Horror video games have been a part of the industry nearly since its birth, with really old-school games likeHaunted Houseand3D Monster Mazestanding as some of the absolute earliest examples of the genre. Horror games have come a long way since their humble beginnings, with some horror titles considered by many to be some of the best video games ever made. But with decades of high quality horror games to sift through, those who want to get into the horror game genre may not know where to start.
For anyone looking for a good horror game to play this October, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the top 31 horror games of all time. This list includes everything from creepy virtual reality experiences to groundbreaking industry trendsetters, and we’ll be revealing a new entry on the list each day leading up toHalloween. For this list, we considered scare factor, impact on the industry, general quality, and reception of the game at the time of its release.
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Here are the top 31 horror video games of all time.
31. The Exorcist: Legion VR
The Exorcistis considered one of the scariest horror movies ever made, to the point that ambulances were literally on-call for some of its showings back when it first premiered in theaters in 1973.The Exorcist: Legion VRmay not be quitethatscary, but it’s still a rather unnerving experience, and one of the best examples of how much virtual reality can enhance a horror game. The game also gets points for not relying entirely on jump scares, but instead cultivating a genuinely creepy atmosphere. Not only isThe Exorcist: Legion VRan effectively terrifying horror game, but it is also one of the better-received virtual reality games in general, and a must-have for any VR owners looking for a scare.
The Exorcist: Legion VRis available now for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR.
30. Five Nights at Freddy’s
There may not be a whole lot toFive Nights at Freddy’sin terms of gameplay, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the scariest horror games made to date. The concept behindFive Nights at Freddy’sis creepy in and of itself, with players taking on the role of a security guard working at theChuck E. Cheese-esque Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant. Players have to manage their energy supply while clicking through security cameras, which show that the restaurant’s animatronic animals have seemingly come to life.
Five Nights at Freddy’shas branched out into other mediums and has become a pop culture phenomenon in its own right. AFive Nights at Freddy’sfeature film is in development, and the game has had a number of spinoffs and sequels. One of the scariest spinoffs isFive Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted, which recreates the first three games in the series and adds additional content. While the originalFive Nights at Freddy’sis plenty scary by itself, there’s nothing quite like seeing these animatronics chasing after you in virtual reality.
Five Nights at Freddy’sis available now for PC, iOS, and Android.
29. Haunting Ground
Haunting Groundearned mixed reviews at the time of its release, but the game is a remarkable horror game nevertheless. A spiritual success to theClock Towergames,Haunting Groundstars Fiona Belli, who has to explore a castle while avoiding its horrors, along with her canine companion Hewie.Haunting Groundhas two very interesting elements to it that help it stand apart from other horror games - Fiona’s relationship with Hewie, and Fiona’s relationship with the player. Fiona has to build her relationship with Hewie over the course of the game so that he listens to commands better, and players straight up lose control of Fiona at some points. If she becomes too afraid, she will start running away, and this nerve-wracking feature makes players feel completely helpless.Haunting Groundis also heavy on sexual themes and these themes to make the experience even more disturbing, which is fascinating as sexual themes are rarely explored by horror video games.
Haunting Groundis available for PS2.
28. The Suffering
The Sufferingis an example of action-horror done right. In the game, players take on the role of Torque, who is on death row for allegedly murdering his ex-wife and children. The prison he’s staying at is suddenly overrun with monsters, all representative of different execution methods. Torque has an arsenal of weapons that he can use to fight back against these horrific creatures, and Torque himself can transform into a monster at times to even the playing field. Taking inspiration fromThe Shining, Torque has a number of hallucinations throughout the game that will make players question if what they’re seeing is really happening or not. It may not be terribly scary, butThe Sufferinghas no shortage of shocking imagery and terrifying monsters that are all tied together by a particularly disturbing storyline that will stick with the player long after the credits roll.
The Sufferingis available for PC, PS2, and Xbox.
27. Siren
Japanese horror has had a huge impact on the film industry with movies likeThe RingandThe Grudge, and a similar style of horror can also be found in video games. One of the most notable examples of Japanese-style horror in games isSiren, a horror game where players are able to “sightjack” undead creatures and humans to help themselves complete objectives and avoid danger. The game’s undead creatures, called Shibito, can’t actually be killed, which makes each encounter with them especially tense.Siren’s stealth mechanics can make it frustrating to play for some, but there’s no denying the game’s ability to instill fear in the player. Anyone who wants to try the game out on modern platforms should know thatSirenis one of thePS2 games on PS4, updated with slightly enhanced graphics and trophy support.
Sirenis available for PS2.
26. Clock Tower
Another notable example of Japanese horror is theClock Towerseries, which may not always deliver super-compelling gameplay, but does always deliver scares. The firstClock Towerto release in North America,Clock Toweron PS1 is a point-and-click adventure game where players are constantly being terrorized by the freaky entity known as Scissorman. The game attempted to outdoResident Evil’s graphics, and while its debatable whether or not it accomplished that goal,Clock Tower’s scare factor is impossible to deny.
Clock Toweris available for PS1.
25. Manhunt
Rockstar Games may be best known for itsGrand Theft Autofranchise, but it’s also responsible for one of the freakiest games on the PS2. InManhunt, players take on the role of James Earl Cash, a death row inmate who is forced to participate in extremely violent snuff films in order to survive. It’s considered by many to be one of the darkest, most disturbing video games ever made, and it was even linked to a real-life murder.Manhuntis designed to make players feel uncomfortable, and it meets that goal and then some. The sequel,Manhunt 2, introduced brutal motion control executions, and there have beenrumors ofManhunt 3, though nothing has materialized.
Manhuntis out now for PC, PS2, and Xbox, and is playable on PS4 through the PS2 games on PS4 program.
24. Outlast
Any of theOutlastgames are good picks for Halloween, but the originalOutlastis arguably the freakiest. Set in an insane asylum, players have to avoid violent patients and mutilated creatures, armed with nothing but a camcorder. Emulating the found footage style of horror movie,Outlastis heavy on scares, and has found itself the subject of many YouTube jump scare reaction videos. When it comes to sheer terror,Outlastis a hard game to beat, and is easily one of thescariest horror games of the last decade.
Outlastis out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
23. F.E.A.R.
FEAR(First Encounter Assault Recon) may have more action than horror, but that doesn’t mean it’s light on scares. Players do battle with telepathically-controlled soldiers while also encountering other supernatural threats, most notably the little girl Alma. Alma’s ghostly appearance sends chills down players' spines, and she forces the player to experience all kinds of terrifying hallucinations.FEARpopularized many first-person horror game tropes that have been done to death since then, but few have been able to capture the magic ofFEAR’s scare factor and engrossing narrative.FEAR’s sequels were solid as well, withFEAR 3introducing co-op, though they aren’t nearly as scary as the original game.
FEARis out now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
22. SOMA
Frictional Games revitalized the horror game genre withAmnesia: The Dark Descent, and so horror fans were excited for the studio’s next project. EntitledSOMA, the game moves away fromAmnesia’s Gothic horror setting in favor of a sci-fi horror vibe. Playing like an evolution of theAmnesiaformula,SOMAhas players exploring an underwater research facility where they encounter all kinds of creepy entities and are subjected to traumatizing psychological horror. The game earned high marks from critics back in 2015 for its strong narrative, which should keep even non-horror fans hooked from start to finish.
SOMAis out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
