A horror game is only as good as its immersion. If the jumpscares, psychological effects, and story all make you feel like you're living the experience of your player character, then you know it's a successful game. It's even better if there are high emotional stakes or something that you're fighting against that can outsmart or outmaneuver you as you're trying to escape it.

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Short (But Scary) Horror Games Worth Playing

They may not take long to beat, but these short horror games are scary enough to be more than worth your time.

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These games are already masterpieces, but the way they can impact you even after you complete or stop playing them makes them even more iconic games. If a horror game leaves you with a sense of unease or lingering fear, it's actually a good sign.

10 Subnautica

Subnautica

Survival Horror Released January 23, 2018 Developer(s) Unknown Worlds Entertainment Publisher(s) Gearbox Publishing Engine Unity Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Survival, Horror Metascore 87 Powered by Expand Collapse

This game is a beginner's guide to thalassophobia, the fear of the ocean. While these creatures don't exist, this game will make you feel like they could, and that's far scarier on its own. Combine that with the overwhelming dread of knowing all of these creatures could find you as you're exploring, and you've got a convincingly immersive underwater nightmare.

Subnautica masters the art of suspense in an expansive world while not confining the dangers to any one space. It feels like you're in your own underwater base, alone with the vast ocean in front of you.

9 Silent Hill

Silent Hill

Survival Horror Released January 31, 1999 Developer(s) Konami Publisher(s) Konami Franchise Silent Hill Platform(s) PS1 Genre(s) Survival Horror Metascore 86 Powered by Expand Collapse

This game is apocalyptic, even without all the creepy ambiance and otherworldly flesh monsters. There's just enough downtime between scares for there to be a lingering sense of unease anywhere you go, especially with the fog, which is basically a character of its own in each of the Silent Hill games. The Silent Hill games are classics, and the emotional drive of the family-oriented plot just draws you further into the gameplay.

Psychological horror mixed with an apocalypse scenario is a recipe for an amazing experience, even if it is terrifying to play through. The way you feel drawn to the story means the creatures feel more realistic, and each chase has higher emotional stakes.

8 Layers Of Fear

Layers of Fear

Horror 3.0/5 Released February 16, 2016 Developer(s) Bloober Team Publisher(s) Aspyr Franchise Layers of Fear Platform(s) Switch, PlayStation (Original), Xbox One, PC Genre(s) Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

Descending into madness for your art isn't something you think about often. This game perfectly shows what it would be like, though. Both of the Layers of Fear games have just enough subtlety in their horror to make the jumpscares and detailed graphics a level of unsettling that follows you even after you stop playing. Following the story of a talented artist who slowly but surely goes mad is a unique experience, one that makes the game as impactful as it is.

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18 Best Story-Driven Horror Games

Some games combine scares with strong story-telling.

Posts By  Ben Jessey

The games get creepier the longer you play, which is a common thread in horror games, but the paintings' changes, especially the melting of the paint, become harder to predict, so the direction of the game takes a turn for the complex. It's a descent into madness for you, too.

7 Soma

SOMA

Horror Released September 15, 2015 Developer(s) Frictional Games Publisher(s) Frictional Games Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre(s) Horror Metascore 84 Powered by Expand Collapse

This game re-defined a fear of the unknown, especially in the depths of the ocean. Science fiction horror is an elite sub-genre, and Soma's philosophical yet Lovecraftian story makes sure you don't forget that sub-genre in the sea of other horror genres. If you're looking for a horror game that will give you at least one existential crisis as you play, Soma is that game.

Even the ambiance of the level design is unnerving, especially with the red lighting in some parts and the shadows that follow you wherever you go. If you've ever taken an interest in the overlap of psychology and philosophy, give Soma a try to be exposed to the more chilling parts.

6 Resident Evil: Village

Resident Evil Village

Survival Horror Released May 7, 2021 Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Franchise Resident Evil Platform(s) PS5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

This franchise is one of the most iconic in the horror game genre, and this game is especially iconic for good reason. Not only are the graphics high-quality, but the emotional impact the story has on you is incredible. Between the monstrous creatures, the villains, and the looming evil corporation, there's no shortage of dangers, and there's no shortage of fear, either.

