Horror games are a genre of games that aim to create a sense of fear and tension in the player. They often use dark atmospheres, scary characters, and disturbing sounds to create a unique experience.
Horror Games – What is it All About?
Essentially, a game is a horror one if its main goal is to evoke a feeling of fear and terror in the player, although there are games which just include some horror elements and aren’t horrors per se.
A horror game must have a protagonist, who will be of a rather weak character or having a clear disadvantage in power or else compared to opponents.
It must have a monster of sorts as well. A certain force that introduces chaos to the existing order. And the monster itself must be disgusting and terrifying, both for the main character and for the player, which not all creators manage to do.
Using horror elements in games can help not only in creating a narrative and motivation for players, but also in other aspects, such as introducing innovative solutions in terms of game mechanics.
Usually, the story presented in a work of the horror genre takes place in a familiar and recognizable place or location to the recipient, which is changed by the forces of evil.
These same forces of evil also distort the rules of functioning of the normal world, creating an environment of an alternative or changed world, ideal for game creators. In such a world can offer players many interesting mechanics and solutions.
How to Start Playing Horror Games?
Horror games offer unique experiences that can be both thrilling and terrifying. Experiencing fear in a controlled environment allows you to feel the adrenaline without the real threat.
It is a great way to test your limits, test your courage, as well as to immerse yourself in intriguing storylines that are often more engaging than other game genres.
For many people, playing horror games is a great opportunity to have fun and laugh together when playing with friends. Trying a new horror game can reveal unexpected aspects of your own reactions and emotions.
To get started, choose your game. Find a title that interests you. Then prepare: if you like to get spooked, make sure you are playing in a dark room with good sound to fully experience the atmosphere. Done?
Now simply launch the game and immerse yourself in the world of horror. Remember, fear is part of the fun! Note to self: be patient. Horror games can be difficult. Don’t be discouraged if something doesn’t go right the first time.
Horror Games for Beginners
Here is a selection of horror titles for those who have no idea what to look for at the beginning of their journey.
There is no reason a beginner to horror games should dread immersing themselves in one of these titles. They are in no particular order, just to give you some idea of what you’re in for.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Soma | 2015-09-21 | Adventure | Frictional Games |
 | The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter | 2014-09-25 | Adventure | The Astronauts |
 | Layers Of Fear | 2023-06-15 | Bloober Team | |
 | Bioshock Remastered | 2016-09-15 | Action & Shooter | 2K Australia |
 | Call Of Cthulhu | 2018-10-30 | Adventure | Cyanide Studio |
 | Bioshock 2 Remastered | 2010-02-09 | Action & Shooter | 2K Australia |
 | Little Nightmares | 2017-04-27 | Adventure | Tarsier Studios |
 | Inside | 2016-07-07 | Adventure | Playdead |
 | Darkwood | 2017-07-17 | Adventure | Acid Wizard Studio |
 | Little Nightmares II | 2021-02-11 | Puzzle | Tarsier Studios |
 | Amnesia The Dark Descent | 2010-09-08 | Adventure | Frictional Games |
 | Observer System Redux | 2020 | Bloober Team | |
 | Layers Of Fear (2016) | 2016-02-15 | Adventure | Bloober Team |
 | Call Of Cthulhu Dark Corners Of The Earth | 2006-04-26 | Adventure | Headfirst Productions |
 | Layers Of Fear 2 | 2019-05-28 | Adventure | Bloober Team |
SOMA
| Release: | 2015-09-21 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Frictional Games |
SOMA is a first-person survival horror.
The action takes place in the underwater, heavy science fiction-inspired facility and is full of fear-inducing and haunting confrontations with monsters and artificial intelligence.
The creators also touched on the subject of the importance of human consciousness or the survival of civilization in the face of catastrophe, which brings to mind the procedures known from The Talos Principle.
The story is deepened by the philosophical and religious threads that appear in it, referring, among others, to the story of the biblical flood, issues related to the boundaries of human morality or one’s own identity.
Layers of Fear
| Release: | 2023-06-15 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Bloober Team |
Layers of Fear is a first-person adventure game in the convention of psychedelic horror.
The narrative focuses on the fates of artists tormented by fate, a painter and an actor, who in their passion and devotion to art slowly begin to lose their senses and contact with reality.
