Hellnight (Dark Messiah in Japan) is a survival horror game at heart, although it has no combat gameplay. Controlling the nameless hero, the player must travel through the underground and protect Naomi. There is only one monster in the whole game, the creature itself, which is invulnerable and cannot be killed. Instead players are constantly on the run from it, making sure it does not catch them. The game is divided into large maze-like levels, each one usually populated by the creature who keeps pursuing the player (although he does change form after each level). At certain points there will be companions who can attack the monster and temporarily stun him. There are also people to talk to in the underground world, items to pick up, and puzzles to solve.