Since the earliest days, humans have always been fascinated with fear. From a good ghost story to a cautionary tale, fear gives us primal thrill. The sensation of being terrified is oddly extremely satisfying, even more so, when we come to the end of it and know the truth. Video games are very well suited for horror, which is why there are so many of them out there.
A novel or film makes the audience just an observer. A video game, on the other hand, puts the player at the center of it. These games are a classic example of our fight or flight response. Here are some of the best ever suspense and horror games –
Top 10 Horror & Suspense Video Games
1. Fahrenheit
This is the story of a world hit by a mysterious epidemic. People are killing each other daily in New York City. The police understand that this is not just serial killing. Lucas Kane commits a murder and realizes that he does not remember anything about it. He only has some dreadful visions.
The game follows story-based events. The gamer must discover the truth in this ruthless world. Fahrenheit is a survival horror game with many brutal scenes.
2. Layers of Fear 2023
Layers of Fear is a psychological thriller. In this masterpiece, you play as The Writer – a person who has written the fictional stories of the other characters – The Musician, The Painter, The Painter’s daughter, and The Actor. The characters are all tied to each other. The story has a layered plot. Multiple stories are interwoven leading to a climax. You are sure to get boggled and scared with this awesome game.
3. Fran Bow
Developed by Killmonday Games, Fran Bow is a creepy but cute thriller game. The intriguing story builds up gradually. To its credit, it is not as macabre as some other horror games but it can still be unsettling.
You play as Fran who gets herself immersed in a fantasy world and tries to escape from its horrific reality. A central theme is trauma where Fran has to deal with something she cannot handle.
4. Alan Wake 2: Lurking Shadows & Literary Suspense
This highly anticipated game is from the Alan Wake franchise. It delves deeper into the psychological thrill theme and immerses the gamers in a world where fiction and reality gets blurred. The game also has a literary influence. It refers to popular literature works and incorporates books in the gameplay. There are also survival and combat elements. The suspenseful storytelling and unique blend makes this an immersive experience for the players. You can find out more at https://howtoplay.blog/alan-wake-2-lurking-shadows-literary-suspense/.
5. Alien: Isolation
Here’s a game that has been developed from a popular film. The franchisee has many alien games but possibly, this is the most immersive of them all. It is the story of Amanda Ripley, who is the daughter of Ellen Ripley. The players are isolated in a space station and are terrorized by a Xenomorph.
6. Until Dawn
When released in 2015, this game has some of the most immersive graphics. But what made it a masterpiece was how the game approached the Butterfly Effect, which says that even a small decision can change even the entire course of events.
In this slasher story, the players must keep the cast alive. Soon enough, it becomes clear that there is a supernatural force behind the scene. The characters can get killed in many ways. The players are often punished for decisions that apparently seemed to be right.
7. The Evil Within
This is a survival horror game. It is the story of Detective Sebastian Castellanos whose wife has disappeared and daughter has died. The game is sometimes adventurous and confusing. You have to find various documents and collectibles to piece together the story.
8. Soma
Here, you play as a man waking up deep in the ocean in an abandoned research facility. You don’t know why you are here and how you arrived. The hallways are filled with rusted gears and overgrown pipes. There are AI-driven living spaces, laboratories, and reactors. The game draws on classic thrillers like The Abyss and Alien, thriving on making you feel alone. The murderous AI and malfunctioning robot makes life even more difficult. There are many twists and turns.
9. Visage
This game is about exploring a haunted house. Even the most mundane places like the laundry room and kitchen will ooze terror. There are psychological scares everywhere. You will be transported to abandoned supermarkets, psychiatric wards, and cemeteries. Gamers will be given the task of solving many puzzles. Each character will have its own journey with different scares and puzzles within the same setting. This storytelling approach makes the game unique.
10. Returnal
Returnal is a game in the classic horror theme. It is also an action-heavy third-person shooter game. The game is rooted in science fiction. It is the story of an astronaut who gets stuck in a time loop. She has crash landed into an alien world and only has a pistol. She has to fight many alien creatures and their bosses to survive and progress. The loop starts again if she dies. There seems no end to the tragedy.
There are many awesome games out there that are unique, compelling, and absorbing. Some of them are even downright terrifying. Many games have a lot of violence, suspense, and breathtaking scenes too. If you are looking for a thrill and want to get scared, then these games are for you. Thriller and horror games will give you the feel of actually being there, which is why so many gamers love to play them.
