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The best horror games are the ones that test players’ nerves to the limit by providing anxiety-inducing immersive experiences. The genre itself is very diverse, and comes in many formats right from survival, psychological horror, and alien rampage survivors to action-adventure horror games.
Regardless of the sub-genre, they are niche games that enjoy a loyal fan base. The idea of immersing into an eerie dark setup where one would have no idea what’s coming next is a different kind of thrill altogether.
Here is a list of some legendary horror games from the previous few decades that would give anyone a nerve-jangling experience.
10 spooky horror games from the past that you should try out now
1) Resident Evil 2 (2019)
- Available on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna
The PS1 Resident Evil title of 1998 was a landmark horror game of its time. To developers Capcom’s credit, they did a fantastic job in re-creating the timeless classic in full HD glory.
While Resident 7 (2017) set the benchmark for future horror games to come, the remake of the original Resident Evil game put all the best gameplay elements of the series into one coherent version.
In Resident Evil 2, terrifying threats come from all corners, right from zombies crawling in the underground labyrinth to towering giants. Ammo is limited, and it makes players feel unbearably miserable during some crunch encounters.
2) Condemned: Criminal Origins (2005)
- Available on: Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Developed by Monolith Productions, Condemned: Criminal Origins is the first horror game of the highly underrated Condemned franchise.
This title is a masterfully created horror-survivor shooter as the protagonist explores the shadiest and darkest corner of a city that is filled with killers and psychopaths.
Some unforeseen situations at Condemned: Criminal Origins are shock-inducing enough, and some of the enemies are so horrific that they will give gamers many sleepless nights.
3) Alan Wake (2010)
- Available on: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Alan Wake is an action-adventure psychological thriller that is popular for its cinematic scenes set in the gloomy mountain town of Bright Falls. This horror game is more of a crime thriller, where the protagonist, a writer in the game’s story, goes on a retreat with his wife to the ironically named shady town of Bright Falls.
Alan Wake may not be overly bloody or gory, but it does feature plenty of creepy elements and haunted souls throughout the dark-themed town. This title has a linear story progression spread into six episodes. At times in the storyline, no other horror game manages to make players feel more alone and powerless than Alan Wake does.
4) Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)
- Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Classic Mac OS
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a genre-defining game that inspired a string of horror-survivor titles to crop up throughout the 2010s decade, copying its gameplay mechanics and general art style.
In this game, players take control of a man named Daniel exploring an old-rustic castle, which is where all hell breaks loose.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent involves a lot of intricate puzzle-solving, coupled with stealthy dodging from some of the scariest-looking deformed souls that can drive players crazy. The game focuses on sheer survival, and perfectly manages to induce a vulnerable and lost feeling, unlike any other horror survivor.
The title may be considered an art in the survival-horror genre and can be easily regarded as the best game in the genre to ever be made.
5) Outlast (2013)
- Available on: Microsoft Windows, Linus, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Developed and published by Red Barrels, Outlast is one of the best horror-survivors ever made, hands down. The game literally re-defined the genre back in the early 2010s.
In Outlast, players take on the role of a journalist who travels to a supposedly abandoned asylum to investigate the rumors of horrific in-human torture done in the past.
Gameplay is relatively easy to get a hang of, but Outlast possibly counterpunches with some of the best sudden shock-psychological elements and horrific scenes ever made in video gaming history.
Most of its core gameplay lies in stealth-based executions, which include hiding under surfaces, and so on. The pitch-dark setting and the sense of helplessness that Outlast provides as a horror game is unparalleled.
6) Alien Isolation (2014)
- Available on: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3 & 4, Xbox Series One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, Android, iOS, Linux
Most games that are set in intergalactic space are about massive real-time space combats or endless space exploration, akin to the 4X model but in first person. Alien Isolation belongs to the bracket of one of the few horror-survivors set in space.
Popular for its real-time strategy game series, Total War, developers Creative Assembly did a brilliant job with Alien Isolation by creating the perfect claustrophobic environment one needs in a horror-survivor title.
In fact, there are only a few horror games around as anxiety-inducing as Alien Isolation. Players are consistently hunted by grotesque-looking aliens, and are left utterly powerless by this psychological shock and horror. The game does offer some action elements, but most of the time it’s wise to sit under a table or hold your breath when hiding inside a crevice.
7) Until Dawn (2015)
- Available on: PlayStation 4
Until Dawn is a very well-made cinematic horror-survivor game that is exclusively available on PlayStation. It’s an interactive title that has many different endings, depending on how players choose to play out the characters.
The story follows a group of enthusiastic adventurers, and starts off with a typical survival vibe before the story gets richer and brighter into a fantastic tale involving native American curses and whimsical beasts such as Wendigos.
Much of the horror in Until Dawn comes from the storyline. However, the effort needed to keep the characters alive in the story is very stressful, and the need to make split-second decisions also brings a lot of unpredictability to the game.
8) Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (2017)
- Available on: Android, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, iOS
Number eight on the list is a fun and easy-to-play indie game that focuses heavily on point-and-click-based gameplay. It offers a mix of simulation and survival that is wrapped around brilliantly written lore that is filled with a lot of secrets to unravel.
Players take on the role of a new franchiser of a re-branded company that is headquartered in Washington County, Utah. The ultimate goal of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator is to survive six full days. This unique horror game offers seven different story endings depending on the decisions that players end up making.
9) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
- Available on: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XS.
Developed by Capcom, a lot was riding on Resident Evil 7: Biohazard when it first came out. As a franchise, it was running out of fresh new ideas, and switching to a first-person perspective in Resident Evil 7 was a bold move. Unlike its predecessors, this title focused more on horror and exploration than action-packed gameplay elements.
Resident Evil 7 presented a new plot, with a new protagonist named Ethan Winters. This time around, the franchise came back with hell for leather and didn’t hold back with relentless horror scenes and ugly encounters.
From the unnerving dark setting to disturbing boss fights and gruesome scenes of massacre, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard stands out as a masterclass in the psychological-horror-survival genre. As a result, this title is responsible for single-handedly bringing the franchise back from the dead.
10) The Blair Witch (2019)
- Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Oculus Quest, Xbox One, Meta Quest 2, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna, SteamOS
Inspired by the popular TV series, The Blair Witch Project, this is a first-person shooter horror-survival title that follows the predicament of Ellis Lynch - a war veteran suffering from PTSD.
The story begins with the protagonist, who, along with his loyal and courageous dog, is searching for a lost boy in the Black Hills Forest. Bizarre events and hallucinations follow as the veteran and his dog venture deep inside the heart of the forest.
Interestingly, The Blair Witch also offers three possible endings. The horror game involves some intricate puzzle-solving elements as the protagonist follows certain trails and clues. It also features a lot of gut-spilling gun violence, making it a great horror game to indulge in.
