It’s almost that time again. Another year another Halloween to celebrate spooks, ghouls and even skeletons! And, like I’ve said repeatedly in the past there’s really no better way to experience the genre of horror than through videogames. Sure, scary movies can be fun and even cerebral, but there’s nothing quite like an interactive medium to really get the heart racing and the spine a’tinglin.
But how exactly does one really rank a horror game, let alone create a Top 10 list about it? Horror, unlike other genres, is really much more subjective than others. While I happen to think Hideo Kojima’s P.T. is one of the scariest things ever crafted, I know plenty of people who don’t seem to think it’s all that great.
So, for the purpose of this list, I’ve decided to look at the highest-rated horror games—as best as I could—and cross reference that with my own opinion as a professional critic.
10. Fatal Frame II – Crimson Butterfly (81/100)
The Fatal Frame series was definitely one of the most inventive horror games when it was initially released back in 2001. While Resident Evil and Silent Hill had set the tone for how survival horror games should play, Fatal Frame completely changed the game thanks to its unique Camera Obscura mechanic. In order to banish the ghosts that would attack the player, they had to actively allow them to get close enough to capture in the camera creating a unique sense of tension that other games hadn’t really achieved. However, while the first Fatal Frame was released to humble reviews, it was its sequel that would really impress critics.
Fatal Frame II – Crimson Butterfly is regarded by most critics as “one of the scariest games ever made” and received near universal acclaim when it was released. Praised for its unique and unnerving gameplay mechanics, foreboding atmosphere and superb presentation. And while it only ranks lower on this list for its 81/100 score, the Xbox Director’s Cut received an impressive 84/100—updating the graphics, as well as adding new cinematics and gameplay mechanics.
9. Alan Wake (83/100)
I really struggled with what to put on the back half of this list because so many decent horror games were floating around the mid-80 range, but I really think Alan Wake deserves a spot on this list, not just for its objective quality, but for its legacy within the genre. When you go back and look through the years of gaming, Alan Wake may very well be the last attempt at an “AAA” horror game after the industry declared the genre dead.
It was certainly a unique moment because if you hadn’t really been paying attention to the indie scene—little though it was—you may have well-believed horror games just weren’t coming out anymore. I remember renting Alan Wake one weekend, and outside of my confusion about all the Energizer and Verizon product placement, I thought it was genuinely atmospheric and could be pretty spooky at times.
Critics agreed, praising Alan Wake for its unique combat, intriguing story and authentic worldbuilding. The game’s sequel would go on to surpass its predecessor, scoring an 89/100 due in large part to its expanded lore, greater focus on horror and some outright bizarre show-stealer moments.
8. Amnesia: The Dark Decent (85/100)
I was genuinely surprised to see Amnesia: The Dark Decent sitting at the score it has, and not higher. For one of the games that arguably relaunched the genre of survival horror, as well as igniting the horror indie scene, you’d expect it to be in the high 90 range for everything it was able to accomplish, yet here it sits at a modest 85/100.
Joking aside, it really is worth considering just how much Amnesia: The Dark Decent changed the horror game. It’s easy to forget that this game came out in 2010, but I didn’t really hear anyone talking about it probably until its console release in 2016.
Praised by critics for its strong focus on the unseen, utilizing sound and darkness to instill a distinct sense of terror in the play, as well as being one of the best examples in modern horror games of creating fear by giving the player no ways to defend themselves, Amnesia: The Dark Decent paved the way for games like Outlast or Visage.
7. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit (87/100)
I really thought Five Nights at Freddy’s would end up on this list, but I was genuinely surprised how—despite its near-universal acclaim by gamers and its wildfire popularity spread through screaming Youtubers, the original Five Nights at Freddy’s had a respectable score of 78/100—good, but not good enough to make this list.
And while I respect the original Five Nights at Freddy’s for how it shifted the landscape of horror games, every subsequent sequel and even its first attempt at a reinvention wasn’t particularly well received by critics—I think even some fans were getting a bit exhausted with the derivative gameplay. I don’t know if I’ve been as interested in the series as I was with Into the Pit.
Praised by critics for its unique style, tense gameplay and eye-catching 16-bit aesthetic, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit was a true evolution of the series—capturing both the tension and terror of its namesake while invoking the style of classic horror games, most notably Clock Tower. It reminded me of a lot of games like Fran Bow or Bulboy, where as long as the core mechanics are strong and the atmosphere is tense, you really don’t need a lot of fancy bells and whistles to make a really solid game.
6. Silent Hill 2 (89/100)
Now, this one genuinely shocked me. Silent Hill 2 is almost universally regarded as The. Best. Horror. Game. Ever. Something that was praised not just when it was released but to this very day. I thought for sure this would’ve been number one on this scary game’s list. But even when it was released back in 2001, Silent Hill 2 couldn’t seem to get into the 90th percentile, despite critics praising it for its incredible atmosphere, deep storytelling, and genuinely impressive scares.
