In my never-ending pursuit to find the best horror games that feel truly scary or are reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s horror but actually play well, I took upon myself to gather up all modern horror games that are worth playing. What defines a horror video game? Most people typically assume that there are simple answers, such as ghosts, zombies, space, or any other single word category. While it’s difficult to pin down and categorize horror into a single genre, or even sub-genres, what makes horror games keep us up at night is the fear of the unknown. We can characterize this as a basic uncertainty, ranging from the unknown lurking around every corner to the never ending pursuit of the antagonist. Humans have harbored fear of the unknown since ancient times, and video games can provide us with a glimpse into this terrifying realm. Games can give us a glimpse into this abyss. While some gamers may not consider Doom a scary game, its release likely frightened many kids and adults, and it may still do so today. Everyone’s fear is a scale or spectrum. There’s not one set number you can place. P.T. was one of the scariest things I ever experienced, and some people laughed the entire time. Some may consider this just a coping mechanism, and others may be able to easily overcome their own fears.

Rather than doing this chronologically, I have broken this series up into multiple categories. These games may also fall into other categories, and some may think a single game feels like something else to them while playing it. Horror has also made a comeback over the last five years. Just looking on SteamDB shows that indie horror titles are at an all-time high; however, there is also an onslaught of utter garbage in every storefront.

I hope to sort these out, as good modern indie horror is hard to come by. It’s like sorting through the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. Do you really need to play Hitler: BDSM Bunker or another “creepy” Hentai game only to discover it’s complete garbage? While a lot of these games play off of current memes and satirize political issues, they aren’t “real” games. For every 10 P.T. clones, there’s a single good survival horror out there trying to be something different. For every 20 Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy Playtime clones there’s a hidden gem of a text adventure buried under the heaping steaming pile of crap.

My reading of “From Ants to Zombies” by Alexander Chatziioannou inspired this entire idea. It completely transformed my viewpoint and understanding of horror games. What I won’t include are obvious AAA titles from the Resident Evil series or games like P.T. We all know them; everyone has played one of these, and you already know if you love them or hate them. I won’t incorporate any Early Access games or titles released before 2014, unless they belong to a series that has seen a release within the past decade. I will also not include remakes or remasters such as the most recent Dead Rising, Silent Hill 2, or Dead Space games, for example. I wanted to mostly highlight indie horror and games that may have had a larger budget but were easily overlooked or forgotten.

I will break this series up into 10 categories as follows:

New Retro: These are games that try to bring back the feeling and nostalgia or horror games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. PS1 and Nintendo 64 style graphics, older visual effects, maybe even older play styles like tank controls. This category will be last as to highlight the future of horror gaming.

Psychological: This is one of the most common categories in horror. These games usually play a lot of tricks on the mind, have heavy use of music, ambiance, jump scares, or heavily use the story is scare the player.

Zombies, Ghosts, and Creatures, Oh My!: These games are usually considered not as scary to some, but usually still have creepy monster design or mostly use monsters to terrify the player.

Space: Space is a great factor of “Fear of the Unknown”. Games set in space or use the vast void or outer space to scare us.

Relentless Pursuer: Games that constantly keep you on your toes with antagonists that just won’t let off. These games aren’t as popular as they once were.

Fear of the Abyss: These games use phobias to usually scare the player. This doesn’t completely excludes space, but mostly includes games that take place in the ocean.

Eldritch: Lovecraftian horror is the easiest way to describe this, however this can also describe games with entire art style devoted to bio-mechanism, gross organics monsters throughout, and overall giving a feeling of uneasiness or a larger than life monster or being that you can’t ever see, but it lets you know it’s there.

Survival Horror: The most popular genre and what most people think of when they think of horror games. These usually have the player using resource management to survive whatever baddies that come at you. These are also more on the atmospheric side.

Boomer Shooter Nightmares: There has been a huge surge of Boomer Shooters in the ire of Doom in the last five years. While Doom itself doesn’t make the list there are so many great indie shooters out there that it needed its own category.

Errant Children: This category includes both protagonist and antagonistic children in the game. These are very uncommon, and have mostly dropped out of favor over the last decade, but a few still exist.

Beyond Hanwell (2024)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, XSX

Explore the world beyond Hanwell in London’s Westminster, immersing yourself in a rich atmosphere. Enjoy a dual control melee combat system, scavenging scarce weapons and ammo, and creatively using the environment to eliminate anomalies. Enjoy non-linear open gameplay with no HUD, and explore unique locations with different creatures and boss fights. Enjoy satisfying combat encounters with a dual button combat system and punchy gunplay. The game doesn’t dive too heavily in the story department, but if you just want to fight creepy enemies and be drenched in terror then look no further.

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The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication (2024)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, XB1, XSX, NSW

The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is a first-person survival horror adventure set in Taiwan’s haunting Wen Hua University. The film club recruits new members to shoot a viral horror film, but the line between fiction and reality blurs. The game follows four distinct characters: Sue Lian, a news reporter, and three university students. Players must use stealth, tactics, and sacred objects to escape the relentless hunters. They must navigate through the haunting beauty of Wen Hua, scouting for clues and essential items to unlock the mysteries. The game also features mind-bending puzzles and a sinister conspiracy. The Bridge Curse 2 builds upon its predecessor’s success, allowing players to explore the haunting campus and uncover hidden truths. The first game is interesting, but not essential to enjoy this one.

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Chila’s Art Series (2018)
Platforms: WIN

Chilla’s Art LLC is a Japanese indie game production team consisting of two brothers, with the older brother handling 3D-related tasks and the younger brother programming. The third brother joined the company on April 1, 2023, and is primarily responsible for the development of “Night Security.” The company’s name comes from the Japanese word for chinchilla, and its mascot character is a purple chinchilla named Chiramaru. The team was influenced by indie horror games like Detention, DreadOut, Witch Hunt, Home Sweet Home, and Granny. Their latest release is a remake of The Bathhouse with better controls, graphics, and overall just a better game. There are quite a few games in the series and almost all of them are solid titles that only take a few hours to finish. These are great games to purchase on sale (they are usually a few dollars a piece) and spend a night with the lights off and enjoy Asian horror tales while looking behind your back.

