If you want to try a horror game, but you’re not too fond of gruesome, violent or too scary imagery, you’ll be happy to learn that there is a special sub-genre of scary stuff which is kind of adorable in its own special way.
We’ve picked ten of the cutest horror games around. Enjoy!
Make no mistake, though: these can get scary and disturbing, too. So don’t get fooled by charming premises or visuals, even if these are cute horror games, they are horrors after all!
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | Sale | |
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 | Bulb Boy | 2015-10-29 | Adventure | Bulbware | 83% |
 | Undertale | 2015-09-15 | Indie | tobyfox | 34% |
 | Happy Game | 2021-10-28 | Puzzle | Amanita Design | 63% |
 | Smile For Me | 2019-05-31 | Indie | LimboLane | 93% |
 | Omori | 2020-12-25 | Indie | Omocat | |
 | Bendy And The Ink Machine | 2017-04-27 | Indie | TheMeatly Games, Ltd. | 73% |
 | Battleblock Theater | 2014-05-15 | Adventure | The Behemoth | 32% |
 | Inside | 2016-07-07 | Adventure | Playdead | 76% |
 | Fran Bow | 2015-08-27 | Adventure | Killmonday Games HB | 35% |
 | Doki Doki Literature Club Plus | 2021-06-30 | Visual Novel | Team Salvato | |
 | Cult Of The Lamb | 2022-08-11 | Indie | Massive Monster | 58% |
 | Yomawari Night Alone | 2016-10-25 | Strategy | Nippon Ichi Software | 85% |
 | Corpse Party | 2016-04-25 | Adventure | Team GrisGris | 62% |
 | Duck Season VR | 2017-09-14 | Adventure | Stress Level Zero | 38% |
 | Eversion | 2010-06-07 | Indie | Zaratustra Productions | 33% |
 | Detention | 2017-01-12 | Adventure | Red Candle Games | 71% |
Little Misfortune
| Release date: | 2019-09-18 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Killmonday Games |
What a great way to relive your childhood adventures this is!
Little Misfortune effectively captures the spirit of the period when we were all careless and carefree, all the while infusing this somewhat nostalgic atmosphere with some actual horror.
Don’t worry, though, there’s not too much creepiness here. Little Misfortune is an interactive story where you get to explore the world as an eight-year-old Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez who seeks Eternal Happiness as a gift for her mom. Interestingly enough, the game shares its universe with Fran Bow, another cute horror that’s on this list (you’ll find it below).
The tale involves going into the woods, uncovering some mysteries, heck, there are even missing children and a monster! A little mischief is in here, too. It’s definitely one of the sweetest games on this list, that’s for sure.
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Yomawari: Night Alone
| Release date: | 2016-10-25 |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Developer: | Nippon Ichi Software |
This is basically Silent Hill, but cute and with a little girl as the main protagonist.
The story is as follows: you’re a girl who walks her dog, but returns home with only Poro’s leash in her hands. Her sister goes after the pupper, but she disappears as well. Our protagonist decides to take matters into her own hands and find them both, but she soon finds out that her city is not what it was. It’s creepy and roamed by evil spirits…
This is what Yomawari is all about. You need to avoid the creepy monsters and find clues which will help you find your sister and dog. The game features lovely visuals reminiscent of jRPGs (but without the pixels) and is one of the most interesting cute horrors that you might want to try out.Be sure to give it a shot!
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Fran Bow
| Release date: | 2015-08-27 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Killmonday Games HB |
The titular character and Bruce Wayne surely would have a lot to talk about.
Fran Bow is set in 1944. The Second World War rages on and a tragedy strikes the Bow family. Fran ends up in Oswald Asylum, full of psychological issues and suffering from severe trauma. And this is where you come in.
Fran Bow is a point-and-click adventure game where you collect items and then use them to solve puzzles, talk to NPCs, and play some mini-games, too. Despite its psychological horror premise, the game features somewhat artsy and cutesy visuals. Yeah, it’s all a little creepy, but in quite an adorable way.
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Ib
| Release date: | 2022-04-11 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | kouri |
Yeah, when it comes to artsy horrors, we’ve got Layers of Fear, but if you’re looking for something somewhat nicer and cuter, try Ib instead.
You play as a girl who’s visiting an art gallery with her parents. Things take a dark turn when you suddenly discover that you’re all alone, with not a living soul in sight. The place also starts getting darker and darker…
This Ib is in fact a remake of an indie classic, with updated graphics and new content, including additions to the gameplay. The game is an exploration adventure title where you need to walk around the above-mentioned gallery, find clues as to what to do next, and avoid various traps. It’s a lovely little title with overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam (as of the day of writing this), so you might want to give it a chance.
