The Top 51 Essential Horror Games
OST Composer
Philippe Vachey
OST Highlights
Entering Derceto As Carnby, Death Theme, Enemy Theme
Trivia
Alone in the Dark was the very first game to feature 3D polygonal characters over fixed 2D backgrounds - a graphical style that would have massive influence even beyond the survival horror genre.
Why FiveSide thinks you should play this game?
Alone in the Dark is the granddaddy of survival horror, and it's difficult to overstate its influence on the genre. Given its age, it's also remarkable that the game remains palpably creepy and atmospheric even to this day, as exploring the haunted mansion of Derceto while tip-toeing around zombies (or bringing them down in tense moments of firepower if necessary) is still a nail-biting experience. If it were not an essential horror game merely through its status as the progenitor to series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, it would be essential simply because it is a damn fine, and damn spooky, game.
OST Composer
N/A
OST Highlights
N/A
Trivia
Kuon is fondly remembered for its incredible atmosphere and creeping tension - two traits that its developer, FromSoftware, would later find immense praise for in their work on Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
Why Luminaire thinks you should play this game?
Kuon holds a special place in my heart. It shows that From Software are masters of dark fantasy, horror, and the occult. Set in the Heian-era in Japan, the game leads you through a nightmare strewn about a small village in a feudal region. Bloodsmears line the walls, heavy breaths litter the air, and the corpses of those who met a most unfortunate fate lie before you when they're not falling from the sky. [...] The story grows darker and darker by the hour, and the developers do a great job in granting you a brief glimpse of something terrifying scurrying across the rooftops just as the camera angle changes.
OST Composer
Mike Morasky
OST Highlights
Witch Alert, The Monsters Without, Swamp Fever Title Screen
Trivia
Left 4 Dead 2 originally featured a zombie type called "Leakers" which would plant themselves like landmines and detonate when survivors got near. Though they were scrapped from the final game, a partially-working version is playable using console commands.
Why boybrushedRED thinks you should play this game?
Out of everything on my list, this is the most fun I've had.
*Castlevania Symphony of the Night for PS4 releases 26th October 2018
**Maria is only playable in the Sega Saturn, PSP and PS4 versions of the game.
OST Composer
Michiru Yamane
OST Highlights
Lost Painting, Dracula's Castle, Wood Carving Partita
Trivia
Scrapped voice acting lines reveal that one of the original endings involved Maria becoming possessed by a demon, and this "Black Maria" had a unique set of graphics and attacks.
Why Aquova thinks you should play this game?
It doesn't get much more classic horror than this. The game itself is phenomenal. Play as the Son of Dracula as you attempt to fight off your father and save the vampire hunter Richter Belmont. It helped define a genre, and has one of the biggest post-game twists ever. It without a doubt should be on the list.
OST Composer
Garry Schyman
OST Highlights
Welcome to Rapture, All Spliced Up, Cohens Masterpiece
Trivia
The adorable Little Sisters were not even human in the first concepts of the game, but were instead fantastical, chipmunk-like creatures.
Why Gakidou thinks you should play this game?
Picking up where Half Life 2 and System Shock left off in cinematic, story-rich FPS adventures. Bioshock exceeded expectations when it brought you into a refreshing setting - an undersea dystopia inspired by the fallacies of Ayn Rand's brand of Objectivism. This game wowed me with great sound design and expert timing and setpieces. Moreso than its predecessors, it wraps it all up in a very cohesive theme with an iconic twist.
OST Composers
Ayako Toyoda, Shigekiyo Okuda
OST Highlights
Mirror, Children's Room, Broken Neck
Trivia
After the success of Fatal Frame, Tecmo licensed the franchise to DreamWorks for a Hollywood film adaptation. Unfortunately, the film never came to fruition - despite the fact that Steven Spielberg himself was personally involved with the project.
Why Big G thinks you should play this game?
While numerous aspects of the Fatal Frame series have improved over time - it has gotten much easier to snap photos of ghosts, after all - my heart remains with the first game. [...] Fatal Frame continues to build and build and build suspense while at the same time ratcheting up the terror, and by the final act the atmosphere was so oppressive I almost had to stop playing. The rest of the series is good, but for me it could never reach these same heights again.
OST Composers
David García, Andy LaPlegua
OST Highlights
Bridge Combat, Surtr Fight, Meadow
Trivia
Though Senua is identified as a Pict from Orkney (i.e. Scotland), the design of her sword and her society's reverence for severed heads were actually inspired by the culture of the continental Gauls.
Why ToastieMaster thinks you should play this game?
I was really drawn to the setting of Hellblade and ended up getting a more horrifying experience than I expected. While I can't directly relate to the main theme of Hellblade, it did an incredible job of instilling some very uncomfortable feelings in certain sections. (Play it with headphones, or you'll miss out on the fantastic job Ninja Theory has done with the audio.)
