Whether you’re just a casual fan of horror games or a hardcore gore-hound, it’s safe to say that we all enjoy a good ol’ scare every now and again. From reanimated corpses who want to eat our faces off to toothy vampires who want to suck our blood, there’s a plethora of nasties waiting patiently in the shadows to frighten the bejesus out of us.
With Capcom’s iconic horror series Resident Evil commemorating its 25th anniversary today, we thought that now would be the perfect time to assemble a list of scary games that even non-horror fans would dig.
So, without further ado, come join us as we take a creepy trip through some of gaming’s best horror experiences. Just don’t forget to bring your snazziest pair of brown pants for the ride.
Until Dawn
If you’ve ever fancied starring in your very own horror movie, then Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn is definitely the cinematic experience for you.
Simply describing the game as “cinematic”, would probably be doing the game a bit of a disservice, though. Built from the ground up to be an interactive horror movie experience replete with tons of branching paths and butterfly effect-style consequences, Until Dawn is a terrific confluence of John Carpenter, David Cage, 90s slasher flicks, and even Night Trap.
While it doesn’t feature full-motion video like the beleaguered Sega CD title, it does boast some real acting chops from the likes of Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot” and Hayden Panettiere of “Scream 4.”
And much like the teen slasher influences that inspired it, Until Dawn makes the list for leaning into the cheese and embracing its silly, self-aware tone with its clever b-movie writing and entertaining rollercoaster-like twists and turns.
Come for the pulse-pounding horror mystery. Stay for Peter Stormare’s creepy turn as an unhinged psychologist. Essential stuff!