By now, almost every gamer knows, to some degree, the legacy and pedigree that Silent Hill 2 holds. It was so good that not even its subsequent sequels—both of which some gamers regard to be better—would see progressively lower scores. It’s been the source of inspiration for several modern horror games, and it was even good enough to receive a from-the-ground-up remaster on this very month of spooks. Funnily enough, while the Silent Hill 2 remake is considered to be a pretty solid game, it actually scored a bit lower—sitting at an 87/100—proving that true genius is incredibly difficult to recapture.
5. Dead Space II (90/100)
Visceral Game’s 2008 Dead Space was an amazing horror experience. Taking inspiration from sci-fi horror films like Aliens and Event Horizon, it built a genuinely memorable world with the USG Ishimura, had a plethora of interesting monsters and was defined by its unique limb-cutting mechanic. However, for how good the first game was, Dead Space II was a true evolution of the series.
Dead Space II expanded almost every aspect of the predecessor. The protagonist, Issac Clark, was much more fleshed out, and given spoken dialogue, the world and narrative were much more fleshed out, spread across multiple locations, and the newly included Necromorph types were truly terrifying—I’ll still never get over my first encounter with The Pack. As such, critics praised its dynamic storytelling, incredible sound design and vastly improved gameplay. Furthermore, almost every critic universally praised the infamous “Eye Surgery” scene for its intense horror and stressful execution.
4. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (92/100)
Now we get to the real sweet meat. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was one of the crown jewels of the GameCube library. Not only did it make full use of what was great about the survival horror genre, it cranked the knob to 11 and tore it off the panel. And while it wasn’t the first game to introduce sanity mechanics, it was the first to really explore the idea in a captivating way.
The gameplay was likely the element most praised by critics, particularly for its variety—including a host of characters, combat that mixed melee, magic and limb-targeting, and distinct levels set across multiple time periods. Every critic agreed, however, that the game’s unique Sanity mechanic, which introduced strange and sometimes meta events to terrify players, was what set it apart from any other game at the time—and, in many ways, even to this day.
Honestly, the fact that Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem and the stellar Resident Evil remake came out within three months of each other still astounds me. We really were spoiled for good horror games on the Gamecube.
3. System Shock 2 (92/100)
To this day, System Shock 2 has long been debated as, if not one of the best horror games ever made, then one of the best video games, period. Its perfect blend of incredibly unnerving atmosphere, survival horror mechanics and deeply thought-provoking narrative have rarely been replicated—not just by others inspired by it, but arguably by its own spiritual successor.
There is no shortage online of articles analyzing what makes System Shock 2 such an effective horror experience—from the sterile and mechanical design of its world to the way it uses its visual and sound design to allow the player’s imagination to enhance the horror, and above all the game’s “open-ended” gameplay that allows players a lot of creative freedom in how they play, similar to an immersive sim.
2. Resident Evil 2 (93/100)
It’s worth remembering that while the 2002 Resident Evil remake is largely considered a masterclass in horror design, it was also quite a departure from the original. While it definitely had scary moments, those were often undercut by goofy cutscenes—like the infamous “Master of Unlocking” or “You were almost a Jill Sandwich!”
Resident Evil 2, however, was regarded as a genuine step forward in almost every way. Even when it was released in 1998, it had a much more serious tone, an expanded scope and some truly terrifying moments. It was universally praised by critics for its gameplay, setting, voice acting and atmosphere, which at the time was genuinely impressive.
Resident Evil 2 was the first in the series I played, and even though it was the inferior Nintendo 64 version, I was still gripped by its unforgettable setting and intense survival horror gameplay. From the first time you encounter a Licker to hearing the moans of zombies in the distance when outside the RPD station, it’s a game that stays with you from the moment you start. It’s no surprise that the 2019 remake—which itself was almost completely redesigned from the original—received similar acclaim, sitting at a 91/100 on Metacritic.
1. INSIDE (93/100)
Tied for the top score but most deserving of the top spot, INSIDE is genuinely one of the best examples of horror in the modern day. Not simply beloved by critics for its evolution of style and mechanics seen in Limbo, the game is a genuine masterpiece. Praised by critics for its deeply engaging gameplay and puzzle mechanics, unsettling visual style and above all a compelling narrative that unfolds through compelling visual storytelling, it’s no wonder it won the Best Art Direction and Best Independent Game at the 2016 Game Awards.
To experience INSIDE is to experience horror as a true work of art. Almost every moment of the game is punctuated by tension—from avoiding relentless guard dogs to trying to outswim a strange aquatic child. But INSIDE’s real hook is its story, which continuously unfolds to the player in a foreboding and truly interpretive way. It traps the player in a surreal world, one that feels like a nightmare but is truly an engaging treatise on the nature of self and the loss of individuality.
Like the greatest horror games, INSIDE is consistently stressful, deeply terrifying on both an immediate and metaphysical level and provokes thought well after you finish it. It stays with you in a way only true horror games can, which is why it remains (objectively) one of the best horror games ever made.
