There are many ways of creating a horror game. The element of fear can either be physical from outside threats like jump scares, horrific visions, sounds - or psychological, with the main character imagined up the whole thing. However, one thing that we can all agree is that the horror games that can jumpscare are the worst.
In our following list, we would list out the top 10 horror games of all time.
10 - SOMA
There is a lot of problem with SOMA, but “not scary enough” is not one of them. Armed with one of the most disturbing stories amongst anything inside this list, SOMA played with your perception of consciousness and make you ask yourself some pretty heavy questions. Exploring the decrepit undersea base of PATHOS II, which is filled with strange terrifying tendrils of “strange matters”, with literally nothing to defend yourself with, is the easy part.
There is also a “story mode” for people who are faint of heart. You can safely enjoy the story that way – without having to avoid your pursuers at every turn.
9 - ALIEN: ISOLATION
Isolation has reinvented the whole Alien franchise, bringing us back to the root, with the dreading fear of an isolated person alone in a hostile spaceship with a mysterious entity. The gut-wrenching fear inspired by the Alien from the original classic was taken in whole and amplified into the whole length of a game. Coupled with the masterfully crafted ambiance music, your heart would be throbbing for hours.
In Alien: Isolation, you play as Ripley’s daughter Amanda, in a quest to search for her missing mother. However, the only thing she found is the same monster her mother has fought. The enigmatic AI of the Alien is one of the brightest points of this game – you should be careful of every little sound you made. The game’s developers definitely deserved the credit, as they have made a too-popular movie monster terrifying once more.
8 P.T.
P.T. is like a love child between two genius, both of them being one of the greatest in their field. Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro have created a prototype version for their own vision of a Silent Hills game. The demo placed you into a single infinitely looping hallway – then proceed to create tension and horror through a lot of methods.
7 - RESIDENT EVIL REMAKE
While the latest Resident Evil 7 might have more horrific moments, the bone-chilling atmosphere of the first Resident Evil game has never lost its charms. The Remake has been very successful in bringing back the original style of horror that the first game is famous for.
6 - THE EVIL WITHIN 2
The reason behind The Evil Within 2’s success over the first game is that it's way scarier. Loaded to the brim with one of the most effective ways of scaring people: Jump scares – the Evil Within 2 is definitely not for the faint of heart.
. Coupled with some of the most stunning visuals ever created in a horror-themed videogame, the Evil Within 2 should definitely be on your list if you are looking for a horrifying experience.
5 - OUTLAST
While the sequel might have better visuals and a more interactive story, the first game was much better in the horror department, as you have to use a camera’s night vision mode to progress. The kicker is that the battery is limited – you have to find more inside the asylum if you want to actually see anything.
The game is set in a mental asylum, filled with incredibly dangerous psychotic patients. And for a game with a relatively low budget, Outlast definitely pulled out some impressive sales figures.
4 - RESIDENT EVIL 7: BIOHAZARD
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is probably the strongest entry in the Resident Evil game to date. The developers have decided to take a new direction in this game, and that is probably the reason behind its success. However, there are parts in which the horror elements are absent – its probably why RE 7 could not get a higher spot on this list
The game was set in a house inside a backwater swamp – with you getting constantly chased by scary people. Struggling to solve a puzzle while hiding your presence from hostile would definitely be able to make your heart pumping.
3 - FATAL FRAME II: CRIMSON BUTTERFLY
The Japanese Fatal Frame franchise has always been one of the scariest horror games ever came out from the land of the rising sun, and between the two games, it's hard to determine which one is better. However, Fatal Frame 2 is probably scarier, due to its less clunky gameplay.
The game revolves around taking pictures of haunted locations – then using exorcism to free their spirits. The plot of the game is also a lot better than the original – its just refreshing to play any horror game with a different objective than just “survive”.
2 - SILENT HILL 2
Silent Hill is probably the most famous horror video game franchise ever created, with numerous games, books and movies spawned. And among all the games, Silent Hill 2 is probably the best of them all.
Protagonist James Sunderland stumbling into Silent Hills while chasing a letter written by his dead wife, and in that town, his deepest, darkest fears are realized and brought to the surface. Silent Hills 2 is not just a horror game, it is a story – and the deeper you go, the darker it gets.
1 - AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT
Trapped in a dark castle filled with monsters without any memories, Amnesia: The Dark Descent strike the fear of the unknown into the player’s hearts. In this game, the player has to guide their character through the castle, exposing the truth while keeping their sanity in the process.
The worst thing is that everything seems to reduce your sanity, from strange events to monster encounters and even staying in the dark. And with the game not providing you with any weapons, you can't even protect yourself and would have to rely on stealth.
The best way to lose your own sanity playing this game – is to put on a headphone and play this game in the dark.