Survival Horror for a One-Night Playthrough

[XanDeVoir]

Hey everyone! I'm looking for a survival horror game I can play through in one night. My parents are out, and I'm taking advantage of the holiday break to have a horror gaming night! I don't get much time to play anymore between work and school, so this is a real treat for me.

Note1: In general I like any story driven game, so if not horror you can give recommendation from other genres too; the only requirement is the game can be finished in one night.

Note 2: I can only emulate upto PS2.

Merry Christmas to you all!

 

[LUNARMYTH]

I don't know how you feel about RPG Maker games but there are some really good horror based ones that you could beat within a few hours. Games like The Witch's House, Mad Father, Misao, and The Crooked Man instantly come to mind. Many of them are free and none of them are demanding on your PC in the slightest.

 

[xman8245]

Well, I'm just in time. Here's some good ones to emulate for a potato.

Manhunt
Resident Evil Director's Cut
Silent Hill 1 (or Origins...)
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve II

 

[moonbits]

Hellnight on PS1

 

[XanDeVoir]

I don't know how you feel about RPG Maker games but there are some really good horror based ones that you could beat within a few hours. Games like The Witch's House, Mad Father, Misao, and The Crooked Man instantly come to mind. Many of them are free and none of them are demanding on your PC in the slightest.

Well I completely forgot about rpg maker games. I'll look for the free ones I guess. Thanks for the suggestion.

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

Well, I'm just in time. Here's some good ones to emulate for a potato.

Manhunt
Resident Evil Director's Cut
Silent Hill 1 (or Origins...)
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve II

Can RE be finished in a single night? Although I tried it before, sadly I have to say the controls are very hard and frustrating for me. If only the controls were like SH1 then I could play that game. I really wanted to like that game so much. For other games I've completed manhunt (on psp though) and SH1. So I'll check out Parasite Eve. Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

Hellnight on PS1

Thanks I'll look for it.

 

[middler]

if you are steam capable I recommend Cayne its free, its good, its not too long.

 

[Gershyn]

Oh absolutely Parasite Eve. It’s a Christmas game too!

 

[DunkeyKong]

One night huh? Inscryption and Soma can be pretty good
There's itch.io too, with short and horror tags Link

 

[OpossumQueen]

Silent Hill 3 is only six hours long and probably my personal favorite horror game around, honestly can't rec it enough. It's technically a sequel to SH1 but they'll summarize the relevant story of SH1 about halfway thru the game anyway, and man is it a dizzying masterpiece.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

Definetly Clock Tower, if you're willing to look up a guide for when you get stuck you can finish it in some 3 hours

Well I completely forgot about rpg maker games. I'll look for the free ones I guess. Thanks for the suggestion.

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

Can RE be finished in a single night? Although I tried it before, sadly I have to say the controls are very hard and frustrating for me. If only the controls were like SH1 then I could play that game. I really wanted to like that game so much. For other games I've completed manhunt (on psp though) and SH1. So I'll check out Parasite Eve. Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

Thanks I'll look for it.

Between you and scott the woz Im surprised theres people who find biohazard harder to control than silent hill
In sh if you start running and then stop you have to give yourself braking, harry turns slower too; if you stop pressing forward in bio you stop immediately, so its much snappier

And for the most part enemies in biohazard are much easier to get around, maybe both you and scott playedn the og USA release that disabled auto aim?

 

[dapperley]

Well, I'm just in time. Here's some good ones to emulate for a potato.

Manhunt
Resident Evil Director's Cut
Silent Hill 1 (or Origins...)
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve II

Stellar taste

 

[Cu-Neo]

Well I have an option for you it's a mediocre one, but also short. Very short

The game is like 1 hour long. 2 at best and the same thing happens to the third entry on the PS2: RE Dead Aim

With a duration of 3 hours

Also Silent Hill 1 on PSX is like 7 hours long and the "prequel" Origins on PSP/PS2 is like 6 hours long and it's more action oriented

 

[Darrell42]

Evil Tonight

 

[dapperley]

Well I have an option for you it's a mediocre one, but also short. Very short
View attachment 6348
The game is like 1 hour long. 2 at best and the same thing happens to the third entry on the PS2: RE Dead Aim
View attachment 6349
With a duration of 3 hours

Also Silent Hill 1 on PSX is like 7 hours long and the "prequel" Origins on PSP/PS2 is like 6 hours long and it's more action oriented

Great suggestions!

 

[DunkeyKong]

Well I have an option for you it's a mediocre one, but also short. Very short
View attachment 6348
The game is like 1 hour long. 2 at best and the same thing happens to the third entry on the PS2: RE Dead Aim
View attachment 6349
With a duration of 3 hours

Also Silent Hill 1 on PSX is like 7 hours long and the "prequel" Origins on PSP/PS2 is like 6 hours long and it's more action oriented

The first cover art looks serious and dark
The second one is like a movie poster (his eyebrow lol )

 

[Karaswinglet]

I usually recommend "Eternal Darkness" for Gamecube, as it encompasses multiple characters with a very rich story but it may be too long. "Haunting Grounds" and "Kuon" for Ps2 also came to mind, but they both need nine-ten hours to be finished, so it may be too much. Maybe "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" (I played the pc version), as it should be around eight hours or maybe less.

 

[XanDeVoir]

Oh absolutely Parasite Eve. It’s a Christmas game too!

Ayyy I didnt know that.