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Duck Season
| Release date: | 2017-09-14 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Stress Level Zero |
Another nostalgic throwback, Duck Season is a spooky spin on a classic game from the NES. Video game makers these days apparently love to ruin our childhoods…
It’s Summer 1988 and your mom just brought you a new game for your Kingbit Entertainment System. Duck Season looks and plays amazing, but as you will soon find out, there’s something special about it. And by special we mean super, super creepy.
Duck Season (the actual game, not the in-universe title) is yet another childhood nostalgia sim with a dark twist on this list. The game features seven different endings, seven mini-games that you can play on the KES, several short films that you can watch on VHS, and a couple of sub-plots, too. It’s also a VR-only title, so keep that in mind.
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Eversion
| Release date: | 2010-06-07 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Zaratustra Productions |
A platformer about rescuing a princess? Huh, that sounds very familiar. Trust us, though – it’s totally unlike anything you’ve ever seen in Mario.
Your name is Zee Tee and your mission is to rescue the Princess of the Flower Kingdom who was kidnapped by the Ghulibas of the north. The flower-like hero can use a special power, the titular eversion, to overcome various obstacles, but it comes at a price. The zany and whimsical lands become absolutely nightmarish.
Eversion features three different endings and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Remember: the game looks cutesy, but the moment things take a dark turn it becomes unsuitable for children.
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Doki Doki Literature Club!
| Release date: | 2021-06-30 |
| Genre: | Visual novel, horror |
| Developer: | Team Salvato |
Huh, a visual novel on this list? Make no mistake, while this seems like a “slice of life” affair, it slowly turns gruesome and rather horrific.
For the most part, it plays like your typical dating sim where you woo the members of your character’s school’s literature club. How do you do that? Well, Doki Doki features a mini-game where you compose poems. Each girl likes different words, so it’s up to you to pick the right ones.
Later on, however, things go really awry and the game turns into a psychological horror full of disturbing imagery. If you love terror-infused visual novels, Doki Doki Literature Club! is one of the best picks, especially now that it’s a free-to-play title.
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INSIDE
| Release date: | 2016-07-07 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Playdead |
If you loved Limbo , you’re probably going to love its spiritual successor.
Exploring military bases is never a good idea, as you’ll probably end up in the middle of some scary science experiments. This happened to the protagonist of INSIDE. The boy was poking around in the worst of places and now he’s facing some real monstrosities.
Gameplay-wise, INSIDE is a 2D puzzle platformer boasting a really creepy atmosphere and an ambient soundtrack. It looks great and very moody, so if you’re looking for something stylish in the realm of cutesy horror, this one’s a great pick.
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Detention
| Release date: | 2017-01-12 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Red Candle Games |
Set in the 1960s Taiwan, Detention features a high school story…from hell. After all, you end up in a place crawling with creepy monsters and full of dark secrets.
Two students are trapped in Greenwood High School. It’s a remote place located in the mountains, so good luck escaping it, especially in this weather! So the pair explores the campus, discovers it is crawling with horrifying monsters known as the lingered and pick up scent of a dark, mysterious past of the school.
All this sounds pretty creepy, so why is Detention on this list? Well, just look at the visuals! Yeah, they’re dark and atmospheric, but they’re unlike anything else in the horror department. The music is unique, too, featuring a blend of various genres with traditional Taiwanese instrumentation. Might be something you’ll find yourself returning to quite often. All in all, it’s quite a package. Grab it if you’re looking for a good Asian horror.
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Bendy and the Ink Machine
| Release date: | 2017-04-27 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | TheMeatly Games, Ltd. |
Now, the creators of this game seem to hate cartoons. And they want you to hate them, too.
Bendy and the Ink Machine tells the story of Henry, a dude who winds up in Joey Drew Studios, a seemingly abandoned place. But why? This is up to you to find out. You’ll also have to face the Ink Demon. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
The game, inspired by the BioShock franchise, is a first-person survival horror featuring exploration, combat, and puzzles. Its pretty unique premise makes Bendy and the Ink Machine something you might want to take into account when choosing your next spooky adventure.
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As you can see, horror games don’t necessarily need to be super violent or mega creepy. The somewhat cute titles we’ve listed above prove that you can have something that’s both adorable and somewhat terrifying. Be sure to check out G2A.COM for more suggestions and hot deals!