Summary
- Unique gameplay hooks differentiate horror games, like using a camera in Fatal Frame, enhancing the player experience.
- The Walking Dead emphasizes player choices, leading to intense moments and impactful consequences, keeping the game engaging.
- Innovative mechanics, such as resource management in Five Nights at Freddy's, time limits in Dead Rising, and solving mysteries in Alan Wake 2, enhance traditional horror gameplay.
While horror games have become immensely popular over the last few decades, there are so many of them on the market these days that it can be hard for new entries in the genre to stand out. However, the best way to get players interested right from the get-go is by providing a unique and interesting gameplay hook that can shake up the traditional formula enough to provide a fresh and new experience.
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Of course, this can't be anything so ambitious that it would end up breaking the game or ruining the dark and creepy atmosphere that players would still want to remain intact. Thankfully, though, there have been several horror developers who have managed to insert some pretty fun gameplay hooks in the first few moments of a playthrough, letting players know early on that this is a game that is willing to experiment rather than sticking to what came before it.
8 Fatal Frame
All Players Have With Them To Fend Off The Ghosts Is The Mysterious Camera Obscura
Fatal Frame
- Released
- December 13, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), PC, Nintendo Switch
In most horror games, players will either have a small arsenal of weapons to protect themselves with or nothing at all, depending on how defenseless the developer wants them to feel throughout a playthrough. Fatal Frame, however, does things a little bit differently, as while it doesn't give the player a firearm, it instead allows them to use a mysterious item known as the Camera Obscura. The way it works is by taking a peek through the camera lens, players will be able to spot any ghosts and spirits that are roaming around them.
Being able to snap the ghost at just the right time is the best way to take them down for good, and it's definitely a very unique form of offense, considering players still feel like they're on the back foot even with this item equipped. As a result, while the first few minutes of the original Fatal Frame may seem pretty familiar to long-time horror fans, the inclusion of the camera ensures that it still feels like something that stands on its own in terms of gameplay.
7 The Walking Dead
Telltale Made A Horror Game Where Choices Really Do Matter
The Walking Dead
- Released
- April 24, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Telltale Games
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure, Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mobile
Though Telltale is well-known for their multiple-choice games nowadays, their first title, which really garnered them mainstream attention, was The Walking Dead. Inspired by the hit TV series and comic, the game follows survivor Lee as he and his new friend Clementine try to survive in a world that has become infested with flesh-hungry zombies. Though it may not sound all that original on the surface, what hooks players in from the moment they start the game is the choice system.
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The game is packed full of optional dialogue that players can choose from, much of which will drastically impact not only how Lee is treated, but also who gets to live and die in the band of survivors. This makes for some truly intense moments, especially those where Lee is forced to confront someone, and it's up to the player to decide whether it's worth pulling the trigger or not. It's a mechanic that ensures the game never feels boring or stale, which is why it has been replicated by so many horror games since The Walking Dead's release.
6 Outlast
Miles' Camera Provides A Unique Perspective
Outlast
- Released
- November 4, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature // Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Red Barrels
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Linux, macOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
After players step into the Mount Massive Asylum at the beginning of Outlast, they are quickly introduced to the camera. Though this item can't be used as a weapon like it can in the Fatal Frame games, instead, it is used to make the game feel as immersive as possible. Anytime the protagonist, Miles, comes across gory imagery or something written on the walls in blood, he will make a comment on it after it has been recorded with the camera, encouraging players to search every room they come across to see what he has to say.
The camera also works especially well in dark areas, where players must continue fueling it up with batteries in order to avoid the crazy killers who stalk the hallways. It might sound like a pretty small gameplay mechanic, but it's one that makes Outlast feel like much more than an everyday FPS horror game.
