Highlights

• Psychological horror games have consistently improved in quality due to advancements in gaming technology, allowing for frighteningly immersive experiences.
• The genre has become popular for producing engaging stories that explore the complexities of the human mind, appealing to both AAA and indie studios.
• Some notable psychological horror games include Condemned: Criminal Origins, Detention, and Layers of Fear, each offering unique and disturbing experiences for players.

Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror that predominantly focuses on unsettling and disturbing depictions of a person's mental state. Like the horror genre, the psychological horror subgenre has consistently grown in quality over the past couple of decades, as improvements in gaming technology have let developers create frighteningly immersive experiences. Furthermore, the amount of money in gaming today means that many studios can now afford high-quality voice actors capable of nailing layered, disturbed characters, enhancing the horror even further.

Psychological horror games are tough to get right, though there have been some fantastic entries into the genre that have provided memorable experiences for players. These games are the best of the bunch and show just how effective the medium of horror can be when its elements are executed correctly. Psychological horror video games have a certain allure that makes them hard to resist, but players would ideally want to experience the best games of the bunch instead of exposing themselves to less-than-ideal experiences in this genre.

Updated on January 30, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Psychological horror is a genre that can be hard to pull off without proper writing and execution. When games fail in this department, they bomb spectacularly and become horrendous experiences to deal with. However, there are times when some games flourish in this genre, becoming some of the best experiences anyone can subject themselves to. The best psychological horror games know how to build tension, culminating in wonderful payoffs as players are immersed in titles that take them for a wild and disturbing ride. A lot of these games tackle mature themes, so player discretion is advised.

17 Inscryption

Metascore: 85

A roguelite card game that transforms into something else entirely, Inscryption's haunting art style is one of the best things about the game. It unnerves players to see just how this game transforms throughout an epic journey that blends multiple genres.

It takes a while for the supernatural to rear its ugly head in Inscryption, but the game executes this part of the game flawlessly. Players will genuinely feel like their mind's been messed around with once they finish this engrossing game. Any player who falls in love with Inscryption makes it a point to tell players that jumping in blind is the optimal way to experience this masterpiece, with the magic of this game stemming from its wild unpredictability.

16 Devotion

Metascore: 86

The controversy surrounding Devotion received more attention than the game itself, which is a shame. This psychological horror title deals with a story revolving around abuse and mental anguish that is handled deftly.

With this game available on the official page of Red Candle Games, most fans can finally get their hands on a masterful horror game. Devotion features one of the best narratives told in a video game that messes with a player's head and forces them to go through some dark moments in the protagonist's life.

15 Condemned: Criminal Origins

Metascore: 81

Xbox 360 launch title Condemned: Criminal Origins follows FBI agent Ethan Thomas as he investigates assaults and killings in the fictional city of Metro. The game features a disturbing atmosphere and intense melee combat that is just as engaging today as it was back in 2005.

Condemned: Criminal Origins received a sequel in 2008 titled Condemned 2: Bloodshot. The game was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and is also well worth considering for psychological horror fans.

14 Detention

Metascore: 83

Detention is a 2017 psychological horror game developed by Red Candle Games that takes place in 1960s Taiwan, which was under martial law at the time. The game's atmosphere, visuals, and sound design are among the best in horror gaming today, while the "lingered" enemies are some of the most disturbing enemies that the genre has ever produced.

The game is made by the same people who worked on Devotion, and it shows. Fans of Red Candle Games will love how expertly this game tackles the psychological horror genre, making it a fun title for people to engage with.

13 Layers Of Fear

Metascore: 75 (2023 Remake)

Layers of Fear was developed by Bloober Team, who have created numerous psychological horror games over the past decade, including Observer, Blair Witch, and The Medium. It puts players in control of a troubled painter who is desperately trying to create a masterpiece.

The game isn't for the faint-hearted, as Layers of Fear is packed with jump scares that made the game a hit with reactionary streamers. The 2023 remake was something that most fans deemed unnecessary, but it still allowed more people to check out a better and visually updated version of Layers of Fear. It's a great way to experience a unique psychological horror game.

12 F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon

Metascore: 88

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who don't find children scary and those who have played the original F.E.A.R.

Monolith Productions' F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon was first released in October 2005 and introduced the gaming world to Alma Wade, a psychic spirit out for revenge after the Armacham Technology Corporation conducted disturbing experiments on her. Unlike many other games on this list, F.E.A.R. is a combat-heavy shooter that features surprisingly solid FPS mechanics for a horror game.

11 Silent Hill

Metascore: 86

The first game in the iconic Silent Hill series was developed by Konami's Team Silent and first released on PlayStation 1 in 1999 before arriving on Game Boy Advance in 2001.

Silent Hill stood out from other horror games at the time with its disturbing but encapsulating atmosphere and for putting the player in control of a regular person instead of a trained soldier or police officer, which was uncommon at the time. While Silent Hill's visuals and many of its gameplay mechanics struggle to hold up today, its storyline is still gripping, and it deserves to be mentioned among the genre's best releases for its influence on horror gaming alone.

10 Silent Hill 3

Metascore: 85

From one Silent Hill game to another, Silent Hill 3 was also developed by Konami's Team Silent and was released on PlayStation 2 and PC in 2003.

