Summary
- Horror games with shocking twists often have the best storytelling in the genre.
- Unexpected plot turns, tough subjects, and fourth-wall breaks create unforgettable finales.
- From BioShock's Atlas twist to Soma's chilling revelation, countless horror games deliver disturbing surprises.
Horror games are always designed with the goal in mind of horrifying and shocking the player, often utilizing many means to do this, such as the infamous jump scare, terrifying monster designs, or even by using an unsettling ambience to disquiet the player. But this would all be meaningless without a thrilling plot to follow.
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Not only are these horror games shiver-inducingly creepy, but they also feature some of the best storytelling in their genre.
A game's plot can also be used for shock value, as it could grapple with tough subjects, have horrifying implications that the player learns as they progress, or completely pull the rug out from under one's feet by providing them with a shocking twist ending. Here are some notable horror games that feature incredibly shocking twist endings that players could simply never prepare themselves for.
6 Doki Doki Literature Club
A Fourth Wall-Breaking Finale
Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Released
- September 22, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Salvato
- Genre(s)
- Visual Novel, Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Despite the warning issued at the beginning of the game informing players of dark and disturbing imagery, it's still hard to be prepared for exactly what happens in Doki Doki. After spending a while becoming acquainted with the other members of the poetry club and exchanging work with them, the game takes a turn for the worst, and the player character's long-time friend Sayuri commits suicide.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg of horror, as the end of the game breaks the fourth wall, having Monika address the player directly and deleting some of the game files on their PC as a way to keep the two of them together forever. It was nothing short of disturbing and shocking to witness, and it made for a game finale players would not soon forget.
5 BioShock
There Was Never an Atlas
BioShock
- Released
- August 21, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Irrational Games
- Genre(s)
- FPS
BioShock is a game full of twists and turns, from the first reveal of Rapture during the game's opening to the ending twist that shines some light on Jack's helpful guide, who was basically tutorial man. Every request given by the helpful Atlas was garnished with the phrase "Would you kindly?" This was revealed to be a phrase that would trigger Jack to become obedient and follow whatever command was given.
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This was just one of the twists, as the other was that Atlas never really existed, and it was the criminal Frank Fontaine he had been talking with all this time, using Jack for his own gain. It was quite a shock that the person they had been relying on to guide them this whole time was a man thought to be dead.
4 Dead Space
Nicole Has Been Dead This Whole Time
Dead Space
- Released
- October 14, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Visceral Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Throughout all of Isaac's exploration of the Ishimura, it is believed by him (and the players) that his girlfriend Nicole is alive, giving him a helping hand, especially during the game's final chapter. They discover the Marker and the Hive Mind are responsible for causing hallucinations and necromorphs, and they set about to stop them from infecting everyone. This is when Dead Space pummels the player not just with one twist, but two.
Kendra is a double agent working for the Earth Government under orders to secure the Marker and take it back with her, and Nicole is nothing more than a hallucination born from the Marker to manipulate Isaac. These were not only shocking twists that would have players' jaws on the floor, but also tragic in regard to the truth about Nicole. Players could only imagine the horror and pain Isaac felt at that moment.
3 Resident Evil Village
Ethan Did Not Survive the Baker's
Resident Evil Village
- Released
- May 7, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Poor Ethan did not have an easy time of it. First, he had to escape the dangerous Baker family transformed by Eveline's "gifts." Then, he had to save his infant daughter from Miranda and her Four Lords. These sound like situations that no normal person would survive, and well, in Ethan's case, he didn't, but this is not something players would find out about until the end of Resident Evil Village.
Granted, there were a few context clues, such as Ethan being able to reattach entire limbs with just a bottle of medicine, but most assumed this was just game mechanics rather than related to the games' lore. But then the reveal comes, shocking most players even as they slapped their foreheads and yelled "Of course!" After all, the amount of times Ethan's hand was injured, mangled, and cut clean off was a little suspicious. Unfortunately, his regenerative powers hit their limit at the climax of Village, so Ethan made the ultimate sacrifice so that his daughter could be taken to safety.
2 Soma
Only a Copy is Sent to ARK
SOMA
- Released
- September 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Soma was a bit of a risky gambit for Frictional Games, who were known previously for their indie horror hits such as Penumbra and Amnesia. Even the former game didn't delve too hard into philosophy and sci-fi, but Soma does without hesitation. Players are confronted with some pretty hard-hitting questions as they explore the underwater station as Simon Jarrett, a man who agreed to an experimental brain scan after a traffic accident left him with damage to his brain.
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He meets Catherine and learns about the fate of humanity and possible salvation: ARK, which may just be his and Catherine's ticket out of PATHOS. The whole game leads up to this, and when the moment finally arrives, Simon's celebrations come to an abrupt end. He is still in the derelict station, and that's when Catherine elaborates: Only copies of them were sent. While there is a Catherine and a Simon aboard ARK, the Simon and Catherine stuck on PATHOS are indeed stuck there forever. Such a hopeless ending was almost impossible to predict, serving as a shocking and horrifying conclusion.
1 Silent Hill 2
James Killed Mary
Silent Hill 2
- Released
- September 25, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Granted, the ending of Silent Hill 2 is basically common knowledge due to its age, the remake released back in 2024, and not to mention questionable merch choices by Konami. But for anyone who played the original or, by some miracle, has dodged every spoiler up until now, getting to the end of the game gave players one shocking and utterly gut-wrenching ending.
All along, players have been fed the narrative by James that it was a terminal illness that killed Mary, but it was James himself. This is revealed by a videotape acquired towards the end of the game. Watching it shows the action of James smothering Mary with a pillow, forcing him, and the player, to confront this grizzly and horrifying truth. Silent Hill, the monsters, and Pyramid Head all serve to make him pay penance for his crimes, which he himself deep inside felt the desire to be punished for. It's a truly shocking twist ending, and it gave rise to one of the most complex protagonists of all time.