Fear of jumping Terrorism is a controversial topic. Some people love them, others think they are cheap. It's an easy way to elicit a fear response, and at times, it can feel like the narrator is leaning into jump scares instead of spending time cultivating what's truly scary. Other times, the jump scares are so effective that they overpower anything that might pull off a slow-build moment of horror.
This goes for movies, TV shows, and of course, Video games. Most horror games use a jump scare or two somewhere along the way, although a select few don't use jump scares at all. These are unlike other horror games; they are All about jump scares. Sometimes that focus is effective, other times it can be a bit too much, but for anyone looking to spook again and again this Halloween, these are the games that will get the job done.
Alan Wake 2
The vision of the face
First Alan Wake At heart was a gritty game, but more in the vein of Stephen King than Junji Eto'o. Sure, it was scary, but it was rarely scary. Alan Wake 2 is another animal entirely. Leaning into the survival horror genre, Remedy has gone for a constant brand of resource scarcity, difficult and risk-reward focused combat, and jump scares that, while highly effective, will drive some players crazy.
While they aren't the only terrible things about the game (not by a long shot), Alan Wake 2 Will flash grayscale faces on screen continuously without warning. They're supposed to represent the Dark Presence's attempt to stop Alan and Saga from scratching and saving Alan from the Dark Place, but they're also pretty scary. This will work for many players, but it may turn others off completely. That said, these jump scares are only a small part of terror Alan Wake 2. Several chapters—including an abandoned coffee-themed amusement park, a fake hotel murder scene, and the medical wing of a senior's home—are extremely disturbing, and playing through them makes the game feel like one of the scariest horror gaming ever made.
Mortuary Assistant
The best jump scares in any medium
On the other end of the spectrum, we have Mortuary Assistant, An indie game from 2022 that is equal parts horror and simulator. Players take on the titular role of a mortuary assistant, helping embalming corpses under the watchful eye of their boss. Thing is, when their master locks them in the morgue, players must identify which corpse is possessed by the ghost instead. So, they should know the name of the demon that is holding the demon, and cast it out of the body.
No self-respecting ghost makes things easy, though. So naturally, they actively mess with the player, manipulating the world and/or attacking them with the help of the three lesser spirits. These spirits are the root of the fear of jumping Mortuary Assistant. These are not the only creatures that jump out of the closet. Players will often return after doing a mundane task and just have a soul being there, Looking at them. Other times, the spirit will quickly run out of the room into the hallway, or appear at the window. These fears are so effective because they feel organic; A monster doesn't jump out to scare the player, they just see something that scares them. It's the kind of thing that will soon have someone nervously looking over their shoulder, a behavior that will translate to their lives outside of the game as well.
Madison
The camera shakes
Scientifically speaking, Madison is the scariest video game of all time, with the highest heart rate increase and the highest overall heart rate of all games tested (which, of course, was not provided. every horror game). That trend is due, in large part, to the Polaroid camera mechanic, incredibly intense chase sequences, and the effectiveness of the game's jump scares.
The camera mechanic is a very powerful horror tool because, for one, it distracts the player with mundane action, but more importantly, it draws their eyes in a particular direction. Jump scares that may not be effective in other games Madison Because players just aren't looking for them, or in them. These scares are also random in some cases, meaning experienced players can still be surprised. Madison It also has a great intro, but unlike most horror games, it doesn't slow down afterwards. Instead, it maintains a solid pace of scares, puzzles, and story flow that keep players engaged.
Viz
Calm before the storm
Viz
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October 30, 2020
- ESRB
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m
- developer(s)
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SadSquare Studio
Viz Not a celebration of jump scares by any stretch. This is a slow burn of a horror game divided into four vignettes, each taking place in the game's primary setting: a house where traumatic events have happened repeatedly. Players are tasked with solving complex puzzles related to each individual past event, and as they do so, the ghosts that plague the house will haunt them.
environment in Viz is top-tier, which helps keep players on edge, no matter what they do. The thing is, the scares in this game aren't static; Sometimes, players go for a long time without much horror. It is easy to imagine how, when a jump scare occurs, it is very surprising because it does not come out of nowhere. Viz is a notoriously scary game, and while players may struggle with its puzzles, there's no denying that jump scares are both well-designed and non-intrusive.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
Your face at the festival
little hope Supermassive Games' story is the second game in the horror adventure series, The Dark Pictures Anthology. It follows a group of four college students on a trip with their professor when their bus crashes in the small town of Little Hope. They soon discover that the impenetrable fog has trapped them in the city with hordes of evil monsters who like to impersonate other people, especially those who have died in the city.
