Almost the best horror games

The horror genre encompasses a wide range of games of all different shapes and sizes. There are many extraordinary games out there that not only explore the horror aspects, but create an unsettling and terrifying experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats until the pain is over.

However, sometimes the game manages to execute almost everything perfectly, but falls short in some important areas that prevent it from being a true 10/10. It could be issues with the pacing, a certain section that detracts from the mainstream, or the terrible handling that makes it feel less like a horror game and more like an action movie with some scary monsters thrown into the mix.

Resident Evil 2

Two stories that never feel the same

Description:

• The second run often feels a bit underdeveloped

• Lack of replay value

Resident Evil 2 One of horror's most beloved franchises and a fan favorite for good reason. The tension builds slowly and flows perfectly with the more intense moments, and the settings are all equally memorable, ensuring players always feel comfortable whether they're on a station or deep underground.

However, the biggest issue comes from the 2nd playthrough, where players can re-experience the entire game from another hero's perspective. While there are some different moments and scenes, it still feels pretty similar, with just enough variation to be fun, and some predictable encounters that don't hit nearly as hard the first time around.

dead space

From horror to action in a flash

Description:

• The latter becomes like an action

• Enemies feel a little too obviously placed

dead space is a titan in the sci-fi horror space, effortlessly capturing the fear that comes from loneliness, combined with some of the most intense examples of the body horror genre. The atmosphere plays a big role in creating fear, as every crevice and subtle movement of the hull can be as frightening as the enemies within the ship.

But as scary as the setting and creatures are, sometimes the game can feel more like an action-adventure than a full-blown horror. By later chapters, players are well-armed, turning any threat into a cake walk, and the lack of threat removes many of the initial concerns that motivated it in the first place.

Phasmophobia

Gamifying Ghosthunting

Description:

• More about mechanics than fear

• Knowledge and skill remove any fear

Phasmophobia Brings ghost-hunting into the video game world in a creative and incredibly unique way. Instead of fighting spirits or running away from monsters, players are tasked with finding out what kind of entity is haunting various buildings, using tools and gadgets to help them shrink and escape the threat.

At first, the gameplay loop is very scary, as the lack of weapons or actual ways to defend yourself makes each haunt very scary. But as players become more accustomed to the mechanics, they can enter the house and find answers in a matter of moments, knowing what clues to look for and otherwise eliminating any potential harm that comes their way.

scolding

Great visuals, but not so great gameplay

Description:

• Puzzles that can be more frustrating than fun

• Exploration can feel pointless

scolding Sci-Fi is a love letter to the early days of body horror, heavily influenced by the art of Alien To create a strange world where flesh and metal fuse into one. Every area has terrifying creatures and contractions of unknown origin, and much of the terror comes from a lack of direction and understanding of what is really going on.

The problems start to get annoying early on, as many of the puzzles are very basic compared to the complexity of the world around them. Also, some areas can be quite difficult to navigate, feeling like a maze with no end in sight, which turns a stressful exploration into a frustrating journey to find a way.

Karma: The Dark World

Focused heavily on grander ideas

Description:

• A sometimes obscure story

• Chase sequences require little input

Karma: The Dark World A beautiful paranormal indie horror game that explores the world of psychology like no other game. Scenes feel dreamlike and trippy, while more grounded moments are filled with suspense, with no indication that the player is ever safe.

What brings it down is mainly the run time. The entire game is very short and linear, meaning that despite how impressive the world-building is, players only get to spend a short amount of time actually exploring. Additionally, many of the ideas feel very abstract and disjointed, which can make certain scenes feel confusing, especially given how open to interpretation the story and themes within it are.

Mortuary Assistant

Fears can quickly become foolish

Description:

• Cutscenes that eliminate fear

• The story often takes away from the fear

Mortuary Assistant Players with notions of perception and reality take on the mundane routine of embalming corpses and filling them to the brim with frightening and unsettling moments. There are no scripted moments or ways to anticipate scares, so players are always in a state of tension, watching their backs and bracing for the next sudden movement.

The biggest issue in the game comes from the overbuilt sections and sections with other monster models. Some of the cutscenes or delusional segments seem downright cheap and silly, because despite having good ideas at heart, they actually seem far less scary than a ghost sitting in the corner at a random moment in the night.

Midnight Walk

Cute but not that scary

Description:

• Threats are often avoidable

• Mainly puzzles rather than actual enemies

Midnight Walk is a beautiful horror game that uses stop-motion visuals and creates a dark aesthetic with more than a few rough edges. The visuals are where the horror shines, with each monster having a unique design, and a Tim Burton-esque art style that manages to unsettle players through unnatural movements and proportions.

Although the art style is incredibly distinctive, this alone isn't enough to scare. Many areas are filled with very simple puzzles with very little danger, meaning players can find themselves walking around for long periods of time without ever feeling threatened or intimidated.

No, I'm not human

One playthrough is all it takes

Description:

• Repeated playthroughs despite multiple endings

• The dialogue is scripted, so single interactions feel less impactful

No, I'm not human What happens when skinwalkers and home invasions mix in a horrifying pile of horrors. Players find themselves in the middle of an apocalyptic event, forced to choose whether or not to let people in. While they may appear normal on the outside, they may be hiding a dark truth within.

The game has many different endings that can be achieved, but the problem really comes in replaying the game. After they've seen most or all of the NPCs, their presence is no longer intimidating, as players can know exactly what lines they're going to say, and even if they're visitors before letting them in.

Silent Hill 2

Enemy after enemy

Description:

• The task can feel very frustrating

• Enemies later feel like obstacles

Silent Hill 2 A remake is as good as it gets. The game preserves much of the emotional weight of the original, while updating the visuals to provide a more disturbing and suffocating atmosphere that makes players feel trapped in a fog.

Despite the praise, many players felt the experience moved away from traditional horror and added to the scope of the action. There are too many enemy encounters, many of which are pretty low-key, and slow, gradual scares are replaced by constant fights, which can take away from the overall fear factor of a playthrough.

routine

Impeccable environment, but dated level design

Description:

• Maze-like areas that can be annoying to navigate

• Lack of intelligent enemy AI

It may take more than a decade to release, however routine It's finally here, and the wait was definitely worth it. The game uses some very clever mechanics like a diegetic HUD to immerse players in the world, and the visual style makes it feel like an old-school VHS recording, turning even simple walks into terrifying immersion.

Problems arise when looking at how certain sections are designed. Afterwards, there is a very confusing and complex set of rooms and corridors that take a good amount of time to traverse, and can be very frustrating to explore even without a monster in the open. Adding danger to avoid, and tension turns to rage, putting a damper on what would otherwise be a flawless horror game.