Been meaning to organize one of these for a while since the last attempts were fun, and I noticed there's never been one for horror games(to my knowledge), sooo:

Voting Phase


Voting will be open for the next two weeks, ending on July 24th, 2016 at 11:59PM EST.

Feel free to edit your votes until then, but use your original post instead of duplicating the list on a new post. After the voting phase, I'll tally everyone's picks and create an OP with summaries of the top games.


1. Each member can vote for up to 5 games + 5 honorable mentions. If you include 5 games or less on your list, I'll count them all as regular votes. If you have more than 5 games on your list but do not specify which ones are honorable mentions, I will assume the first 5 are regular votes and the ones after that are honorable mentions. If you want to list more than 10 games (some users did in the RPG thread), put them under a second heading called "Unranked Honorable Mentions".

2. You need to vote for at least 3 games to qualify. The purpose of this thread is to highlight horror games that you think are essential or worth playing, not to boost the ranking of 1 or 2 of your favorites.

3. Votes are semi-weighted. This is done to (hopefully) avoid ties in the final list. All regular votes are worth 2 points and all honorable mentions are worth 1 point. Following rule #1, this means you can have up to 5 games that each receive 2 points and 2 honorable mentions that each receive 1 point. Ideally, this will help to break up the number of ties.

4. All sub-genres of horror are eligible for voting. Votes can be for any title released any system(or PC) at any point in time prior to the time you post your list.

Much like in the other voting threads, I won't be picky about what is or isn't a horror game. If there's an element of tension or unease, you're welcome to nominate it. Action game, platformer, visual novel, puzzle(!?), whatever.
If you think someone's nomination isn't appropriate, let it be, the votes will tell the tale.

5. Back up your choices! No one is interested in reading a post that simply lists 5 games with no explanations.

Screens and music encouraged!

I highly encourage voters to include a few choice songs within their lists, ideally with links to youtube recordings or what not, i.e. Room of Angel (SH4).

6. Use full titles for the games you are voting for. Tallying votes is a tedious process that is made more difficult when people vote for SH2 instead of Silent Hill 2 and so on. (PT is fine, of course.)

7. Votes for ports and expansions of a game will be counted together with the original, platform won't be a factor. Do not vote for the same game twice, unless you feel it's a huge difference(such as Resident Evil original VS Resident Evil REmake).

That said, feel free to vote for a specific version of a game (and explain why that is the best version). When I create the final list I will list all of the platforms that each game is available on and make note of substantial remakes/expansions in the game's summary.


Here is a ballot template you can use:

1) Horror Game 1 - Explanation
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Soundtrack Example (Game)

2) Horror Game 2 - Explanation
(image)
Soundtrack Example (Game)

3) Horror Game 3 - Explanation
(image)
Soundtrack Example (Game)

4) Horror Game 4 - Explanation
(image)
Soundtrack Example (Game)

5) Horror Game 5 - Explanation
(image)
Soundtrack Example (Game)


Honorable Mentions

1) Horror Game 1 - Explanation
(image)
Soundtrack Example (Game)

2) Horror Game 2 - Explanation
(image)
Soundtrack Example (Game)

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Feel free to modify the format if you want to include pictures or whatever.

Happy voting! I'll post mine soon.

I copy my answer from the thread I've made yesterday:

No surprise considering my avatar but still...
I own (or have owned) pretty much all consoles. I rebought a PS2 and I'm currently playing PS1 and PS2 games like Dino Crisis or Haunting Ground.
Where are those games today? There's nothing like it. Survival horror is pretty much dead.
Anyways, those games are fantastic but Silent Hill 2 is still the best horror game ever made, imo.
It still has great graphics (I'm playing the PS2 version on my HDTV), the story is phenomenal, the pacing is perfect, the sound (and soundtrack) is unmatched and the atmosphere...oh boy....the atmosphere.

1. Silent Hill 2
2. Silent Hill 1
3. Resident Evil REmake
4. Silent Hill 3
5. Dino Crisis

Honorable mentions:

1. Killer7
2. Haunting Ground
3. Silent Hill 4
4. Resident Evil 4
5. Fatal Frame 2

1. Clock Tower (the original aka The First Fear)

The original Clock Tower sits comfortably at the top for its purity as a horror experience, it is a horror game and only a horror game. No concessions are made to give the player more power, or to make the game more 'fun', or to do anything that isn't in service of it being a horror game.

