Just like horror movies, the best horror games also gave fans some memorable and terrifying serial killers over the years. Some of these murderers were new creations, but fans were also able to meet their favorite serial killers again from popular movie franchises.
Gamers love serial killer games because these often petrifying stories also come with great twists, fun world-building, and hard-to-solve mysteries that keep players engaged throughout the whole experience. However, players don't necessarily have to play with a gore horror game to still get a great mystery and go after an iconic serial killer since non-horror games can be just as rousing as any bloody horror game.
Updated October 23, 2022 by Via Erhard: The scariest serial killers in games are some of the most devious and psychotic villains in the gaming world. While these monstrous murderers are some of the most known serial killers who love to torture and torment their victims it doesn't mean they aren't intelligent.
In most cases, it's quite the opposite and many of these serial killers managed to turn these already scary games into something truly horrifying that stays with players long after they finished playing the game. Some of these brilliantly terrifying games are thanks to modern creators. However, players can also try to outsmart these iconic murderers.
12 Walter Sullivan (Silent Hill 4: The Room)
Walter Sullivan is one of the creepiest serial killers in the Silent Hill franchise. He was a religious murderer who because of religious brainwashing wanted to kill twenty-one people so he could cleanse the world of its sins by performing the 21 Sacraments. This brutal murderer ended the lives of many adults and kids as well.
The players will have to step into the shoes of Henry, who can't escape his apartment and soon realizes that there is a weird hole in his wall that leads to another terrifying realm. There he meets Walter while exploring creepy locations including forests, subway stations, and prisons, and realizes that all locations and stories are leading back to Walter's childhood. It's one of the scariest supernatural serial killer video games that's perfect for those players who love retro games and dark mysteries.
11 Randall Forrester (Red Dead Redemption)
Randall Forrester is one of the most gruesome serial killers in gaming who not only murdered but also ate many of his victims. Thanks to this terrifying cannibal Red Dead Redemption is easily one of the creepiest serial killers in video games of all time.
Players will have to show off their survival skills if they want to stay alive in the dangerous but rather beautiful world of Red Dead Redemption. This thrilling open-world survival game has many dangerous and deadly characters but none as terrifying as its cannibalistic serial killer. While it's a more difficult game it's also a great choice for casual players who love western-themed games with well-crafted and horrifyingly realistic characters.
10 Bell Killer (Murdered: Soul Suspect)
The Bell Killer was Abigail's deadly alter ego. While Abigail might look like a harmless young girl she's actually a devious murderer who was just as deadly as a human as she is as a vengeful spirit. She uses her immense powers to possess people and uses them to murder mediums.
Thanks to this creepy young girl Murdered: Soul Suspect became one of the most terrifying and thrilling supernatural serial killer video games of all time. Players will go on a dark and mystery-filled adventure while trying to catch the Bell Killer of Salem. It's a great choice for beginners and avid gamers alike who are looking for twisty supernatural games.
9 Leland Vanhorn (Condemned: Criminal Origins)
Leland Vanhorn, AKA Serial Killer X, is one of the most iconic serial killers in the gaming world. He became famous because instead of killing innocents he would target other serial killers. While he mainly targeted other killers he did murder several police officers to save his own life.
Condemned: Criminal Origins is one of the twistiest serial killer games that is perfect for those who love realistic experiences. Players will step into the shoes of Ethan, who works for the FBI and has to investigate some of the most brutal serial killers of all time. It's a great choice for gamers who like stories like the Zodiac killer as well as spooky killer games with dark mysteries.
8 Eddie Low (Grand Theft Auto 4)
Eddie Low is Grand Theft Auto 4's perverted serial killer who makes the game more dangerous and exciting at the same time. It's well known that GTA has great mini-games, beautiful designs, and an exciting and menacing world filled with criminals.
Eddie is one of its most insane characters who is trying to kill Niko Bellic, the protagonist and player character of GTA 4. While this single-player action game is not the scariest game fans can play, it's one with a great story and gritty characters, set in one of the coolest city environments.
