Video games have the power to excite and, in some cases, scare the pants off of you. The combination of a late night and a horror game can provide the most dreadful experience of a lifetime. As evidenced by this list, video games don't have to be from the horror genre to be frightening. The Reddit community regards these stories as some of the most chilling in existence. So, close the blinds and turn off the lights; these are 10 horrific stories from Reddit gamers that will keep you up at night.
10 University Friends' Outlast Terror Story - u/naggoh
Reddit user naggoh should think again if they plan to play Outlast, one of the scariest video games, on a windy autumn night. It's hard to predict when a real-life leaf is going to blow across the screen and scare the heck out of you, which is exactly what happened to OP. It's like that scene from The Ring where Samara jumps out of the television screen; players don't expect their video game to meet real-life. Had the incident happened while playing an adventure game, it probably wouldn't have been nearly as startling.
9 The Sims Horror Story - u/deleted
This unnamed Reddit user was playing the original The Sims game when the worst happened. Playing a game like The Sims for the first time can be a harrowing experience for someone who is nine years old, and having your home lit ablaze is frightening for most. A game like The Sims is rated T for teen, which is why people don't expect tragedy to ensue. Many of us can relate to this The Sims story, even if it's a gaming nightmare.
Newcomers to the series may not know that they have to call the fire department to extinguish out of control fires. The whole ordeal sounds like a bad dream. Hopefully, this tale doesn't discourage you from playing The Sims because it isn't meant to be scary.
8 Don't Turn Off The Console - u/oddballAstronomer
An amusing time with one of Nintendo's most popular game franchises turned into the opposite. This gaming horror story reminds us why it's essential to listen to on-screen prompts as they appear. Please don't turn off the console while it's loading or it could become one of your worst gaming nightmares. We can sympathize with oddballAstronomer's story.
Who could've predicted Animal Crossing could be such a horrendous game? It's a game that is rated E for Everyone. The ESRB rating organization must have overlooked this small glitch in the game. Glitches like this don't happen often, but when they do, kids receive a horror story to tell for the rest of their life.
7 300 Hours Of Final Fantasy 7 - u/Carlyone
Final Fantasy VII is widely regarded as one of the best role-playing games of all time. It's not meant to be a frightening game, but gaming stories are only related to the horror genre most of the time.
In this story, Reddit user Carlyone lost a game save with over 300 hours of gameplay. His little brother's friend thought it would be funny to delete Carlyone's game save, despite pleas from around the room. This story should serve as a lesson for other gamers who frequently play the same game.
6 Eternal Darkness on GameCube - u/Self-Medicated-Dad
Eternal Darkness for the Nintendo GameCube is a psychological horror game that was once going to be released for the Nintendo 64. In the end, it became an exclusive for the Nintendo GameCube, so not a lot of people got a chance to play it.
It's obvious that the game is scary—especially with the lights off late at night. An interruption like a cat behind your television screen is all the game needs to shock you as you let your guard down. Reddit user campbellrama was horrified by the "bloodcurdling scream from the TV." This gamer may think again before playing a horror game alone on a stormy night.
5 Listen To Video Game Warnings - u/WillyDope
This part of the game experienced by Reddit user WillyDope is a bizarre moment in Metal Gear Solid history. The naked guy he refers to is not Naked Snake (like many would expect), but Raiden. This section was funny at the time, but who could have guessed that the part of the game could turn into a horror story? WillyDope was wise to listen to Metal Gear Solid 2's prompts. He decided to take a break and just "cut the game off." The section of the game only gets more disturbing as it goes on, so we're glad he did.
4 Scariest, Most Disturbing, Or Eeriest Game Ever Played - u/3angrybears
Sleepovers can provide the best of memories and the worst of memories. Those who are new to video games' horror genre may not know the potential of its terror. Some horror movies pale in comparison to horror video games. Playing a game in the first-person adds a layer of realism.
Luckily, Reddit user 3angrybears decided to stop playing Fatal Frame, one of the scariest horror video games of all time. The game revolves around taking pictures of ghosts to exorcise their spirits. 3angrybears "screamed, threw the controller at the TV, and leapt behind the table." This short story applies to many people who think they can tackle a horror game. Play the wrong game and it can give you chilling nightmares for more than a fortnight.
3 Blue Screen Of Horror - u/WholelottaS4lt
Houses have a variety of noises that are usually not related to a stranger in your home. Typically, an unexplained creak in a house is related to a house settling, but not something unexplainable. Reddit user WholelottaS4lt ignored all rationale, thinking something or someone might be in the house because their staircase making a noise. Coincidentally, WholelottaS4lt's computer blue screened, and they lost their game save. The lesson is to save your game frequently and try to be less paranoid.
2 The Unexplainable Moving Mouse - u/Drone314
This person was up late at night playing an MMO when their mouse started to move erratically. It's uncertain what Reddit user Drone314 means when they said "kill it with fire." The combination of paranoia and not enough sleep made this person think the worst. A mouse signal interference was the issue and not a hacker, as Drone314 believed. Someone hacking into your computer using remote desktop or turning on your webcam are two common fears people have with computers. It's safe to say that Drone314 overreacted.
1 The Hardcore Insane Tank - u/cursed_deity
A "hardcore insane tank" Reddit user cursed_deity refers to is not a war tank, but rather a monster found in Left 4 Dead. A glitch in the game led to a horrifying event for this gamer. A glitched tank somehow broke through a door and attacked with a vengeance. The door was solid, so it's unknown how the "hardcore insane tank" broke through the door.
What's shocking, however, is that it wasn't the content of the game that scared this person, but rather a bug. Something unusual happened this day. They "never encountered anything like it again," so it's safe to say it was a bug and not part of the game.