Valve, a well-known and acclaimed video game developer, has been making headlines with their releases for over 20 years. Even when they don't release any titles, Valve is still talked about, such as with their popular PC gaming platform Steam.
Despite slowing down in their releases, most of Valve's games are often discussed as some of the greatest video games to ever exist. From Half-Life to Dota 2, Valve has gained a reputation for creating games with passion, with the worlds and stories they create being a perfect example of that. However, Valve has always favored more unappealing and grim locales for their games, with their worlds being locations no one would want to find themselves in.
6 Counter-Strike
A World with Terrorists And Bombings Abound
While not the worst world that Valve has built, Counter-Strike's world is less than convenient. The world of Counter-Strike is similar to Earth, but with more terrorism. The destruction of areas via bombs and the kidnapping of hostages seem to take place somewhat frequently, making for a less-than-desirable world to live in.
5 Team Fortress
A Weird Cartoon World With Robots And A Mischievous God
Definitely the most wacky and eccentric of Valve's games, the Team Fortress universe features a comedic take on the FPS genre. Numerous different technologies can make it unpredictable to live here, such as the Robots created by Gray Mann as featured in the Mann Vs. Machine mode. On top of the challenges to living on Earth, Heaven and Hell, both being unpredictable, make it an unusual place to live.
4 Alien Swarm
A World Once Ruled By Humans, Now Controlled By Aliens
One of Valve's mostly-forgotten games, Alien Swarm follows its titular namesake with a human colony world that aliens have taken over. The game features numerous parasites and tumors, with the main objective being to detonate a nuclear bomb to stop the alien colony from advancing.
3 Dota 2
Resist The Pull Of The Ancients And Fight An Endless War, Or Become A Creep
While League of Legends might be the most recognized MOBA, Defense of the Ancients, or DotA, was one of the first to breathe life into the genre and has become regarded as one of the best to do so. Owing to its original name, players defend powerful beings known as Ancients. These entities, named Radiant and Dire, influence and control parts of the world. Some people will fall under the control of these beings and do their will, influencing and controlling parts of the world. Some can resist turning into Creeps, which is where the numerous playable Heroes come in, fighting an endless war on behalf of the two Ancients.
2 Left 4 Dead
It's A Zombie Apocalypse, The Antithesis Of Comfortable Living
Arguably Valve's most well-known game, Left 4 Dead's zombie apocalypse setting makes it obvious why this is one of the worst worlds to live in. Featuring a horror aesthetic, Left 4 Dead isn't as horrifying in a nuanced way as Half-Life is, but is still terrifying nonetheless. One of Left 4 Dead's most notable factors is the variety of the undead, with the Special Infected truly making for a bleak world, creating an incredibly grim world.
1 Half-Life/Portal
Earth Is Controlled By An Oppressive Inter-Dimensional Empire. Enough Said.
While both games never state explicitly that they take place in the same universe, as it isn't the focus of their respective stories, Portal and Half-Life are indeed connected. Half-Life 2 is where the world becomes truly horrific, as Earth is under the oppression of the Combine, a multidimensional empire seeking to enslave all it comes across, with humanity as its latest acquisition. The series dives into cosmological horror, with humanity being nothing more than pawns to G-Man, his employers, and their plans.