Horror games have had a cult-like fan following primarily because of the experience that they have to offer.
Over the years, the horror games genre has seen a lot of entries, some of which have withstood the test of time, while others which have faded into obscurity.
With Halloween soon approaching, here are 5 popular and 5 underrated horror games that you should get your hands on, if you’re looking for some spine chilling experiences in a virtual landscape.
Popular horror games
Resident Evil: Village
Resident Evil: Village took the entire gaming community by storm with its release in 2021. With Ethan Winters returning after Resident Evil 7 as the main protagonist, Village focuses heavily on exploration-heavy gameplay complimented by engaging puzzles.
Set in a village environment filled with haunted vibes and eerie surroundings, the game features plenty of paranormal threats at every corner of the story, including vampires, werewolves, and other mystical beings.
Apart from featuring one of the most popular characters in recent video games, Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil: Village presents a well-designed balance between thorough exploration and edge-of-your-seat developments.
These factors combine extremely well to make it one of the most popular titles of the horror genre, especially in the Resident Evil franchise.
Dead Space
If you’re more interested in space exploration with a chilling and haunted environment, Dead Space might be the best pick for you.
Revolving around Isaac Clarke, the game is set on a spaceship that gets infected by Necromorphs, set out to kill you. Dead Space also features some of the best visuals and music that go hand-in-hand with the horror setting.
The game also features a quite detailed HUD, which was quite ahead of its time back in 2008, making it a highly immersive experience for players.
The game is so popular among fans of the genre that it even got a remaster in 2023, featuring the same beloved story and mechanics but with modern visuals.
Silent Hill
Even after 25 years since the game’s release, Silent Hill continues to remain a fan-favorite amongst players of all ages.
Arguably the game that took a step away from traditional jump scares and ventured deep into psychological horror, Silent Hill features an extremely eerie environment and a very complex narrative.
Additionally, what has truly allowed Silent Hill to stand the test of time is the amazing storytelling, combined with the musical score by Akira Yamaoka, which keeps you on the edge at all times.
Silent Hill was definitely a title that was way ahead of its time and has set the path for the horror genre to not always rely on jump scares.
Phasmophobia
Yet another title that revolutionized the horror games genre, Phasmophobia features a very unique multiplayer platform filled with realistic ghost-hunts. There are a bunch of equipment that you can use on your hunt, ranging from EMF readers to UV lights and spirit boxes.
However, things can go very wrong in this game and instead of hunting for ghosts, you could very well and quickly end up being hunted by ghosts instead.
The game features several unique features that sets the title apart from others in the genre, including even a proximity voice chat, allowing you to literally speak to the ghosts that you are trying to hunt.
Needless to say, Phasmophobia was an immediate hit after its release in 2020 and the fact that it supports online multiplayer only meant that it is one of the most-watched horror titles on streaming platforms.
Alan Wake
Released in 2010, Alan Wake features some of the best storytelling in video games from the horror genre. Featuring the fictional town of Bright Falls, the game’s narrative builds up like a TV series, with various episodes and most of them ending on a cliffhanger moment.
The game’s small-town setting further creates an eerie atmosphere that is filled with uncertainty and tension.
Additionally, the title features some unique features, like light being used as a primary tool to weaken shadowy creatures before you can finally defeat them.
Overall, the combination of storytelling, cinematic representation, and immersive gameplay makes Alan Wake one of the most popular horror games to ever be released.
Underrated horror games
Detention
Set in 1960s Taiwan, Detention is a side-scrolling game adapted from a book published by the novelist, Ling Jing.
You play as students trapped in Greenwood high school located in a remote mountain area. The plot slowly unravels while navigating the campus, solving puzzles and evading otherworldly creatures.
The game blends psychological horror narrative with the country’s history of martial law and religious culture. Red Candle Games received critical acclaim all over the world with the release of Detention.
Later in 2019, Warner Bros. Taiwan went on to release a live action film adaptation of the game. Despite the popularity the game stays underrated and discussed only among niche horror game enthusiasts.
Fear & Hunger
Released in 2018, Fear & Hunger is a game made in the popular game development program, RPG maker. Originally designed for the development of 2D Role-playing games, this easily available program has been used countless times for the development of several popular horror games.
Fear & Hunger is one of the survival horror games that stand out among the lot, for being an exceptionally brutal experience for someone going into it blind.
The game is a dungeon crawling survival-horror that ditches the traditional RPG levelling system for an immersive-sim like approach to the turn-based combat.
It gained a cult following which led to the release of Fear & Hunger: Termina in 2022. A third game is also in development according to the creator on their social media.
Iron Lung
This may be the shortest horror game to grace this list but also potentially the most terrifying one, especially for our claustrophobic readers.
Developed in 2022 by David Szymanski, who is well known in the indie horror game community for his games, Iron long is a horror submarine simulator in first-person view.
The game takes place in a distant future where habitable planets are disappearing. In order to secure more habitable planets, humanity stumbles upon a desolate moon that is made up of an ever-expanding red colored ocean.
You as the player are now locked up inside a rundown submarine that can barely hold up. Your job is to navigate this endless red sea to unfathomable depths, with primitive equipment that occasionally clicks photographs of incomprehensible creatures that could be an imminent threat.
Murder House
A short 90s slasher-horror film inspired game utilizing artstyle from the bygone era of playstation 1 games. Murder House follows a typical horror plot where a news crew arrives into an abandoned house of a long thought dead serial killer, to turn the story into a video documentary.
Developed by Puppet Combo and released in 2020, who are once again just like many in this list, very well known for their games that focus on the indie horror sub-genre with lo-fi art style.
True to its roots in relying on the PlayStation 1 design philosophies, the game uses tank controls and fixed cameras and relied o the eerie sound design and atmosphere which were popularised by games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
Through gameplay and exploration you slowly uncover the myth behind the killer Easter Ripper, and things far sinister that may endanger lives of the characters.
Devotion
Developer Red Candle Games are once again back on this list with another horror title, this time in 3D, and also delving into the psychological horror genre woven with Taiwanese culture and religion.
This time the developer adopts a first person camera for the gameplay and majority of the game takes place in a Taiwanese residential apartment. The story follows the member of a dysfunctional family experiencing the various years spent living inside the building.
Just like Detention, Devotion is a narrative focused game with the story unfolding through the player walking through long hallways and corridors, blended with atmospheric-horror sound design and music.
The game unfortunately fell into a controversy which led to it being removed from the Steam digital store, but has gained quite a cult following among those who played it.