7 The Zodiac Killer (Watch Dogs 2)
Watchdogs 2 is a dynamic open-world game that features several main and side missions. Players get to step into the shoes of Marcus Holloway, a talented hacker who wants to take down CTOS 2.0 by using his intelligence and the many cool and useful weapons of the game. It's a third-person perspective game and is set in the beautiful city of San Francisco.
Its creepiest DLC-exclusive mission lets fans go after the infamous Zodiac Killer who just resurfaced after fifty long years. It's not a particularly scary mission, but it's a fun one with great details one of which is the fact that the Zodiac Killer actually looks like what real-life witnesses described to the police in the 60s.
6 Garrett Mason (L.A. Noire)
L.A. Noire is a brilliant detective video game set in the 40s and has a gritty noir vibe. Thanks to its great cases, unique gameplay, and interesting characters it quickly became one of the most beloved fan-favorite games set in Los Angeles that make its players deeply invested in the story.
Players get to step into the shoes of detective Cole Phelps an ambitious member of the LA police department. One of the coolest things about the game is that many of its cases are inspired by real-life crimes and serial killers and the creepiest one of them all is the Black Dahlia murders. Players will have to solve the most infamous murders of the 40s and put Garrett behind bars.
5 The Butcher (Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim)
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the most critically acclaimed action role-playing video games with fantastic visuals, and interesting characters, set in a fascinating fantasy world. The player's character is the Dragonborn who goes on a quest to kill the dragon who is prophesied to end the world.
This iconic game also has thrilling and dark quests and one of its bests is 'Blood on the Ice' thanks to its brutal serial killer and main antagonist The Butcher. This barbaric but powerful murderer has been killing and mutilating young women to harvest their body parts and no one else can stop him but the Dragonborn.
4 Scissorman (Clock Tower)
Clock Tower's terrifying Scissorman helped this vintage survival horror game become one of the most iconic games with serial killers. While the gameplay might feel slow for those who are accustomed to modern adventure games this classic still has a spooky scary Resident Evil-like vibe and requires players to use their detective skills to stay alive long enough and solve the mystery.
Clock Tower has nine multiple endings that are named alphabetically and fans can choose from five playable characters too. The story is set in the Clocktower mansion owned by Simon Barros who adopts four orphans. The story's serial killer Scissorman will appear randomly and pop out of surprising places to attack and kill the player with its gigantic scissors.
3 The Origami Killer (Heavy Rain)
Heavy Rain is one of the spookiest interactive decision-based thriller games with a scary serial killer called The Origami Killer. This ruthless child murderer drowns his victims by leaving them in drains during heavy rains.
This creepy but atmospheric game has four playable characters including a private detective, an FBI agent, a journalist, and a father whose son was just kidnaped by this merciless serial killer. Players will have to find and solve clues before Ethan's son is found dead.
2 The Raincoat Killer (Deadly Premonition)
Deadly Premonition not only has one of the scariest serial killers, but it's also one of the longest horror games on the market. It's a cozy open-world survival horror game with a great story inspired by David Lynch's Twin Peaks series.
Players can take on the role of a detective called Francis York, who has to investigate The Raincoat Killer in a fictional rural town called Greenvale. York will have to catch this now-iconic video game serial killer who believes that if he consumes the town's special red seeds and kills four people, he'll become immortal.
1 Ghost Face (Dead by Deadlight)
One of Dead by Daylight's most iconic killers from horror franchises has to be Ghost Face. This spooky multiplayer horror game is not just for horror movie fans but for anyone who loves a good scare.
One lucky player will take on the role of Ghost Face, the infamous serial killer while the four other players will be the survivors who have to avoid being tortured and killed. This competitive survival game has a great atmosphere and since it's one of the few ones that lets gamers play the killer fans can finally become the killers from their favorite stories.