Summary
- Horror games aim to induce fear and stress, creating intense experiences for gamers.
- Multiplayer horror games like Dead by Daylight add tension and competitiveness to gameplay.
- Games like Pathologic challenge players with difficulty, heightening the stressful experience.
Horror games are always crafted with the intention of terrifying, jumpscaring, traumatizing, and even stressing the heck out of their players. Everything in them — from monster design and audio to the tense environments — is intended to instill fear, as they typically aren't designed to be peaceful experiences at all, and those games that do exist are rather rare.
Most Peaceful Horror Games
These may be horror games, but they are also surprisingly peaceful at the same time.
Most horror gamers would likely have it no other way either; it's not as if players are booting up a horror game for its soothing gameplay. But, there are those that offer an even more intense experience than others. These games are often simply just too much to take and will have the player running to the pause screen or even quitting while they try to catch their breath.
8 Dead By Daylight
The Multiplayer Angle Makes Either Side Tense To Play
Dead by Daylight
- Released
- June 14, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Behaviour Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Behaviour Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Horror, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia, Switch, Mobile
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Multiplayer games are always going to end up slightly more stressful than single-player experiences, as there is the added pressure of knowing other players will be witness to the gameplay, not to mention the competitive angle as both sides want to win. This is true of the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight, as both sides of the game are stressful in their own way.
As a survivor, the player needs to be able to work alongside possible strangers as they complete the objectives in order to escape, all the while a killer scours the map, trying to cut them down. Depending on the killer, this can be an entirely terrifying and stressful experience as they try to watch the map for approaching or hidden danger. The killer has the objective of preventing the survivors from powering the exit gates and getting out, which is stressful in its own way, as there are four of them, and only one killer in the base game.
7 Night Security
Working The Graveyard Shift Was Never Quite This Scary
Night Security
- Released
- June 17, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Chilla's Art devs are the undisputed masters of taking ordinary situations, namely everyday jobs people work, and turning them into nightmares. In this case, it is every night job, as the player controls a night security guard at an office building, patrolling the floors, locking up, and making sure no one is still working.
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Even with other people still on the block, dread and creeping terror permeate throughout Night Security, absolutely unrivaled in terms of atmosphere. The most stressful part of this game isn't taking on the responsibilities of the job, but constantly being left hanging in this state, waiting for a classic Chilla's Art jumpscare, which they really do excel at. Working nights is normally stressful enough, but in this creepy place, it is even more palpable, as it devolves further into nightmare territory.
6 Pathologic
Known For Being One Of The Hardest Horror Games Out There
Pathologic
- Released
- June 9, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
A remote town is falling to the ravages of a sickness known as the sand plague. The three playable characters are each seeking a cure before it is too late, which is 12 in-game days, and each day will see new quests made available as players continue to chase the main plot. It is a simple enough premise, but what sets Pathologic apart from the rest is just how difficult it is.
There is little to no hand-holding here, and death is all too easy to find. This is what makes the game such a stressful experience, as the player knows one wrong turn, one fateful encounter, and they could die — not to mention they need to basically figure out for themselves where to go next and what to do. The game certainly isn't for everyone, but those who thrive under pressure may find success and enjoyment in Pathologic.
5 Silent Hill 2
The Descent Into The Nightmare World Awakens New Dangers
Silent Hill 2
- Released
- October 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Silent Hill 2 is a game that thrives on atmosphere, instilling a feeling of dread and suspense rather than throwing jumpscares at the player, which proves extremely effective. In terms of horror, it is a marathon rather than a sprint, the horror and dread never quite relenting, even elevating at some parts of the game. What should have been a simple yet highly important task becomes something so much more when James eventually arrives at the titular town and sees what it has become.
Monsters roam the streets and buildings, and a great pyramid-headed monster occasionally arrives to chase James, and these are the parts of the game that the player will feel their stress reach whole new levels. There is no denying how frightening Pyramis Head is, or just how deadly that great knife of his is. Silent Hill 2 is truly one of those games that players will struggle to binge their way through, as eventually, players are going to have to take a much-needed break from the unrelenting horror.