The adrenaline this game gives you, especially since the perspective changes in between first and third-person gameplay, is an experience that's well worth the nightmare fuel of warped bioterrorism. The best part is that the villains have complex personalities, so you're immersed in their story along with your own.

5 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Survival Horror Indie Games Adventure Action Puzzle Released September 8, 2010 Developer(s) Frictional Games Publisher(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 Powered by Expand Collapse

The worst thing about castle settings in horror games is the number of hidden dangers that could lurk around any corner. Amnesia: The Dark Descent has that kind of medieval setting combined with the medieval-era concepts of pure evil lurking in the shadows. This game succeeds in telling a compelling story with a chilling environment and a hint of evil far before we even see the shadows that chase you throughout the game.

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15 Best Horror Games Of All Time

The forefathers of fear and revolutionaries of the revolting, these games pave the way for horror.

Posts By  Zackary Wiggs

The twists and turns in this game have the ability to hook you into the game permanently after just minutes of playing. If you're a fan of psychological horror with roots in true crime, this is the game for you.

4 Still Wakes The Deep

Still Wakes the Deep

Survival Horror Released June 18, 2024 Developer(s) The Chinese Room Publisher(s) Secret Mode Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

This game already holds up to the classics in the realm of immersive horror. There's something about the ocean that's so alluring to horror game developers, and it's not difficult to see why with the suspense this game has in store. The fact that you're fighting to save your entire crew from the monstrous creature that's found your oil rig makes it far more intense, especially since there's nowhere really for you to hide from it on the open water.

The graphics and fast-paced action in this game are different from the slower build-up of landlocked horror games, since all your playtime is dedicated to not sinking and/or dying in the process to the otherworldly creatures of the deep. It's intense but well worth it.

3 Visage

Visage

Horror Released October 30, 2020 Developer(s) SadSquare Studio Publisher(s) SadSquare Studio Platform(s) PC, PS4, Xbox One Genre(s) Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

This game is a spiraling psychological nightmare in its truest form. If being in an ominously long and dark hallway at the mercy of your own mind isn't enough, the hallway continues even after you leave it. Unlike PT, though, Visage doesn't trap you in your own house with your own past. That's some small comfort, at least. What's significantly less comforting is the sheer amount of ghosts in this one house.

All of the paranormal events and seemingly endless hallways lead to a feeling of total immersion and pure unease. The fact that the game isn't all hallways saves it from resembling the concept of the Backrooms, but still, it's a game you play with the lights on.

2 Outlast

Outlast

Survival Horror Released November 4, 2013 Developer(s) Red Barrels Publisher(s) Red Barrels Platform(s) PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Linux, macOS Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand Collapse

Outlast is one of those games that you remember indefinitely. The ending of the game isn't an escape like so many horror game endings are, and it isn't even a happy ending for you or anyone else. The game ends in screams, and you get so immersed in the story and the mystery that you don't fully realize the twist unless you're actively looking for one towards the end of the game.

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16 Best Free Horror Games

These are the best horror games you can play without spending a penny.

Posts By  Rowan Cardosa

At the end of the day, nowhere is a truly safe area in or even around an abandoned, haunted asylum. Even if you become a master of stealth, the Walrider, an otherworldly entity, will find you all the same. The only thing you can hope to do is, ironically, outlast the monster.

1 Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation

Survival Horror Released October 7, 2014 Developer(s) Creative Assembly Publisher(s) Sega Franchise Alien Platform(s) PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch, PC, Android, iOS Genre(s) Survival Horror Metascore 83 Powered by Expand Collapse

Alien: Isolation is supremely terrifying, no matter how long you've been playing it. The monsters' AI that learns your escape strategies and maneuvers in order to hunt you down remains one of the most immersive concepts in the horror game genre. Right from the start, it forces you to put yourself in your character's position and play as if you were really trying to escape the aliens.

If you're looking for a space-based horror game that will shake you to your core, in both a good and a bad way, play Alien: Isolation. It's a guaranteed bad time, and yet there's so much to love about it. The graphics, the creatures, the palpable fear- it's the entire package.

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Resident Evil Vs. Silent Hill: Which Horror Game Series Is Better?

Silent Hill and Resident Evil are the dominant horror series of the gaming world, but they each have their own pros.

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