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

Definetly Clock Tower, if you're willing to look up a guide for when you get stuck you can finish it in some 3 hours
View attachment 6338


Between you and scott the woz Im surprised theres people who find biohazard harder to control than silent hill
In sh if you start running and then stop you have to give yourself braking, harry turns slower too; if you stop pressing forward in bio you stop immediately, so its much snappier

And for the most part enemies in biohazard are much easier to get around, maybe both you and scott playedn the og USA release that disabled auto aim?

I played SH1 a long time ago but I faintly remember I had struggled through the controls there as well. And while writing this I just remember now that I played RE1 and SH1 on my phone using on screen controller so that might be the reason I found those controls very hard. But now that I've controller that might not be the case.
Also I have played Clock Tower long ago. As far as I remember I could only unlock 2 endings despite of my multiple trying. I'm sorry but I dont like to read or watch guide for games thats why I couldnt unlock others (I dunno what kind of complex is this but I feel like I'm cheating and the I'd rather stop playing the game rather than watching a guide)

 

[xman8245]

It's not exactly survival horror, but if you're really hurting to make a decision, DOOM for the PS1 is always an option.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

Ayyy I didnt know that.

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

I played SH1 a long time ago but I faintly remember I had struggled through the controls there as well. And while writing this I just remember now that I played RE1 and SH1 on my phone using on screen controller so that might be the reason I found those controls very hard. But now that I've controller that might not be the case.
Also I have played Clock Tower long ago. As far as I remember I could only unlock 2 endings despite of my multiple trying. I'm sorry but I dont like to read or watch guide for games thats why I couldnt unlock others (I dunno what kind of complex is this but I feel like I'm cheating and the I'd rather stop playing the game rather than watching a guide)

YEESH I cant imagine playing SH on a touch screen it requires like every single button on the dualshock except L3&R3

Clock Tower 3 is more straight forward I think thats another good choice

Aside from that, maybe Amnesia the Dark Descent if you commit

 

[XanDeVoir]

Evil TonightView attachment 6350

The trailer was cool! That pixel art is fire and the gameplay looks really fun. It seems like it's more action than horror (if that makes sense), and I'm not really in the mood for action right now. Wishlisted it for later though. Thanks for the suggestion!

Post automatically merged: Dec 25, 2024

Well I have an option for you it's a mediocre one, but also short. Very short
View attachment 6348
The game is like 1 hour long. 2 at best and the same thing happens to the third entry on the PS2: RE Dead Aim
View attachment 6349
With a duration of 3 hours

Also Silent Hill 1 on PSX is like 7 hours long and the "prequel" Origins on PSP/PS2 is like 6 hours long and it's more action oriented

I didnt like none of those 2 Well I got to know these types of RE games also exist, its just not for tonight. But thanks a lot for the recommendation though.
On the other hand all the other games that I got recommended, I fear that I cant finish in a night only yours I can, I think.

 

[bobobobo2]

Apparently you can beat any of the penumbra games in 5 hours... I don't know what absolute puzzle-solving-under-stress genius steel-balled maniacs make up these stats, but if you're like me you might actually be done within an hour... as in give up scared to death and never touch any of it again.

 

[XanDeVoir]

One night huh? Inscryption and Soma can be pretty good
There's itch.io too, with short and horror tags Link

God I loved Soma while it was not that much of a horror I really loved the atmosphere. On the other hand I just watched the trailer of Inscryption. While I wont play that game tonight I will def def play that game later for sure. From some comments what I gathered that the game is more than simple card game. I really like CCGs but I've never played with the horror theme. Thanks for the Inscryption.

 

[_-_AceDragon_-_]

Ignoring the obvious resident evil / silent hill etc.

Echo night (PS1) 5hrs. First person, creepy, puzzle based game. Very unique PS1 game.

Obscure (PC / PS2). 6 or 7 hrs if you go straight through it. Highschool setting, traditional survival horror minus the tank controls, decent soundtrack. Can be played two player.

As you also mentioned doesn't have to be horror:
Shadow of memories / shadow of destiny. (PS2 and PC). 5 hrs. More of an adventure game, good soundtrack.

 

[DunkeyKong]

God I loved Soma while it was not that much of a horror I really loved the atmosphere. On the other hand I just watched the trailer of Inscryption. While I wont play that game tonight I will def def play that game later for sure. From some comments what I gathered that the game is more than simple card game. I really like CCGs but I've never played with the horror theme. Thanks for the Inscryption.

I've never liked playing a card game, but I like this one because this one is different. It's more like a extended version of Russian roulette to be honest , and you're welcome

 

[goznog]

+1 for Echo Night. it being a puzzle adventure game, I think it'd be easier to play through in one night than most of the other suggestions here. it's got a cool narrative involving investigating the stories of ghosts you interact with, which gives it a Christmas-y mood.

that being said I'll throw out D and Enemy Zero from Warp/Kenji Eno- the former is also a really easy playthrough, though not "survival" horror (it has a strict 2 hour time limit). System Sacom also released two adventure games in this style, Mansion of Hidden Souls (on Sega CD, and a sequel on Saturn with the same title) and Torico/Lunacy.
Enemy Zero adds resource management and combat, but it's really not an easy game lol. the enemies are invisible and fighting them is even harder than you'd think. saving and loading (yes, both of those) are a limited resource. it's got Christmas vibes though, and Michael Nyman music!
both of them are short but again, Enemy Zero compensates with difficulty. I can't think of many "survival horror" type games that could be cleared in that short amount of time that aren't just adventure games.