5 Five Nights At Freddy's
FNAF Wastes No Time Getting Players Into The Action
Five Nights at Freddy's
- Released
- August 8, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
While most horror games will give the player at least a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the controls of the game, the immensely popular Five Nights at Freddy's decides to skip this entirely. Instead, upon booting up a new game, players will find themselves in a dark office strapped to a chair where all they can do is either monitor the cameras or open and close the side doors that surround them.
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With a crazed batch of animatronics slowly making their way towards the office, players need to quickly learn how to manage their electricity and energy without running out of gas too soon. There hadn't really been anything like Five Nights at Freddy's in the horror genre before the game came out, with its heavy emphasis on resource management and punishing difficulty, shooting the game to mainstream popularity not long after it was first released.
4 Amnesia: The Bunker
Making Even The Smallest Noise Can Attract The Attention Of The Beast
Amnesia: The Bunker
- Released
- May 16, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Noise has always been something horror games have struggled to implement, in the sense that it can be hard to create AI enemies who respond realistically to how the player shuffles around their environment. Amnesia: The Bunker, however, relies entirely on this mechanic for the gameplay to work. With players being trapped in an underground bunker during the First World War, they soon realize they are not alone, as there is also a giant, mutated beast lurking in the Shadows who will stalk the player if it manages to pick up on their whereabouts.
As a result, everything in the game that can make noise will draw the beast to the player's location, creating a very unique gameplay style where players need to pick and choose what items are most necessary to throw out for a particular scenario. For example, there are a few locked doors in the bunker that can only be taken down by creative means, encouraging players to think outside the box on how to progress to the next area without making too much of a disturbance.
3 Resident Evil 0
Players Are Given Control Of Two Survivors At The Same Time
Resident Evil 0
- Released
- November 12, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Resident Evil 0 feels like a game that was far ahead of its time. Not only does the game feature two protagonists, but players are able to switch between Rebecca and Billy with the press of a button. Needless to say, this results in some pretty fun and unique gameplay segments where both survivors need to coordinate across other sides of the map to acquire a key item or take down a dangerous mutant. Thankfully, players don't need to wait very long until this mechanic is introduced to them, since it only takes a minute or two for Rebecca to meet Billy on the train to kick off the game's story.
While the traditional gameplay loop of scavenging resources and gunning down zombies hasn't changed, keeping track of two characters at once can make the game feel a lot more intense and strategic, especially since both Rebecca and Billy have their own pros and cons.
2 Dead Rising
Time Management Is At The Core Of Dead Rising's Gameplay
Dead Rising
- Released
- August 8, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
While it's already a ton of fun running around a mall and cutting down zombies with anything Frank can get his hands on in Dead Rising, this would ultimately start getting a little boring after a few hours. The reason players are encouraged to continue playing, though, is because of the time mechanic, where certain missions and activities can only be completed by a certain deadline, which will impact the ending of the game, alongside the items and weapons players can receive.
While Dead Rising is known for having a fairly goofy tone and aesthetic, the ticking timer adds a lot of urgency and intensity to the core gameplay, getting players involved in the action right off the bat. A simple mechanic that turned an otherwise fun but basic horror game into an all-time classic.
1 Alan Wake 2
Saga's Mind Place Makes Alan Wake 2 Feel Like A Crime-Thriller
Alan Wake 2
- Released
- October 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Remedy Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Though Alan Wake 2 clearly follows the survival horror template formula laid out by games like Resident Evil, the addition of the Mind Place almost puts the game in its own genre entirely. Anytime players pause the game as Saga, which can be done very early on in the game, they will appear in this detective room where they are able to pinpoint key characters and events on a crime board to solve a mystery.
This can also be done with Alan, who enters the Writers' Room, allowing him to literally manipulate the story and the environment through his own words. However, causing the game to enter these rooms will not prevent enemies from attacking, meaning players always feel on edge anytime they're trying to solve a case. There's a lot to love about Alan Wake's hotly anticipated sequel, including the jaw-dropping graphics and stellar gameplay, but it's this mechanic that ultimately acts as the main hook for players who want to try a horror game that offers something new.
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