People escape from the horrors of real life in different ways: some are distracted by light comedies and fun games, while others, on the contrary, plunge into the world of fictional horrors. This selection of the best video games in the horror genre is intended for the second category of people. In it, we will focus on single-player games - cooperative horror is a little different and, perhaps, deserves a separate article.
Alan Wake
Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment likes to use cinematic tools in its games – and after the noir action movie Max Payne, it released the atmospheric action/horror Alan Wake. The game at the time had very high-quality graphics, an unforgettable atmosphere and a non-trivial plot – some even called it the “American Silent Hill”. The original game still plays great and is almost in no way inferior to the remaster that came out a few years ago. The second part was recently released (13 years after the first), which in many ways surpasses the original, but some gameplay decisions in it look somewhat controversial.
Alien: Isolation
Perhaps the best game in the Alien franchise, developed by the famous Creative Assembly. In Alien: Isolation, you play as Ripley's daughter Amanda, who, 15 years after the events depicted in Alien (1979) , is searching for her mother on an abandoned space station. The game perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the original film and the fear that the appearance of a xenomorph causes in a person.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
The first installment in an already large series, Amnesia: The Dark Descent offered an innovative approach to horror game mechanics that the gaming community loved – and also the fact that the game could scare even seasoned fans of the genre. The second installment was worked on by a different developer, which made it weaker – after which the original team rejoined the subsequent games.
The Complex: Expedition
The aesthetic of liminal spaces – empty places that have a creepy, abandoned and often surreal look – has been gaining popularity on the internet lately. It would be strange if there weren’t horror games that exploit this theme. The graphics and soundtrack of The Complex: Expedition perfectly convey the atmosphere of such locations, and fans of the internet myth of Backrooms should definitely get acquainted with it.
Condemned: Criminal Origins
A psychological action/horror from the legendary studio Monolith Productions, which gave us such hits as FEAR, No One Lives Forever and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The gameplay of Condemned: Criminal Origins combines shooter mechanics with close combat and crime scene investigation using forensic tools. The game has a non-trivial plot and a gloomy atmosphere – its designers were inspired by such classic films as The Silence of the Lambs and Seven.
Dead Space
The horror game about the adventures of a mechanic on an abandoned spaceship inhabited by deadly creatures became so successful that it spawned a whole series. However, the subsequent games had much more action and much less horror, and while the second part was also very well received, the series gradually "died"... Until a couple of years ago, a remake of the very first game was released - in fact, it is the same classic Dead Space, but with modern high-quality graphics.
The Evil Within
A paranormal horror from Tango Gameworks, a studio founded by the creator of the first Resident Evil games, Shinji Mikami. The Evil Within is very atmospheric and manages to scare the player, but the plot, unfortunately, is not its strongest part – despite this, the game received positive reviews. Later, a sequel, The Evil Within 2, was released, which was even better received.
Five Nights at Freddy's
A cult indie horror with an unusual gameplay. The main character is a night guard in a pizzeria, where creepy toys come to life at night and go hunting. The player sits in one place and can only watch the monsters through surveillance cameras – and block their passage by blocking the doors (which consumes limited electricity). The original Five Nights at Freddy's was created by literally one person and later turned into an entire media franchise, which, in addition to a large number of games themselves, now includes films and even books.
In Sound Mind
A psychological horror about a therapist who can travel to alternate dimensions by listening to audio recordings of his clients – each of these worlds has a unique look based on the fears and psychoses of a particular patient. The game's developer, We Create Stuff, also created a horror mod for Half-Life 2 – Nightmare House, which is available on Steam and also has very positive reviews.
INSIDE
Horror platformer is not a very typical combination, but such a choice of genre becomes understandable if you remember that the developer of INSIDE is the Danish studio Playdead, the author of Limbo. INSIDE has a similar gameplay and visuals, the main character is also a boy who overcomes various obstacles in a practically black and white world presented in 2.5 D. Like Limbo, the second game of the studio, which actually became its successor, also received numerous awards and nominations.
Layers of Fear
A psychedelic horror adventure from Polish studio Bloober Team. Layers of Fear tells the story of a mentally ill artist trying to complete his masterpiece in a Victorian mansion – which at first seems completely normal, but begins to undergo eerie changes. Later, the developer released Layers of Fear 2, and in 2023 made a remake/sequel, which combined both parts and received additional new content.
Little Nightmares
Another horror game in the platformer genre with elements of adventure. Little Nightmares tells the story of a little girl who finds herself on a huge ship, where dishes are prepared for guests... from children. The game was highly praised for its stylish graphics and atmosphere, a prequel was later released - Little Nightmares II, and the third part is expected this fall.
MADiSON
A first-person horror game about the adventures of a teenager who receives a Polaroid camera that once belonged to a serial killer as a birthday present. The gameplay in MADiSON focuses on using the camera to connect the world of the living with the world of the dead: it helps solve puzzles, expose what cannot be seen with the naked eye, and exorcise demonic creatures. In this, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese horror classic Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, which would also be included in this article if it were available on modern platforms.
The Mortuary Assistant
Even the daily work of a mortuary assistant is already creepy enough: the player has to cut up corpses, drain blood, embalm them, prepare them for burial or cremation. And when paranormal phenomena are added to this, and the corpses begin to live their own lives... In short, The Mortuary Assistant is a relatively little-known, but excellent horror game, definitely worth the attention of fans of the genre. Its only drawback is a fairly large number of bugs that can spoil the impression of the gameplay.
Outlast
A first-person horror game about a journalist investigating an abandoned psychiatric hospital filled with murderous patients – what could possibly go wrong? Outlast is the first part of the already classic series, and despite its age, it still remains relevant, with daily online traffic of several hundred players (for a single-player story-based horror game released 12 years ago, this is a lot). The second part turned out to be weaker – after which the developer clearly took into account the criticism and last year released the third – The Outlast Trials, with a slightly different approach to the gameplay. Its ratings are generally higher than Outlast 2 , but still do not reach the original.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
The legendary Resident Evil series has always been a mix of action and horror, and often there was much more action. However, the seventh part surprisingly became almost pure horror – and very creepy. The main character is looking for his missing wife in a gloomy estate with crazy owners – and the development of the plot makes a really strong impression. Later, a direct plot sequel was released – Resident Evil Village, which was also a very high-quality and effective horror, but there was more action in it.
SIGNALIS
A German indie horror game set in a retro-futuristic world, SIGNALIS features a wickedly twisted plot that begins as a sci-fi dystopia and ends in the best traditions of David Lynch.
Silent Hill 2
An absolute classic of Japanese horror, Silent Hill 2 was released almost a quarter of a century ago on the PlayStation 2 – and received a very high-quality remake last year. The second part – about a widower who received a letter from his long-dead wife and came to an abandoned town to search for her – is considered by many to be the best, so this remake was a real gift to all fans of the legendary series.
SOMA
Another horror game from Frictional Games. While their first series, Penumbra, was set in the present day, and their second, Amnesia, was set in the past, SOMA takes place in the future, in an underwater research center. However, the gameplay is not much different from previous projects – the main difference, perhaps, can be considered a greater focus on plot and character development.
Until Dawn
A horror game, made in the form of an interactive drama, is the hallmark of the Supermassive Games studio. The player controls a group of young people trying to survive in a mysterious cottage in the middle of the forest – a typical plot for many slasher films. Until Dawn uses the game mechanics of the "butterfly effect", in which any action or choice of the player has an impact on the plot – and often fatal. The gameplay is as non-linear as possible, and in order to see at least most of the plot branches, you will have to go through the game more than once or twice – in an effort to save the lives of as many main characters as possible.