Summary
- Some platforming games offer chilling experiences beyond classic bright themes.
- Unique platforming games like Shady Part of Me and Inmost provide bone-chilling narratives.
- Games like Out of Sight and Animal Well infuse horror with platforming elements for an eerie experience.
Platforming is a genre that has existed for eons, popularized by series such as Super Mario and Crash Bandicoot. These fun games often challenge players by tasking them to perfectly time their jumps to reach the next platform safely, all the while avoiding dangers such as moving platforms or even enemy monsters.
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This fun yet simple format has come in leaps and bounds, with its influence spreading outside overly cheery games to offer more chilling experiences for their players. While these games might not have gamers falling out of their chairs in surprise or fear, they are certainly a far cry from the bright and happy platforming games of yore.
8 Shady Part Of Me
A Hard-Hitting Narrative
Shady Part of Me
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Douze Dixièmes
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
A game that might have flown under the radar of many games, Shady Part of Me is a wholly unique platforming game, in which players must use the protagonist and her shadow to overcome obstacles as they explore surreal, dream-like locations that can sometimes take a more eerie twist with just how unreal they are.
While not as frightening as typical horror games, the tough subject matter at the heart of Shady Part of Me might just resonate with the right gamers. Combined with some of the unsettling places that players must navigate their way through, this little unknown platforming game might just offer a perfectly bone-chilling experience.
7 Alice: Madness Returns
Wonderland Is No More
Alice: Madness Returns
- Released
- June 14, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Almost everyone is familiar with the story of Alice in Wonderland, revolving around a young girl who plunges into a very surreal world called Wonderland, where she meets an assortment of eccentric characters such as the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, and the Red Queen. The likes of Tim Burton and American McGee wanted to do a different take on this children's story, adding darkness to Wonderland, and the latter gave rise to Alice: Madness Returns.
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Buckling under the weight of trauma, Alice Liddel decides to return to Wonderland, only to see that the world has become corrupted and dark, and she must root out whatever has corrupted it. Though Alice must confront physical threats, she must also deal with platforming segments just as much as she continues her tour through this new dark and broken Wonderland.
6 Inmost
A Nightmarish Landscape Hiding Monsters And Deadly Traps
Inmost
- Released
- October 11, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Puzzle, Adventure, Action, Fighting
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, iOS, macOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
A young girl, a knight, and an old man are all on a quest for answers, and this quest will lead them to dangerous, unusual places. Their stories are interconnected and deal with the heavy burden of topics such as loss and pain.
The locations that Inmost takes players to are strangely beautiful in a haunting, gothic sense, as they can also be rather frightening, such as crumbling old castles, populated with terrifying monsters that would certainly try to kill the player characters on sight. Players have the option to lure them into deadly traps, slay them with weapons, or just hop, jump, and skip straight out of there. Given how scary the monsters are, most players are probably going to want to do the latter.
5 Limbo
A Monochromatic Nightmare
Limbo
- Released
- July 21, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
Devoid of any color and ambient sound, Limbo is not a game that will fade away into obscurity, as the majority of those who have played it can still perfectly recount their experience with it. Players control a nameless boy as they guide him through a treacherous forest in search of his sister. This task is not easily accomplished, however, as there are various obstacles in the boy's path.
Alongside the usual trickery of navigating via platforming, players also contend with enemies, with the most creepy being the giant spider that appears throughout the game. But even if the monsters were removed from the equation, Limbo's haunting atmosphere alone would be more than enough to chill the blood of countless gamers who decided to dive in.
4 Out Of Sight
Guide Sophie Through The Eyes Of Her Trusty Companion Teddy
Out of Sight
- Released
- May 22, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Trapped in the home of Mother Janna and Clayton, young Sophie knows she must escape, but as a blind person, such a task would be almost impossible. Luckily for her, she gains sight through the eyes of her beloved plushie named Teddy, which she must use in order to navigate safely through the house to make her escape.
Switching between 2D and 3D perspectives with Teddy, Sophie must solve puzzles, clamber over obstacles like most platforming games, and also stealthily sneak past enemies. Though both humans, Clayton and Mother Janna are still both frightening in their own way, and knowing they mean to sacrifice her makes them all the more frightening as villains. For those who want a more typical horror experience alongside some platforming/puzzle gameplay, Out of Sight might be the perfect game for them.
3 Inside
Step Inside Dystopian Horror
Inside
- Released
- June 29, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
After Limbo came Inside, another Playdead production that married together horror and platforming. Though there were some similarities that could be drawn to its predecessor, such as a lack of color, Inside was seen as a superior game, improving upon many fundamentals. Rather than primarily isolated environments, the dystopian world of Inside is populated, both with enemies and the unfortunate victims of scientists.
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Like with most platforming games, players need to land well-executed jumps and solve puzzles in order to progress further forward while also avoiding being caught by the guards and other such enemies that will surely mean a gruesome end for the nameless boy. Even after succeeding in guiding the player character to the end, both possible endings are not happy, staying true to the dystopian world of Inside.
2 Animal Well
Terror Lurks In The Dark Depths
Animal Well
- Released
- May 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Shared Memory
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania, Puzzle
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
A title such as Animal Well doesn't automatically strike fear into peoples' hearts, as it's hard not to love the adorable, fuzzy critters that share the planet. But when someone actually decides to sit down and play Animal Well, it might just be a completely different matter entirely.
Hatching from a flower, players control a rather cute round creature as they go spelunking towards the depths of the well, discovering that they might not be the only creature here as they platform further inside. Many places they find themselves in are majestic and otherworldly, but there are also many unsettling creatures that make this game outright frightening, such as cats who seem to wear an eerie grin on their face, alongside tangible threats that might just decide the player looks like a tasty morsel.
1 Little Nightmares
The Nightmares Are Only Little In Name
Little Nightmares
- Released
- April 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Little Nightmares has become one of the best horror platforming series of all time, with the success of the first game earning it sequels and even a spin-off title. Players control Six, a yellow-raincoat-clad little girl thrust into a giant sea vessel called the Maw. Encountering creepy villains such as the Chef and the Guests, players are forced to guide Six safely through puzzles and platforming segments, but doing so can result in unwanted attention.
Filled with terrifying enemies and an atmosphere of dread, Little Nightmares proves to be the quintessential frightening platformer game. For those yearning for more nightmares, even more of this world can be experienced via the franchise's sequels and spin-offs.
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