2. Rule of Rose

Rule of Rose is a fantastic horror experience, sure its gameplay is pretty lackluster, but since when has that stopped a game(particularly a horror one) from being good? The game is actually not that dissimilar to Silent Hill 2(and is superior to it, in my opinion), being a psychological horror story wrapped in the skin of a supernatural one. And, jeez louise, the Mermaid Princess.

3. Silent Hill 3

The undisputed king of the Silent Hill series, everything about it is first class. It does suffer from the 'has combat that becomes easier as you play thus deflating tension' problem that seems to be endemic to Survival Horror games but it isn't sunk by it. Its imagery is potent, outdoing everything in its forebears(excluding the Abstract Daddy), and its command of tone is perfect. And despite the opinion I've seen here and there, Heather's voice acting is great, certainly the best in the entire series.

4. Scratches

Scratches is a game that I have a hard time explaining how or why it works. The basic Myst-like nature of it should be a complete atmosphere killer but it works. And that is true of the whole thing, its story isn't super original, its graphics and visual design is nothing special, but it is executed perfectly, from top to bottom.

5. Martian Gothic: Unification

Martian Gothic is a very uneven game but it is one that I love quite a bit. The quality of the voice acting is all over the place but the writing is top-notch. The three character switcheroo concept is great, the atmosphere is solid with some pleasant design decisions for the base(the corridors may be all metal and industrial but the rooms were designed for comfort), and the gameplay is...well it works. Not a masterpiece but definitely a game that never got its due.

1. Bloodborne - The first game that nails cosmic horror and does it in such a way that lore and mechanics intertwine in almost perfect harmony. One of the greatest games of all time, let alone horror.
2. Resident Evil 4 - There might be scarier games in the world, but this is still very much a horror game, just a more action packed one. And what action it is. It's a masterpiece of design, beautifully paced and full of unforgettable moments.
3. P.T. - Playing the Resi 7 demo recently reminded me how much better, scarier and cleverly designed this was. It's a self-contained horror masterpiece. We'll never get Silent Hills, but at least we got this and we should be grateful for it.
4. System Shock 2 - I adore space horror, so yes, I can't wait for the remake of this masterpiece. SHODAN will go down as one of gaming's greatest villains.
5. Dead Space - See above. I actually think 2 is a better game, but this one did it first and is arguably the scarier of the two. I know some people think it has too much action, but I like a bit of action in my horror and the way this game combined things like cutting off limbs for more than cosmetic effect, zero G and getting out in space itself was wonderful. Shame this series is dead now.

1. Silent Hill 2 - Masterfully blends narrative with its gameplay to create the most compelling and engrossing horror experience in a video game. Silent Hill 2 touches on topics that were foreign for video games at the time and are still rarely shown today. James Sunderland's search for his "dead" wife Mary and his redemption through suffering is an unforgettable tale.

2. Resident Evil Remake - In terms of level design and memorable locations, the original Resident Evil is certainly the king with the Spencer Mansion. The Remake added Crimson Heads and beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds that still look strong today.

3. Silent Hill 3 - The most grimy game of all time. Anybody else feel absolutely terrible for Heather while playing this game? It's disgusting and enthralling at the same time - and level design & gameplay wise a huge step up over SH2. It's general narrative isn't as compelling as SH2's but it makes up for it with more interesting & menacing enemies, as well as a greater focus on sheer horror. I also want to give a shout out to it's incredible character and facial animations.

4. Resident Evil 4 -
5. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem -

1. Silent Hill 2
2. Bloodborne
3. Resident Evil 4
4. Dead Space
5. Silent Hill 3

Core 5

1 Dead Space 2
2 F.E.A.R
3 Anatomy (Kitty Horrorshow)
4 Resident Evil 4
5 Pathologic

Honourable Mentions

1 System Shock 2
2 Alan Wake
3 Condemned
4 Five Nights at Freddy's
5 I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream

And there you go, I think that is a nice mix of insane action games, horrific survival games and games which only intention is to set ideas spinning in your mind till they destroy you from the inside out.

HERE WE GO
1) Silent Hill 2

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My favorite game of all time. My favorite piece of art of all time. Silent Hill 2 is the flame that burns in my soul and keeps my faith in humanity burning bright and hard. The fact that people like you and me made this work of majesty to me shows that we are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to.