OST Composer
Yutaka Minobe
OST Highlights
Bullying, Backbiting, A Love Suicide
Trivia
Rule of Rose released to extreme controversy in Europe and was outright banned in France, Italy, and the UK (it was also banned in Australia). These bans were partially motivated by the public outcry against the game after an Italian magazine ran a moral-panic story alleging that it depicted sexual contact between minors.
Why BaraSailey thinks you should play this game?
I love so much about this game. Its setting, its very unique story, its' cast of colorful and malicious characters. Rule of Rose is a very unique, original experience that left me fascinated as I tried to piece together what exactly had happened to the children in this story.
*Lost in Nightmares & Desperate Escape are DLC for PS3, Xbox 360 and Steam.
They are included in the PS4 and Xbox One releases.
OST Composer
Kota Suzuki
OST Highlights
Executioner, Result, Evil Mutation, Sad But True
Trivia
Barry Burton was originally intended to appear multiple times throughout the game, including as an assist during a mob fight against ten El Gigantes. Unfortunately, his appearances were all cut from the main campaign.
Why Megatron thinks you should play this game?
When it debuted, it was considered a bit of a disappointment from the magnificence of RE4. But it wasn't disappointing, it was just it's own thing entirely. [...] Like RE4 before it, the game is criticized for not being scary, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
OST Composers
Eric Brosius, Ramin Djawadi, Josh Randall
OST Highlights
Med Sci 1, Hydro 1, Command 3
Trivia
The somewhat controversial ending cutscene was not the intended ending, and only arose from a miscommunication between Ken Levine and the cutscene artists. As there was not enough time to change the cutscene, earlier parts of the plot were rewritten to accommodate it instead.
Why leafcutter thinks you should play this game?
This game was definitely a shock when I first played it back in the day. [...] I had no idea that after the training I would immediately be plunged into a horrifying (at the time) experience like this. A classic and a must-play.
OST Composer
Kōji Niikura
OST Highlights
I'm Looking for Mary, Dead End, Don't Cry Jennifer
Trivia
Clock Tower spawned a number of sequels, but one of the most beloved games associated with the franchise is actually Haunting Ground - the game was developed as a Clock Tower sequel before spinning off into its own franchise.
Why Gakidou thinks you should play this game?
Your friends all go missing in a big spooky mansion, and you have to search for them. But every room you explore and door or cupboard you check, you risk bumping into SCISSOR MAN, a diminutive man with a massive pair of gardening shears. The only thing you can do is run and hide. [...] Fairly impressive for the snes, they manage to make an empty room be so... spooky.
OST Composer
Kikiyama
OST Highlights
Saving Theme, Poniko's Room (Lights Off), Aztec Monkey Rave
Trivia
Despite the success of Yume Nikki, very little is known about its creator, Kikiyama. This mysterious individual has maintained strict privacy, and her gender is a mere inference based on her use of female Japanese pronouns to describe herself in emails.
Why ArmsofSleep thinks you should play this game?
"Inside of your dream, I am not there" Imagine a world where horror games gave more of a shit about horror and less of a shit about game. This one won't ever leave you alone.
OST Composer
Mike Morasky
OST Highlights
Skin on Our Teeth, Blood Harvest, Left 4 Dead
Trivia
Valve originally planned the game to be restarted from the very first map if all the players died. While this was ultimately changed because it was deemed too punishing, the concept served as the basis for the Iron Man mutation mode in Left 4 Dead 2.
Why Futurememory thinks you should play this game?
More silly-scary than truly frightening, Left 4 Dead was a great party of an experience. The co-op mode was a blast to run through with close friends, trying to coordinate your attacks and plans of action. The verses modes, where you got to control the more powerful zombies themselves, equally thrilling.
OST Composer
Akira Yamaoka
OST Highlights
Tender Sugar, Cradle of Forest, Silent Circus
Trivia
Hackers exploring the game's code discovered placeholder items for unlocking a "UFO" ending, which was unfortunately cut from the final release.
Why Geeklat thinks you should play this game?
While not the best of the original Silent Hill games, it may be the scariest. Fantastic horror visuals, incredible tense situations with the ghosts, fantastic creature designs, and that added sense of the loss as you return to your Room only for it to be less safe over time all add up to an experience that's worth getting through in spite of the worst escort sequence this side of Robotech.
OST Composer
Mao Hamamoto
OST Highlights
Health Room, Chapter 1 Main Theme, Fear
Trivia
Corpse Party's audio was recorded using a technique known as "binaural recording," which gives the soundscape incredible texture and an almost "3D" effect, especially when using headphones. Unfortunately, XSEED Games has stated that this complex audio is the reason why the localization did not receive a dub.
Why Poltergust thinks you should play this game?
For a game featuring cute anime characters, you wouldn't expect to see them get subjected to horrifying experiences. This juxtaposition defines the game for me, and it runs with it all the way until the very end. With its amazing audio design, gripping narrative, and enjoyable adventure-lite gameplay, I can recommend this to anyone who is looking for something that fills them with constant dread, despite the small bits of fanservice.
OST Composers
Hideki Okugawa, Marika Suzuki
OST Highlights
Adam (Crazy Clown), Entrance Plaza, Army
Trivia
"Dead Rising" was originally just the placeholder title for the game during early development. However, the dev team liked the name so much that they decided to keep it.
