Summary
- Horror games explore dark themes, from body horror to psychological struggles, maximizing player discomfort.
- Games like P.T. Integrate socio-economic commentary and address mature themes to create haunting experiences.
- Titles like Alice: Madness Returns and Silent Hill 2 delve into trauma, abuse, and grief, shaping unsettling narratives.
To the benefit of horror games, there are plenty of things that people find scary, from real world scenarios to the occult and the extraterrestrial. While some games are atmospherically scary and exploit common phobias, others tackle very relevant and distressing themes to really target the player's sense of horror.
7 Horror Games That Make Effective Use Of Body Horror
These games are able to freak players out with their sick, twisted, but effective enemy designs which incorporate body horror.
Thematically dark games are often paired with uncanny visuals and soundscapes that really drill a sense of unease into the player, maximizing their discomfort. This is a spoiler-free list of the best horror games that explore mature themes, following disturbing narratives that focus on psychological struggles and physical trauma.
The entries in this list make reference to themes that some readers may find distressing or triggering. As 'M' rated titles, the mentioned games might not be appropriate for all gamers.
14 P.T.
Integrates Subtle Social Commentary On Violence
P.T.
- Released
- August 12, 2014
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- PS4
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
P.T. Is an established psychological horror game that has since influenced many titles in the same genre with its looping mechanics. Despite its removal from the PlayStation store, the game still stirs up a lot of discussions and theorizing about what the experience is really all about.
For all of its ambiguities, P.T. Does make clear references to socio-economic issues; familicide, sexism, and domestic abuse are just a few of the topics the game dares to broach. Lisa's ghost and the talking fetus are memorable images that point towards a tragic series of events.
13 Omori
Coming To Terms With Grief
OMORI
- Released
- December 25, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- OMOCAT, LLC.
- Publisher(s)
- OMOCAT, LLC.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Horror games with child protagonists are often some of the most touching, and Omori is no exception. The game follows young boy Sunny and his alter-ego, Omori, searching for his missing friend Basil with a group of friends, as the truth about his past is gradually revealed.
Using familiar RPG elements like turn-based battles, exploration, and changing environments, Omori portrays what it's like to battle with grief at such a young age. Despite its focus on childhood, the game tackles the nuances of trauma and relationships beautifully.
12 The Cat Lady
An Unsettling Narrative About Battling With Depression
The Cat Lady
- Released
- December 1, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
The Cat Lady is a 2D side-scroller following the reclusive Susan Ashworth after an attempt to take her own life. An encounter with the Queen of Maggots leaves her immortal, and at her behest, the player must embark on a mission to rid the world of five human "parasites."
8 Best Side-Scrolling Horror Games
Sometimes a limited perspective can really enhance the horror, with these side-scrolling games proving that point.
The limitations of the game's format do not take away from the content, which explores the likes of loss, violence, and coping with depression. With a smart use of color and graphic design, The Cat Lady is a poignant game with multiple endings determined by the player's choices throughout.
11 Fran Bow
An Unsettling Psychological Horror Adventure
Fran Bow
- Released
- August 17, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Killmonday Games AB
- Publisher(s)
- Killmonday Games AB
- Platform(s)
- Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Indie Games, Puzzle
In Fran Bow, the player, via point and click puzzles and gameplay, must help the eponymous young girl escape Oswald Asylum to find her cat. Along the way, she will encounter characters and monsters either seeking to help or to enact their more sinister motives.
Despite the whimsical settings, Fran Bow creates a sense of unease by twisting the familiar into the surreal, and its cartoonish graphics in no way undermine the game's tackling of heavier topics. Trauma surrounding murder, abuse, and mental health struggles are both implied and shown during the playthrough.
10 Alice: Madness Returns
Is There Really A Way To Escape The Horrors Of Reality?
Alice: Madness Returns
- Released
- June 14, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Alice: Madness Returns is not the most obvious horror game, but underneath the hack-and-slash gameplay is a dark psychological experience that is far from Lewis Carroll's original tale. The game follows Alice navigating Wonderland and reality after being released from Rutledge Asylum.
At its core, Alice: Madness Returns is about coming to terms and coping with trauma. While the game doesn't explicitly show the heartbreaking exploitation that the children of the orphanage suffered, it is very heavily implied through dialogue and imagery.
9 I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream
Explores AI And Human Nature
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
- Released
- October 31, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- The Dreamers Guild
- Publisher(s)
- NightDive Studios
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is based off of Harlan Ellison's story of the same title. The player alternates between five characters, each being one of the last remaining people on Earth after the rest of humanity was purged by the sentient "Mastercomputer," AM.
Beyond its examination of the terrifying extent of human potential, I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream also broaches philosophical questions surrounding consciousness, morality, and redemption. Overall, this is an uncomfortable dystopian experience.
8 Cry Of Fear
A Silent Hill Inspired Survival FPS
Cry of Fear
- Released
- February 22, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Cry of Fear was originally intended to be a Half-Life mod but eventually grew into its own entity to become a standout disturbing horror game. Navigating Stockholme after being hit by a car, the player (as 19-year-old Simon) must try to make their way home.
With its grotesque monsters and "nightmare" sequences, Cry of Fear has often been compared to Silent Hill, but it remains distinctive in many ways. The game focuses on Simon's recession into his own psyche, grappling with anxiety, depression, and trauma, as well as the sickening tragedies of the city's past.
7 Spec Ops: The Line
A Very Real Depiction Of PTSD
Spec Ops: The Line
- Released
- June 26, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Spec Ops: The Line is not a traditional horror game with ghosts and jusmpscares, but it quickly deviates into a psychological horror that reveals how haunting war can be. Set in Dubai, the player is ordered to identify any survivors to evacuate, but things do not go to plan.
While it is also a third-person-shooter, players are forced to make weighted decisions throughout the game — moral calls that have horrific outcomes, no matter the choice. As the protagonist gradually declines into mental turmoil, players will be left shaken by the events endured.
6 Doki Doki Literature Club!
Far From An Innocent Visual Novel
Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Released
- September 22, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Salvato
- Publisher(s)
- Team Salvato
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Visual Novel, Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
By now, most gamers will be aware that Doki Doki Literature Club! Is not the cute visual novel that it apears to be. What begins as a dating sim set during an after-school book club slowly declines into a much darker narrative about obsession.
As the player gets to know each of the girls through seemingly innocent gameplay, their true natures start to become apparent. The game's unapologetic and graphic depictions of mental health struggles are intense, leaving players with a sense of distress that lasts well beyond its completion.
5 Silent Hill 2
Blurs The Lines Between Real And Internal Worlds
Silent Hill 2
- Released
- October 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Franchise
- Silent Hill
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
While Silent Hill took a more literal approach to the iconic town, Silent Hill 2 steered the franchise into a more psychological horror direction. The player controls James Sunderland searching for his missing wife, meeting other troubled characters along the way.
The game is most known for shaping the environment as a manifestation of the protagonist's psyche, which, unsurprisingly, leads to some very disturbing scenes. There is a lot of sexual imagery, depicting things from infidelity to abuse, as well as confrontations with guilt and depression.