Video games are exceptional for their ability to immerse audiences into different worlds that showcase many unique genres of games. However, horror video games have become some of the most popular titles in the industry because of just how well they can get under the audience’s skin. Horror titles have found ways to get progressively more terrifying as video game technology evolves and it’s remarkable to see how scary some modern games have become.
Many horror games are full of excessive blood and gore or rampant deaths, which can be too much for certain players. There are also a number of exceptional horror video games that don’t indulge in bloody violence, but are still deeply frightening.
10 Five Nights At Freddy’s
The Five Nights at Freddy’s series takes such a strange and niche idea that it’s a little surprising that the games have taken off to become such a mainstream phenomenon. The titles prey upon the creepiness associated with animatronic creatures and the simple premise where unsuspecting individuals navigate through this unnerving environment works so well. Five Nights at Freddy’s features death and disturbing themes, but the game mostly trades in jump scares that take advantage of its first-person perspective. It knows what works better when it’s left to the imagination.
9 The Exorcist: Legion VR
Virtual reality gaming has taken tremendous strides forward, but it’s still not something that’s turned into the norm for audiences. Titles can be questionable, but the horror genre is a place where VR really excels. The Exorcist: Legion VR is set within the world of the iconic horror film and the game’s episodic structure puts the player up against different demons that test their character in different ways. Much like in The Exorcist film, the scares here come from the demonic assault and not gratuitous violence.
8 Little Nightmares
Tarsier Studios’ Little Nightmares is a horror game that's more of a puzzle-platformer, which makes it distinct from many of the other titles looked at here. Little Nightmares feels like if Roald Dahl created a BioShock game and it's a title that's scary throughout its constant suspense and its unforgettable art design and unique world.
Six's mission to escape from this dystopian world where children are treated like prisoners and currency is a deeply emotional journey. There are plenty of disturbing visuals, but it leaves the steady murder of monsters off the menu.
7 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
The Amnesia series is a testament to how far atmosphere can go in a video game and these titles have turned into masterpieces in tension. Every game in the series has its unique charms, but the first entry, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, is still one of the best examples of what these games have to offer. Players navigate through a mysterious castle that’s full of absolutely disturbing monsters and sights that will confound the mind. Amnesia understands how to create real fear without a fixation on excessive violence. The threat of being pursued is more than enough.
6 Alien: Isolation
Many Alien titles are gratuitous action titles and shooters with a bit of horror thrown in for good measure. Alien: Isolation redefines what’s possible by its creation of an extremely tense game of cat and mouse between the player and a brilliant Xenomorph. Alien: Isolation is such a success because it creates an experience that’s comparables to the films because of how invincible the Xenomorph feels. There’s lots of death and the player is likely to be repeatedly killed by the Xenomorph, but it happens so quickly that there’s no time for gore.
5 Layers Of Fear
Layers of Fear, as well as its expansion and sequel, are all excellent examples of psychological horror titles that are primarily story driven. Layers of Fear wants to frighten the player with its dark revelations and the increasingly frayed state of the protagonist's mind.
Players control a painter with psychological issues who struggles to finish a major piece of work while he's left to work through his tortured memories inside of a creepy, old mansion. It’s the ideal game for players that want to get frightened, but not have to mow down hordes of murderous enemies.
4 SOMA
Frictional Games have proven themselves to be fantastic developers of modern horror titles. Soma is a first-person survival horror title, but it's mostly concerned with psychological scares and an intricate narrative. It tells a deep story about consciousness, identity, and machine-human hybrids. Puzzles and clues are more important than the slaying of monsters, all of which also have thematic significance. Soma isn't void of violence, but its focus on audio recordings, journal entries, and crushing character moments are where most of the tension and fear is born.
3 Alan Wake
Alan Wake is an ambitious and immersive psychological horror title that made a big impression back on the Xbox 360, but is still a property that’s discussed today. The game features a writer whose wife disappears and the plot of his latest novel comes to life. Alan Wake features unique enemies that are taken over with a darkness, so light becomes a powerful weapon, which helps avoids conventionally bloody encounters. Alan Wake does feature some minor head injuries as Alan takes on damage, but it’s a horror title that finds ways to engage its audience in ways other than gore.
2 Dead By Daylight
Dead by Daylight is a dream come true for any fans of horror cinema. The multiplayer experience mashes up many of the most popular horror icons and it pays tribute to movies like Halloween, The Blair Witch Project, Saw, and many more. Players can either control one of these famous killers or try to survive as a normal human. To be fair, there is some occasional blood in the game, but it’s mostly used in an aesthetic sense. There are small spurts of blood from attacks, but it’s a surprisingly restrained effort for a game that revolves around slasher villains.
1 Ju-On The Grudge: Haunted House Simulator
The Wii is a Nintendo console that’s often just reduced to its motion control gimmick, but there are still some fascinating games hidden away on the Wii that are hard to believe exist. Ju-On The Grudge: Haunted House Simulator is a bizarre title that puts players through various encounters with ghosts as they navigate their way through environments in a first-person perspective. Haunted House Simulator is a very mild game in terms of its scares and most people should be able to handle the brief jump scares that it throws at the player.