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Ghostwire: Tokyo (2022)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, XSX

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a thrilling game where players must face the unknown, uncover the truth, and save the city from supernatural forces. The game features a haunted Tokyo, with iconic landmarks like Shibuya Crossing and Tokyo Tower. Players must use upgradeable elemental powers and ghost-hunting skills to combat the supernatural threat and save their family. The game also allows players to ascend to the skyline and discover new missions. The game gets repetitive after awhile, but there are some real cool ideas in here and the game feels like a spooky haunted house with some tense atmosphere and fun scripted moments.

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Maid of Sker (2020)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, XB1, XSX, NSW, AND

Maid of Sker is a first-person survival horror set in a remote hotel with a macabre history inspired by Welsh folklore. Players use stealth tactics against AI enemies and a family empire driven by torture, slavery, and piracy. The game does little to surprise players, but the atmosphere, freaky monster designs, and overall tense horror stealth is enough to keep you glued to your seat. Don’t expect stellar writing outside of a mostly predictable story, but just come for the scares and haunts.

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Outlast II (2017)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, XB1, NSW

Outlast 2 is the sequel to the popular survival horror game Outlast, set in a different universe with different characters and settings. The game follows Blake Langermann and his wife, Lynn, as they investigate the murder of Jane Doe in the Arizona desert. They must uncover the deep secrets of human mind and corruption, leading them to the Arizona desert and the tribulations of the end of times. This is one of the scariest series I have ever played. I have yet to finish either game just because of how creepy the monster designs are, and how intense the stealth sequences are. The atmosphere is insanely haunting and makes your skin crawl.

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In my never-ending pursuit to find the best horror games that feel truly scary or are reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s horror but actually play well, I took upon myself to gather up all modern horror games that are worth playing. What defines a horror video game? Most people typically assume that there are simple answers, such as ghosts, zombies, space, or any other single word category. While it’s difficult to pin down and categorize horror into a single genre, or even sub-genres, what makes horror games keep us up at night is the fear of the unknown. We can characterize this as a basic uncertainty, ranging from the unknown lurking around every corner to the never ending pursuit of the antagonist. Humans have harbored fear of the unknown since ancient times, and video games can provide us with a glimpse into this terrifying realm. Games can give us a glimpse into this abyss. While some gamers may not consider Doom a scary game, its release likely frightened many kids and adults, and it may still do so today. Everyone’s fear is a scale or spectrum. There’s not one set number you can place. P.T. was one of the scariest things I ever experienced, and some people laughed the entire time. Some may consider this just a coping mechanism, and others may be able to easily overcome their own fears.

Rather than doing this chronologically, I have broken this series up into multiple categories. These games may also fall into other categories, and some may think a single game feels like something else to them while playing it. Horror has also made a comeback over the last five years. Just looking on SteamDB shows that indie horror titles are at an all-time high; however, there is also an onslaught of utter garbage in every storefront.

I hope to sort these out, as good modern indie horror is hard to come by. It’s like sorting through the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. Do you really need to play Hitler: BDSM Bunker or another “creepy” Hentai game only to discover it’s complete garbage? While a lot of these games play off of current memes and satirize political issues, they aren’t “real” games. For every 10 P.T. clones, there’s a single good survival horror out there trying to be something different. For every 20 Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy Playtime clones there’s a hidden gem of a text adventure buried under the heaping steaming pile of crap.

My reading of “From Ants to Zombies” by Alexander Chatziioannou inspired this entire idea. It completely transformed my viewpoint and understanding of horror games. What I won’t include are obvious AAA titles from the Resident Evil series or games like P.T. We all know them; everyone has played one of these, and you already know if you love them or hate them. I won’t incorporate any Early Access games or titles released before 2014, unless they belong to a series that has seen a release within the past decade. I will also not include remakes or remasters such as the most recent Dead Rising, Silent Hill 2, or Dead Space games, for example. I wanted to mostly highlight indie horror and games that may have had a larger budget but were easily overlooked or forgotten.

I will break this series up into 10 categories as follows:

New Retro: These are games that try to bring back the feeling and nostalgia or horror games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. PS1 and Nintendo 64 style graphics, older visual effects, maybe even older play styles like tank controls. This category will be last as to highlight the future of horror gaming.

Psychological: This is one of the most common categories in horror. These games usually play a lot of tricks on the mind, have heavy use of music, ambiance, jump scares, or heavily use the story is scare the player.

Zombies, Ghosts, and Creatures, Oh My!: These games are usually considered not as scary to some, but usually still have creepy monster design or mostly use monsters to terrify the player.

Space: Space is a great factor of “Fear of the Unknown”. Games set in space or use the vast void or outer space to scare us.

Relentless Pursuer: Games that constantly keep you on your toes with antagonists that just won’t let off. These games aren’t as popular as they once were.

Fear of the Abyss: These games use phobias to usually scare the player. This doesn’t completely excludes space, but mostly includes games that take place in the ocean.

Eldritch: Lovecraftian horror is the easiest way to describe this, however this can also describe games with entire art style devoted to bio-mechanism, gross organics monsters throughout, and overall giving a feeling of uneasiness or a larger than life monster or being that you can’t ever see, but it lets you know it’s there.

Survival Horror: The most popular genre and what most people think of when they think of horror games. These usually have the player using resource management to survive whatever baddies that come at you. These are also more on the atmospheric side.

