Summary
There are a wide variety of different horror subgenres. If you like space-age epics full of zombies, or a modern-day story full of evil corporations, there’s something for you no matter what brings you to the horror genre, and a classic subgenre is that of supernatural horror.
Ghouls, ghosts, demons, and pretty much anything that goes bump in the night fall under this category, and there are plenty of games that take it to all new levels. If you need a good scare, that may not be able to be explained by conventional science, then look no further.
The Alan Wake series has been around for a surprising amount of time. While it doesn’t always get listed high up when talking about horror games, it’s got plenty of die-hard fans because of its spooky atmosphere and creatures.
Alan Wake 2often feels like the pinnacle of the series, as it continues the story and sheds some new ‘light’ on old ideas. There are alternate dimensions, shadow creatures, and two protagonists that have to go through hell.
A horror game that was the brainchild of the creator of Resident Evil and those at Bethesda Softworks,The Evil Within 2takes the success of the first game and compounds it, along with all the scares.
There are plenty of monsters that seem like they are straight out of a nightmare, and they just might be. As if being a detective wasn’t hard enough, Sebastian has to dodge, run, and shoot his way out of the world of Union, which is far from keen on having him there.
What starts as the simple story of mobster Jackie Estacado, The Darkness turns everything you know about the protagonist on its head pretty soon after settling you into the role. Yeah, there are still gunfights, mobsters, and subway stations, but now there are also demons.
Possessed by creatures only referred to as The Darkness, you are given some pretty supernatural abilities to help fight your way to your revenge. It sort of turns the idea of horror on its head, you being the monster and all, but there are still parts where your powers are plenty unsettling.
7Fear
First Encounter Is Right
The mix of FPS and horror doesn’t happen often, but if you’re talking about the few times that it has, Fear is sure to come up. It’s an older game now, but one that has stayed relevant due to scares, plot, and overall FPS genre elements.
Fear may have been solid enough to bring about a whole series, but the first one still stands out as the best, and that’s in major part due to its focus on horror. There are plenty of super-soldier bad guys to fight, but those moments when you come face-to-face with Alma, the little girl with supernatural powers, suddenly you feel helpless despite your extensive arsenal.
A more story-focused supernatural horror, but one that isn’t afraid to challenge what you know about video game plots or protagonists.Layers Of Fearputs you in control of a depressed painter alone in his rather empty mansion.
It’s up to you to figure out what happened to the painter’s family and his career, but it won’t be a quest without some twists and turns. While you don’t have much in the way of normal game interactions,your choices and how you reactto what’s around you will reflect your protagonist’s ideals.
The only game on this list that’s made to be played with friends.Phasmophobiaputs you and up to three other players in the shoes of some intrepid ghost hunters, and it doesn’t take much imagination to see how that all goes wrong.
There are plenty of tools and tricks tohelp you identifyand get rid of the poltergeist in question across various maps, but it will also take plenty of wit and communication. If you think having your friends nearby would make it less scary, you’d be surprised.
Titled Zero, Project Zero, orFatal Framedepending on where you are across the globe, regardless of the name, this Japanese horror game was the first truly terrifying game for many on the PlayStation 2 console.
Forget guns, monkey paws, or cursed swords; in this game, you’re armed with a camera that you can use to capture the souls of the spirits that wish to do you harm, and there are a lot of them. You’d think it would be a concept that would get old fast, but it stays scary from beginning to end.
3Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Where Am I?
While the series has branched out to encompass an anthology of various supernatural horror stories from gothic castles to World War One trenches, none of theAmnesiagames hit as hard as Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
Unsure of where or who you are, you wake up in Brannenburg Castle intending to escape while trying to piece together your past. There are puzzles, supernatural creatures aplenty, and some scares that will last with you for long after you beat the game.
2Silent Hill
The Weather Is The Least Of Your Worries
One of the biggest names in horror, and one that knows how to do supernatural horror from step one.Silent Hillhas been scaring fans for generations now, and it takes some skill to stay relevant in the horror genre.
From the ever-present mist to the eerie sirens, to the big bad Pyramid Head, there’s something for horror fans of all types. Not to mention the various themes the creators have wrapped into the guise of supernatural horror like grief, loss, and belonging.
1Pac-Man
Waka Waka Waka
AllPac-Manwants to do is eat, run around, and spend time with his wife, but thanks to a group of persistent ghosts, that just doesn’t seem possible. Pac-Man is the epitome of classic gaming, but most are too focused on surviving to realize that it is technically a supernatural horror game.
You can feel that when one of the ghosts gets a little too close for comfort, the fear can grip you. Whether you’ve been playing Pac-Man from the beginning or you’re just now trying to beat your high score through an emulator, you’re sure to have heard of it and felt the fear of the ghosts creeping ever closer.
