Top 20 Creepy Video Games for True Horror Fans
#20: “Bloodborne” (2015)
If you’re new to games, we wouldn’t exactly recommend anything out of FromSoftware’s catalog. But if you aren’t, and you love to be scared, “Bloodborne” is a buffet of some of the most disturbing enemy and boss designs we’ve ever seen. With a strong focus on gothic Horror, players must survive the twisted town of Yharnam, whose citizens are infected by a monstrous plague. Waiting for you in every area are untold terrors just itching to give you some new nightmares, making it a treat for creature feature fans. But their power certainly shows their bite is just as bad as their bark.
#19: “F.E.A.R.” (2005)
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Creepy little kids are usually a great inclusion for spooking your audience, and the same is true in video games. Despite “F.E.A.R.” giving you plenty of weapons to fight back with, you’ll still be subjected to all kinds of disturbing imagery. It follows a special military group founded to combat supernatural threats, this time dealing with a rogue telepathic commander and his army of clones like him. But behind all your trouble and weird hallucinations is a psychic girl named Alma. Developer Monolith was inspired by Japanese horror and it absolutely shows. Although it features a ton of action, its atmosphere is undeniably unnerving.
#18: “Siren: Blood Curse” (2008)
There’s nothing quite like a haunted town full of ghosts to give you the willies. A reimagining of the PS2 original, “Blood Curse” features some great quality-of-life improvements, including enhanced visuals so it can really freak you out. It follows a group of telepathically-linked people who are all drawn to a Japanese village that’s been missing since 1976. Populating the eerie town are shibito - disturbing and violent spirits of those who died there. The game’s atmosphere is drenched in tension thanks to low lighting and superb sound design. That makes it so any tease of the unknown creeping out of the darkness will make you expect the worst.
#17: “The Thing” (2002)
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Although it wasn’t appreciated nearly enough at the time of release, John Carpenter’s “The Thing” is considered a Horror masterpiece today. Thankfully, someone realized the potential for a video game. Picking up where the movie left off, it follows a Special Forces team investigating the events of the film, which puts them into conflict with the horrifying, shapeshifting monster. While the main character combats enemies through standard third-person shooter gameplay, you’ll always have a team of NPCs with you. Not only do you have to manage their trust in you, but also their fear levels and the possibility of them getting infected. It’s no wonder Carpenter himself endorsed it.
#16: “Condemned: Criminal Origins” (2005)
After being framed for murder while investigating his city’s dark underbelly, FBI agent Ethan Thomas goes on the run while continuing to dig. While everything is shown from a first-person perspective, it focused on melee combat rather than gunplay. That actually makes every kill feel much more personal and visceral. The game’s world is also grimy and dim, which does more than just make us feel like we need a shower. In addition to doing heavy research into serial killers, the team took inspiration from movies like “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Saw,” and “Seven.” We’d say they made the game’s predecessors proud.
#15: “BioShock” (2007)
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The BioShock series is not only horrifying, but boasts one of the most fascinating stories and some truly engaging gameplay. Rapture’s flooded corridors, retro aesthetics, and drug-addled, maniacal Splicers have tormented gamers for years. There was even a movie in the works at one point, canceled less than two months before shooting began. While we can’t say for sure whether the movie would actually have been any good, if you want to experience this classic’s iconic environment and gripping narrative today you’ll have to go out and play it. Luckily, it’s worth every frightening minute.
#14: “Little Nightmares” (2017)
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Stop-motion animation doesn’t have to be creepy. But there’s no denying how well it pairs with Horror elements in films like “Coraline” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” While the developers of “Little Nightmares” didn’t take inspiration from those movies, their game definitely features similar vibes. It follows a young girl trying to escape a mysterious underwater structure while large, distorted figures hunt her throughout. The stealth gameplay can put any player on edge, but it’s the twisted character models of your pursuers that truly terrify us. Still, the mystery of the setting and what’s going on, as well as its engaging puzzles, will keep you delving into the darkness.
#13: “The Medium” (2021)
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Bloober Team has a reputation for developing more cinematic Horror games. And 2021’s “The Medium” is one of the studio’s strongest releases. As Marianne, the titular medium, players explore an abandoned resort in search of the origins of her powers. Unfortunately, it was also home to a massacre years ago, a crime committed by a vile spirit known only as The Maw. Gameplay is exploration-heavy, with some puzzle solving thrown in to keep you not only invested in the setting, but the narrative as well. Suspense radiates from every room, especially when Marianne uses her abilities to navigate the world of spirits. The story is also tragic, navigating themes of abuse and betrayal.
#12: “Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly” (2003)
Horror films from Japan tell ghost stories like no other, and the “Fatal Frame” franchise is a perfect accompaniment. Often considered the best in the series, “Crimson Butterfly” follows twin sisters navigating a town that vanished long ago from a failed ritual. Unfortunately for them, the spirit of the ritual’s victim has need of one of them to complete it and be set free. The only way to defeat the spooky spirits hunting them is to take a picture with a Camera Obscura, the franchise’s signature mechanic. That means confronting the ghosts by getting much closer than most of us would be comfortable with. Better play with the lights on.
#11: “The Last of Us Part II” (2020)
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In more recent years, Naughty Dog has evolved to produce engrossing cinematic experiences within their games. That has already been evidenced by the first “Last of Us” game being adapted into HBO’s hit TV show. But the sequel features even more elements that should delight Horror fans. Performances from the cast are all-around fantastic, which further serve to sell the incredible writing. The Infected are more terrifying thanks to some new mechanics and some stellar use of space in any given level. More prevalent, though, is the underlying drive for vengeance found in both Ellie and Abby. It explores the immensely violent and heartbreaking theme that’s often the focal point of certain Horror protagonists.