Boomer Shooter Nightmares: There has been a huge surge of Boomer Shooters in the ire of Doom in the last five years. While Doom itself doesn’t make the list there are so many great indie shooters out there that it needed its own category.

Errant Children: This category includes both protagonist and antagonistic children in the game. These are very uncommon, and have mostly dropped out of favor over the last decade, but a few still exist.

Flathead (2024)
Platforms: WIN

Flathead is a thrilling game of over or under, set in a dark machine with various gadgets. Players must save points to escape before the terror approaches. The game offers strategic gambles with various tools and strategies, increasing odds and accumulating points. The game also features a gritty analog horror aesthetic. While the game is short lived the constant fear of having to look behind you with an ever present entity is just on another level scary.

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Lethal Company (2023)
Platforms: WIN

As a contracted worker for the Company, collect scrap from abandoned moons to meet profit quotas. Use the cash to travel to new moons with higher risks or buy fancy suits. Explore nature and rummage through derelict, steel, and concrete underbellies. Guide crewmates using radar, remote access, and tools from the Company store. Communicate with crewmates to carry valuables and avoid leaving anyone behind at night. While the game did go viral for goofy antics that players experienced, the game can be genuinely terrifying when taken seriously. There’s always something chasing you and having to rely on your team mates to guide you through the area safely adds to the tension.

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My Friendly Neighborhood (2023)
Platforms: WIN

The Friendly Neighborhood, a beloved Saturday morning puppet show, has been a source of entertainment for years. However, as interest waned, the studio closed, leading to a decline in toy sales and niche fandoms. Years later, the studio returns to broadcasting old episodes, but the puppets are eating each other. Handyman Gordon is sent to investigate, finding the neighborhood has become less welcoming. A mix of action and adventure, is perfect for horror fans looking for a different experience. This is a horror version of Sesame Street, make no qualms about it. Somebody was seriously sacred of giant puppets on the dev team, but the game also has real tension and dread. Despite the goofy puppets their animations, attitude, voice acting, and overall demeanor are insanely scary and I had to stop playing the game for awhile just because of how intense the chases in the game are and the ever present puppet stalkers.

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Killer Frequency (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, NSW, XB1, XSX

In 1987, former radio DJ Forrest Nash is live on air in small-town Gallows Creek, USA, where every call is life or death. As the only person in town who can run a phone line, Nash must solve puzzles to save callers from a mysterious killer. The horror comedy features a unique 1st person narrative, branching dialogues, and a retro slasher setting, with a fully voiced cast and an original 80’s soundtrack.

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Madison (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, NSW, XB1, XSX

MADiSON is a first-person horror game with a compelling narrative. Luca must endure brutal torture from MADiSON, a demon, to complete a sinister ritual. Each character has a unique story, and players must navigate through the game using an instant camera, manual photos, and interaction with entities.

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Bendy and the Ink Machine (2017)
Bendy and the Dark Revival (2022)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, PS5, PS4, NSW, XB1, XSX, AND, IOS

Bendy and the Dark Revival is a first-person horror game, set in a creepy animation studio. Players navigate through ink-tainted enemies, puzzles, and the Ink Demon, seeking their way back to the real world.

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Until Dawn (2015)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4

The game features eight friends returning to an isolated mountain retreat where two of their group members disappeared a year prior. Players control a group of unique characters, portrayed by an all-star cast, and decide their fate through their choices. The game uses cutting-edge visual technology to bring the nightmare to life, leaving players breathless with every step. I did not include the recent remake that just came out due to it’s lower quality and many issues.

In my never-ending pursuit to find the best horror games that feel truly scary or are reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s horror but actually play well, I took upon myself to gather up all modern horror games that are worth playing. What defines a horror video game? Most people typically assume that there are simple answers, such as ghosts, zombies, space, or any other single word category. While it’s difficult to pin down and categorize horror into a single genre, or even sub-genres, what makes horror games keep us up at night is the fear of the unknown. We can characterize this as a basic uncertainty, ranging from the unknown lurking around every corner to the never ending pursuit of the antagonist. Humans have harbored fear of the unknown since ancient times, and video games can provide us with a glimpse into this terrifying realm. Games can give us a glimpse into this abyss. While some gamers may not consider Doom a scary game, its release likely frightened many kids and adults, and it may still do so today. Everyone’s fear is a scale or spectrum. There’s not one set number you can place. P.T. was one of the scariest things I ever experienced, and some people laughed the entire time. Some may consider this just a coping mechanism, and others may be able to easily overcome their own fears.

Rather than doing this chronologically, I have broken this series up into multiple categories. These games may also fall into other categories, and some may think a single game feels like something else to them while playing it. Horror has also made a comeback over the last five years. Just looking on SteamDB shows that indie horror titles are at an all-time high; however, there is also an onslaught of utter garbage in every storefront.

I hope to sort these out, as good modern indie horror is hard to come by. It’s like sorting through the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. Do you really need to play Hitler: BDSM Bunker or another “creepy” Hentai game only to discover it’s complete garbage? While a lot of these games play off of current memes and satirize political issues, they aren’t “real” games. For every 10 P.T. clones, there’s a single good survival horror out there trying to be something different. For every 20 Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy Playtime clones there’s a hidden gem of a text adventure buried under the heaping steaming pile of crap.

My reading of “From Ants to Zombies” by Alexander Chatziioannou inspired this entire idea. It completely transformed my viewpoint and understanding of horror games. What I won’t include are obvious AAA titles from the Resident Evil series or games like P.T. We all know them; everyone has played one of these, and you already know if you love them or hate them. I won’t incorporate any Early Access games or titles released before 2014, unless they belong to a series that has seen a release within the past decade. I will also not include remakes or remasters such as the most recent Dead Rising, Silent Hill 2, or Dead Space games, for example. I wanted to mostly highlight indie horror and games that may have had a larger budget but were easily overlooked or forgotten.

