Open Your Mind...
In my never-ending pursuit to find the best horror games that feel truly scary or are reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s horror but actually play well, I took upon myself to gather up all modern horror games that are worth playing. What defines a horror video game? Most people typically assume that there are simple answers, such as ghosts, zombies, space, or any other single word category. While it’s difficult to pin down and categorize horror into a single genre, or even sub-genres, what makes horror games keep us up at night is the fear of the unknown. We can characterize this as a basic uncertainty, ranging from the unknown lurking around every corner to the never ending pursuit of the antagonist. Humans have harbored fear of the unknown since ancient times, and video games can provide us with a glimpse into this terrifying realm. Games can give us a glimpse into this abyss. While some gamers may not consider Doom a scary game, its release likely frightened many kids and adults, and it may still do so today. Everyone’s fear is a scale or spectrum. There’s not one set number you can place. P.T. was one of the scariest things I ever experienced, and some people laughed the entire time. Some may consider this just a coping mechanism, and others may be able to easily overcome their own fears.
Rather than doing this chronologically, I have broken this series up into multiple categories. These games may also fall into other categories, and some may think a single game feels like something else to them while playing it. Horror has also made a comeback over the last five years. Just looking on SteamDB shows that indie horror titles are at an all-time high; however, there is also an onslaught of utter garbage in every storefront.
I hope to sort these out, as good modern indie horror is hard to come by. It’s like sorting through the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. Do you really need to play Hitler: BDSM Bunker or another “creepy” Hentai game only to discover it’s complete garbage? While a lot of these games play off of current memes and satirize political issues, they aren’t “real” games. For every 10 P.T. clones, there’s a single good survival horror out there trying to be something different. For every 20 Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy Playtime clones there’s a hidden gem of a text adventure buried under the heaping steaming pile of crap.
My reading of “From Ants to Zombies” by Alexander Chatziioannou inspired this entire idea. It completely transformed my viewpoint and understanding of horror games. What I won’t include are obvious AAA titles from the Resident Evil series or games like P.T. We all know them; everyone has played one of these, and you already know if you love them or hate them. I won’t incorporate any Early Access games or titles released before 2014, unless they belong to a series that has seen a release within the past decade. I will also not include remakes or remasters such as the most recent Dead Rising, Silent Hill 2, or Dead Space games, for example. I wanted to mostly highlight indie horror and games that may have had a larger budget but were easily overlooked or forgotten.
The 10 Categories
New Retro: These are games that try to bring back the feeling and nostalgia or horror games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. PS1 and Nintendo 64 style graphics, older visual effects, maybe even older play styles like tank controls. This category will be last as to highlight the future of horror gaming.
Psychological: This is one of the most common categories in horror. These games usually play a lot of tricks on the mind, have heavy use of music, ambiance, jump scares, or heavily use the story is scare the player.
Zombies, Ghosts, and Creatures, Oh My!: These games are usually considered not as scary to some, but usually still have creepy monster design or mostly use monsters to terrify the player.
Space: Space is a great factor of “Fear of the Unknown”. Games set in space or use the vast void or outer space to scare us.
Relentless Pursuer: Games that constantly keep you on your toes with antagonists that just won’t let off. These games aren’t as popular as they once were.
Fear of the Abyss: These games use phobias to usually scare the player. This doesn’t completely excludes space, but mostly includes games that take place in the ocean.
Eldritch: Lovecraftian horror is the easiest way to describe this, however this can also describe games with entire art style devoted to bio-mechanism, gross organics monsters throughout, and overall giving a feeling of uneasiness or a larger than life monster or being that you can’t ever see, but it lets you know it’s there.
Survival Horror: The most popular genre and what most people think of when they think of horror games. These usually have the player using resource management to survive whatever baddies that come at you. These are also more on the atmospheric side.
Boomer Shooter Nightmares: There has been a huge surge of Boomer Shooters in the ire of Doom in the last five years. While Doom itself doesn't make the list there are so many great indie shooters out there that it needed its own category.
Errant Children: This category includes both protagonist and antagonistic children in the game. These are very uncommon, and have mostly dropped out of favor over the last decade, but a few still exist.
The Exit 8 (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, NSWEscape from an underground passageway by carefully observing your surroundings and avoiding anomalies. The Exit 8 is a walking simulator inspired by Japanese underground passageways and liminal spaces. For such a simple concept, The Exit 8 employs the feeling of familiarity but subtly questions your own sight and senses. I haven't had this feeling since P.T. ten years ago. The never ending looping hallway changes in small ways, and it's up to you to find the differences. There is no music, very little sound, and the blinding white tiles sear into your eyes. The sensory deprivation mixed with the uneasiness of something never being quite right makes The Exit 8 a fantastic horror title.