Gameplay involves exploring dark corridors and discovering their secrets by interacting with various objects. Combat as such is impossible as the player does not participate in direct combat, and therefore cannot use weapons.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
| Release: | 2010-09-08 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Frictional Games |
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a survival horror game by the Swedish developer who continues to refer to the atmosphere of the stories and novels of the writer H.P. Lovecraft.
In the game, we play as some Daniel guy, who wanders through the dark corridors of an eighteenth-century castle.
The protagonist lost his memory on his own initiative and does not know exactly what happened, although there is no doubt that his life is in danger. As we traverse subsequent parts of the fortress, we discover terrifying events from Daniel’s past and try to understand why he himself caused his temporary amnesia.
Resident Evil 2
| Release: | 2019-01-25 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Capcom Development Division 1 |
The plot of Resident Evil 2 remake largely overlaps with the plot of the original and takes place a few months after the events of the first installment of the series.
A zombie epidemic causes the residents of Raccoon City to turn into bloodthirsty monsters.
Depending on the decision made, the game’s plot develops in a slightly different way, although all events and characters encountered along the way are closely related to the situation in the city.
Outlast
| Release: | 2013-09-04 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Red Barrels |
Outlast is a first-person survival horror game. Its action takes place in the United States.
The plot tells the story of an abandoned insane asylum located in Colorado. Wanting to discover the truth, a journalist named Miles Upshur breaks into the facility and quickly discovers that not only forbidden medical experiments are being carried out there, but also blasphemous rituals.
Outlast draws heavily on the work of Clive Barker and the gore aesthetic. There’s plenty of brutality, blood, guts, severed limbs, and severely mutilated bodies, but the creators manage to avoid exaggerating these elements.
Alan Wake
| Release: | 2012-02-16 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Remedy Entertainment |
Alan Wake was created in accordance with the convention of a psychological action thriller, and during development, inspiration was clearly drawn from the cult television series Twin Peaks.
The titular hero of this game is the author of popular novels. Unfortunately, for two years Alan has not been able to write a new book.
The writer’s wife, Alice, decides to take him on vacation to the picturesque town of Bright Falls to regain his creative strength. After the initial fairytale, his beloved disappears under unexplained circumstances, and Wake sets off to search for her.
Silent Hill 2
| Release: | 2024-10-08 |
| Genre: | |
| Developer: | Bloober Team |
Silent Hill is a TPP action adventure game, a classic in the survival horror genre.
The beginning of the game presents a series of cutscenes, between which the actual events are interwoven – mountain scenery and a car speeding down the road, driven by the main character, Harry Mason.
The protagonist is driving with his daughter Cheryl, who, due to the late hour, falls asleep in the back seat of the car. Due to the set of some unclear circumstances the daughter gets kidnapped and the protagonist sets off to search for Cheryl. During the gameplay we will often encounter various monsters (hell dogs, flying pterodactyl-like creatures, giant bugs, etc.) that will try to attack us. We can choose to fight them, but it is more often more profitable to avoid them (if possible).
Inside
| Release: | 2016-07-07 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Playdead |
Inside is an arcade platformer in which we control the actions of an unknown boy, who travels through a dark, rain-swept universe.
At first, he runs away from people hunting him, but over time he discovers that mysterious and strange experiments are being conducted in the places he passes through.
Limbo
| Release: | 2011-08-02 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Playdead |
In Limbo, we play as a little boy who sets off on a dangerous journey to save his sister.
The hero travels through surreal, black-and-white lands, full of grotesque and macabre elements.
Of course, he encounters many deadly threats on the way, such as traps, muddy swamps or falling boulders. The boy is also tirelessly pursued by a monstrous spider.
Phasmophobia
| Release: | 2020-09-18 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Kinetic Games |
Phasmophobia is an unusual survival horror game which involves exploring haunted places and collecting evidence of the existence of ghosts.
For this purpose, we use special equipment, such as electromagnetic field meters, CTTV cameras or motion detectors (some of the equipment is managed from a truck that is your base – one of the team members is responsible for this).
The longer we stay in a given location, the more dangerous it becomes.
If you are wondering how to get started with horror games our advice is simple – just get started! The selection is so large that you are sure to find something for you. From games with a dark atmosphere and a light thrill, to violent titles that can really drive a solid scare.