I will break this series up into 10 categories as follows:

New Retro: These are games that try to bring back the feeling and nostalgia or horror games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. PS1 and Nintendo 64 style graphics, older visual effects, maybe even older play styles like tank controls. This category will be last as to highlight the future of horror gaming.

Psychological: This is one of the most common categories in horror. These games usually play a lot of tricks on the mind, have heavy use of music, ambiance, jump scares, or heavily use the story is scare the player.

Zombies, Ghosts, and Creatures, Oh My!: These games are usually considered not as scary to some, but usually still have creepy monster design or mostly use monsters to terrify the player.

Space: Space is a great factor of “Fear of the Unknown”. Games set in space or use the vast void or outer space to scare us.

Relentless Pursuer: Games that constantly keep you on your toes with antagonists that just won’t let off. These games aren’t as popular as they once were.

Fear of the Abyss: These games use phobias to usually scare the player. This doesn’t completely excludes space, but mostly includes games that take place in the ocean.

Eldritch: Lovecraftian horror is the easiest way to describe this, however this can also describe games with entire art style devoted to bio-mechanism, gross organics monsters throughout, and overall giving a feeling of uneasiness or a larger than life monster or being that you can’t ever see, but it lets you know it’s there.

Survival Horror: The most popular genre and what most people think of when they think of horror games. These usually have the player using resource management to survive whatever baddies that come at you. These are also more on the atmospheric side.

Boomer Shooter Nightmares: There has been a huge surge of Boomer Shooters in the ire of Doom in the last five years. While Doom itself doesn’t make the list there are so many great indie shooters out there that it needed its own category.

Errant Children: This category includes both protagonist and antagonistic children in the game. These are very uncommon, and have mostly dropped out of favor over the last decade, but a few still exist.

Stasis (2015)
Stasis: Bone Totem (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, NSW, XB1

STASIS is a unique, point-and-click sci-fi-horror adventure game set in the distant future. Players must solve puzzles, interact with computers, and combine items on an abandoned spacecraft. John Maracheck, suffering from pain, faces his wife and daughter’s disappearance. This is a very frightening game and one of the scariest point-and-clicks, if the the scariest, I have ever played. The ambient sound design alone is enough to make you lose sleep.

STASIS: BONE TOTEM is the latest installment in the STASIS anthology, featuring a new story, characters, and underwater environment. Mac and Charlie, a husband and wife duo, discover an abandoned oil rig in the Pacific Ocean and uncover a secret that Cayne Corporation will keep hidden. The game offers an immersive narrative with spine-tingling horror and unexpected twists, combining the thrilling storytelling of STASIS with a tense underwater setting. It features stunning visuals, a music score, a screenplay, and veteran voice acting. While not quite as scary as Stasis, the game is more weird and dives deeper into the occult territory.

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Aliens: Dark Descent (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, NSW, XB1, XSX

Aliens: Dark Descent is a game where players command a squad of Colonial Marines to stop a Xenomorph outbreak on Planet Lethe. The game involves real-time combat against iconic Xenomorphs, rogue operatives from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and new creatures from the Alien franchise. Players must navigate large open levels, annihilating enemies strategically and intuitively. They can customize their squad with different classes, level up, and specialize their soldiers with unique abilities and weapons. The game also allows players to research new tech and improve their squad. Think of this as a turn-based strategy version of Alien: Isolation. Dark Descent borrows a lot of what worked in that game such as tension and atmosphere. Despite being top-down the game is still quite scary and intense.

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Observation (2019)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, XB1

Observation is a sci-fi thriller that follows Dr. Emma Fisher and her mission crew through the lens of the station’s artificial intelligence, S.A.M. Players assume the role of S.A.M., operating control systems, cameras, and tools to uncover the true nature of themselves and their crew. The game is much slower paced than you would want since this is essentially a puzzle-based walking simulator. The game is very tense and the atmosphere is suffocating and lonely.

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Prey (2017)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, XB1

In Prey, Morgan Yu is a key subject on Talos I, a moon-orbiting space station, where an experiment aims to alter humanity forever. However, the space station is overrun by hostile aliens, and Morgan is hunted down. To survive, Morgan must use his wits, weapons, and abilities to uncover the dark secrets of Talos I and his past. The game features a sci-fi thriller setting, and an unimaginable threat from a living ecology. Players must use their alien abilities to craft useful items and survive unprecedented threats. This game infamously was the troubled reboot of the Prey series. The 2006 darling didn’t get the true sequel treatment it wanted and we didn’t get the exciting game that Prey 2 never was. However, Arkane did a fine job giving us a System Shock like experience with interesting enemies.

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Alien: Isolation (2014)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS3, PS4, 360, XB1, NSW, AND, IOS

Alien: Isolation is set in a world of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien™, Amanda, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, embarks on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. She navigates a volatile world, confronting a panicked population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien. Underpowered and underprepared, Amanda must scavenge resources, improvise solutions, and use her wits to survive. The game takes place in the decommissioned trading station Sevastopol, where Amanda encounters a rich cast of inhabitants and faces the same terrifying thing that separated them. This is considered the best Alien game to date and one of the most terrifying games ever created. I still can’t get through this game ten years later. It’s gorgeous to look at and feels great to play.

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The Expanse: A Telltale Series (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX

Telltale’s latest adventure takes players on the role of Camina Drummer, the Executive Officer of the Artemis, as they explore the dangerous Belt aboard the Artemis. The game features an immersive exploration of zero-g environments, shipwrecks, and zero-g thrusters. Players must make difficult choices and navigate the complexities of space, politics, crew animosities, and their responsibilities to protect the Belt. The game offers no right or wrong path, only choices and their consequences. This is one of the few adventure games I didn’t want to end. The story telling and pacing was so good I played it through in one sitting. The space setting isn’t so much a antagonist itself, but is unfortunately mostly a backdrop. It’s scary in a sense that it feels like something is out there and you never know what it is.

