The Victorian era is a ripe setting for horror, with the Victorians being fascinated with subjects of death and the occult. It bore masters of literary horror, such as Stoker, Poe, and Shelley, delighting readers with tales of the supernatural and macabre. It's little wonder why this era is constantly revisited for tales of horror.
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Vampires, other undead creatures, or monsters humans haven't even got a name for that seem as though they could be ripped from the pages of a penny dreadful haunt the Victorian settings of these games, taking players on a tour of terror through time.
7 Fallen London
An Alternative Historic London With Tones of Dread
Fallen London
Sometimes, games don't need flashy graphics or a big budget to deliver scares and suspense to their players. Take Fallen London, for example, a completely free browser game that uses its minimal technological prowess and budget to spin a narrative about an alternative version of London that looms with gothic dread.
The city has fallen into caverns beneath the earth, the city centering around the mysterious bazaar in the center. Alongside Victorian nobles, urchins, criminals, and all other citizens are strange creatures and occurrences, such as the Hell embassy that trucks in souls, or plants that eat flesh that need to be kept fed, lest it rampage. Simple drawings and text make up the horror in this game and to surprisingly great effect. It won't deliver scares on the same levels as say, Amnesia, but the horror and gothic themes in Fallen London cannot be denied.
6 The Order: 1886
Monster and Set Design Set a Dreadful Tone
The Order: 1886
- Released
- February 20, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Ready at Dawn
- Platform(s)
- PS4
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
In an alternative version of Victorian London, humans have been waging war against werewolf-esque half-breeds called Lycans for centuries, with the Industrial Revolution giving humans an upper hand thanks to advanced technology such as zeppelins and rail guns. The Order, the knights of Arthur's roundtable, have extended their lifespan, and continue to be at the frontlines of the fight, investigating the secrets behind these creatures, and looking for a way to stop them for good.
Even when handed weaponry to fend off the beasts, The Order: 1886 still manages to instill terror thanks to the design of its main enemy type and the atmosphere it manages to cram into some of its darker, more confined settings. The weapon provides very little relief from the paranoia this plagues the players' minds with.
5 Nightmare Creatures
Evil Creatures and Occurrences Plague Victorian London
4
- Released
- September 30, 1997
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Developer(s)
- Kalisto Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Activision, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
Adam Crowley, a once-respected scientist, now turned to black magic, has released a demonic contagion onto the streets of 1834 London. Based on the long-lost work of the Brotherhood of Hecate, it mutates its victim's bodies into grotesque nightmare creatures, and changes their minds into those of murderous brutes. When Dr. Jean F. Began investigating, he was murdered. Now, as either his friend Ignatius Blackward, a priest and expert on the occult, or his daughter Nadia, a biologist and gymnast, fight against the creatures that roam the streets of London, the revived Brotherhood of Hectate, and the man behind it all, Adam Crowley. Gameplay is 3rd-person action, with an emphasis on melee combat. Ignatius and Nadia have different fighting styles and special moves. To keep things moving, an adrenaline meter depletes, killing the hero if it ever runs out. Kill monsters to top it up again. Gather special items to use on enemies, or just kill them using basic weapons.
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, PC, PS1
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Action
Nightmare Creatures is a little-known game from the days of yore, confined to the limited technological prowess of the N64 and PS1, yet it still does nothing to lessen the fear this Victorian-era horror game endeavors to instill.
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A Satanic cult attempted to imbue themselves with an elixir to grant them supernatural powers, and instead, they unleashed supernatural terrors onto London. Evil creatures, undead, and otherworldly creatures wreak havoc, instilling panic and fear into the NPCs within the game, and the player themselves, as they realize they will be cast as the character whose onerous responsibility it will be to put the city back in its correct order. Even with its dated graphics by today's standards, Nightmare Creatures still holds up to the promise of its title.
3 Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
Horrific Pig-Like Creatures Terrorize the Player
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
- Released
- September 10, 2013
- Developer(s)
- The Chinese Room
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Horror
Frictional handed the reins of their flagship title over to The Chinse Room for the second full-game installment in the Amnesia series. It follows the game's protagonist, Oswald Mandus, who has found success and wealth as a butcher and industrialist in the late 1800s. Plagued by nightmarish visions following an expedition to Mexico, he follows hallucinations of his sons, who are apparently trapped beneath the machine.
But for Oswald, there would be more horror waiting. In A Machine for Pigs, the game's main enemy type is terrifying pig-like creatures, expertly taking what is normally a cute and docile creature and turning it into something completely monstrous. The mere squeals and grunts of the creature will instill terror into the player who knows it is approaching, and the sight will incur full-blown panic.
2 Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
Even the Legendary Detective Will be Tested by the Horrors Awaiting
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
- Released
- April 11, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Frogwares
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
The minds of Lovecraft and Doyle have combined in the creation of this Victorian horror game that sees Holmes setting off on a dangerous journey to try and track down a missing manservant, traversing to numerous locations across the world that grow increasingly bizarre and seem to hint at the machinations of a large yet mysterious cult threatening safety and sanity of the world at large.
The game culminates in a final show-off at a Scottish Lighthouse, where Holmes finally puts an end to the cult of Cthulhu. Even with a successful ending, players will need to endure some true horrors to get there, including the cult that will go as far as human sacrifices to achieve their ends. Just like other games in the genre, the player carries the weight of the world on their shoulders, which alone is a terrifying burden.
1 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Castle Brennenburg Is As Frightening As Its Inhabitants
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
The last remaining memories fade away into darkness. Your mind is a mess and only a feeling of being hunted remains. You must escape.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a first person survival horror. A game about immersion, discovery and living through a nightmare. An experience that will chill you to the core. You stumble through the narrow corridors as the distant cry is heard. It is getting closer.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent puts you in the shoes of Daniel as he wakes up in a desolate castle, barely remembering anything about his past. Exploring the eerie pathways, you must also take part of Daniel's troubled memories. The horror does not only come from the outside, but from the inside as well. A disturbing odyssey into the dark corners of the human mind awaits. A sound of dragging feet? Or is your mind playing tricks on you?
By using a fully physically simulated world, cutting edge 3D graphics and a dynamic sound system, the game pulls no punches when trying to immerse you. Once the game starts, you will be in control from the beginning to the end. There are no cut-scenes or time-jumps, whatever happens will happen to you first hand. Something emerges out of the darkness. It's approaching. Fast.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent throws you headfirst into a dangerous world where danger can lurk behind every corner. Your only means of defense are hiding, running or using your wits. Do you have what it takes to survive?
- Released
- September 8, 2010
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Indie Games, Adventure, Action, Puzzle
The game that catapulted Frictional Games into stardom, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is named aptly for its protagonist Daniel suffering self-induced amnesia, and awakening in the eerie, vacant interior of Castle Brennenburg. Notes written in his own hand shine some light on his circumstances, particularly about an artifact recovered from the desert, and the need to kill the Lord of the castle, Alexander.
But Daniel is not quite as alone as he thinks he is, with mysterious monsters roaming the hallways, invisible creatures stalking water-logged areas, and a substance named only the Shadow swallowing everything in its wake. These dangers hold the players hostage in a constant state of dread, especially since they are all but defenseless against these beings. All they can do is hide, wait, and pray.
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