Summary
- Psychological horror games have consistently improved in quality due to advancements in gaming technology, allowing for frighteningly immersive experiences.
- The genre has become popular for producing engaging stories that explore the complexities of the human mind, appealing to both AAA and indie studios.
- Some notable psychological horror games include Condemned: Criminal Origins, Detention, and Layers of Fear, each offering unique and disturbing experiences for players.
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror that predominantly focuses on unsettling and disturbing depictions of a person's mental state. Like the horror genre, the psychological horror subgenre has consistently grown in quality over the past couple of decades, as improvements in gaming technology have let developers create frighteningly immersive experiences. Furthermore, the amount of money in gaming today means that many studios can now afford high-quality voice actors capable of nailing layered, disturbed characters, enhancing the horror even further.
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Psychological horror games are tough to get right, though there have been some fantastic entries into the genre that have provided memorable experiences for players. These games are the best of the bunch and show just how effective the medium of horror can be when its elements are executed correctly. Psychological horror video games have a certain allure that makes them hard to resist, but players would ideally want to experience the best games of the bunch instead of exposing themselves to less-than-ideal experiences in this genre.
Updated on September 25, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Psychological horror games are among the best in the horror genre of a whole, excelling at creating suspenseful atmospheres that culminate in masterful scares when executed properly. Thankfully, there are many studios that have perfected the formula, resulting in masterpieces that are still discussed and celebrated to this day. The many examples would be nearly impossible to fit into one article; however, the cream of the crop among the best psychological horror games have been carefully hand-picked for this piece, ensuring that psychological horror fans have plenty to keep themselves occupied with during their Halloween celebrations.
20 Little Nightmares
Little In Name But Not Nature
Little Nightmares
A Tim Burton-fueled nightmare, Little Nightmares is guaranteed to haunt gamers' nightmares in a big way. Six, the young character wearing the yellow raincoat, awakens hungry, cold, and alone on The Maw, a giant metal sea-faring vessel home to a menagerie of monsters that only appear vaguely humanoid. She will need to hop, skip, and climb over obstacles whilst avoiding the detection of the monsters, lest she become a tasty morsel for one of them.
There seems to be little rhyme or reason why they attack this helpless girl on sight, and trying to decipher their psyche is a fruitless endeavor. All that is left to do is explore the strange, unsettling surroundings that constantly teeter between reprieve and dread of what may lay ahead, and try to survive. With more games in the series, these Little Nightmares are continuing to grow.
19 The Mortuary Assistant
A Night On The Job Devolves Into A Nightmare
The Mortuary Assistant
Having completed your degree in mortuary sciences, you have taken on an apprenticeship at River Fields Mortuary. Over the past several months you have logged many hours aiding the Mortician in daily tasks along with learning the ins and outs of the embalming process as well as how to properly handle and care for the deceased.
Late one night, you are called into work to handle some embalmings. Death doesn’t keep day time hours. But there is something different about these bodies because there is something different about you. The phone rings with the Mortician on the other end. The rumors are true, and you can not leave.
Perform embalming tasks while keeping demonic forces at bay. Practice occult rituals to identify demonic entities. Piece together clues to banish the demon and save your soul.
Uncover the gripping history of Rebecca Owens, the haunting past of River Fields, and a sinister secret that lies just beneath the surface. Ground breaking system makes every playthrough unique, guaranteeing you will never feel completely safe.
A story that unfolds through multiple playthroughs. Each demon you banish is just a piece of the puzzle.
- Released
- August 2, 2022
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Developer
- DarkStone Digital
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Adventure, Simulation
Working as a mortician would be a test of nerves, but when one is called to pick up a night-shift, that test becomes even harder. Unfortunately for Rebecca, she is right to be paranoid, as she is not as alone as she might have thought. While preparing the bodies and performing other duties in line with her job, she will be haunted by terrifying visions and hallucinations and must identify which body houses a demon.
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The Mortuary Assistant provides some of the best scares in modern horror gaming and refuses to let up its vice-tight grip of terror on players until they have sent the demon terrorizing them straight back to hell. Their sanity and grip on reality will be put to the test, as ghosts and creatures taunt Rebecca as she works, making this a first night on the job to rival Leon Kennedy's.
18 The Evil Within
Enter A Distorted World Of Unbridled Horror
The Evil Within
- Released
- October 14, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Tango Gameworks
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Survival Horror
Published by Bethesda, a company not known for horror, The Evil Within was a welcome surprise for horror fans in need of another AAA horror franchise to sink their teeth into. Playing as detective Sebastian Castellanos, gamers will be introduced to the world of horror and evil within this game as they are submerged into a nightmarish world infested with disfigured and distorted creatures.
