The Best Horror Games That We Are Too Scared To Play

The horror genre in video games is massive. Every year, it seems that a new horror game emerges, enticing gamers around the world. For the brave, these games are a piece of cake. For weenies though, they can be quite frightening. No matter how good a horror game may be, you may just be too scared to play.

Even The Silent Hill f Steelbook Is Terrifying

Silent Hill f isn’t even out yet, and everything about it is scary.

We totally understand that; as fellow weenies, there are some games we skip over due to the potential fright. Like us, maybe you absolutely love horror/scary movies, but horror games are too much. There is something so frightening about being locked into a game, only to get jump-scared.

8

Silent Hill

James walking through a foggy street in Silent Hill 2 Remake.

This goes out to pretty much every Silent Hill game. I’ve wanted to play these games for a while, but every time I see a screenshot, I think, “Oh, so this is scary…”. Something about horrors combined with fog really increases the scare factor.

Many players online mention that Silent Hill 2 Remake is an incredibly stressful and uneasy experience. As someone who was too much of a weenie for The Sinking City (I did power through though!), Silent Hill 2 Remake would probably keep me awake at night.

7

Dead Space

Isaac Clarke aiming the plasma cutter at a necromorph in Dead Space.

Horror is scary, but horror in space manages to increase the fright. Space by itself is already a scary concept, so when you add isolation and aliens (not to be confused with Alien: Isolation, which is probably also too scary for us) into the mix, it becomes unbearable.

2:22

Outlast and Dead by Daylight: Ultimate Edition.

The Best Horror Games On PS4, Ranked

From Resident Evil to Until Dawn, the PS4 has a number of great horror titles — and we’ve ranked the best of them all.

This may not apply to everyone reading, but cosmic horror is terrifying. Dead Space doesn’t seem to fully be “Lovecraftian” like other horror games, but the existential aspect of space sends me running.

6

The Last Of Us

The Last of Us is an interesting addition to this list, because there is a high chance that you’ve seen the show. Personally, I watch and enjoy the show, even if it is a little suspenseful at times. The best thing about a scary show or movie is that you can simply turn away, but you can’t do that while playing a video game.

I’m sure The Last of Us Part One and Two are phenomenal, and perhaps even better than the show. Still, the idea of exploring a dark and cramped area with a flashlight while mushroom zombies roam around is absolutely terrifying.

5

Outlast

When you Google ‘Outlast’, the top images are enough to send shivers down my spine. As a horror movie lover, just looking at this isn’t bad; but the idea of being in control and seeing the patients of Mount Massive Asylum myself is scary. I can’t even imagine searching around, only to see a glowing set of beady eyes peering at me through the green-tinged darkness.

Many people online describe Outlast as one of the scariest games they’ve played, being filled with jump scares, helplessness, and disturbing enemies. In late 2024, it was announced that an Outlast movie was in the works. Maybe I’m too much of a weenie to play the game, but I’ll definitely watch the movie version.

4

Alan Wake

Alan Wake

Released: February 16, 2012

Every time I see any bit of content from Alan Wake, I’m immediately intrigued. Promotional art for the game is beautiful, but when I try to get a read on how scary it is, I’m met with mixed reactions. A few people mention that they didn’t find it scary, while others claim it was one of the scariest games they’ve played.

2:01

The Best Horror Games To Play With Friends

There are some great horror games with a focus on multiplayer offerings, and here are the best ones you can play with friends.

Interestingly, it seems that you can ‘turn down’ the jump scare mechanic, which may put my mind at ease a bit. Alan Wake is on the top of my list though, as the story seems to be great. Additionally, seeing that Alan Wake was inspired by David Lynch (specifically Twin Peaks) has really got me interested.

3

The Evil Within

A screenshot of the player in the evil within holding a shotgun to laura.

Survival games can be tense, regardless of the genre. We’ve all been caving in Minecraft and jump-scared by a Creeper. A game like The Evil Within combines the tense survival genre with horror. What’s more, the game was directed by Shinji Mikami, who also directed Resident Evil.

Whenever I look at images of the monsters in The Evil Within, I rethink playing the game. I am intrigued by the fact that as the player, you don’t really even understand what is happening. One day though, I may become brave and take on this well-regarded game.

2

The Forest

The player takes on two cannibal mutants with a lighter and explosives in The Forest.

This one isn’t quite like the other games on our list, but every video or image I’ve ever seen from The Forest looks terrifying. The idea of cannibal mutants really deters me from playing a game that otherwise seems great.

In any video game I’ve ever played, I panic when an enemy runs towards me. If the enemy in question is now a cannibal mutant, well… I would fly into an extreme panic and probably get myself killed.

1

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Lucas, Jack, and Marguerite Baker at the dinner table in Resident Evil 7.

Last but not least, we have Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. This entry seems to be regarded as the scariest in the franchise. We even found a study by the Science of Scare project, rating Resident Evil 7 as the sixth-scariest game of all time, based on players’ heart rate.

Resident Evil 7 has a self-described “isolated view” due to the first-person aspect; the horrors are there, you just can’t see them yet. One day, I’ll make my way through the Resident Evil franchise, but for now, I just have the original 1996 Resident Evil under my belt.