The game puts players in control of a teenager named Heather, who finds herself alone in a shopping mall following a nightmare. Silent Hill 3 doesn't try to reinvent the wheel with its gameplay, as exploration and puzzle-solving are again at the forefront. Silent Hill 3 was a hit with fans and critics alike, doing justice to the psychological horror genre and then some.

9 Doki Doki Literature Club!

Metascore: 85 (Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!)

One inherent issue with making a psychological horror video game is that when a game brands itself as psychological horror, players will boot the game up already expecting shocking imagery, key characters having severe mental issues, and other quintessential aspects of the genre, making it difficult for the developers to create a genuinely unsettling experience.

Doki Doki Literature Club! aimed to solve this issue by trying to hide that it was a psychological horror game. The game was originally branded as simply a visual novel, and images of the game made it look like some sort of dating simulator, which is exactly how the game appears to begin with. However, Doki Doki Literature Club! will soon take some disturbing turns based on the player's choices, which can affect not only the main character but also the player in ways they would never expect.

8 Outlast

Metascore: 80

Like many indie horror games from the past decade, Outlast can attribute much of its success to streamers and influencers, who would have large audiences watching them to see their horrified reactions to many of the game's scariest moments. Along with a handful of jump scares, Outlast also aims to frighten its players by not letting them use weapons - meaning their only choice is to run and hide - creating some extremely tense moments.

Outlast received a sequel in 2017, which struggled to have the same impact as its predecessor but is certainly worth checking out for fans of the first game.

7 Soma

Metascore: 84

Soma was released in 2015 by Frictional Games, the same company that made the psychological horror game Amnesia: The Dark Descent (more on that later). Consequently, the game was highly anticipated by psychological horror fans, which, as mentioned before, can make it difficult for developers to unsettle players, as they will already know roughly what to expect. Frictional Games did a fantastic job of subverting expectations, however, by misleading players in a subtle way.

The game begins with the protagonist suffering a serious brain injury and agreeing to let a doctor perform experimental treatment on them, which results in them waking up in an unfamiliar, eerie place. Seasoned psychological horror fans' ears will have perked up at "brain injury," and many will have expected the protagonist to have awoken in some sort of manifestation of their inner thoughts - an expectation that the developers were likely leading players down. Instead, what follows is a Black Mirror-like look into the possibilities of technological advancements.

6 Observer

Metascore: 78

Observer was first released in 2017 by Bloober Team, the same studio that created The Medium, Layers of Fear, and Blair Witch. Like the aforementioned Soma, Observer received some criticisms upon release for its gameplay, which put a lot of players off purchasing it. However, the game's world design, atmosphere, and story are all among the best in the psychological horror genre, making it a must-buy for anyone wanting to be immersed in such a game.

In November 2020, an enhanced version of the game was released titled Observer: System Redux. The game features more story content and improved visuals and is ultimately the best way to play Observer today.

5 Omori

Metascore: 87

Omori is a unique entry on this list as the game features an interesting blend of psychological horror and classic Japanese role-playing gameplay. The game puts players in control of a withdrawn teenager named Sunny and follows him in both his real life and the dream world that he has created.

Omori is based on a webcomic series of the same name and was initially released on PC in late 2020 after a Kickstarter campaign. The game's haunting story goes down a dark and depressing path, which is what makes the true ending's hopeful nature all the more impressive.

4 Alan Wake

Metascore: 83

Alan Wake was initially released exclusively on Xbox 360 in 2010 before coming to PC just under two years later. In October 2021, a remastered version of the game was released with both DLCs on most modern platforms.

The game's psychological horror story takes a healthy dose of influence from Stephen King, who is referenced in the opening. This is particularly clear in the abundance of supernatural enemies and occurrences present, which accompany the story's focus on a writer worried that he's losing his mind.

3 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Metascore: 81

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was developed by Ninja Theory and is an unorthodox psychological horror game in the sense that - unlike most games in the genre - it doesn't take place in the modern-day with an immediately relatable protagonist; it is instead set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Celtic and Norse mythology.

Despite this fantasy setting, the game's story focuses on the all-too-real mental illness of psychosis. Hellblade's depiction of psychosis, which was constructed with the help of neuroscientists, has been central to the game's praise.

2 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Metascore: 85

Amnesia: The Dark Descent was released in September 2010 by Frictional Games and is one of the most influential games in not just psychological horror history but horror history in general. Like Outlast, much of the game's success can be attributed to frightened YouTubers playing through the game to the amusement of their audience, most notably PewDiePie.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent was particularly influential for not giving players any weapons, which went against the grain of horror releases at the time, as they were becoming more and more like action games with zombies simply taking the place of soldiers, aliens, or whatever else.

1 Silent Hill 2

Metascore: 89

As mentioned before, psychological horror games are, generally speaking, getting better and better as technological advancements allow developers to create more detailed, immersive, and ultimately scary horror experiences. This serves as a reminder as to how special of a game Silent Hill 2 is, as despite being released over 20 years ago, it still offers one of the best horror experiences in gaming.

This is predominantly due to how great Silent Hill 2's storytelling is, as the journey of discovering what happened to Mary is still as interesting today as it was upon release, while the depiction of James' psyche remains one of gaming's best visual storytelling achievements.