Unlike most other titles of the genre, players aren't utterly defenseless here; they are given weapons and the means to use them against the creatures that interrupt their path forward. But even with a gun in hand, it is a tall order to maintain a grasp on bravado when monsters such as Laura jump right onto the screen.
17 Inscryption
A Card Game With A Terrifying Twist
Inscryption
A roguelite card game that transforms into something else entirely, Inscryption's haunting art style is one of the best things about the game. It unnerves players to see just how this game transforms throughout an epic journey that blends multiple genres.
It takes a while for the supernatural to rear its ugly head in Inscryption, but this part of the game is executed flawlessly. Players will genuinely feel like their mind's been messed around with once they finish this engrossing title. Any gamer who falls in love with Inscryption makes it a point to tell others that jumping in blind is the optimal way to experience this masterpiece, with the magic stemming from its wild unpredictability.
16 Devotion
Involves Dark Topics In A Tragically Told Narrative
Devotion
The controversy surrounding Devotion received more attention than the game itself, which is a shame. This psychological horror title deals with a story revolving around abuse and mental anguish that is handled deftly.
With this game available on the official page of Red Candle Games, most fans can finally get their hands on a masterful horror game. Devotion features one of the best narratives told in a video game that messes with a player's head and forces them to go through some dark moments in the protagonist's life.
15 Condemned: Criminal Origins
One Of The Most Terrifying Fiction Serial Killer Dwells Within
Condemned: Criminal Origins
- Released
- November 22, 2005
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Productions
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Action
Xbox 360 launch title Condemned: Criminal Origins follows FBI agent Ethan Thomas as he investigates assaults and killings in the fictional city of Metro. The game features a disturbing atmosphere and intense melee combat that is just as engaging today as it was back in 2005.
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Condemned: Criminal Origins received a sequel in 2008 titled Condemned 2: Bloodshot. The game was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and is also well worth considering for psychological horror fans.
14 Detention
Contains Some Of The Most Disturbing Enemies
Detention
Detention is a 2017 psychological horror game developed by Red Candle Games that takes place in 1960s Taiwan, which was under martial law at the time. The game's atmosphere, visuals, and sound design are among the best in horror gaming today, while the "lingered" enemies are some of the most disturbing enemies that the genre has ever produced.
The game is made by the same people who worked on Devotion, and it shows. Fans of Red Candle Games will love how expertly this game tackles the psychological horror genre, making it a fun title for people to engage with.
13 Layers Of Fear
Grotesque Beauty Lies At The Heart Of This Game
Layers of Fear
- Released
- June 15, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team, Anshar Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Horror
Layers of Fear was developed by Bloober Team, who have created numerous psychological horror games over the past decade, including Observer, Blair Witch, and The Medium. It puts players in control of a troubled painter who is desperately trying to create a masterpiece.
The game isn't for the faint-hearted, as Layers of Fear is packed with jump scares that made the title a hit with reactionary streamers. The 2023 remake was something that most fans deemed unnecessary, but it still allowed more people to check out a better and visually updated version of Layers of Fear. It's a great way to experience a unique psychological horror game.
12 F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon
Created The Most Terrifying Ghost
F.E.A.R.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who don't find children scary and those who have played the original F.E.A.R. Monolith Productions' F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon was first released in October 2005 and introduced the gaming world to Alma Wade, a psychic spirit out for revenge after the Armacham Technology Corporation conducted disturbing experiments on her.
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Unlike many other psychological horror games, F.E.A.R. Is a combat-heavy shooter that features surprisingly solid FPS mechanics for a horror game.
11 Silent Hill
The Most Influential Pyschological Horror Game
Silent Hill
The first game in the iconic Silent Hill series was developed by Konami's Team Silent and first released on PlayStation 1 in 1999 before arriving on the Game Boy Advance in 2001, becoming one of the most celebrated and influential horror games of all time. Here, players control Harry Mason as he searches for his young daughter in the eponymous town.
Silent Hill stood out from other horror games at the time with its disturbing but encapsulating atmosphere and for putting the player in control of a regular person instead of a trained soldier or police officer, which was uncommon at the time. While Silent Hill's visuals and many of its gameplay mechanics struggle to hold up today, its storyline is still gripping, and it deserves to be mentioned among the genre's best releases for its influence on horror elements alone.