Summary
- Horror games provide a unique experience, allowing players to directly control their characters and feel the anxiety of a terrifying situation firsthand.
- Many influential horror games from the 90s, such as Nocturne and Sanitarium, drew inspiration from classic horror genres, offering moments that stick in the mind.
- Games like Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark paved the way for the survival horror genre, while titles like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night showcased gothic horror ambiance and tight gameplay.
As much as we love horror movies, there's something truly special about horror games. As players are directly in control of their characters when playing a video game, horror games allow players to experience the anxiety of a terrifying situation firsthand. While the horror genre is eternally popular, it has a rich history in the video game medium.
Many of the most successful games within the horror genre draw influence from projects of yesteryear, with many influential titles being released throughout the 1990s. Which projects hold up as the best '90s horror games?
Updated on September 28, 2023 by Mark Sammut: This article has been updated to include each '90s horror game's specifications.
13 Nocturne
Nocturne
A slightly forgotten PC release that was very resource-heavy for its time, Nocturne is an ambitious action horror game that doesn't hit too many home runs but always goes down swinging. Split into four acts that take inspiration from various classic horror genres, players control The Stranger, an American operative who takes on various missions that typically involve killing things that go bump in the night.
Nocturne looks amazing at times, and the designs of the monsters manage to be both awe-inspiring and creepy. While the gameplay isn't all that satisfying and the controls are dated like most 90s horror games, Nocturne is filled with moments that stick in the mind.
12 Sanitarium
Sanitarium
DreamForge's Sanitarium is a point-and-click cult classic, one that is still widely available through platforms such as Steam. Taking control of a man suffering from amnesia, players wake up in a haunting asylum soaking in unnerving imagery.
Nicknamed "Max," the protagonist goes on an unpredictable adventure that takes him to wild, bizarre, and terrifying locations as he attempts to remember his identity and the cause of his current predicament. Even more than two decades following its release, Sanitarium remains an effective psychological horror game that builds up quite nicely across its nine-chapter campaign.
11 Realms Of The Haunting
Realms of the Haunting
Realms of the Haunting is the gaming equivalent of a fever dream. Things start out familiar enough as Adam Randall steps into a mansion that is clearly haunted, however, it doesn't take long for the story to fly off the rails in the most entertaining way possible. Soon, Adam finds himself going to alternate worlds, fighting all sorts of gnarly demons, and taking on an underappreciated villain in Belial.
Employing FMVs and playing like Doom but not as good, Realms of the Haunting is an admirable mess that pays attention to the little details. Along his adventure, Adam is accompanied by a psychic who is essentially a walking encyclopedia for the demonic entities the pair encounter, adding a lot of context and personality to the overall experience.
10 Clock Tower
Clock Tower
Released for the SNES in 1995, Clock Tower is a point-and-click adventure that is as terrifying as it is excellent. The game does a great job at setting town through its use of visual and sound design, pairing dreary and cramped visuals with anxiety-inducing scores.
Clock Tower notably featured numerous endings based on a player's choices and success. In addition to setting the tone expertly, the game features well-thought-out puzzles for the players to solve as they attempt to survive.
9 Dark Seed
Dark Seed
Another point-and-click adventure like Clock Tower, Dark Seed was released in 1992. Focusing more on psychological horror, the narrative of the game is split between reality and a nightmarish dream world. This realm of nightmare is notably visually inspired by the work of H.R. Gieger, the designer of Alien.
Dark Seed is heavily based around trial and error, requiring a player to succeed in a variety of tasks within a strict time limit, adding to the growing feeling of anxiety.
8 The House Of The Dead
The House of the Dead
- Released
- October 15, 1996
- Platform(s)
- Arcade, PC, Sega Saturn
- Developer
- Wow Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Shooter
While horror-based shooters are commonplace within the modern landscape of gaming, this wasn't always the case. Released in 1996, The House of the Dead is an on-rails shooter that has a player fend off hoards of zombies with up to two players.
Like Clock Tower, The House of the Dead distinctly has several possible endings based on a player's choices and actions. The sequel is also an arcade classic and a highly entertaining 90s horror game.
7 Resident Evil
Resident Evil
- Released
- March 22, 1996
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), Sega Saturn, Nintendo DS, PC
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Another game released in 1996, the first entry in the Resident Evil series is easily one of the most influential horror games of all time. Released by Capcom, the game requires players to manage their finite resources as they attempt to flee and survive hoards of the undead.
While Resident Evil's fixed camera and tank controls haven't aged the most gracefully, the game directly influenced the course that horror gaming took, helping horror break into the gaming mainstream.
6 Alone In The Dark
Alone in the Dark
While survival horror is now one of the most popular sub-genres in gaming, most modern releases can trace their influences to Alone in the Dark. Released in 1992 for PC, the game features a somewhat simple premise, only requiring a player to escape a haunted mansion. However, through the array of puzzles and undead foes that must be overcome, this is easier said than done.
Like Resident Evil, resource management is integral in Alone in the Dark, as players must keep track of how much gear they are carrying at a given moment.
5 Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 21, 1998
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS1
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
While Resident Evil 1 may have started things for Capcom's series, it truly came into its own with the release of Resident Evil 2 in 1998. The game set the stage for what many have come to expect from the franchise to this day.
Improving on nearly every element of gameplay from the first game in the series, Resident Evil 2 greatly builds on the themes of horror within the series, with a looming, ever-present threat hunting the player relentlessly. Anyone familiar with Resident Evil 8: Village can confidently confirm that the principles of design within Resident Evil 2 can still be felt to this day.
4 Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve
Released by Square in 1998, Parasite Eve is a game that mixes together elements of RPGs and real-time action games, wrapping it all together within an incredibly atmospheric package. Placed in the shoes of Aya Brea, the player must attempt to find and stop Eve, a woman who is planning to eradicate humanity.
While Parasite Eve's action combat is solid in its own right, much of the game's quality is derived from exploring its ambient environments.