Top 10 Forgotten Horror Video Games

Just because a game is great doesn’t mean that it gets the reputation it deserves. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down the top 10 forgotten horror games.

For this list, we’re looking at horror games whose sales or general attention didn’t reflect the quality of the games. In other words, if a game didn’t get the recognition it deserved, it qualifies. However, we’re only looking at games that received an official western release, so games like “Sweet Home” won’t be included.

This survival horror game focuses on a young woman named Jennifer, who is kidnapped and finds herself in an airship ruled by sadistic young girls. As Jennifer, the player must appease the hierarchy by bringing them offerings. Inspired by fairy tales, a bizarre mystery unfolds throughout the game, as themes of childhood and adulthood pervade the story in intriguing ways. Highlighted by a disturbing aesthetic and a creepy score, the atmosphere and strange, unique story are what bring this game to greatness, although it may also be the reason it wasn’t better remembered.

Originally released for PC, this adventure game can now be found on iOS and Android. Featuring live action cutscenes, it follows a silent protagonist who must explore a creepy mansion where a strange toymaker once lived. Throughout the exploration, the player must solve puzzles, all the while seeing visions of the past and understanding the truth about himself. Though it looks cheesy now, it was praised by Bill Gates as “the new standard in interactive entertainment” when it was released. Even now its aesthetic, in a way, makes it even more unsettling.

Few are aware that the original name for “Bloodrayne” was “Nocturne 2,” which shows how much the franchise owes to this game. It revolves around the Spookhouse, a secret government organization that defends from supernatural threats, like vampires, zombies, and a voodoo god. Featuring graphics that were revolutionary at the time, including realistic shadow rendering, it was one of the scariest game offerings at the time. Despite ending in a major cliffhanger, a sequel was never produced, and it’s a wonder why the game wasn’t more popular.

This is one game that’s not for the faint of heart. Steve is a man who awakens with amnesia in an odd town named Harvest. From there, the plot gets pretty ridiculous, featuring such content as a mother being eaten by her children, a baby whose eyes pop out, and cannibalism. This is because the creator, Gilbert P. Austin, made the game as a commentary on censorship and video game criticism. Because of the controversy it generated, the release was delayed, which was the final nail in the coffin, making it a commercial failure.

“Blood” is a first-person shooter about an undead antihero who goes on a quest for vengeance against Tchernobog, the dark god whose cult he led during his life. Similar in gameplay to “Doom,” much of the gameplay involves finding keys and switches to advance through levels and find bosses. What separates it from the typical horror FPS is its darkly humorous touch. Borrowing some lines directly from “Army of Darkness,” as well as elements of other classic horror films, making it not only a fun, bullet-riddled ride, but also an homage to the horror genre that’s soaked in...well...blood.

Based on Harlan Ellison’s short story of the same name, this game is a point-and-click sci-fi adventure that tells the story of five people entrapped by an evil computer named AM that has destroyed the rest of humanity. Each character must participate in his or her own adventure that sees them facing their fatal flaws. The dark and deep subject matter, including rape, suicide, and genocide, are made all the more horrific by the nightmarish art style. It takes a lot of nuance

To sell this game to you in four words: “Resident Evil with dinosaurs”. From Shiji Mikami, director of the series, it follows Regina and her team, who were sent to investigate a remote island research facility, which, wouldn’t you guess it, has been ravaged by dinosaurs. Perfectly mixing action-adventure with survival horror, it’s like the “Jurassic Park” video game that we never got. However, despite two more poorly-received games in the series, it was never quite as popular as it should have been, being overshadowed by its sister series. Still, it’s worth checking out, and one of the best dinosaur-fighting experiences out there.

Known as “Clock Tower 2” in Japan, this release introduced the west to gaming’s most underrated horror villain: Scissorman. The game was unfortunately overlooked, despite spawning two sequels and a spiritual successor. This point-and-click thriller tells the story of Jennifer and Helen, as they try to find Scissorman and put a stop to his brutal murders. As the mystery unravels, different events occur based on decisions that the player must make, boasting a total of ten endings. A spooky atmosphere blends fantastically with a compelling and creepy mystery to form a game that’s wholly unique.

While the survival horror genre was dominated by “Silent Hill” and “Resident Evil,” “The Suffering” was able to create a different experience for the player. The gameplay ups the ante by injecting elements of action in the combat. When a prisoner is about to be executed for a crime he doesn’t remember committing, the prison becomes host to a plethora of supernatural entities. It sports a deep gameplay system with an insanity meter and moral choices that affect the game’s ending, as well as fantastic creature design, each one based on a method of execution. It’s a dark, thrilling adventure that never lets up.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.

“Lucius” (2012)
“Corpse Party: Blood Covered Repeated Fear” (2011)
“Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earth” (2005)

Clive Barker, the author behind “Hellraiser,” “Candyman,” and more, lent his macabre imagination to this first-person survival horror. Taking place in 1922, Patrick Galloway travels to the Covenant estate after a strange alert from his old friend, and uncovers an excess of supernatural horrors at the mansion, including his friend’s reanimated siblings. Patrick must solve the mystery of the curse and bring an end to it in a delightfully terrifying adventure. Despite a positive reaction and cliffhanger ending, the game sold poorly and did not generate any sequels, robbing the gaming world of what could have certainly been one of horror’s best franchises.

Do you agree with our list? Due to the nature of this list, we probably missed some games, let us know in the comments! For more underrated top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.