Since the dawn of gaming, horror has been one genre that has uniformly garnered a lot of attention. With time and the progress of the quality of graphics in gaming, horror games nowadays are infused with a level of realistic detail that can actually get to your nerves if you happen to be playing one in the middle of a stormy night. Here, we bring to you a list of horror games that can send shivers down your spine the way Stanley Kubrick did with The Shining.
Be warned, brave warrior. They're coming for you.
Outlast
What happens when a freelance investigative journalist decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital situated deep in the mountains? You will have to play Outlast to find out. This game isn’t an action game and is the ideal definition of a survival horror game. The psychiatric hospital is dark, disturbing and full of inmates you never want to cross. Your weapon of choice: A camera with night vision mode. Your most valuable asset: Batteries to power the camera. What makes it really scary is the lack of any means to defend yourself. Run, hide and pray to God the crazy inmates don’t find you in the dark.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS.
Dead Space 2
The Dead Space series delves into the worlds of demons, scientology and alien artifacts, and merges them to give gamers one hell of a scary ride. The first game in the series was very scary, but if you ask us, the second game is the one to play. With a good pair of gaming headphones, you will get immersed in the creepy, engaging audio of the game. Another interesting aspect about Dead Space is that the creatures can’t be killed with a headshot. You need planning if you want to survive in this game.
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows.
Alien Isolation
If survival horror is a genre you enjoy, you should definitely play Alien Isolation. The plot is pretty straight forward: There is an alien on a spaceship, and you are in it with your desire for survival. It’s the journey of running away from the alien that will keep you mashing your controller, along with ensuring that you are at the edge of your seat.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a first person survival horror puzzle game. Being in darkness for too long, along with witnessing unsettling events reduces the protagonist’s sanity, causing hallucinations. Quite literally, the saviour here is the light. Light sources help restore sanity, and there are a number of sources available such as candles and more.
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS.
Alan Wake
Alan Wake is a psychological thriller horror game that will appeal to those who enjoy story-driven games. You don the role of an author who is trapped in the dark depths of his own mind. The story of the game will send shivers down your spine. The gameplay isn’t about running and gunning, but disarming the dark creatures before you can hurt them. There are some satisfying set pieces in the game, and the pacing ensures you don’t put the controller down.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows.
Until Dawn
A story-based horror game, the lives of all the protagonists involved are in your hands. This isn’t a traditional video game, but actually an experience. A bunch of friends decide to go and spend time in a cabin, and as you’d expect, there is someone trying to kill them all. The story and execution is a high point of this game.
Platforms: PS4
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill is considered as one of the scariest franchises in gaming, and Silent Hill 2 is the game that gave this series the throne. The story revolves around James Sunderland, who enters a town after receiving a letter written by his deceased wife. The letter states that she is waiting for him in their "special place" in Silent Hill. In this journey, he is joined by Maria, who resembles his wife. The story of the game will keep you going and the gameplay will definitely send shivers down your spine.
Platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox, Microsoft Windows.
Doom 3
If a scary, tight corridor shooter is what you are looking for, then Doom 3 is the game for you. Sure, the game wasn’t well received then, but the fact that you could either use the torch to peek around corners or have your gun ready was the key ingredient that made this a really scary game.
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, OS X, Xbox.
Resident Evil 7
All that we have seen of this game is a small demo, and it was enough to scare our pants off. The demo released is a first-person experience, much like P.T. The developers say that the game can be played using the PlayStation VR to add a more immersive experience for those that love the horror genre. We have played the demo, and we can tell you that it is quite scary. If you are looking forward to playing the demo, then we encourage you explore the house as much as possible. It is no coincidence that there are seven secrets hidden in it. We cannot, cannot wait for RE7 to launch.
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC.
P.T.
P.T. is no longer available to download but if you are one of the fortunate few to have played the free Playable Trailer, you'll know why we have included this title here. The demo was a taste of what Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro were going to do with the Silent Hill franchise. Unfortunately, the project was scrapped, but if there is one game that made us sleep with the lights on at night, it was P.T.