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The Invincible (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, XSX

Yasna, an astrobiologist, finds herself on the unexplored planet Regis III in a space race. Her mission becomes a search for lost crewmates, and every decision she makes can bring her closer to danger. She must make difficult choices and witness one of 11 possible endings in the philosophical story. The game is based on Stanisław Lem’s iconic novel, The Invincible, and involves interacting with robots, people, and analogue technologies in a retro futuristic timeline. The game challenges Yasna to make difficult choices and witness the consequences of her choices. While the game is mostly a walking simulator at heart, the story is fantastic and so is the lore and technology used in the game’s world. It’s fascinating to explore and learn more about this world, and space itself is the enemy.

In my never-ending pursuit to find the best horror games that feel truly scary or are reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s horror but actually play well, I took upon myself to gather up all modern horror games that are worth playing. What defines a horror video game? Most people typically assume that there are simple answers, such as ghosts, zombies, space, or any other single word category. While it’s difficult to pin down and categorize horror into a single genre, or even sub-genres, what makes horror games keep us up at night is the fear of the unknown. We can characterize this as a basic uncertainty, ranging from the unknown lurking around every corner to the never ending pursuit of the antagonist. Humans have harbored fear of the unknown since ancient times, and video games can provide us with a glimpse into this terrifying realm. Games can give us a glimpse into this abyss. While some gamers may not consider Doom a scary game, its release likely frightened many kids and adults, and it may still do so today. Everyone’s fear is a scale or spectrum. There’s not one set number you can place. P.T. was one of the scariest things I ever experienced, and some people laughed the entire time. Some may consider this just a coping mechanism, and others may be able to easily overcome their own fears.

Rather than doing this chronologically, I have broken this series up into multiple categories. These games may also fall into other categories, and some may think a single game feels like something else to them while playing it. Horror has also made a comeback over the last five years. Just looking on SteamDB shows that indie horror titles are at an all-time high; however, there is also an onslaught of utter garbage in every storefront.

I hope to sort these out, as good modern indie horror is hard to come by. It’s like sorting through the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. Do you really need to play Hitler: BDSM Bunker or another “creepy” Hentai game only to discover it’s complete garbage? While a lot of these games play off of current memes and satirize political issues, they aren’t “real” games. For every 10 P.T. clones, there’s a single good survival horror out there trying to be something different. For every 20 Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy Playtime clones there’s a hidden gem of a text adventure buried under the heaping steaming pile of crap.

My reading of “From Ants to Zombies” by Alexander Chatziioannou inspired this entire idea. It completely transformed my viewpoint and understanding of horror games. What I won’t include are obvious AAA titles from the Resident Evil series or games like P.T. We all know them; everyone has played one of these, and you already know if you love them or hate them. I won’t incorporate any Early Access games or titles released before 2014, unless they belong to a series that has seen a release within the past decade. I will also not include remakes or remasters such as the most recent Dead Rising, Silent Hill 2, or Dead Space games, for example. I wanted to mostly highlight indie horror and games that may have had a larger budget but were easily overlooked or forgotten.

I will break this series up into 10 categories as follows:

New Retro: These are games that try to bring back the feeling and nostalgia or horror games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. PS1 and Nintendo 64 style graphics, older visual effects, maybe even older play styles like tank controls. This category will be last as to highlight the future of horror gaming.

Psychological: This is one of the most common categories in horror. These games usually play a lot of tricks on the mind, have heavy use of music, ambiance, jump scares, or heavily use the story is scare the player.

Zombies, Ghosts, and Creatures, Oh My!: These games are usually considered not as scary to some, but usually still have creepy monster design or mostly use monsters to terrify the player.

Space: Space is a great factor of “Fear of the Unknown”. Games set in space or use the vast void or outer space to scare us.

Relentless Pursuer: Games that constantly keep you on your toes with antagonists that just won’t let off. These games aren’t as popular as they once were.

Fear of the Abyss: These games use phobias to usually scare the player. This doesn’t completely excludes space, but mostly includes games that take place in the ocean.

Eldritch: Lovecraftian horror is the easiest way to describe this, however this can also describe games with entire art style devoted to bio-mechanism, gross organics monsters throughout, and overall giving a feeling of uneasiness or a larger than life monster or being that you can’t ever see, but it lets you know it’s there.

Survival Horror: The most popular genre and what most people think of when they think of horror games. These usually have the player using resource management to survive whatever baddies that come at you. These are also more on the atmospheric side.

Boomer Shooter Nightmares: There has been a huge surge of Boomer Shooters in the ire of Doom in the last five years. While Doom itself doesn’t make the list there are so many great indie shooters out there that it needed its own category.

Errant Children: This category includes both protagonist and antagonistic children in the game. These are very uncommon, and have mostly dropped out of favor over the last decade, but a few still exist.

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The Exit 8 (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, PS4, NSW

Escape from an underground passageway by carefully observing your surroundings and avoiding anomalies. The Exit 8 is a walking simulator inspired by Japanese underground passageways and liminal spaces. For such a simple concept, The Exit 8 employs the feeling of familiarity but subtly questions your own sight and senses. I haven’t had this feeling since P.T. ten years ago. The never ending looping hallway changes in small ways, and it’s up to you to find the differences. There is no music, very little sound, and the blinding white tiles sear into your eyes. The sensory deprivation mixed with the uneasiness of something never being quite right makes The Exit 8 a fantastic horror title.

