Horror and RPGs are two genres that should blend on paper, but we don’t see it happening these days at all. Yet here is a whole official board game that literally blends the two and is massively popular all over Japan.
Although it is not like it has never been done. There have been examples in the past about how the two genres complement each other so well. So, in the list below, we take a look at some of the best horror RPGs that you should play.
The Best Horror RPGs Of All Time
Parasite Eve
Square Enix or Square Soft is known for creating some of the most well-known JRPG franchises in the world. Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy are titles that anyone dabbling with video games has heard about.
In the horror community, though, things are a bit different when it comes to Square. They are known as the company behind Parasite Eve, one of the best horror RPGs, sadly lost to time.
Parasite Eve follows a sci-fi horror setting with conspiracies that seek to destroy humanity. The main character, Eve Brea, investigates the mystery to uncover the truth. Combat is a genius blend of turn-based and Resident Evil-style survival horror.
World of Horror
If you are a huge fan of horror manga, such as the works of Junji Ito, then this one might be right up your alley. World of Horror is a game that was developed with clear inspirations from the king of horror manga.
It doesn’t end there; it also takes inspiration from actual tabletop RPGs like Call of Cthulhu, which is super popular in Japan. World of Horror is a perfected take on the horror board game, with design inspirations from point-and-click adventure games.
Most of the games have you take control of characters who come from an eerie, small-town backdrop. You investigate supernatural occurrences and tackle dangerous encounters at the risk of losing sanity.
Fear & Hunger
When talking about blending horror into RPGs, nothing comes close to what indie developer Miro Haverinen has achieved. The Fear & Hunger series has now become a staple landmark in the horror video game segment.
The Finnish developer released his game in December 2018. At first glance, it looks like any other RPG maker game, but with brutal combat mechanics. Eventually, the more you play, the more it starts clicking that the game is a brilliant survival horror title.
In the game, you get to traverse through dungeons, tackling some of the most bizarre types of enemies ever seen in an RPG. A second game was also released in 2022, which has been equally praised.
Bloodborne
We definitely have to talk about the one time FromSoftware knocked it out of the park. Blending their Souls RPG sensibilities into a classic Victorian horror game that turned cosmic.
Fans are still screaming and asking PlayStation and FromSoftware to come together and re-release a remastered version of the game. No other modern FromSoftware title has been able to reach the tense heights of horror portrayed in Bloodborne so far.
You, as the player, arrive in the fictional Victorian-era city of Yarhnam, which is plagued by an illness. You traverse through the streets to find out that something far beyond reasonable comprehension is pulling the strings behind.
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is one of the most important horror RPGs made by the indie developers at Red Hook Studios. The game was released in 2016 as an early access title before fully releasing next year.
In the game, you take control of a party of adventurers who go into the titular dungeon. In a roguelike fashion, you are trying to traverse through dungeon rooms, facing horrifying enemies. You have to carefully manage your stress meter unless you want to get afflicted with various kinds of conditions.
Darkest Dungeon has had a very popular run among fans of horror and roguelikes alike. A second game was released in 2023.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
We have been talking about games where players have to deal with supernatural entities, so let’s switch it up a bit. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is a title where you get turned into a vampire in the first few minutes of the game.
It was published by Activision and is one of the RPGs based on the popular tabletop game with the same name. The game allows you to choose your vampire race and other stats just like most RPGs. After that, you are dropped in a world where you have to live by the code of the vampires.
If you want to abide by it or not is up to you, and that, along with most of the choices throughout the game, will determine your experience. This is one of the few horror RPGs where you get to be the frightening one instead of being frightened.
Omori
We have been talking about horror RPGs where the enemy is an actual manifestation most of the time. So let’s switch it up with a different kind of horror, let’s talk about psychological horror. Omori is the best one to do it in recent memory.
Created by the indie developers at Omcat, Omori dropped in 2020 and has since been released on multiple platforms. It follows the story of a reclusive young boy and his dreamlike counterpart, Omori.
The game uses a traditional turn-based combat system, while also blending in an unique style of status effect-based emotion system.
Sweet Home
This one is going to be the oldest horror RPG on this whole list. Sweet Home is a game that never left the shores of Japan and has been stuck in the Nintendo Entertainment System. But it might be one of the most important horror games in existence.
This is because it was a game developed by Capcom, and it would go on to change the landscape of horror games moving forward. Since it literally led to the creation of the first Resident Evil Game.
The game has a group of characters move into a haunted mansion where they get stuck and have to make their way out. Players have to solve numerous puzzles and tackle horrifying encounters. A fan-translated version of the game is out there on the internet if anyone is interested in checking it out.
Koudelka
The PlayStation 2 was one of the best-selling Sony video game hardware in existence. It was also the era for some really cool experimental games. This is sad because we rarely see unique home console exclusives these days.
One of these old experimental games was a horror RPG published by SNK and created by Hiroki Kikuta, titled Koudelka. This one is a more gothic-action horror game compared to the previous RPGs we talked about in this list.
Koudelka follows the titular protagonist with a group of other party members exploring the haunted Nemeton Monastery. Gameplay involves fending off monsters in a stylish turn-based combat system. All the while, players are navigating through levels, solving puzzles.
This game went on to become the basis for Shadow Hearts. Another interesting horror RPG title that was released on the PS2.
Mad Father
Let’s take a look at another RPG maker title, as it seems to be the engine that is most well-known for making some of the best indie horror titles. One such game is Mad Father, which was developed by the Japanese developer Sen.
The game adapts more of a puzzle role-playing sort of gameplay system rather than the usual RPGs on this list. You step into the shoes of Aya, a young 11-year-old who has discovered some horrifying secrets about her father’s research.
Mad Father has been released on PC as well as the Nintendo Switch handheld system. The game is yet another example of why bigger developers should attempt to blend RPG with horror, because it can become something special.