Krimson (2024)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX, NSW
Krimson is a gritty rhythm platformer with heavy electronic metal music. Players navigate a hellish world, with one wrong move causing death. The game features four settings: blood-soaked organic, grungy industrial, psychedelic LSD-fueled acid trip, and hot molten metal madness. The game demands attention and requires skills, mind, and patience. Players must dance with the hell hath rhythm to conquer the hellish world. Sometimes it's not monsters and ghosts that scare you, but an overwhelming senses attack. Krimson is a constant onslaught of surreal visuals, flashing lights, and abstract colors. This is what it is like to go on an acid trip and not be able to escape. Some of the monster designs are incredibly weird and terrifying, especially when you're being chased and trying to take everything in.
Slay the Princess (2023)
Platforms: WIN, LIN, MAC, PS4, PS5, NSW, XB1, XSXA young man is on a path in the woods, facing a princess in a cabin. He must slay her to save the world, as she will charm, lie, and promise him the world. The princess is an ordinary human, and he must stay focused on the task. The story is a branching narrative, with the protagonist's actions and beliefs determining their identity and the story's unfolding. I usually don't care for visual novels, but Slay the Princess' unique art style mixed with a compelling story is something you can't miss. Claustrophobia and being physically and mentally trapped are enough to make you hold your breath while playing. The fantastic monster design and visual shots are at the right angle and give just enough depth to make it tough to press on. You have the option to turn on the lights, open doors and windows, and step outside, as this game can evoke a sense of solitude and gratitude for your freedom of space.
Ad Infinitum (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSXAd Infinitum is a game where players play as a German soldier haunted by the horrors of World War I. They must break the cycle of suffering by regaining control of their life's narrative. The game takes players from their teenage years to the trenches, where they must navigate through nightmares and terrifying creatures. The fallout of the war is felt far from the front, as players peel back the shroud that hides the secrets of their family. Through exploration and solving riddles, they reveal a chapter in the story of a German family torn apart by war. The horrors of war alone are enough to fight anyone, but a lot of media romanticizes it. Ad Infinitum does a fantastic job showing us the ugly side of World War I. The game skillfully employs the typical "descent into madness" trope for psychological horror games, and its visual roller coaster ride is truly captivating. While the gameplay itself is lacking in many ways (especially the annoying stealth areas) and the story is hard to follow, the actual beat-to-beat events and scripted scenes are something of a nightmare.
Faith: The Unholy Trinity (2022)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, NSWIn 1986, two priests arrived at the Martin Family home in Connecticut to investigate a demonic possession case. FAITH is a pixel horror game inspired by classic 8-bit gaming and the 1980s "Satanic Scare." Players use their holy crucifix to perform exorcisms, fight against possessed cultists, and cleanse haunted objects. The game features three chapters: FAITH, Chapter II, and Chapter III, where the protagonist faces paranormal entities and a powerful demon. As you progress through the story, you encounter various demons and uncover a plethora of scares and horrors. The developers have skillfully depicted frightening imagery with minimal visual flair. The game is also gory and has unsettling music that is purposefully uncomfortable to listen to. The close-up shots of what appear to be rotoscoped facial animations are frightening. Nothing feels normal or real in this game, and it's a blast to play with the lights off and headphones on.
Growing My Grandpa! (2022)
Platforms: WINGrowing My Grandpa centers around the themes of family and nostalgia, allowing players to engage in a heartfelt narrative that explores the relationship between a grandchild and their grandfather. Through various gameplay mechanics, players experience the joys and challenges of nurturing their grandparent, fostering a deeper understanding of generational bonds and the passage of time. The game is full of disturbing imagery, eerie music, and the overall feeling of complete wrongness. It's a tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat and is frightening to experience.
Father's Day (2022)
Platforms: WINIn this game, players take control of three characters who switch roles: police Sergeant Henry, scientist Phil, and Jonathan, a relative of a missing child. Phil's dream of a perfect life crumbled when he lost his wife and son, driving him to obsessively devise a secret plan to bring them back. Eventually, he finds himself in a bathroom with blood on his hands, yet he presses on with his project. However, things start to spiral out of control, leaving him to grapple with the question of how to make everything right and where to find a reality where everyone is happy. The game is your typical walking simulator, but the scares are subtle and you're constantly on the edge of your seat thanks to creepy ambient sounds and music.
Ikai (2022)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX, NSWIkai is a first-person psychological horror game inspired by Japanese folklore, featuring a defenseless main character who faces threats directly. The game evokes a sense of helplessness and tense atmosphere, with slow, precise movements resembling real life. The story revolves around a demon that is threatening to cross the doorway into the world. The priestess, Naoko, works in the mountains, leaving the shrine under her niece's control. As the villagers' dreads grow, Naoko loses consciousness and falls to the ground, almost dead. The shrine's bell screams for help, but all gods have gone, leaving the world filled with monsters, ghosts, and spirits. The game is a bit slow for a walking simulator, but the scares and atmosphere are well worth it. The ancient Japanese setting reminded me of games like Fatal Frame. While the monsters aren't plenty, the story and setting are enough to keep moving on.
