The best horror games that mess with your mind

Key points

• The best horror games excel with creative atmospheres and terrifying experiences.
• Great horror games avoid horror tropes and focus on subtle scares.
• Unique horror games like
  Cryptography
  blend genres and create immersive gameplay.

Given its mass horror video game scene is, it's no surprise that it doesn't follow a “one size fits all” formula. Horror has always been a fan-favorite genre, with arguably more game releases than most other categories, but despite how active developers are in creating horror games, only a select few titles truly stand out and make an impact long-lasting.

Some of the best horror games in the industry don't follow the typical horror format, which includes the most unnecessary jumpscares, needlessly loud and generic horror music, and extremely predictable plot twists. Instead, they take a more subtle approach and gradually aim for an explosive reveal as the game progresses. The low-key nature of these games is exactly that confuses the player's mind and it's much more effective than some of the more traditional horror games out there.

9 Reveal

A circus themed game with many hidden plot points

Reveal is a 2024 first-person indie psychological thriller that tries to push the boundaries of all things psychological and ends up doing it pretty well. It follows the life of a circus stage builder, Walter Thompson, and his strange relationship with his family, which is essentially the central conflict of the entire game.

Reveal it is what artists would call a “surreal masterpiece”. It begins in the most absurd, dreamlike setting and continually shifts between reality and dream (or, more appropriately, nightmare), making the player wonder what is real and what isn't. The plot regarding the main character's family and his mysterious past as part of a circus somehow blend together for a big reveal at the end. Everything the player interacts with and every choice they make throughout the game contributes to a shockingly unexpected ending.

8 The nightmare of the baby blues

A first-person horror film seen through a child's lens

Horror games are already, well, terrifying to begin with, but having a child protagonist only adds a deeper layer of vulnerability and helplessness that usually elevates the psychological aspects of games. The nightmare of the baby blues is a first-person horror adventure played entirely from the lens of a child navigating a world of horrors.

The game is very similar to Between sleep, and plays on the “everything is too big for the child protagonist” idea, where the child essentially has to fight his way through his own nightmares. There is some stealth in the gameplay, where players have to avoid crying by doing various “happy” tasks, such as eating chocolates or playing games. The more scared and sad the character is, the more likely he is to cry and will eventually be more inclined to get captured by some bizarre monsters.

7 Doki Doki Literature Club

A seemingly normal visual novel that breaks many clichés

While some gamers might have strict criteria for what qualifies as a game, often excluding visual novels, there are some who manage to break this mold. Doki Doki Literature Club is a seemingly normal and harmless visual novel/dating sim that doesn't initially feel like a groundbreaking game made to be groundbreaking for the genre, until the twist.

Doki Doki Literature Club begins as any cute visual novel and dating simulator would; featuring an unnamed main character surrounded by a group of girls who may or may not become his love interest. The protagonist is forced to attend a high school literature club by his childhood best friend and potential love interest, Sayori. His slow but steady interaction with each member of the literature club affects his relationship with them, until that is no longer the case. The game ultimately leans into its reality and turns into a psychological horror with extensive fourth wall breaking and some plots that leave everyone shocked and horrified.

6 Dead space

A first-person shooter with a big reveal

Dead space can be considered one of the quintessential survival horror games for exploring the “big unexpected reveal” format that leaves players unnerved and questioning everything they've played. It's a horror-sci-fi third-person shooter that revolves around alien-like monsters, futuristic combat mechanics, and post-disaster settings, with little to no allusion to a unique existential ending.

Dead space follows Isaac Clarke, a starship engineer, who has been assigned a mission at the now defunct USG Ishimura planetcracker ship that is conducting some kind of illegal mining on a distant planet. For Isaac, despite his official position as chief engineer, this mission is very personal, since his girlfriend, Nicole, was a senior medical officer of the Ishuimura, and now it's missing. Over the course of the game, Isaac's only connection with Nicole is through a series of disturbing messages and hallucinations, in which she offers him guidance as he navigates the horrors of the ship. The truth of these messages will shock every player the first time.