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Krimson (2024)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX, NSW

Krimson is a gritty rhythm platformer with heavy electronic metal music. Players navigate a hellish world, with one wrong move causing death. The game features four settings: blood-soaked organic, grungy industrial, psychedelic LSD-fueled acid trip, and hot molten metal madness. The game demands attention and requires skills, mind, and patience. Players must dance with the hell hath rhythm to conquer the hellish world. Sometimes it’s not monsters and ghosts that scare you, but an overwhelming senses attack. Krimson is a constant onslaught of surreal visuals, flashing lights, and abstract colors. This is what it is like to go on an acid trip and not be able to escape. Some of the monster designs are incredibly weird and terrifying, especially when you’re being chased and trying to take everything in.

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Slay the Princess (2023)
Platforms: WIN, LIN, MAC, PS4, PS5, NSW, XB1, XSX

A young man is on a path in the woods, facing a princess in a cabin. He must slay her to save the world, as she will charm, lie, and promise him the world. The princess is an ordinary human, and he must stay focused on the task. The story is a branching narrative, with the protagonist’s actions and beliefs determining their identity and the story’s unfolding. I usually don’t care for visual novels, but Slay the Princess’ unique art style mixed with a compelling story is something you can’t miss. Claustrophobia and being physically and mentally trapped are enough to make you hold your breath while playing. The fantastic monster design and visual shots are at the right angle and give just enough depth to make it tough to press on. You have the option to turn on the lights, open doors and windows, and step outside, as this game can evoke a sense of solitude and gratitude for your freedom of space.

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Ad Infinitum (2023)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX

Ad Infinitum is a game where players play as a German soldier haunted by the horrors of World War I. They must break the cycle of suffering by regaining control of their life’s narrative. The game takes players from their teenage years to the trenches, where they must navigate through nightmares and terrifying creatures. The fallout of the war is felt far from the front, as players peel back the shroud that hides the secrets of their family. Through exploration and solving riddles, they reveal a chapter in the story of a German family torn apart by war. The horrors of war alone are enough to fight anyone, but a lot of media romanticizes it. Ad Infinitum does a fantastic job showing us the ugly side of World War I. The game skillfully employs the typical “descent into madness” trope for psychological horror games, and its visual roller coaster ride is truly captivating. While the gameplay itself is lacking in many ways (especially the annoying stealth areas) and the story is hard to follow, the actual beat-to-beat events and scripted scenes are something of a nightmare.

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Faith: The Unholy Trinity (2022)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, NSW

In 1986, two priests arrived at the Martin Family home in Connecticut to investigate a demonic possession case. FAITH is a pixel horror game inspired by classic 8-bit gaming and the 1980s “Satanic Scare.” Players use their holy crucifix to perform exorcisms, fight against possessed cultists, and cleanse haunted objects. The game features three chapters: FAITH, Chapter II, and Chapter III, where the protagonist faces paranormal entities and a powerful demon. As you progress through the story, you encounter various demons and uncover a plethora of scares and horrors. The developers have skillfully depicted frightening imagery with minimal visual flair. The game is also gory and has unsettling music that is purposefully uncomfortable to listen to. The close-up shots of what appear to be rotoscoped facial animations are frightening. Nothing feels normal or real in this game, and it’s a blast to play with the lights off and headphones on.

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Growing My Grandpa! (2022)
Platforms: WIN

Growing My Grandpa centers around the themes of family and nostalgia, allowing players to engage in a heartfelt narrative that explores the relationship between a grandchild and their grandfather. Through various gameplay mechanics, players experience the joys and challenges of nurturing their grandparent, fostering a deeper understanding of generational bonds and the passage of time. The game is full of disturbing imagery, eerie music, and the overall feeling of complete wrongness. It’s a tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat and is frightening to experience.

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Father’s Day (2022)
Platforms: WIN

In this game, players take control of three characters who switch roles: police Sergeant Henry, scientist Phil, and Jonathan, a relative of a missing child. Phil’s dream of a perfect life crumbled when he lost his wife and son, driving him to obsessively devise a secret plan to bring them back. Eventually, he finds himself in a bathroom with blood on his hands, yet he presses on with his project. However, things start to spiral out of control, leaving him to grapple with the question of how to make everything right and where to find a reality where everyone is happy. The game is your typical walking simulator, but the scares are subtle and you’re constantly on the edge of your seat thanks to creepy ambient sounds and music.

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Ikai (2022)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX, NSW

Ikai is a first-person psychological horror game inspired by Japanese folklore, featuring a defenseless main character who faces threats directly. The game evokes a sense of helplessness and tense atmosphere, with slow, precise movements resembling real life. The story revolves around a demon that is threatening to cross the doorway into the world. The priestess, Naoko, works in the mountains, leaving the shrine under her niece’s control. As the villagers’ dreads grow, Naoko loses consciousness and falls to the ground, almost dead. The shrine’s bell screams for help, but all gods have gone, leaving the world filled with monsters, ghosts, and spirits. The game is a bit slow for a walking simulator, but the scares and atmosphere are well worth it. The ancient Japanese setting reminded me of games like Fatal Frame. While the monsters aren’t plenty, the story and setting are enough to keep moving on.

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In Sound Mind (2021)
Platforms: WIN, PS5, XSX, NSW

In Sound Mind is a psychological horror game from the creators of Nightmare House 2, featuring a unique first-person narrative and puzzles. Players must navigate a series of haunting memories and encounter a cast of terrors in boss fights. The game features an eerie soundtrack by The Living Tombstone, and offers an imaginative narrative with sentient mannequins, a feline companion, and even the option to pet the cat. The game is very slow to start as the first hour is mostly building up the story, but once the action starts and the scary monsters come out it’s all worth it in the end.

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The Medium (2021)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, PS5, XSX, NSW

The Medium is a psychological horror game that features dual-reality gameplay and an original soundtrack co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka. Players have psychic abilities that allow them to travel between realities and explore them simultaneously. The game features a mature and morally ambiguous story, where everything has another side. The Medium’s spirit world is a dark mirror reflection of our reality, where unpunished deeds, evil urges, and vile secrets manifest. The game is inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński’s paintings and is set in a mature and morally ambiguous world. Beksinski is one of my favorite artists next to H.R. Giger and I can tell you this game is stunning to look at. While the story itself isn’t memorable, the experience is.