If there's one game on this list that deserves the descriptor “a lot of jump scare features”. little hope Pop-out and screaming faces travel a mile a minute; In fact, it's probably the game's main scare tactic. It certainly won't be for everyone, but for those who love jump scares, they'll get more than their share of fare here. This is far from the best entry Dark Pictures Anthology, but little hope Still has all the trappings that make these games successful: split-second story decisions, solid writing, casting, and acting, and a twisting story that keeps players on their toes.
Outlast
This asylum is not as abandoned as they say
There are two games that started the “walking simulator horror” trend in gaming: Amnesia: Dark Descent and Outlast. Amnesia It's all about physics-based puzzles, sanity, and mystery solving. Outlast All about oppressive, suffocating darkness. As for the darkness, there's probably something lurking there, waiting to jump out.
To remedy that, players have access to a camcorder with a night vision mode that allows them to see in the dark, albeit with a hard, uncomfortable green filter on everything. However, camcorders require batteries, and if they run out, players will be stumbling into the pitch black. There are also enemies to fight, namely the hulking Chris Walker, who will follow players through the asylum, forcing them to hide and pray they move before they are found. While many of Outlast There are jump scares from these Chris Walker hide-and-seek scenarios, with more traditional scares mixed in as well. Bodies that should be dead jerk to life, unexpected loud noises echo through the halls, doors slam shut; It's all here, and it makes the haunted house vibe of the game palpable.
Glass staircase
A tribute to classic zombie flicks
Puppet Combo is a relatively unknown horror developer that pays homage to low-budget retro games. They are consistently praised for their writing and storytelling, but the game that consistently ranks at the top of their library. glass staircase, Like homages to classic Italian zombie movies and retro horror games Resident Evil. The game features four girls who work to maintain an abandoned mansion where they are trapped. They are enthralled with the promise of freedom, but all the while, an unseen monster is slowly picking them up.
The big thing about the jump is the fear inside Glass staircase They all feel earned. Each is equal parts amazing and terrifying, and there is no throwing away; Each jump scare carries some relevance to the plot, making them feel more legitimate than a one-time scare. Glass staircase is an underrated horror gem (as are many of Puppet Combo's creations), and for $6 USD on itch.io, it's an easy, low-risk recommendation.
Five Nights at Freddy's
Look at them as they look at you
A security job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza seems like an easy gig: watch the security cameras, report any break-ins, keep the security office door locked, all the pretty standard stuff. Oh, and definitely keep an eye out for any animatronics that start wandering around. They can be a bit… murderous.
Five Nights at Freddy's At its core is a simple concept. Watch the cameras, track the moving mascots, and if one of them gets too close, slam the security doors on them. The nuance comes from how every single action player is scary in some way. Check the camera and there is nothing? That means the mascots are somewhere else. Check the camera and there is a mascot? It starts to move quickly. Check the hallway outside the office? This means the cameras are unsuitable. Focusing on the camera? Now the hallway is empty. It's a constant high-stakes juggling act, and if a mascot makes it to the security office, it results in a game-ending jump scare. every time. This is the end result of the whole experience.
Time to play Poppy
Are we having fun yet?
Horror games often gravitate toward abandoned buildings, but an abandoned toy factory isn't usually a scary location of choice. right there Time to play Poppy Although it hosts its horrors. Still in the process of releasing its episodic chapters, Time to play Poppy It's a puzzle-heavy survival horror game where players explore an abandoned Playtime Company factory in an attempt to uncover the mystery of why the factory shut down, why entire employees disappeared, and what makes the toys so monstrous.
Each chapter focuses on a major toy threat that has come to life and is trying to kill the player. In Chapter 1, it is a giant statue named Huggy Wuggy, while in Chapter 2, it is an animal named Mother. Getting killed by these creatures results in a jump scare death animation, but the most effective scare Time to play Poppy When these giant killer toys fall on the player. Not only do these moments shock effectively, but they lead to a consecutive chase sequence where players need to drop whatever puzzle they're solving and escape the giant killer toy. The toys are so well animated, and the movement mechanics so smooth, that these sequences make the jump doubly terrifying, because players know they're in for one of the most tense “run for your life” moments they've ever experienced.
