Summary
- Psychological horror games use sound and environment design to induce fear.
- I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream presents a disturbing take on AI and dystopian themes.
- Silent Hill 3 merges disturbing visuals and survival gameplay effectively.
The library of horror games continues to grow in both quality and popularity. Despite the onslaught of different titles, psychological horror has endured and prevailed, remaining one of the most popular subgenres in the industry. Focusing on mental states and emotions such as paranoia, fear, and guilt, psychological horror games have plenty of scope to create distressing experiences.
While some horror games, including psychological ones, rely on overt scares to spook players, some of the more effective titles use sound and environmental design to create feelings of trepidation and a general uncomfortable atmosphere. These are some of the most unsettling psychological horror games that will keep the player ill at ease.
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11 I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
A Point-And-Click Horror With Disturbing Themes
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
- Released
- October 31, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- The Dreamers Guild
- Publisher(s)
- NightDive Studios
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is an interpretation of Harlan Ellison's short story of the same name, Ellison himself being involved with the game. The player controls five different characters - the last people left on Earth and tortured after the American "Mastercomputer" AM gained sentience and purged the rest of the population.
Each character is put to the test, having to confront their fears and flaws with the opportunity to redeem themselves. Like its source material, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream takes real anxieties about AI and all too potential dystopian landscapes and turns them into a genuinely uncomfortable, interactive experience.
10 Cry Of Fear
A Dark First-Person Shooter
Cry of Fear
- Released
- February 22, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Cry of Fear began as a Half-Life mod, eventually being released as its own title in 2012. Despite its FPS elements, Cry of Fear has retained a lot of the unsettling tension that many other action-horror games sacrifice in favor of bloodshed.
Set in Sweden, the player controls Simon as he tries to make his way home after being hit by a car. Unfortunately, the city has transformed into a hellish labyrinth full of horrific monsters that point toward the reality of the protagonist's world. Complete with gripping combat, a compelling narrative, and a dingy atmosphere of decay, Cry of Fear masters unease.
9 Layers Of Fear
Manages To Scare With No Enemies
Layers of Fear
- Released
- February 16, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
- Publisher(s)
- Aspyr
- Franchise
- Layers of Fear
- Platform(s)
- Switch, PlayStation (Original), Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Horror
Layers of Fear follows a tortured artist known as "the Painter" as he attempts to finish a portrait of his wife that is supposed to be his magnum opus. It very quickly becomes apparent that he is no ordinary painter, and his past is gradually revealed as the player collects the required materials.
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Like a handful of other psychological horror games, Layers of Fear doesn't have any big aggressive monsters to fight or run from. It instead uses gradually changing environments that parallel with the protagonist's state of mind, creating an unstable and disturbing atmosphere.
The 2023 remake of Layers of Fear adds stalker enemies that can kill the player, which some feel takes away the tension of the original.
8 Outlast
Effectively Uses Body Horror
Outlast
- Released
- November 4, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Red Barrels
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Linux, macOS
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Outlast is often cited as one of the scariest games of all time, and for good reason. Following investigative journalist Miles Upshur into the horrors of Mount Massive Asylum, feeling safe when playing this psychological survival horror is a very rare occurrence.
Players will be faced with unpredictable NPCs, creepy antagonists, body horror, and distressing scientific experiments, all while wielding nothing but a night vision camera. Creeping through the bloody hallways is nothing short of traumatic, leaving players constantly anxious, even when there is no danger.
7 The Mortuary Assistant
Death, Demons, And Dread
The Mortuary Assistant
- Released
- August 2, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Adventure, Simulation
- Developer: DarkStone Digital
Some horror game settings aren't inherently scary and are only made so by an atypical scenario. On the other hand, there are some locations that players enter expecting to find something untoward; take graveyards or, as in the case of The Mortuary Assistant, a morgue.
Regardless of the ever-present suspense of expecting a jump scare (of which, admittedly, there are plenty), there is also something inherently unnerving about those in-between moments where the player is confronted with death in a horribly cold, clinical setting.
6 P.T. Demo
Never Knowing What's Around The Corner
P.T.
- Released
- August 12, 2014
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- PS4
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The P.T. Has become a pillar of the horror gaming community, remaining one of the most discussed and influential horror titles of all time. Controlling an unnamed protagonist, the player must repeatedly walk through a hallway, completing puzzles and experiencing increasingly sinister events.
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The enigmatic and inconsistent nature of P.T. Is what many players find the most unsettling, never getting solid answers as to what is going on and being left in the unknown. The fact that players never know what will be around the familiar corner builds plenty of tension without the need for jump scares.
5 Fran Bow
Has A Unique And Uncanny Graphic Design
Fran Bow
- Released
- August 17, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Indie Games, Puzzle
- Developer: Killmonday Games
Art style can go a long way in creating unnerving experiences; Fran Bow is a 2D point-and-click horror with a very unsettling graphic design. Guiding the titular young girl, the player must help her find her cat, Mr Midnight, encountering figures along the way that are both whimsical and uncanny.
The environments and figures - from humanoid insects to a giant goat skull-headed beast - encountered along the way are straight out of a warped fairy tale. With a thematically dark story, Fran Bow is a memorable psychological horror game that exploits the unsettling pairing of both familiar and surreal elements.
Fran Bow depicts (both implied and on-screen) distressing content, including abuse and mental health struggles, that may be triggering for some players.
4 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
The Game That Became A Cornerstone Of Psychological Horror
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Released
- September 8, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Franchise
- Amnesia
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Indie Games, Adventure, Action, Puzzle
Upon its release in 2010, Amnesia: The Dark Descent became a defining entry in the realm of psychological horror, marking a return to the genre's roots and a resurgence of similar titles. Following Daniel through Castle Brennenberg, the player must find and kill Baron Alexander as grotesque humanoids hunt him down.
The Dark Descent excels at curating a sense of dread via both the survival mechanics and the lack of combat; as players are unable to fight back, they are left feeling vulnerable and without control. Alongside shadowy passages and unseen dangers, it's difficult to come out of this game without rattled nerves.
3 Doki Doki Literature Club!
Joining An After-School Club Has Unexpected Consequences
Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Released
- September 22, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Salvato
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Visual Novel, Horror
Doki Doki Literature Club is cleverly marketed as a visual novel/dating simulator, but the innocent title hides something sinister. As the player progresses through the game, romancing three of the four literature club members, the girls' true nature begins to seep through.
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Despite the bright colors and art style of DDLC, there are lots of features that make the game unnerving. From Monica's fourth wall breaking to strange glitches and warped sound design, there is a continuous sense that something is not quite right, even before things really kick off.
Doki Doki Literature Club! Contains some graphic scenes depicting mental health struggles which may be triggering for some gamers.
2 Mouthwashing
An All-Around Tragic Narrative
Mouthwashing
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
After its release in 2024, Mouthwashing quickly gained a cult following, being streamed, covered, and praised by horror gamers across a multitude of platforms. The game follows the crew of a freight ship in the aftermath of a crash, with flashbacks to the events leading up to the disaster.
Mouthwashing is a near-perfect cocktail of unnerving elements; the low-poly visuals, visceral body horror, troubled characters, and high-pressure situations all contribute to the overall sense that things are very wrong. The uncertainty as to the lengths that the characters will go to out of desperation keeps players on edge throughout.
Mouthwashing openly explores themes like abuse, addiction, and mental health struggles that may be triggering for some players.