Top 10 Most Brutal Deaths in Horror Games

Script written by Johnny Reynolds

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Brutal Deaths in Horror Games. For this list, we’ll be looking at character deaths in Horror games that made us squirm, gag, scream, and everything in between. Of course, that means some major spoilers lie ahead. Which Horror game death did you find the most unsettling? Share your thoughts in the comments!

#10: Hold the Elevator

“Outlast” (2013)

Since “Outlast” gives player character Miles Upshur nothing but his wits to defend himself, players have more than a few close calls. Stuck inside a mental asylum taken over by the violent patients, you’ll have to flee from several characters just itching to murder you. One is Dr. Richard Trager, who has taken to gruesomely operating on asylum inhabitants. Well, what goes around comes around. After escaping his operating room, Miles is chased by Trager into an elevator. The reporter gains the upper hand as the elevator begins to move; with the doctor’s upper half caught in the doorway, the elevator crushes his spine. That could not have been pleasant.

#9: Joel’s Final Round

“The Last of Us Part II” (2020)

Despite the world being overcome by the Cordyceps Infected, “The Last of Us” shows its humanity that you really need to watch out for. In the climax of the first game, Joel murdered a surgeon set to operate on, and consequently kill, Ellie. Four years later, that choice caught up with him when the surgeon’s daughter, Abby, hunted him down. After a chance encounter, she and her friends cornered Joel and proceeded to exact vengeance with a golf club. Only, none of us knew her motivation until later, so the whole sequence was exceptionally cold and upsetting. What made it worse was Ellie being there to witness the final blow.

#8: A Trip to the Dentist

“Manhunt 2” (2007)

Rockstar’s “Manhunt” duology drew a lot of controversy thanks to its emphasis on in-game executions. The sequel almost received an Adults Only rating in the US until the studio censored and edited it. Yet, some gory kills got to remain, including a particularly unnerving one that used a dentist’s chair and tools. If you came across an enemy next to one of these chairs, you could throw them down, pin their hands with knives, drill a hole into their head, and use a suction device on the blood. Even by today’s standards, this kill is pretty gnarly. So we hesitate to imagine what was taken out if this was allowed to stay in.

#7: Emily’s Nasty Trip

“Until Dawn” (2015)

If you make the right choices, it’s entirely feasible you’ll never see the gory possibilities of “Until Dawn.” But if you don’t, better shield your eyes. The story follows a group of estranged friends reuniting after a grisly accident, only to be hunted by something in the night. Emily has some of the more brutal death scenes, such as one where she’s shot through the eye. But at least that’s quick. One scene where she’s being chased through an abandoned mine has her come across a conveyor belt attached to a rock crusher. If you fail the quick time event, she’ll fall in legs first. Disgusting sound design and her head lolling about combine horrifically, making us look away.

#6: Feeding the Baby

“Resident Evil Village” (2021)

The eighth mainline “Resident Evil” was a terrifically terrifying entry in the series. And with sequences like this, it’s easy to see why. After Ethan comes into contact with Lady Beneviento, her plants will make him hallucinate. He’s then trapped inside a house with a warped, monstrous, and very hungry baby. With no weapons, your only option is to run and hide until you can escape. But if the baby happens to catch you, it will grab Ethan and swallow him whole. While it isn’t as bloody a death as some others, it is certainly more upsetting thanks to the baby’s haunting laughter and the first person view.

#5: Ragdoll Effect

“F.E.A.R. Extraction Point” (2006)

The “F.E.A.R.” series may be gone from the limelight, but it houses some absolutely brutal kills. The “Extraction Point” expansion picks up right where the first game ended, and things don’t go too well for our heroes. At a certain point, your ally Douglas Holiday ends up the play thing for some violent spirits. Taking control of his body, they toss him around like a ragdoll before dragging him into a room to do God knows what. But it isn’t over. They then slam his body through walls, while painting everything in a deep red. With no physical thing to shoot, all you can do is watch helplessly as he’s eviscerated.

#4: Eye Surgery

“Dead Space 2” (2011)

“Dead Space” has some of the most disturbing, visceral enemies in any Horror game. The necromorphs are truly terrifying, with no qualms about turning every human they come across into mincemeat. However, the kill that never fails to get under our skin actually has nothing to do with them. In “Dead Space 2,” the player must use a medical machine to access certain information in their brain. It does this by sticking a giant needle through Isaac’s eye. Patience and a steady hand are key to getting it right. Otherwise, the machine will drive itself directly into his head. If this happens, the imagery and his painful screams will not soon leave your head.

#3: The Long Way

“Silent Hill: Homecoming” (2008)

Finding out your family has ties to an evil, sacrificial cult has got to be rough. “Homecoming” follows Alex Shepherd after he returns home from war, only to find his brother and many others in his town are missing. He follows his father’s trail, and eventually learns that he was meant to be a sacrifice to keep their town safe. But his father rebelled against it, so you know what that means. Adam still has time to deliver an apology to his son before Pyramid Head appears behind him. The monster stabs him through the back and lifts his sword upward, cutting Adam in half the long way. It is undeniably vicious, made even more so as he’s executed in front of his son.

#2: Off the Top

“Lucius” (2012)

For PC gamers wanting a way to play through “The Omen,” this one’s for you. “Lucius” has you control Lucifer’s own son, who uses his satanic abilities to cause horrific accidents around his wealthy parents’ manor. By possessing others and using telekinesis on various objects, you can brutally dismantle anyone on the grounds. Each one is disturbing in their own right. But the person who receives the most savage demise is the gardener. While the man works on a lawnmower, Lucius can possess him and force him to stick his head into the blades. When his body rears back, nothing remains from the neck up and a fountain of blood covers the area.

#1: A Bite to Eat

“The Quarry” (2022)

Just like “Until Dawn,” Supermassive Games really brought out the gore with “The Quarry.” But with a different game engine and stronger visuals, its deaths were supremely ferocious. It follows a group of summer camp counselors who must survive their final night. Each character naturally has a group of extremely violent fatality options depending on your choices. However, it’s Kaitlyn who meets the most brutal end. One scene sees a werewolf charge her from down a hallway. It stabs her through the throat, lifting her from the ground with gross gurgles before slamming her down multiple times. To really make players squirm, it then chows down on her stomach. Absolutely revolting.