Sound is one of the most important aspects of any good horror game. Jumpscares basically wouldn't exist without it, and many of the most terrifying titles out there just simply wouldn't hit the same, as it is one thing to have a scary setting or monster, but a whole other to actually be able to hear them.
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However, in a lot of cases, the absence of sound can actually be even more terrifying, and some games manage to use silence far more effectively than just having a loud bang. The reason these moments are so scary is because of how unsettling the unknown is, as when players find themselves devoid of noise, they can only wonder and worry about when the next threat will arrive.
SOMA
Horrors Beneath The Waves
Details:
- Minimal ambient audio due to the setting
- Silence reinforces the isolation
SOMA uses silence to reinforce the idea of existential dread rather than constantly bombarding the player with scare after scare. The long underwater corridors and abandoned research facilities are often devoid of music, leaving only the hum of failing machinery or the sound of the ocean pressing in from all sides, making players feel isolated not just physically, but philosophically.
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When threats do appear, they often do so without dramatic cues or a music track to warn the player. The lack of sounds signalling what's to come next means that players are in a constant state of uncertainty, unsure whether the silence means safety or that danger is hiding just around the corner.
Darkwood
Sound Is The Only Way Forward
Details:
- Quiet forests during the daylight
- Subtle sounds are often the most important
Darkwood’s top-down perspective does nothing to soften its oppressive atmosphere, largely because of how effectively it uses sound. The nights are dominated by creaks, distant knocks, and subtle environmental noises that turn every journey into a perilous one, but when those noises begin to die down is when the true fear creeps in.
By restricting several senses at once, sight and hearing, the game feels more like a deprivation chamber, where players are more focused on their own thoughts of "what's next", which are almost always subverted. This also makes them hyper-aware of their surroundings, checking behind them and always looking out for a threat that may never even come.
Silent Hill 2
Beyond Atmospheric
Details:
- Intentionally obscures all the senses
- Long stretches of complete silence
Silent Hill 2 is often cited as the gold standard for psychological horror, and its power comes largely from what it refuses to show or explain. There are huge segments of fog-filled streets and empty corridors that force players to sit in their own unease rather than react to sudden shocks, and even when the radio crackles to signal danger, it is rarely a guaranteed tool to prevent the fear.
Much of the horror comes from anticipation. Players can go several minutes without ever seeing or even hearing an enemy, but the second the silence is broken by something as faint as a footstep, the anxiety skyrockets and never fully drops back down until the game finally ends.
Visage
The Terrors In Normality
Details:
- Absence of any light or sound throughout
- Paranoia comes from the lack of noise
Visage draws heavily from other slow-burning psychological horror games, using long, quiet walks through a familiar suburban home to unsettle players through normality alone. Silence dominates most of the experience, and a lot of the time, the rooms can feel even more hostile than the enemies themselves.
It also focuses heavily on sound as a progression method, allowing tension to build organically and guiding players with absence as opposed to explicit direction. The silence becomes a signal that something might be wrong, but more importantly, it opens the doors for questions about why it's so quiet and what might be about to break the silence.
Alien: Isolation
Saving Lives Through Sound Alone
Details:
- Environmental cues in the midst of quiet
- Breaks in action can often be the scariest parts
In Alien: Isolation, players spend large portions of the game hiding, listening, and waiting, yet at no point are there any obvious cues as to exactly where the alien is. The absence of sound forces players to rely solely on subtle audio cues, turning every moment into a nerve-wracking test of patience where even a breath can make all the difference.
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The alien’s unpredictability makes those moments of silence even more unbearable. Players often find themselves frozen, afraid to move or breathe, and when the sounds do eventually creep in, they are often created by a mistake, which is almost always followed by the imminent arrival of the creature itself.
The Forest
The Silence In Nature
Details:
- Natural setting makes every moment feel eerily still
- Distance sounds interwoven with moments of calm
The Forest manages to perfectly interweave survival mechanics into an immersive horror experience, focusing on scripted scares and more on prolonged moments of anticipation. When the sun goes down, players need to pay attention to every sound around them, with twigs snapping and tiny footsteps giving away the location of the hungry cannibals from afar.
Because of how reserved the enemy's behavior is, there will often be moments where players find themselves being watched, but even if they aren't being physically observed, it will always feel like it. Without loud or obvious cues, enemies can easily get into sneaky positions, completely catching the player off guard in the midst of their anxiety-induced panic.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Waiting For Something To Happen
Details:
- Monsters are often heard before they are seen
- Punishes impatience heavily
Amnesia: The Dark Descent’s horror is built around vulnerability, and silence plays a critical role in reinforcing that helplessness. The game often strips away music entirely, leaving only distant noises and the sound of the player’s own breathing, magnifying their fear despite taking things away.
Without combat to fall back on, a lot of the quieter sections become suffocating. Players are left to imagine what corner the enemies might be hiding behind, preparing for the worst, yet always being surprised when the noises come rushing back after a huge break from the action.
Iron Lung
Helpless In A Sea Of Blood
Details:
- Complete isolation with no ways out
- Waiting for scares is more terrifying than actual jumps
Iron Lung is a perfect example of how horror games can play with sound in unique and unexpected ways. The entire game takes place in a single submerged pod, and with virtually nothing to see other than snapshots of the outside world, sound becomes all the player can focus on.
For much of the playthrough, there are very few noises aside from the sloshing of the sea and the creaking of the hull. The combination of no sound and no sight makes every meter traveled feel like a momentous leap forward, with the player never knowing whether they are truly alone beneath the surface.
The Mortuary Assistant
Breaking The Routine Over And Over
Details:
- Tension builds without any sounds at all
- Cyclical gameplay allows the horror to feel more impactful
Mortuary Assistant is a surprisingly eerie game that manages to terrify the player through both jump scares and the space in between them. A lot of the more scripted moments are actually less scary, as they feel more predictable and clear than the moments where there is no obvious danger at all.
But most of the time, players will be completing their checklist with absolutely no surrounding sounds, which makes the already claustrophobic room even more oppressive. The real challenge comes from staying on track and finishing the embalming before the demon consumes the player, as after a while, it becomes hard to muster the courage to do even the simplest of tasks.
Mundaun
Venturing To The Rural Mountain
Details:
- Black and white visuals amplified by sparse sounds
- Dreamlike unease due to the sensory deprivation
Mundaun is an incredibly unique horror game that strips away virtually every sensation to completely deprive the player of any comfort. The hand-drawn, black-and-white visuals are perfectly complemented by low ambient noises, with a lot of the fear building from the unsettling nature of the setting alone.
Because of how constant the silence is, when sounds do appear, they often feel invasive rather than startling. The quiet also subverts a lot of the expectations the player may have, as an ordinary building can appear terrifying, and a calm walk through the forest can turn into a horrifying journey from which there is no escape.
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