It’s no secret that I love me some horror games. When I started streaming for Real Women of Gaming and on my own as Vanri The Rogue, all I ever played was horror games. Here are some of my favorites over the years!
10. Funcom’s The Park
The Park was the very first horror game I’ve ever played, so it will always hold a place in my heart. You play as a mom looking for her lost son in an abandoned and creepy amusement park. The atmosphere was unnerving, the jump scares really got me (on stream!), and the ending was unexpected and absolutely horrifying.
9. Friday the 13th: The Game
Friday the 13th: The Game has a lot of charm to it. You can either play as Jason, who’s goal is to kill everyone, or as a camp counselor, who’s goal is to either escape or kill Jason. This game is a glitchy mess, but that adds to its appeal. It can lead to some hilarious gameplay with friends or really frustrating moments with strangers.
8. Layers of Fear 2
While I prefer its predecessor, Layers of Fear 2 captured my attention. You play as an actor who’s filming a movie on a ship when strange memories take over your life. The gameplay was smooth and the visuals were amazing. The puzzles were challenging. The added choice mechanic was fascinating.
7. Visage
Visage chapter 1 scared the ever-living crap out of me. You play a man who is exploring an empty, haunted house, trying to figure out what happened there. I was on edge the entire time. The story kept me engaged and the jump scares never failed to get me. This game would be higher on my list, but I was unable to play chapter 2 because of glitches and lag, so it rests at #7.
6. Infliction
Infliction was much like Visage. It’s another haunted house game with creepy ghosts and a horrifying and well written story. The biggest difference is that Infliction is a finished product.
5. Lucius
Lucius is high on my list of recommended horror games. You play the spawn of Satan himself, Lucius. You’re tasked by the King of Hell to kill, well, everybody. It’s not so much a scary game, as it is an intriguingly morbid game. The puzzles are challenging and the story is very well done.
4. Bendy and the Ink Machine
Have you ever wanted to be terrified of Disney characters? Well, now you have the chance with Bendy and the Ink Machine. This game was challenging, terrifying and gorgeous. It’s an interesting concept for a horror game and I’m so excited for the sequel!
3. Dead by Daylight
I’ve spent hours upon hours playing Dead by Daylight. Similar to F13, you can either play as the killer or a survivor. As the killer, you goal is to sacrifice all survivors to The Entity. As a survivor, your objective is to repair 5 generators and escape the compound. This game can be serious, hilarious and frustrating. I plan to spend hundreds more hours in this game before I’m done with it.
2. Fran Bow
This point and click adventure follows Fran, a young girl who can see the spirit world. Spirits murdered her family, but she was blamed for it, so she’s been put in a mental hospital. You have to find your way back home to your Aunt Grace with your trusty black cat, Mr. Midnight. I could play this game over and over again. The art is gorgeous, the concept is original, and the whole thing is just absolutely amazing.
1. Layers of Fear
It’s never difficult for me to answer when someone asks me what my favorite horror game of all time is. It’s Layers of Fear. This game pulls at heart strings, scares the crap out of you, and has fantastic art. The story pulls together well and is set up in a way that you feel the need to play it over and over again. I speed run this game on stream sometimes. Highly recommend.
Honorable Mentions
Outlast – Everyone always talks about Outlast and how fantastic it is. They’re not wrong. Outlast is a fantastic and horrifying game about a reporter who finds himself trapped in an asylum with crazed killers. It keeps you on your toes. It would have made it on the list, too, if it hadn’t made me so motion sick with all the chase scenes.
Slender: The Arrival – This creepypasta inspired horror game pulls from the online urban legend of Slenderman. While the movie was terrible, the game successfully both scared and frustrated me. The puzzles were challenging, but the gameplay could have been a bit smoother.
Zombie Army Trilogy – This zombie third person shooter forces you to work with your friends in order to fend off an army of Nazi zombies during WWII. I’m not the biggest fan of zombie games in general, but I have to admit that getting headshots on these zombies is pretty satisfying. And Zombie Army 4 comes out next year!
What are your favorite horror games? Leave a comment below!
9th Circle of Horror 