail in sight.
Perhaps due to my familiarity with South Park, I never found The Stick of Truth‘s humor to be anywhere near as shocking as most of the antics in Bad Thoughts, but I still think the game is hilarious as hell.
5
Disco Elysium
The Internal War Of A Broken Man
Although not as overtly comedic as most of the other games in this article, Disco Elysium is the closest game to Bad Thoughts on a conceptual level. It’s a game that uses your internal psychological flaws as active, shouting characters who are at war with each other, leaving you as collateral damage.
In Bad Thoughts, the comedy stems from Tom Segura giving a physical voice to the darkest, most absurd, and self-destructive human impulses. Disco Elysium essentially transforms that idea into a mechanic, with the protagonist having distinct skills that essentially act as gamified impulses or voices. If you ever find yourself wondering how a character’s brain in Bad Thoughts functions, then just take a look at Disco Elysium’s Harry.
Also, just to be clear, Disco Elysium is pretty humorous and offers a less extreme but comparable style of comedy to Bad Thoughts. It just doesn’t scream “hilarity awaits” as loudly as games like The Stick of Truth and High on Life.
6
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
After the philosophical heaviness of Disco Elysium, we need a palate cleanser that blends dark laughter with an infectious positive energy. Bad Thoughts might be a prestige show, but it taps into that side of grindhouse B-movie entertainment where creators freely explore concepts ignored by big mainstream productions. Coming out at a time when zombie flicks and games were beginning to peak, Lollipop Chainsaw took the concept to its natural, absurd conclusion that substitutes horror for pom-poms and a talking boyfriend’s head.
Although they are “underground” names compared to juggernauts like Naughty Dog or Rockstar, Suda51 and Grasshopper earned their “auteur” status by crafting games that embrace the weird, wacky, and occasionally grotesque. Lollipop Chainsaw Repop, the remake, wraps a hyper-violent, pitch-black zombie massacre in bubblegum pink, rainbows, glitter, and a cheerful cheerleader aesthetic. It works really well.
7
Killer7
Suda51’s Bizarre Magnum Opus
Let’s stick with Suda51 for one more game: the creator’s most beloved release, Killer7. If Lollipop Chainsaw represents Grasshopper’s attempt to tap into the zeitgeist and even go Hollywood, then Killer7 gave the developer the confidence and audience to warrant that transition. As over-the-top and bizarre as things get, the game fits the Netflix show surprisingly well, with both emphasizing anything but ordinary personalities.
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Bad Thoughts is an anthology show where Tom Segura jumps between wildly different characters to explore separate, twisted concepts. Killer7 does this exactly through its gameplay. You play as Harman Smith, a wheelchair-bound assassin who can physically manifest seven completely distinct assassin alter-egos (like a masked luchador, a foul-mouthed punk, or a blind knife-wielding specialist) to handle different bizarre situations.
Killer7 used to be pretty difficult to get a hold of, but a 2018 PC release made it accessible to pretty much everyone. The on-rails gameplay isn’t quite as immediately enjoyable as Lollipop Chainsaw or No More Heroes, but it fits the game well.
8
Manhunt
Rockstar At Its Worst (And I Mean That In A Positive Way)
Well, we cannot reasonably put this list together without mentioning one Rockstar game. Grand Theft Auto seems like the obvious pick, and its open-ended nature, chaotic normal world, and moments of unsettling realism certainly complement Bad Thoughts; however, Manhunt represents Rockstar at its darkest, and it triggers a way more intense feeling of discomfort than any of the GTA games.
Tom Segura’s show constantly pushes characters to explore their very worst impulses, and that’s essentially Manhunt‘s entire mantra and literal premise. You play a death row inmate forced to execute gang members while a sadistic snuff-film director (voiced brilliantly by Brian Cox) watches you on security cameras, literally whispering intrusive thoughts into your ear while enjoying your depravity. Although not particularly funny, Manhunt‘s satirical nature comes through in its deconstruction of media consumption, a theme that seems even more relevant in an age where technology allows people to use their worst moments or behavior to find an audience.
9
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
A Slice Of Absurd British Life
Time for a bit of a deeper cut. Thank Goodness You’re Here captures that British style of humor perfected by cult classics like The League of Gentlemen, meaning you will either find the game to be the funniest thing ever or feel an indescribable urge to crawl out of your skin.
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Old-school British classics likely influenced Bad Thoughts‘ anthology structure, and Thank Goodness You’re Here is just the video game version of that concept, framed by a salesman who arrives in a bizarre town and quickly finds himself dragged into all sorts of silly, isolated incidents. Even their storyline structures are similar, with Thank Goodness You’re Here starting nearly all of its “quests” with a straightforward and ordinary chore or request.
10
Cult of the Lamb
The quintessential “cute but dark” game, Cult of the Lamb casts you as an adorable woolball who starts a satanic group with evil world-changing intentions, all the while leading a group of hapless subordinates with violent tendencies and expendable natures. Although lacking the “ordinary turned insane” angle, Cult of the Lamb‘s visual juxtaposition of a little lamb spilling copious amounts of blood strikes a similar chord as Bad Thoughts.
Hell, the show even has an episode about a musician who kidnaps his fans and forces them to live in a town dedicated to him, which really isn’t that different from Cult of the Lamb‘s premise. In the game, you decide who works, who gets locked in the stocks, and who gets ascended (sacrificed) for the greater good.
Bad Thoughts
- Release Date
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May 13, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
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Tom Segura
Various Characters
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Dani Hurtado
Gorgeous Woman #2
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