To me, Silent Hill 2 is more than just a perfect game. Perfect story, gameplay, atmosphere, music, pacing, structure, content, characters, setting, symbolism, tension, level design, game design, sound effects, enemy encounter design. Generally speaking, if I comment on any aspect of game design, chances are Silent Hill 2 is what I'd say is the best execution of that design principle in action. The minute I put the game down I stared blankly at my screen, incapable of comprehending the sheer brilliance of everything put before my very eyes. I swore to myself to never play the game ever again, because even though I thought it was excellent at the time, I felt like my heart could not take it anymore. But I revisited it almost immediately and as time progressed I soon found myself pining over the game more and more. And now it is beyond the gold standard of horror, video games, and artistic expression. Silent Hill 2 is humanity's magnum opus. And we are all better for living in a world where such unfathomable beauty can exist.

The Theme of Laura


2) Silent Hill 3

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A significantly worse sequel to the literal greatest thing to happen to artistic expression, but still incredible enough to sit solidly at my 8th favorite game of all time position. Silent Hill 3 burns brightly with excellent characters, atmosphere, scares, music, and gameplay, it stumbles moderately when it comes to level design and story and simply falls flat on its face in overworld design and enemy encounter design. I adore Silent Hill 3, though, and I find it scarier than Silent Hill 2... but not more terrifying. Still, SH3 was an incredible romp that I've beaten over a dozen times and Heather is my 2nd favorite character in fiction (James is 1st, of course) and it's a shining example of everything right about horror.

Also fun fact, by the end of the summer, I will get my first tattoo, which will be a Halo of the Sun! It's gonna be great!

You're Not Here

3) Five Nights At Freddys

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For all of the flack that the franchise gets, Five Nights At Freddys is so geniusly designed that I will defend it until the day I drop dead. FNAF engineers tension and horror so expertly that in my 400+ hour odyssey into the genre of horror (games, books, movies, shows, etc), the time I spent with FNAF is among the scariest of them all. The tension and stress that goes into even thinking about spending time in the game is enough for me to think incredibly highly over it, I can't name any work of art that does that. Its simplicity works in its favor and the magic of expert craftsmanship can be felt through every beat of gameplay. FNAF goes beyond AAA horror and lands itself scarier than 148/~150 horror films I've seen and most games as well.

Menu Theme

4) Resident Evil

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Of course, horror isn't purely about scares or psychological tension, at least to me anyway. There's an innate magic over the non frightening attempting to scare you in kitschy fashion, which is why Halloween is still magical even though I'm no longer a child. There's still something heartwarming and lovable about paper ghosts and jack o lanterns with smiley faces on them, and to me this adorable "fun" that horror provides is masterfully captured by Resident Evil. Resident Evil isn't scary. At all. It's less scary than Luigi's Mansion, of all things. But it's some of the most fun you can possibly have in a game, exploring one of my favorite settings of all time, and solving fun puzzles and enjoying dumb dialogue from characters that are better seen as planks of wood than humans. It's dumb and lovable, and the game's attempts at scaring are so adorable that it makes the game ooze with charm and instantly recommendable to anyone.

First Floor Mansion Revisited

5) P.T.

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All of the magic that came from my initial love of P.T. is that I have a massive affinity for media that pretends to be trashy and inconsequential but reveals that there is so much more to it than that. Films like Session 9 and Oculus exemplify this beautifully. When I entered P.T. for the first time, I expected a dumb horror game with a silly talking paper bag that I'll enjoy ironically and move on to the next dumb fun work. But playing P.T. was transcendent. Initially playing it, I never felt scared but I was floored with how brilliant the tension was and how gorgeous the game depicted its singular focus. What really impressed me was that I found that the more I uncovered the game's secrets, the more I paranoid I found myself. Getting jump scared by the spoopy ghost wasn't a terrifying prospect until I had revisted the game later and found out the mechanism that caused it to happen. When I realized that deaths weren't random and were triggered by my actions, that instantly caused me to shift into paranoia, anxious that I might slip and cause it to happen. It was an elegant dance that, while not scary, was exciting and enthralling.

Oh and it happened to be a demo for a Silent Hill revival starring one of my favorite actors. No big deal.

Ambiance

Honorable Mentions

1) Silent Hill Homecoming
Trashy funhouse shock horror that I fell in love with. It was The Evil Within done well instead of horrifically awful. Silent Hill Homecoming is the only game I've ever played that I describe as my guilty pleasure.

