Summary

  • Horror and puzzle genres often combine in games, as puzzles can enhance the spooky atmosphere, while scares add intensity to the puzzle-solving.
  • Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Silent Hill 2, and Tormented Souls are standout titles that successfully blend horror and puzzles.
  • These games offer unique experiences, with elements like physics-based puzzling, complex narratives, and creepy monsters, making them must-plays for fans of both genres.

Something that both the horror and puzzle genres have in common is that they often make their way into other types of games. For example, there are plenty of scary moments in non-horror titles, and you often find puzzles in your typical action adventure games and RPGs.

So, it's no surprise that the two popular genres also combine with each other frequently. They often make for good combinations, too, as puzzles don't generally detract from a spooky atmosphere. In fact, they can sometimes enhance it. After all, having to do a puzzle while a monster stalks you makes the situation even more intense. The following titles are the best combinations of the two genres.

Updated September 27, 2024 By Ben Jessey: Some of the best horror games ever could also be considered puzzle games. We put the best of them on the list. However, that was a while ago, and with the spooky season coming up, we thought we'd update the collection to add a few other worthy games.

12 The Medium

The Medium

Survival Horror Released January 28, 2021 ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Bloober Team Publisher(s) Bloober Team Engine Unreal Engine 4 Platform(s) PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

There is one thing that separates The Medium from most other games in general: It’s a single-player split-screen game. Each section of the screen takes place in a different world. So, you wander around both at the same time. The environments of them are very different from one another. One is an ordinary world, while the other is the spirit world.

The game is all about guiding the protagonist, Marianne, around an abandoned hotel while being stalked by a creepy creature. In the process, you must navigate the place in both dimensions. This often requires solving puzzles, which are typically about moving things in one world to allow you to progress in the other.

11 I'm On Observation Duty

Running away is a viable strategy in most horror games, but that isn’t an option in I’m On Observation Duty because you’re on observation duty. You need to sit there and look through a series of cameras to see if anything unusual is going on.

If something has changed, you must catalog it. So, it’s a bit of a memory game, as you need to notice when things have moved or changed. You also need to keep an eye out for the unsettling monsters that may appear on your cameras. The whole experience is very creepy.

10 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Survival Horror Indie Games Adventure Action Puzzle Released September 8, 2010 ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Nudity, Violence Developer(s) Frictional Games Publisher(s) Frictional Games Engine HPL Engine, HPL 2 Engine Platform(s) PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS Genre(s) Survival Horror, Indie Games, Adventure, Action, Puzzle Powered by Expand Collapse

Games don't much scarier than Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's a contemporary horror game classic that has you direct the protagonist around a dark and spooky castle.

The main character doesn't handle this too well, as the darkness and any unsettling events he witnesses mess with his sanity. But you have to fight through this and avoid any monsters nearby while trying to solve puzzles and advance in the game. Fearing for your life does add extra intensity to the physics-based puzzling.

9 Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2

Survival Horror Released September 25, 2001 ESRB Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence Developer(s) Team Silent Publisher(s) Konami Engine Unreal Engine 5 Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PC Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

Silent Hill 2 is one of the greatest psychological horror games of all time. It's mostly praised for its deep and complex story that has the ability to surprise you on multiple occasions. In fact, it's one of the best narratives the genre has ever seen.

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As you're making your way through the town of Silent Hill, you will need to solve various puzzles. Many of them involve finding a written note that gives you a hint about the solution. But even with the notes, the puzzles typically take some time to figure out.

8 A Rose In The Twilight

In A Rose In The Twilight, you play as both a girl and a giant that you can switch between. Not only are you given the freedom to do that, but you have to do that at certain points to get past obstacles. This is the main puzzle-solving aspect of the game.

The horror, on the other hand, comes from the creepy world the game is set in. The place looks pretty great, as the game has a nice art style. But that art style is also a little unsettling, particularly when it comes to the monsters you face.

7 Tormented Souls

Tormented Souls

Horror Released August 27, 2021 ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity Developer(s) Dual Effect Games Publisher(s) PQube Engine Unity Platform(s) PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One Genre(s) Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

Clearly, Tormented Souls was influenced by the classic Resident Evil games, as it plays a lot like them - even down to the fixed camera angles. The puzzles are also similar in style, as you have to find all sorts of different items and occasionally combine them to progress in the game.

Halting your progression is a slew of freaky monsters. They don't look out of place, though, as the game is set in a creepy abandoned mansion. The protagonist is there to find two missing twins. But while looking for them, you'll question if it's worth it as you deal with a bunch of scares.

6 Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear

Horror 3.0/5 Released February 16, 2016 ESRB m Developer(s) Bloober Team Publisher(s) Aspyr Engine Unreal Engine 5 Platform(s) Switch, PlayStation (Original), Xbox One, PC Genre(s) Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

Layers of Fear is essentially a walking simulator and a very scary one at that. In it, you creep around a very unusual Victorian house. Or at least, it seems unusual because you and your character are seeing things.

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This is the game's way of terrifying you, as it messes with your mind through the use of various visual tricks. There's also an abundance of jump scares if pure psychological terror isn't enough. Sometimes, the visual tricks play a part in the puzzles, too. But they aren't the only puzzles in the game, as there are a bunch of other creative ones.

5 Catherine

Catherine

Puzzle Released July 26, 2011 ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence Developer(s) Atlus Publisher(s) Atlus, Deep Silver, Sega Engine Gamebryo Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360, PC Genre(s) Puzzle Powered by Expand Collapse

Catherine has a horror aesthetic, more so than being an outright horror game. As such, the title isn't very scary. That being said, there are some pretty freaky visuals in the game that may at least creep you out. The story reloves around a guy named Vincent, who cheats on his girlfriend with an unconventional woman.

In the aftermath, he begins to have nightmares, which is where the puzzle aspect of the game comes in. Each stage contains a tower of blocks, and your goal is to reach the top. To do so, you need to arrange the blocks to craft yourself a makeshift staircase.

4 Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2

Horror Released January 25, 2019 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Intense Violence Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine RE Engine Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

The Resident Evil games aren't generally thought of as puzzle titles. However, puzzles play a big part in the early instalments, or in this case, the remake of one. After all, much of what drives the narrative forward involves solving different types of challenges.

Some are simple, where you have to place a gem into an open slot, while others are a little more complicated. The RE2 remake has some of the most enjoyable puzzles in the series' history. And it is certainly scary, too, particularly when the dangerous Mr. X is stalking you.

3 Limbo

Limbo

Platformer Released July 21, 2010 ESRB T For Teen due to Animated Blood, Mild Violence Developer(s) Playdead Publisher(s) Playdead Engine Box2D Platform(s) PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS Vita, Switch, PC, Android, iOS Genre(s) Platformer Powered by Expand Collapse

The thing that immediately stands out about Limbo is its visuals and unique color palette. But there is substance to go with that style. The game is a creepy and atmospheric puzzle platformer. In premise, the gameplay is simple, as you can only run, jump, climb, pull things, and push things. Plus, there are only two directions to go, so you're not going to get lost.

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However, even with minimalistic gameplay, the developers manage to create a slew of interesting puzzles for you to solve that usually involve plenty of pushing and pulling. And if you don't solve them, you almost always die immediately. The horror aspects are less prevalent, but they're certainly there in the form of a few spooky creatures, most notably a giant spider.