Survival horror games are defined by haunting imagery, nightmarish entities, and uncomfortable but relevant themes, but they don't often prioritize realism. Franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill are iconic and helped shape the genre's origins and evolution, casting a wide shadow that has spawned countless great, mediocre, and terrible projects. As their influence is beyond question, it isn't that surprising that most survival horror games are unrealistic, at least in their approach to level design, focus on alternate realities, or creatures manifested from trauma.
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However, the survival horror genre is incredibly vast and has gone through an absurd number of phases, some of which lent themselves a bit more to grounded gameplay or tone. In fact, the 2010s saw a shift towards weak protagonists who should run and hide in the face of horrifying enemies, making them better fits for realistic stories than the more action-oriented heroes of the '90s and 2000s. Therefore, let's highlight a couple of survival horror masterpieces that either lack supernatural monsters or feature immersive, grounded settings. This does not mean they have to be in our reality, but they have to present a world that feels real.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
5 Amnesia: The Bunker
An Immersive, Grounded WW1 Setting
Amnesia: The Bunker
- Released
- May 16, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Taking place in a dark and gloomy WW1 bunker, this first-person survival horror game is inherently grounded in reality. This setting is a recognizable, realistic, and naturally creepy place, and this does a lot for the game's realism. Amnesia: The Bunker's graphics are hardly photo-realistic, but the environments are brought to life nonetheless through well-placed lighting and immersive sound design.
While the haunting beast that stalks the player throughout the game isn't realistic in any sense of the word, Amnesia: The Bunker's richly detailed setting and immersive mechanics are built to ground the player.
4 Alien: Isolation
Diegetic UI And An Animalistic Enemy
Alien: Isolation
- Released
- October 7, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Science fiction as a genre is inherently unrealistic, but the original Alien film did a superb job of grounding the audience in its world by pitting believable blue-collar workers against the otherworldly Xenomorph. As a game that's remarkably faithful to its source material, Alien: Isolation manages to capture the grounded atmosphere and sense of dread that made the original film so iconic. This allows for an experience that feels grounded in reality, making the Xenomorph all the more terrifying.
The diegetic user interface and impressive visuals also help players to get lost in Alien: Isolation's evocative science-fiction setting. Furthermore, the notorious intelligence of the dynamic Xenomorph ensures it feels like a living, breathing thing, providing emergent scares that are more consistently terrifying than a scripted encounter could hope to be.
3 The Long Dark (Escape The Darkwalker)
Hardcore Survival Simulation In A Hostile Wilderness
The Long Dark
- Released
- August 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Hinterland Studio
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The Long Dark is a tremendous first-person survival game set in a harsh and hostile wilderness. The game is heavily focused on exploration and resource management, with very little in the way of combat. The Long Dark is particularly notable for offering an engaging survival experience that pits the player against the elements themselves (and the occasional wild animal), rather than supernatural creatures.
The heavy simulation and superb sound design offer players an experience that's grounded in realism but offers little in the way of pure horror. In spite of this, The Long Dark's gameplay is highly reminiscent of survival horror games, specifically with its focus on making the player feel vulnerable through limited resources. While generally much more survival than horror, The Long Dark does feature a survival horror challenge called "Escape The Darkwalker," which has players trying to survive while on the run from a supernatural monster. The monster is far from realistic, but the true-to-life foundations of The Long Dark's gameplay offer an immersive experience.
2 Project Zomboid
A Meticulous Simulation Of A Zombie Apocalypse
Project Zomboid
- Released
- November 8, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- The Indie Stone
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Project Zomboid is an isometric survival horror sandbox that gives players complete freedom to explore and survive in its decaying world. Almost everything is simulated in Project Zomboid; from thirst and hunger to physical and mental health, players will need to be prepared for anything to happen to their character. This level of detail allows Project Zomboid to feel realistic, making surviving feel tremendously rewarding and resulting in moment-to-moment gameplay that's consistently immersive.
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While it's true that a zombie apocalypse is far from a realistic concept, Project Zomboid's dedication to its simulation allows it to feel like a grounded experience. Furthermore, the simulation of physical injuries does its best to be realistic, and the system in place for zombie bites is incredibly faithful to genre expectations.
1 Condemned: Criminal Origins
Visceral Melee Combat And Grounded Enemies
Condemned: Criminal Origins
- Released
- November 22, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
Condemned: Criminal Origins is a rough-and-ready first-person survival horror game that puts players in the shoes of an FBI agent on the run after being framed for murder. The game's plot centers around this FBI agent (Ethan Thomas) as he tries to clear his name. Along the way, the player must contend with a slew of crazed, murderous individuals wielding all manner of weaponry. Condemned does feature a handful of supernatural elements, but much of the game is relatively down-to-earth in its approach.
Condemned: Criminal Origins lacks inventory management, but the player will still need to manage their stamina, dwindling health, and ammunition. Managing ammunition is rare, however, as firearms are relatively hard to come by. Instead, players will usually be forced to scavenge blunt weapons from the environment to defend themselves; pipes, conduits, and even signage taken from the wall are all among the player's options at any given level. This is a large part of what makes Condemned: Criminal Origins such an immersive survival horror game — along with the richly detailed, realistically lit environments and the grounded nature of its cast of enemies.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a couple of realistic survival horror games that were on the shortlist but didn't quite make the cut.
- Outlast – One of the most influential 2010s horror games, Outlast forces players to feel constantly helpless, as they only have a camcorder to rely on.
- Pathologic 2 – A punishingly realistic horror sim that makes every decision feel like it matters.
- Darkwood – A tough-as-nails and dark-as-heck isometric survival game that is more brutal than downright scary.
- Green Hell – More survival than survival horror, Green Hell is a hardcore sim that makes you work for each day.
- Visage – Sanity mechanics and environmental changes enhance the realism of the game's domestic setting.
- P.T. – Basically inspired Visage.
- Resident Evil 2 – About as realistic as a traditional Resident Evil game can get.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl – Although not all that terrifying, this world is incredibly hostile and unforgiving.
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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.