Catherine
Atlus’ Catherine makes this list because nothing in life is scarier than relationships and lifelong commitment, right? In all seriousness, Catherine tells the story of an uninspired 32-year-old man named Vincent who struggles with the revelation of his girlfriend’s pregnancy and his new affinity for a 22-year-old girl named Catherine. The stress plagues Vincent so much that he has recurring nightmares in his sleep – nightmares that allude to his deepest fears, including one that surrounds a demonic-looking baby.
Gameplay-wise, Catherine can be quite difficult when playing through the title’s Babel mode, as nightmare puzzles are all randomized and blocks are arranged differently each time players attempt at completing the stage (this isn’t the case with the game’s standard campaign, but what’s the fun in that?). There’s no way of knowing what may happen even halfway up the climb in Babel, thus quickly turning any experience players think is easy into a very daunting one without a moment’s notice.