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Omori (2020)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, PS4, XB1, XSX, NSW

Explore a diverse world with colorful friends and foes, uncovering a forgotten past, and choose your path to determine your fate and potentially others’. I honestly have to mention that this game is a very slow burn. It’s heavily inspired by Earthbound and if you didn’t like that game you won’t like this. Thankfully this game is less “Nintendo” and more of its own thing and actually has some moments where you are deep into the heads of these kids and it can be quite unsettling. Getting there though may feel like a chore to some.

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The Coma: Recut (2017)
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters (2020)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS4, XB1, NSW

The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is a story-driven game set in the warped Sehwa district. Mina Park, a student, discovers a dark and sinister presence at her school and is pursued by a mysterious figure. To survive, she must venture beyond her school and into the surrounding district, encountering strange creatures, mysterious strangers, and uneasy allies. The game features an all-new AI, a terrifying Dark Song, and challenges to balance exploration with survival. Players must craft items, scavenge resources, unlock tools, and hide to avoid detection. The first game is similar, but with a different story and is worth starting with. The haunting music, atmosphere, and oppressing visuals are well worth it. Don’t let the anime style visuals put you off.

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Visage (2018)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX

Visage is a first-person psychological horror game set in a mysterious, atmospheric house filled with a twisted past of brutal murders, insane people, and suicides. The game takes players through gloomy corridors, dead rooms, and endless mazes, leaving them restless and terrified. Dark entities haunt the players, following their every move and playing tricks on their minds. Players must find ways to escape the nightmare or pull themselves deeper into it. Death is part of the game, and players must avoid terror to avoid joining the ranks of the dead. To stay sane, players must find ways to stay in the light and avoid going insane. A lot of people may be turned off by the subtle imagery. This isn’t a straight forward story, but more of a haunted house ride. It’s one of the most disturbing games you will play and has similar nightmare inducing visuals that P.T. has.

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Yuppie Psycho (2019)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS4, PS5, NSW, AND

Players join Brian Pasternack, a young man in a dystopian 90s society, on his first day at Sintracorp, the world’s largest company. His job involves hunting a “witch” who has returned to torment employees. Pasternack must learn office protocol, engage in watercooler conversation, consider his five-year goal, assess health and safety, and conduct a rigorous personal assessment to uncover new paths and uncover the corporation’s dark past. The trippy vaporwave visuals mixed with weird horror flair is what will keep you going.

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Blair Witch (2019)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, XB1, NSW

In 1996, a young boy disappears in the Black Hills Forest, Maryland. Ellis, a former police officer facing his darkest fears and the Blair Witch, a mysterious force haunting the woods. The game is based on the cinematic lore of Blair Witch and follows Ellis as he navigates through a cursed forest, with his canine sidekick, Bullet, by his side. The game also challenges Ellis’ sanity against the Blair Witch and his past. I personally have a lot of memories around the first movie and there just isn’t enough content based on the fascinating lore. While the story here is complete garbage the visuals and setting are not. It’s got the same creepy feeling you get when you drive down a lonely road and look through the darkness beyond the trees.

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Lost in Vivo (2018)
Platforms: WIN

This horror game is about claustrophobia, where a service dog is forced down a sewer drain during a storm. Along the way, players encounter others with abnormal or psychological fear. The game has some very disturbing imagery despite being a first person shooter. The atmosphere is enough to make you sweat and give you a lump in your throat. It’s a very odd horror title, one of the weirdest out there, but worth it.

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Detention (2017)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN, PS4, NSW, AND

Detention is a 2D atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan, where two students find themselves trapped in a haunted high school. The game incorporates East Asian elements like Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese mythology, and players must navigate the school to escape the evil creatures and uncover the dark past of the cursed school. The monster design is some of the eeriest in a 2D horror title, and the perspective itself add a different element than 3D horror games. The atmosphere is similar to Silent Hill, and while the story is confusing, the experience isn’t.

In my never-ending pursuit to find the best horror games that feel truly scary or are reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s horror but actually play well, I took upon myself to gather up all modern horror games that are worth playing. What defines a horror video game? Most people typically assume that there are simple answers, such as ghosts, zombies, space, or any other single word category. While it’s difficult to pin down and categorize horror into a single genre, or even sub-genres, what makes horror games keep us up at night is the fear of the unknown. We can characterize this as a basic uncertainty, ranging from the unknown lurking around every corner to the never ending pursuit of the antagonist. Humans have harbored fear of the unknown since ancient times, and video games can provide us with a glimpse into this terrifying realm. Games can give us a glimpse into this abyss. While some gamers may not consider Doom a scary game, its release likely frightened many kids and adults, and it may still do so today. Everyone’s fear is a scale or spectrum. There’s not one set number you can place. P.T. was one of the scariest things I ever experienced, and some people laughed the entire time. Some may consider this just a coping mechanism, and others may be able to easily overcome their own fears.

Rather than doing this chronologically, I have broken this series up into multiple categories. These games may also fall into other categories, and some may think a single game feels like something else to them while playing it. Horror has also made a comeback over the last five years. Just looking on SteamDB shows that indie horror titles are at an all-time high; however, there is also an onslaught of utter garbage in every storefront.

I hope to sort these out, as good modern indie horror is hard to come by. It’s like sorting through the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. Do you really need to play Hitler: BDSM Bunker or another “creepy” Hentai game only to discover it’s complete garbage? While a lot of these games play off of current memes and satirize political issues, they aren’t “real” games. For every 10 P.T. clones, there’s a single good survival horror out there trying to be something different. For every 20 Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy Playtime clones there’s a hidden gem of a text adventure buried under the heaping steaming pile of crap.

