Jumpscares are an easy way to catch players by surprise in horror games, but understandably, not everyone is a fan. Personally, I find it impossible to play games like Outlast, no matter how good they are in terms of gameplay and story. Then you have games like Until Dawn and Man of Medan that turn that knob to 200% by making you perform stealth checks on a controller while you're hit by jumpscares or otherwise tense moments from enemies searching for you. Some people love it, and given how widespread they are, it's easy to understand why.
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Players often have to rely on their fight-or-flight instincts to survive in these games where ammo is sparse or non-existent.
That said, if you're more like me and can't handle getting a heart attack every five minutes or so, but still desperately wish you could experience the thrill of a good horror game, not worry, there are a few options out there to give you goosebumps. These games mostly rely on delivering a slow atmosphere of dread and keeping you stressed and on edge the whole way through. Some even have chase sequences, which I find sometimes go hand-in-hand with a jumpscare fear, so fair warning. Also, while most of these games have zero jumpscares, a few might have one or two moments that might catch you off-guard, but never to the level of something like the Outlast games.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Sunless Sea
A Lovecraftian Tale Set On A Boat, Oozing With Slow Dread
Lovecraft's work has always been more atmospheric in nature, with characters slowly descending into impenetrable madness as they're subjected to the "truth" of another, cosmic world, and Sunless Sea doesn't stray from that tradition. This is a top-down survival game focused on exploring uneasy waters with a crew, while ensuring you don't all succumb to sanity loss. It has a bit of a roguelike and management game feel to it as your steam ship gets more upgrades over time, and the crew changes throughout the years of your exploration.
You'll battle terrifying eldritch monsters while uncovering a dreadful story that won't give you a heart attack, but will certainly have you spiral into dread, madness, and possibly cannibalism (only in-game). If any game oozes classic gothic horror vibes, it's this one, and Call of Cthulhu enthusiasts are guaranteed to have a blast with it, just don't expect to emerge out of this one with your crew completely unscathed.
Signalis
Atmospheric And Beautiful Survival Horror In A Futuristic Setting
If you love the gameplay and vibes of survival horror games that force you to juggle scarce resources, tough puzzles, and a barrage of enemies, but your heart can't handle a thousand jumpscares at every turn, try Signalis. The game puts you into the shoes of Elster, who's on a quest to reunite with her partner on a search for her lost dreams. The game has these lovely retro top-down graphics that transport you into a futuristic, sci-fi, near-cyberpunk setting swarming with abominations.
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In true Resident Evil and Silent Hill-esque style, you'll run into puzzles to solve and have to survive on very few resources as the darkness closes in on you from all sides. Signalis is absolutely gorgeous visually and delivers a mind-bending story that will still spare you from sudden twitching and jumping when something shambles towards you. This game will be more likely to simply fill you with dread.
Darkwood
The Most Terrifying Roguelike Out There
Another top-down game (I bet you've caught on to a trend here), Darkwood is the perfect one to jump into right now, with Darkwood 2 announced. Sadly, there's no exact release date yet, but if you missed out on this gem of a survival horror game back when it first came out, give it a try. It's a grueling experience with very little guidance, forcing you to use your head as you explore a world that is randomly generated, and also dynamic as it changes and shifts with every passing day.
In a survival game style, you'll need to look for resources in order to survive the coming night when the horrors lurking about will make a run for you. Find shelter, progress your skills (for a cost, by the way), and uncover a wicked story with its own quirky cast of characters. Are they all trustworthy? Doubtful, but you'll want to follow their stories closely. You'll likely find yourself on the edge of your seat with this one, but nothing will jump out at you. That doesn't mean it's any less scary or stressful, especially when the darkness arrives, and you need to find a safehouse or something to call a shelter.
Iron Lung
The Game That Became Markiplier's Movie
Iron Lung is proof that for a game to be successful, it doesn't have to be complicated or even triple-A quality. It has reached cult classic status, and with a movie out, its popularity is likely to only increase. In a horrific future, mankind has mostly vanished, and the only hope is exploring the strange, gruesome Blood Ocean discovered on the surface of a lone moon, using the Iron Lung submarine for signs of hope and resources.
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That's your job: to navigate this dreadful environment using equipment that's shoddy at best, and which will only give you a faint but horrifying idea of what exactly is lurking around you in these crimson depths. There are several points of interest for you to document using a low-res camera, but whether you can complete your mission before the hunk of junk called Iron Lung breaks down is another story. I warmly recommend experiencing the game first before rushing to watch Markiplier's recent movie based on it, just to feel first-hand what it would be like to live in these dark, claustrophobic depths.
SOMA
Discover The Disturbing Fate Of Pathos-II
While there are one or two jumpscares in SOMA, most of the game relies on slow dread, tension, and chase sequences to put you into a constant mode of unease. You play as the completely helpless Simon, who finds themselves at the bottom of the ocean aboard Pathos-II after a brain scan in the present time. From there on, it's your job to figure out what happened in this giant underwater facility, and where everyone is, while trying to dodge its half-mechanical, half-mutated new residents. Something sinister has happened in the station, and through various logs that work as flashbacks and the account of a certain helpful friend, you start to piece together Pathos-II's final days.
In true Frictional Games fashion, you have no weapons at your disposal, only your wit as you solve puzzles and unlock areas. The sound design, music, and the terrifying enemies easily solidify SOMA as one of the most terrifying games out there that doesn't rub a million cheap jumpscares in your face at every turn. If you've enjoyed Frictional Games' other titles, this one is a must-play and is a great prelude to Ontos, their next game set to release sometime in 2026.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
The Original King Of Atmospheric Horror
Another banger from Frictional Games and a must-play for any horror fan out there, Amnesia: The Dark Descent wowed everyone when it was first released for not relying on classic jumpscares to deliver its frights. You take control of Daniel, an amnesiac young man who must figure out where they are and how they got inside the vast, dark, and disturbing halls of Brennenburg Castle. Of course, it's not that simple. There are other figures wandering the dilapidated halls, searching and chasing after you, forcing you to hide and manage your lantern oil, as well as your slowly draining sanity.
The stress of needing to pay attention to Daniel's fear of the dark and enemies is a surprisingly efficient way of putting you on edge, even when you're in a good hiding spot, because at max insanity, you begin to see more enemies around you where they don't exist. Depending on the difficulty, you could even die if you don't step into the light or solve puzzles to restore your mental health. One of the most unnerving moments of the game is the invisible water monster, an encounter so iconic and horrifying, yet completely devoid of any jumpscares, which proves a good horror game doesn't need to rely on them.
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