5 Layers of fear

Non-combat action-adventure with an important psychological element

Horror shooters, no matter how psychologically twisted, ultimately end up feeling a little tame due to the safety players feel through their weapons and arsenal. Games like Amnesia AND Layers of fear they innately provide a feeling of fear to their players due to how non-violent they are, at least from the player character's perspective.

Layers of fear is a 2016 narrative horror adventure that follows the story of a painter on a journey to create his magnum opus, something he's worked towards his entire life. Of course, as some artists are, The Painter dedicates his entire life, dreams and sanity to the creation of his masterpiece, and essentially puts everything else aside. This eventually comes into his personal life and pushes him to make some questionable decisions. The gameplay revolves around the painter who travels to an old Victorian house and finds disturbing clues and inspirations to complete his painting.

4 Eternal darkness

Open use of a sanity meter to keep the MC's mind in check

Eternal darkness is a 2002 action-adventure game and one of the first games to use the “sanity meter” gameplay mechanic very openly. While it may seem like a common idea in today's gaming landscape, it was quite revolutionary Eternal darkness in 2002, setting a new standard for psychological elements in video games.

The game is basically a set of interconnected stories that take place in a single main timeline. The first playable character, Alex, finds himself in the middle of a mysterious situation connected to the murder of his grandfather and a seemingly occult book. The book, known as “The Tome of Eternal Darkness”, contains various dark stories related to a large-scale power struggle between divine beings known as the Ancients and their minions. He goes through these stories in succession and eventually discovers his main purpose in the timeline.

3 Cryptography

A deck-building game that boggles the mind in unexpected ways

Given that most of the games on this list are action-adventure or survival horror, a deck-building puzzle game could prove to be an unexpected surprise, especially in the horror genre. However, with CryptographyThe gameplay is very unique and ingenious, it makes sense. It is a 2021 card game that blends the most unique genres, including roguelikes, board games and escape rooms, and comes out with a masterpiece.

CryptographyThe story of, despite being engaging and challenging, is still shrouded in mysterious and cryptic plots. Most of the time, players don't know what they're working towards, or if there's even an end goal or big reveal. The slow build to impending doom, the unnerving card design (and characterizations), and the near life-or-death situation presented in each match against the not-so-friendly gamemaster create an atmosphere that's hard to shake, even after the end of the game. Above.

2 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

A survival game that genuinely develops towards organic fear

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is another survival horror entry that can be considered remarkable for having some of the most effectively scary horror sequences in the genre. The game employs almost all of the subtly shocking and disorienting tactics used in horror and successfully creates a game that manages to do much more than its initial impressions suggest.

Amnesia revolves around Daniel, a man suffering from, well, amnesia, who wakes up in a strange gothic castle that has more than meets the eye. The only detail Daniel remembers about his life is that he is not safe and is being haunted by someone or something. Players, as Daniel, feel impending doom slowly closing in on them and can sense Daniel's palpable fear and confusion during the course of their expedition to the castle. The game aims to create an atmosphere that doesn't depend on jump scares or generic B-type horror sequences, but aims to create organic fear from soundtracks, character stories and terrifying escape sequences as the defenseless Daniel has only two means of defense: hide or run away.

1 Silent Hill 2

The most revolutionary reality-warping horror game ever created

The whole silent Hill the franchise is celebrated for its symbolism, intricate storytelling, and intense climactic endings. However, like many franchises, it has an amazing title: Silent Hill 2. Published in 2001, Silent Hill 2 it is not only revolutionary in its premise, but also innovative for its impressive graphics, which pushed the boundaries of what was possible for a video game at the time.

Silent Hill 2 tells the story of James Sunderland, a man who receives a cryptic letter from his dead wife that leads him to the town of Silent Hill. As James explores the ghost town, he encounters various characters and creatures who creatively reflect his psychological turmoil. The subtlety of certain actions, combined with the overall immersive experience, allows players to truly feel as if they are in James' shoes, blurring the line between character and player.