4 Amnesia: The Bunker
Danger Lurks In The Darkness
Amnesia: The Bunker
- Released
- May 16, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Publisher(s)
- Frictional Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Amnesia is undoubtedly one of the most successful indie horror franchises of all time, having come far from the humble roots of Dark Descent. Frictional Games really outdid themselves with Amnesia: The Bunker, in which WW1 soldier Henri escapes the dangers of war in an underground bunker, only to find much worse lurking in the dark.
He shares the place with a creature known only as the Beast, a creature deadly if encountered but sensitive to all forms of light, which is the player's only real defense against this creature. They can use the generator to turn on the light in entire areas, but this is where the true stress of the game lies, as fuel is needed in order to power it, which is a finite resource. Running out of it means they can only rely on their handheld source of light, which may not be enough to fend it off from the area entirely.
3 Outlast
A Video Camera Is Miles' Only Defense
Outlast
- Released
- November 4, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Red Barrels
- Publisher(s)
- Red Barrels
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Linux, macOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Mental institutes are never places known to be altogether welcoming to outsiders, especially in the landscape of horror, and Mount Massive Asylum is no different. After receiving an anonymous tip about less-than-savory activities going on behind closed doors, reporter Miles arrives at the scene armed with little more than a camcorder and a can-do attitude. He discovers far more than he could have ever prepared.
Terrifying Horror Games Set in Abandoned Asylums
These terrifying games will test the mettle and sanity of even the bravest gamers, as lurking through abandoned asylums can be dangerous for all.
The inmates have taken over, and most are not very pleased to see Miles, as they will attack him on sight, such as the imposing Chris Walker. There is little more stressful than running through the dark hallways away from the dangers, using the recorder to navigate through the pitch black — all the while knowing a drained battery will plunge the players into perfect darkness. Even in places that are lit up, trying to survive the horrors in Outlast is a challenge of the mind, and it will definitely wear down players over time.
2 Resident Evil 2
Mr X Is Never too Far Away
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Resident Evil has made quite a career as one of the reigning champions of the survival horror genre, thrusting players into a world where engineered viruses transform anyone subjected to them into zombies (or far, far worse). Resident Evil 2 wasn't shy about showing what kind of damage this could do to an entire city by showing Raccoon City ravaged by it — zombies filling the streets, and the RPD not that much safer for the heroes Leon and Claire.
One of the most pressing threats to be found in the RPD is the tall and imposing Mr X, a bio-weapon with his sights firmly set on Leon and Claire as his next prey, all while they are evading zombies, lickers, and other horrors. No matter where they go, those thundering footsteps draw ever closer, making every action feel like it is timed before the hulk bursts through and kills them. Mr X alone is enough to spike anyone's blood pressure.
1 Alien: Isolation
Nowhere Is Safe From The Xenomorph
Alien: Isolation
- Released
- October 7, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
The Alien franchise began as movies, introducing movie-viewers to the universe of the xenomorph, a terrifyingly designed alien thought to be the perfect creature as it uses other life forms as incubators for its eggs and bleeds acid to dissuade anyone from killing it. All in all, the xenomorph and facehuggers are creatures best avoided entirely if possible. So imagine everyone's surprise when, finally, a good Alien horror game was released back in 2014.
Trapped on a space station with one of these creatures, Amanda Ripley, daughter of movie heroine Ellen, has no recourse against this monster, aside from a flamethrower that can ward it off briefly (but not kill it). Every single vent and air shaft becomes a source of intense pressure, as the xenomorph's dynamic behavior means the player never knows when or from where it will show up, cutting exploration short. Even with the motion tracker to warn players ahead of time, that dot drawing closer and closer is sure to make the players' heart race.
The Scariest Horror Video Games Of All Time, Ranked
From the torture of Doki Doki Literature Club to the eerieness of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, here are the scariest horror video games of all time.