My reading of “From Ants to Zombies” by Alexander Chatziioannou inspired this entire idea. It completely transformed my viewpoint and understanding of horror games. What I won’t include are obvious AAA titles from the Resident Evil series or games like P.T. We all know them; everyone has played one of these, and you already know if you love them or hate them. I won’t incorporate any Early Access games or titles released before 2014, unless they belong to a series that has seen a release within the past decade. I will also not include remakes or remasters such as the most recent Dead Rising, Silent Hill 2, or Dead Space games, for example. I wanted to mostly highlight indie horror and games that may have had a larger budget but were easily overlooked or forgotten.

I will break this series up into 10 categories as follows:

New Retro: These are games that try to bring back the feeling and nostalgia or horror games from the 90’s and early 2000’s. PS1 and Nintendo 64 style graphics, older visual effects, maybe even older play styles like tank controls. This category will be last as to highlight the future of horror gaming.

Psychological: This is one of the most common categories in horror. These games usually play a lot of tricks on the mind, have heavy use of music, ambiance, jump scares, or heavily use the story is scare the player.

Zombies, Ghosts, and Creatures, Oh My!: These games are usually considered not as scary to some, but usually still have creepy monster design or mostly use monsters to terrify the player.

Space: Space is a great factor of “Fear of the Unknown”. Games set in space or use the vast void or outer space to scare us.

Relentless Pursuer: Games that constantly keep you on your toes with antagonists that just won’t let off. These games aren’t as popular as they once were.

Fear of the Abyss: These games use phobias to usually scare the player. This doesn’t completely excludes space, but mostly includes games that take place in the ocean.

Eldritch: Lovecraftian horror is the easiest way to describe this, however this can also describe games with entire art style devoted to bio-mechanism, gross organics monsters throughout, and overall giving a feeling of uneasiness or a larger than life monster or being that you can’t ever see, but it lets you know it’s there.

Survival Horror: The most popular genre and what most people think of when they think of horror games. These usually have the player using resource management to survive whatever baddies that come at you. These are also more on the atmospheric side.

Boomer Shooter Nightmares: There has been a huge surge of Boomer Shooters in the ire of Doom in the last five years. While Doom itself doesn’t make the list there are so many great indie shooters out there that it needed its own category.

Errant Children: This category includes both protagonist and antagonistic children in the game. These are very uncommon, and have mostly dropped out of favor over the last decade, but a few still exist.

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Fear & Hunger (2018)
Fear & Hunger 2: Termina (2022)
Platforms: WIN, MAC

Fear & Hunger isn’t just a turn-based RPG. The first game has heavy influences from Silent Hill. The haunting atmosphere and otherworldly creatures mess with your head. As you progress, the story unfolds, and every open door feels like terror and dread. The second game, Termina, intensifies this feeling of dread by giving you only three days to explore a gloomy town. These games are challenging, particularly the first one, which features roguelike elements. JRPGs and horror, then these games are for you.

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Endoparasitic (2022)
Endoparasitic 2 (2024)
Platforms: WIN, MAC, LIN

While at the surface level it seems hard to distinguish between the two games despite being released two years apart, the fantastic and unique control scheme is what will keep players moving through this game. With only one limb remaining, you control the game with your mouse. Guns are manually reloaded one bullet at a time; you must inject yourself with various vaccines to stay alive. It’s a heart-pounding experience, and staying on the edge of your seat makes you jump at every sound and enemy that crawls towards you. The sequel is mostly the same, but with slightly improved visuals and mechanics.

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Tormented Souls (2021)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, PS5, NSW, XB1, XSX

This game is the closest you’ll get to a new Silent Hill game. It has the same vibes, atmosphere, aesthetics, and overall gameplay, but slightly less janky. While Tormented Souls introduces its own problems, it wouldn’t be copying a 1990s survival horror if it didn’t. Despite the lackluster plot, the monster designs, atmosphere, and music are enjoyable. Look forward to the sequel in 2025.

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Darkwood (2014)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, NSW, XB1, PS5, XSX, MAC, LIN

This is more of a roguelike survival horror. You must play a cycle of day and night with randomly generated levels. By day, you explore the woods, gather items, weapons, and ammo, and craft what you can. By night, you bunker down in your cabin and defend yourself from the monsters outside. There is a narrative, and you can discover, converse with, and determine the fate of various inhabitants of the world. It’s a very intense game and has a terrifying atmosphere for a top-down game.

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The Evil Within (2014)
The Evil Within 2 (2017)
Platforms: WIN, PS4, 360, PS3, XB1

Despite being a “AAA” title, Bethesda cancelled the entire series because the second game didn’t garner much attention. While Bethesda still owns the IP, they have done nothing with it for the past 8 years, and it’s quite a shame. This is Shinji Mikami’s (Resident Evil) baby, and the first game got a lot of attention. Although it didn’t achieve the same level of success as Resident Evil, the game’s focus is primarily on horror rather than action. Sadly, the action in the game can’t decide if it wants to be a straight-up third-person shooter or a survival horror game. It’s best to play this game in easy mode first. The monster design is fantastic, and the atmosphere is great despite the story making zero sense. The second game took a more open-world approach and has refined gameplay. Sadly, Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks this year so I doubt we will ever see this series again.

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Nightmare of Decay (2022)
Platforms: WIN

Heavily inspired by the first Resident Evil, Nightmare of Decay sees you waking up in a nightmarish manor full of zombies and cult members. You must manage your resources carefully and fight your way through. The story is by the numbers, but the action feels like a first-person Resident Evil title—graphics and all. The game just feels good, and while not insanely scary, the atmosphere is quite haunting and will make you cautious and watch whats around every corner. The UI is a bit underwhelming, but it gets the job done. This is just a “feel-good” horror game that feels like it would be right at home on the Nintendo 64 or PS1.