In Sound Mind (2021)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, XSX, NSWIn Sound Mind is a psychological horror game from the creators of Nightmare House 2, featuring a unique first-person narrative and puzzles. Players must navigate a series of haunting memories and encounter a cast of terrors in boss fights. The game features an eerie soundtrack by The Living Tombstone, and offers an imaginative narrative with sentient mannequins, a feline companion, and even the option to pet the cat. The game is very slow to start as the first hour is mostly building up the story, but once the action starts and the scary monsters come out it's all worth it in the end.
The Medium (2021)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, PS5, XSX, NSWThe Medium is a psychological horror game that features dual-reality gameplay and an original soundtrack co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka. Players have psychic abilities that allow them to travel between realities and explore them simultaneously. The game features a mature and morally ambiguous story, where everything has another side. The Medium's spirit world is a dark mirror reflection of our reality, where unpunished deeds, evil urges, and vile secrets manifest. The game is inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński's paintings and is set in a mature and morally ambiguous world. Beksinski is one of my favorite artists next to H.R. Giger and I can tell you this game is stunning to look at. While the story itself isn't memorable, the experience is.
Omori (2020)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, PS4, XB1, XSX, NSW
Explore a diverse world with colorful friends and foes, uncovering a forgotten past, and choose your path to determine your fate and potentially others'. I honestly have to mention that this game is a very slow burn. It's heavily inspired by Earthbound and if you didn't like that game you won't like this. Thankfully this game is less "Nintendo" and more of its own thing and actually has some moments where you are deep into the heads of these kids and it can be quite unsettling. Getting there though may feel like a chore to some.
The Coma: Recut (2017)
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters (2020)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS4, XB1, NSW
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is a story-driven game set in the warped Sehwa district. Mina Park, a student, discovers a dark and sinister presence at her school and is pursued by a mysterious figure. To survive, she must venture beyond her school and into the surrounding district, encountering strange creatures, mysterious strangers, and uneasy allies. The game features an all-new AI, a terrifying Dark Song, and challenges to balance exploration with survival. Players must craft items, scavenge resources, unlock tools, and hide to avoid detection. The first game is similar, but with a different story and is worth starting with. The haunting music, atmosphere, and oppressing visuals are well worth it. Don't let the anime style visuals put you off.
Visage (2018)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX
Visage is a first-person psychological horror game set in a mysterious, atmospheric house filled with a twisted past of brutal murders, insane people, and suicides. The game takes players through gloomy corridors, dead rooms, and endless mazes, leaving them restless and terrified. Dark entities haunt the players, following their every move and playing tricks on their minds. Players must find ways to escape the nightmare or pull themselves deeper into it. Death is part of the game, and players must avoid terror to avoid joining the ranks of the dead. To stay sane, players must find ways to stay in the light and avoid going insane. A lot of people may be turned off by the subtle imagery. This isn't a straight forward story, but more of a haunted house ride. It's one of the most disturbing games you will play and has similar nightmare inducing visuals that P.T. has.
Yuppie Psycho (2019)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS4, PS5, NSW, AND
Players join Brian Pasternack, a young man in a dystopian 90s society, on his first day at Sintracorp, the world's largest company. His job involves hunting a "witch" who has returned to torment employees. Pasternack must learn office protocol, engage in watercooler conversation, consider his five-year goal, assess health and safety, and conduct a rigorous personal assessment to uncover new paths and uncover the corporation's dark past. The trippy vaporwave visuals mixed with weird horror flair is what will keep you going.
Blair Witch (2019)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, XB1, NSW
In 1996, a young boy disappears in the Black Hills Forest, Maryland. Ellis, a former police officer facing his darkest fears and the Blair Witch, a mysterious force haunting the woods. The game is based on the cinematic lore of Blair Witch and follows Ellis as he navigates through a cursed forest, with his canine sidekick, Bullet, by his side. The game also challenges Ellis' sanity against the Blair Witch and his past. I personally have a lot of memories around the first movie and there just isn't enough content based on the fascinating lore. While the story here is complete garbage the visuals and setting are not. It's got the same creepy feeling you get when you drive down a lonely road and look through the darkness beyond the trees.
Lost in Vivo (2018)
Platforms: WIN
This horror game is about claustrophobia, where a service dog is forced down a sewer drain during a storm. Along the way, players encounter others with abnormal or psychological fear. The game has some very disturbing imagery despite being a first person shooter. The atmosphere is enough to make you sweat and give you a lump in your throat. It's a very odd horror title, one of the weirdest out there, but worth it.
Detention (2017)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS4, NSW, AND
Detention is a 2D atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan, where two students find themselves trapped in a haunted high school. The game incorporates East Asian elements like Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese mythology, and players must navigate the school to escape the evil creatures and uncover the dark past of the cursed school. The monster design is some of the eeriest in a 2D horror title, and the perspective itself add a different element than 3D horror games. The atmosphere is similar to Silent Hill, and while the story is confusing, the experience isn't.
Stay tuned for Part 3 in a few days! Lost In Space!
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