#10: “Soma” (2015)
It’s not the first game to mine the untapped depths of the ocean to terrify players, but it does tackle the horrors of the water in a truly unique way. The main villains are not unobserved sea monsters but confused and often hostile AI-human hybrids. Despite being gameplay-lite and dialogue-heavy, this game will have you drowning in existential dread from the get-go as you – like Simon – struggle to reconcile psychological humanity with the reality that humanity as we know it is gone. The derelict base of Pathos-II makes for immersive horror at its finest, and the sense of desperation to save what remains keeps you hooked to the bittersweet conclusion.
#9: “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010)
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The previous game from “Soma” developers Frictional Games, while not as streamlined as its successor, Amnesia is responsible for putting Frictional on the map. Revamping the celebrated sanity meter which debuted in “Eternal Darkness” eight years earlier, “Amnesia” made waves as players take on the role of a mysterious protagonist trapped in a haunted castle. This atmospheric horror was praised for its eerie sound design and hideous monsters, and with no weapons with which to fight back it makes for a highly cinematic gaming experience any film buff will love. The developers have kept things going strong in sequels as well, like 2023’s “Amnesia: The Bunker.”
#8: “Outlast” (2013)
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This one if for all the found footage Horror fans out there. In “Outlast,” players control an investigative journalist attempting to uncover inhumane treatment at a mental institution. Sadly, he’s not much of a fighter and there’s something far more worrying lying in the depths of Mount Massive Asylum. Armed only with a video camera, all you can do is flee and hide from the brutal inhabitants, recording everything you can. It features similar elements to the subgenre that inspired it, including night vision to get through some of the darker areas and well-placed jump scares. “Outlast” is more than just loud thrills, with the setting still able to send shivers up our spines.
#7: “The Evil Within 2” (2017)
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Detective Sebastian Castellanos had a pretty rough time in “The Evil Within,” but survival horror fans had a blast. However, the sequel managed to surpass it in every way. After learning that his daughter is actually alive, Sebastian heads back into a fake world designed by the STEM system, which would ideally create a perfect world based on the user’s desires. Of course, that isn’t the case here. The world his daughter is trapped in is home to mutated monsters, some of which rival the likes of “Resident Evil” and “Silent Hill.” A parent’s desire to defend their child against ungodly terrors is also an admirable quality of many Horror movie protagonists.
#6: “Dead Space” (2008)
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As one of the best franchises released for the seventh generations of consoles, “Dead Space” scared gamers for years until the studio closed down. The first game in the series is nothing less than the best of the survival horror genre and captures the terror of outer space perfectly. Engineer Isaac Clarke investigates the stranded USG Ishimura and battles all manner of cosmic horrors, slowly driven insane by the many violent encounters as the narrative unfolds. With outstanding gameplay and equally acclaimed story, it’s hard to find somebody who won’t enjoy it.
#5: “Silent Hill 2” (2001)
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What’s the opposite of a sophomore slump? Konami’s second journey into one of gaming’s most haunted towns is considered one of the best Horror games of all time. As James Sunderland, players become trapped in a nightmare come to life when the widower is beckoned there by his late wife. The franchise’s creature design is out in full force, primarily showcased by the towering Pyramid Head. But the story, like many of the best ghost tales, hones in on the protagonist’s personal connection to the horrors around him. It makes you invested, though the supremely chilling setting should also be more than enough to suffice.
#4: “Dead by Daylight” (2016)
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If you’re looking for a heavy horror homage then “Dead by Daylight” has you covered. An asymmetrical multiplayer game, players take on the role of a group of survivors and one brutal killer. The maze-like, procedurally-generated maps stop anybody from being able to exploit the game too much, and more than most other entries on this list you really get a sense of the fight for survival thanks to the co-op. It also includes killers from the most famous horror franchises of all time, meaning you could be running and hiding from the likes of Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, to name a few.
#3: “Resident Evil VII: Biohazard” (2017)
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While it may be a fresh take on one of gaming’s longest series, the crazy, cannibal family and chainsaw boss-fight will be familiar to any horror connoisseur. The grotesque and plentiful violence afforded by the characters’ regenerative abilities reflects the way that Leatherface just won’t die, opening up the doors for seemingly-endless “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” sequels. Whether you think “Resident Evil 7” is a good entry in the series or not, its opening stages are everything you could possibly want from a modern survival horror game.
#2: “Until Dawn” (2015)
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Half a dozen teenagers get trapped in a cabin at the top of a snowy mountain while a “Saw”-esque maniac threatens to pick them off one-by-one. “Until Dawn” has clichés abound and often plays more like an interactive movie than a video game – which is exactly why horror film fans will love it to death. But it has a dark and disturbing twist half-way down the line as we’re introduced to the wendigo, a folkloric monster rarely seen in popular culture. This means that while it’s certainly awash with all the genre staples we’ve seen before, there’s enough originality to keep even the most cynical people engaged. It also began Supermassive’s legacy of choice-based Horror in games like “The Dark Pictures Anthology” and “The Quarry.”
#1: “Alien: Isolation” (2014)
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There’s no argument that Ridley Scott’s 1979 blockbuster “Alien” is a cinematic masterpiece, but up until 2014 no game had managed to properly capture the franchise. “Alien: Isolation” has everything that made the movie so good – an awesome female protagonist, the terror of the unbeatable xenomorph, those creepy androids, and more 80’s nostalgia than you can shake a stick at. If you’re a fan of the movies but, like many people, think that the recent “Prometheus” and “Covenant” haven’t lived up to the originals, then you’ll definitely want to check out “Isolation” to satisfy all your “Alien” needs.
