There's something about psychological horror that both scares and intrigues players. The idea of certain touchy topics targeting a person's psyche is always unnerving, and the best horror games know how to manipulate a fan's emotions.
9 Best RPGs If You Like Third-Person Exploration
Players who love the exploration aspect of RPGs will love what these third-person titles have to offer.
Many RPGs have dabbled in the realm of psychological horror, with some being outright horror titles while others using this genre to instill a sense of unease in players. Either way, these role-playing masterpieces know when to push a player's buttons and make them uncomfortable.
7 World Of Horror
A Roguelike RPG That Covers Many Horrors, Including Matters Of The Psychological
World of Horror
- Released
- December 8, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
World of Horror deals with all kinds of horror, including the psychological. Players must explore the town of Shiokawa in Japan and solve mysterious cases that help them open the door to a lighthouse and uncover the central mystery.
Players must manage both stamina and reason, with the latter being affected when players see or feel something they shouldn't. The damage it can cause to a player's psyche is translated excellently here.
6 Pathologic 2
Boasts A Creepy World That Will Prey On The Player's Psyche
Pathologic 2
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ice-Pick Lodge
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
One of the hardest open-world RPGs players can check out, Pathologic 2, is not for the faint of heart. Failure is punished, with later runs being harder courtesy of the many penalties that fans incur during their journey.
8 Best Fantasy RPGs Of The 2000s, Ranked
Quite a few iconic fantasy RPGs were released during the 2000s, and these were the best of them all.
The game is full of mysterious NPCs, debilitating afflictions, and disturbing content that will mess with a player's head. The bizarre occurrences of Pathologic 2 hammer in its psychological horror roots, and why fans can't get enough of this title.
5 Fear & Hunger
An Oppressive RPG That Will Cause A Player's Sanity To Degrade As They Struggle To Make Progress
Fear & Hunger
- Released
- December 11, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Fear & Hunger is another game that dabbles in various horror tropes. Cosmic horror may be the end game here, but it's the horrific occurrences that happen before that which will test a player's mettle.
Having to overcome massive odds to make progress is hard enough as is, but what makes Fear & Hunger so horrifying is how a player's mental state is affected by what happens to their character. Some of the actions in this game are deeply disturbing, so fans should keep the content warnings in mind if they want to give this game a shot.
4 Darkest Dungeon
Players Must Keep Their Heroes' Mental States Intact If They Don't Want To Suffer Major Casualties
Darkest Dungeon
- Released
- January 19, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Exploring many dark and depressing locations full of nightmarish horrors is easier said than done. This is why Darkest Dungeon can seem so unwelcoming, especially when players amass a band of heroes only to see them drop like flies.
Biting off more than one should chew will lead to certain party members either steeling their minds or succumbing to the mental pressure. Either way, Darkest Dungeon will be a nightmarish experience with shades of psychological horror where the hired adventurers may get a bit too stressed out as the inexplicable monsters of the world weigh down on their psyche.
3 LISA: The Painful
A Bleak Yet Hilarious RPG That Becomes Especially Sad When It Delves Into Its Psychological Horror
LISA: The Painful
- Released
- December 15, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
One of the funniest RPGs fans can check out, LISA: The Painful, makes the most of a bleak post-apocalyptic world where all the women have disappeared. However, when Brad finds a human girl, he takes care of her as if she were his daughter and tries not to repeat the traumas inflicted by his father.
10 Most Influential Western RPGs, Ranked
These RPGs brought groundbreaking systems and immersive storytelling that inspired generations of developers and players alike.
This trauma helps the psychological horror of this game shine as players embark on a quest to save Buddy. However, Brad is no saint, and his questionable behavior is brought to the forefront in emotional sequences as he slowly starts succumbing to his Joy addiction.
2 Undertale
The Game Has Subtle Horror Undertones That Become Very Apparent In A Genocide Run
Undertale
- Released
- September 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Undertale is not a horror game at all, but this is not what fans feel if they try out the Genocide route. Not only does the game become infinitely harder when it comes to certain boss fights, but the unnerving nature of this game becomes more prominent as the music slows down, and townspeople abandon their lives when they see the main character coming.
The scare factor of this game reaches new heights when players somehow manage to reach the end of the Genocide route, only to be met with a mysterious character named Chara who drops some major bombs on them before jumpscaring them. Players can restore the world and become a good guy this time, but their horrific actions will always be addressed in later endings that will unnerve players who didn't expect this title to be so challenging.
1 Omori
A Psychological Horror RPG That Is In A Class Of Its Own
OMORI
- Released
- December 25, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- OMOCAT, LLC.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
It's impossible to talk about psychological horror RPGs without mentioning Omori. The story revolves around Sunny and how he escapes into Headscape to escape the traumas that weigh him down.
This makes for an excellent slow burn as the game slowly introduces Sunny's fears before revealing the biggest one of them all. The scares present in this game are quite effective and will make players feel a growing sense of unease as they slowly figure out that something's wrong in their protagonist's mind.
The Best RPGs Where You Start Off Powerful
For impatient players, some RPGs let you skip the endless grind by giving you power as soon as you press start. Here are some of the best.