Summary
- The article discusses various horror games that emulate the slasher film genre, offering players a nostalgic experience reminiscent of 80s and 90s horror movies.
- These games draw inspiration from VHS horror films, old PlayStation horror games, and narrative story experiences like the Telltale games, catering to fans of different horror game styles.
- The games mentioned in the article utilize different visual styles, gameplay mechanics, and settings, offering a range of immersive and enjoyable experiences for horror game enthusiasts.
The slasher film genre has long been a favorite among fans of horror, and for fans of horror games, there has been a recent explosion in games emulating the VHS video-nasties of the 1980s that fans of campy low-budget slasher flicks are sure to love. Fans of old PlayStation horror games, or narrative story experiences like the Telltale games, are sure to find enjoyment from these games.
Although some horror games vary in playtime and budget, they are all actively inspired and influenced by the slasher horror genre, in which one spooky character methodically hunts down one (or often several) victims in an often isolated location.
10 Meat Saw
This VHS-emulating horror flick is completely free on Steam at the time of writing and focuses its narrative on a classic horror trope: a camping trip in the forest, where something is not as it seems. Players will take control of Amy Chambers, who heads to the Black Ridge Mountains to meet her friends, but things soon start to get creepy.
The overwhelming visual effects that attempt to make the game look like an old VHS horror film might be too much for some players, especially since there aren't any options to switch it off, but for those that enjoy the style, this game is an immersive and enjoyable experience.
9 Lights Camera Slaughter (Prologue)
Although Lights Camera Slaughter isn't fully released at the time of writing (although it does have a Steam page), its prologue (available on itch.io) is an immersive and atmospheric love letter to 90s PS1 horror games that's worth checking out even in its early state.
Lights Camera Slaughter has players control a 911 Operator and Police Officer M. Andrews as the latter investigates a disturbance at the Miller & Son Slaughterhouse, where players are tasked with discovering what went wrong while trying to stay alive. It's a spooky, tense horror experience that will have fans of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the like feeling right at home.
8 Camp Sunshine
Unlike most of the games on this list, Camp Sunshine is a 16-bit, pixel art 2D game. Despite this, the game still manages to terrify with its creepy bear-suited antagonist that chases the player around like Mr. X from the Resident Evil series.
Camp Sunshine revolves around a Summer Camp trip gone wrong, with its main horror element being the fact that the camp's killer bear mascot could be anywhere at any time. Besides that, the game is very narrative and puzzle-focused, focusing more on scares than combat or other survival horror mechanics. Camp Sunshine's atmosphere is highly reminiscent of the summer camp horror films of the 80s like Friday the 13th.
7 The Night Of The Scissors
This survival horror game, like most of the games on this list, is inspired by VHS 80s slasher films and emulates the visuals of a VHS tape, including glitchy camera effects. The game uses tank controls and third-person "cinematic cameras" similar to the original Resident Evil that takes inspiration from PSX-era horror games.
The Night Of The Scissors has players take control of Adam as they navigate through an abandoned post office on the run from a serial killer called the "snipper", and focuses on stealth gameplay that allows players to hide in various pieces of furniture to stay out of sight.
6 Cannibal Abduction
Fans of the original Resident Evil should look no further than Cannibal Abduction, another VHS-emulating slasher horror experience, but with gameplay and atmosphere very reminiscent of the original Resident Evil.
Cannibal Abduction, developed by the creators of The Night Of The Scissors, has players chased by a serial killer in his own home as they solve puzzles, hide in wardrobes, manage their resources with limited inventory space, and collect limited saves in the form of tapes, similar to Resident Evil's ink ribbons. The game also features cinematic camera angles, similar to the original Resident Evil. Cannibal Abduction also features two endings, adding replayability to an otherwise linear experience.
5 Bloodwash
This game has the player control Sara, a girl who travels to a laundromat on the outskirts of town to do some late-night laundry that her boyfriend forgot to do. The plot sounds tame at first, but the creepy laundromat makes for an effective and atmospheric location for this horror experience.
Bloodwash features self-described "crusty PS1-style graphics" which may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the game's intentionally stylized retro aesthetic puts the imagination to work and synergizes with the game's horror. Furthermore, although Bloodwash works to emulate the VHS aesthetic, the game includes an option for turning it off.
4 Stay Out Of The House
This "escape sim" has players attempting to escape from a serial killer's house after being kidnapped and held captive. Players must explore the house of the serial killer, a cannibal butcher, collecting items and optionally rescuing other victims while avoiding the killer, who stalks the house and sends players back to their cage if caught.
Stay Out Of The House is unique for its immersive-sim elements that allow players to choose how they play, stealthily sneaking out of the house, or attempting to use the butcher's traps against him, and features plenty of tools and items for the player to take advantage of. The game also boasts AI that dynamically reacts to player decisions, constantly keeping players on their feet and the atmosphere tense.
3 Murder House
After a news crew breaks into the home of a supposedly-dead serial killer, they are picked off one at a time by the bunny-suited "Easter Ripper". The player controls their character with old-school tank controls and third-person "cinematic camera angles". The game recommends players play with a controller, and the game features a hardcore save system similar to Resident Evil, in which there are no autosaves and players have to save with limited-use items.
Murder House prides itself on PlayStation 1-style low-poly graphics, a retro soundtrack, and a B-movie slasher narrative that hearkens back to horror flicks from the 80s, which fans are sure to love. The game is also fully voice-acted and features multiple camera modes that add to the accessibility of the game.
2 Dead By Daylight
This higher-budget multiplayer game tasks one player with killing four player-controlled Survivors, who themselves are working throughout the match to escape while avoiding the killer. When playing as the Survivors, Dead By Daylight does an amazing job of emulating the group dynamics of slasher films, something that other games on this list are unable to do due to their lack of multiplayer.
The game allows players to work together, or go it alone, and each level is procedurally generated, severely increasing the replayability and longevity of the game. Playing the Killer is also a varied experience, as there are multiple playable Killers that each have their unique power. The game also features a progression system for both the Killer and Survivor roles, allowing for customization.
1 Until Dawn
Far removed from most of the other games on this list due to its high-budget nature, this PlayStation exclusive released back in 2015 as an interactive story game featuring puzzles, quick time events, and narrative choices reminiscent of gameplay one might find in a Telltale game.
Until Dawn is essentially an interactive slasher film, with its narrative focusing on eight young people as they are methodically hunted in and around the lodge they're staying at on Blackwood Mountain. The game has players control various characters, all of which can die throughout the narrative depending on the choices players make; with the game's unique butterfly effect system, the choices that a player makes can have knock-on effects further down the line, leading to positive and negative payoffs that can be both shocking and rewarding.