Why 5pectre thinks you should play this game?
Almost every object in the mall could be used as a weapon, Frank was an interesting and empathetic character that was looking out for everyones interest and the story took a new spin on the whole zombie thing. The length of the game was brilliant, with multiple endings, which encouraged several playthroughs. This is a top contender for my favorite game of all time.
OST Composers
Isoe Toshimichi, Murakami Masayoshi, Yuu Ohyama, Jinbo Shintarou, Kawagoe Yoshihiro
OST Highlights
Sin, Song of Saya II, Scare Shadow
Trivia
Though nothing ever came of it, Nitro+ CEO Digitarou once expressed interest in adapting Saya no Uta into a Hollywood Movie.
Why Maurico_Magus thinks you should play this game?
I really wish it was easier to recommend Saya no Uta, it's so disturbing that other Horror games seem like a damn joke in comparison, but anyone that ends up diving into Gen Urobuchi's insane Visual Novel will get an unforgettable experience out of it.
*This series unfortunately has a rather complex presentation. Only Steam has English version releases, the other consoles never saw a release outside of Japan.
The Question Arcs are four games named Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, Tatarigoroshi-hen and Himatsubushi-hen.
**The Answer Arcs comprise the Kai Series and are another four games named Meakashi-hen, Tsumihoroboshi-hen, Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen.
These eight games comprise the entirety of the main story. Steam as of writing only has Chapters 1-6 of 8. They are listed under "Higurashi When They Cry Hou"
OST Composers
Dai, Kenji Kawai, Tomoyuki Nakazawa, Hiroyuki Oshima
OST Highlights
Main Theme, Oyashiro-sama, You
Trivia
The town that Higurashi's Hinamizawa is based off of had to make a new wall in their shrine, due to fans of the game putting too many things on said wall.
Why UshiromiyaEva thinks you should play this game?
[...] Higurashi is a disorienting, methodical trip of a game. Though much of its more violent content is explained only in words and sounds, it paints enough of a vivid picture of you to feel disdain as you slowly lose trust in everything and everyone around you as you slowly feel yourself trapped in the small village of Hinamizawa.
OST Composers
Masami Ueda, Saori Maeda
OST Highlights
Nemesis' Theme, Carlos' Theme, The Clock Tower, Cold Sweat
Trivia
Due to a mistranslated interview with one of the game's developers, there was a persistent fan rumor that Nemesis was actually one of the characters featured previously in the series, captured and mutated by Umbrella. While this ended up not being the case in RE3, it did influence Nemesis' portrayal in the accompanying live-action film.
Why S.T.A.R.S Beret thinks you should play this game?
A dark horse pick out of the original trilogy but this has always been a favorite of mine. I love the vast variety of locations and Nemesis really keeps you on your toes. This game has a pretty high level of challenge for me in comparison to the other 2 in the trilogy which can also be nice.
OST Composer
Shinji Hosoe
OST Highlights
9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors, Recollection, Quietus, Eternitybox
Trivia
Director Kotaro Uchikoshi's favorite character is Zero. Producer Jiro Ishii's favorite character is June.
Why PK_Wonder thinks you should play this game?
This was the first visual novel I ever played, and to this day the best of them. The story was engrossing, and the atmosphere provided a sense of urgency, tension, and terror to each puzzle that most visual novels can't come close to providing.
OST Composers
Makoto Tomozawa, Sayaka Fujita, Akari Kaida, Syun Nishigaki
OST Highlights
Set You At Ease, Pounced, Distorted Space-Time Continuum
Trivia
Despite its similarities to other games in the survival horror genre (including, of course, Resident Evil), Capcom dubbed Dino Crisis the first of a new genre of games called "panic horror," largely due to the enemies being dinosaurs.
Why Jawmuncher thinks you should play this game?
19 years [after its release, Dino Crisis] still holds the title as the best dinosaur game and the best dinosaur horror game to boot with virtually no competition. While it can be argued the genre specifically is rather niche. The fact that it has held this title for so long is quite the accolade and well worth the top vote.
*Luigi's Mansion is releasing for Nintendo 3DS on the 12th of October in NA and the 19th of October in Europe.
OST Composers
Kazumi Totaka, Shinobu Tanaka
OST Highlights
File Select, Sucking up Portrait Ghosts, Dark Rooms
Trivia
In its earlier development builds, the game was significantly harder in various ways: the Poltergust had an exhaust meter which, if overheated, could blow up; there was a ghost that could sneak up on Luigi and scare him; and the map that's included on the Game Boy Horror originally didn't have the feature to identify which keys accessed which rooms.
Why Poltergust thinks you should play this game?
No one over the age of 12 is going to be scared by this, but this game really does sell the idea of a scared Luigi exploring a creepy mansion to find his missing brother. The ghosts (especially the portrait ghosts) have very memorable designs and the game is surprisingly atmospheric with excellent music composed by Kazumi Totaka.