2) Song of Saya
The "Where The Dead Go To Die" of video games? Maybe? Still shocking and enthralling enough to recommend, even if there might be games out there that push the boundaries of taste even further.

3) Outlast
Once you learn Outlast's tricks and rules, the game immediately drops in tension, but until that point it's a pretty tense ride. Also the camera gimmick reminds me of Paranormal Activity meets Pokemon Snap and that's absolutely awesome.

4) Amnesia: The Dark Descent
I actually think the game isn't that good, but oh my god is it frightening. It's so scary.

5) Luigi's Mansion
A horror game for kids! Kid Horror gets so much respect in my eyes and the fact that the game is excellent and still kind of spooky is incredible. The boss design was brilliant, gameplay and premise was awesome, and the atmosphere was shockingly good. Too bad about its terrible sequel.

I have a feeling Resident Evil 4 will be in top 10. Ewww.

Anyway:

- Silent Hill 1

Silent Hill will always have something the other games in the series don't have to me: It really played on the fear of the "unknown".

Back then, we didn't know Silent Hill monsters were a representation of someone fear, or the town true nature. Everything was new and obscure and weird. So many brilliant moments like the Hospital 4th floor appearing out of nowhere.

The game is also master class of enviroment design and puzzles, and one of the few games that used console limitations at its advantage.

- Clock Tower: The First Fear

- Forbidden Siren

Siren is kind of a weird game. It's hard as hell, to the point it felt like the developers forgot they were making a videogame and it should be fun. Progression is obscure and borderline impossible. Sub-objectives don't get saved, forcing you to restart a level. Ironically, the brutal game difficulty ends up enhancing the experience. The three days of Hanuda village are a nightmarish experience filled with desperation and without hope because how hard everything is.

- Rule of Rose

As a game, RoR sucks. Plain and simple. The controls are unresponsive, slow, the basic gameplay is tedious and the combat hit detection is absolutely bananas. But it... works. It may have not been intentional, but the slow, moving protagonist is absolutely in tune with the story. ("It slowly wriggles its large body and stares at the sky with a remorseful look.")

One of the best moments in the medium game works because you, the player, endured hours of agonizing, clumsy moving protagonist. And it's fucking glorious.

It also has a fabulous OST.



- Resident Evil Remake

Honorable mentions:

-Penumbra: Overture
-Project Zero 2/Fatal Frame 2 (Original)
-Hellnight/Dark Messiah
-Silent Hill: Shattered Memories(It's not exactly Horror, but... meh)
-Darkness Within 2: The Dark Lineage (There are probably better games, but I feel like giving this one a shout-out. Silent Hill 2 will get enough votes as it is now)

gforguava said:

1. Clock Tower (the original aka The First Fear)
2. Rule of Rose
3. Silent Hill 3
4. Scratches
5. Martian Gothic: Unification

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Someone liked... that?

1. Resident Evil REmake
2. Silent Hill 2
3. Resident Evil 4
4. Dead Space 2
5. Until Dawn

Honorable Mentions
6. Alien: Isolation
7. Eternal Darkness
8. Silent Hill
9. Outlast
10. P.T. (Love it, but since it really doesn't exist anymore, I don't feel comfortable putting it on the real list)

Oh dear, I love too many horror games. However, being such a fan of them, I'm definitely submitting a vote right now, but I'm terrible at favorites. Going for the full 10 votes, but know that I could easily name more and more. I have a broad taste for the genre and part of me wants to name some timeless classics, while the other part wants to bring up some of my personal favorite more niche games I love, I'll try to do some mix here.

Keep in mind that these aren't in any specific order, I am just helping some titles I hold very dear personally, and I couldn't arrange them in personal preference order; I love them all.

REGULAR VOTES:

01.) WhiteDay: A Labyrinth Named School



An overlooked classic, though I do suspect it'll get some more attention in the next year or two as a pretty faithful remake (basically just prettier and with some new content, ghosts, locations, scenes, etc.), is releasing on PC and PS4 later this/next year. Already released internationally on mobiles... But anyways. WhiteDay was originally a 2001 PC Korean horrror game that was leagues ahead of its time. It is the first ever first-person hide'n'seek defenseless horror game with physics-based gameplay/puzzle game that would become popular 10 years later, and in mine and many other people's opinion, still one of the best. Game has a reputation for being one of the scariest games ever made (I think that's a bit overblown, buuut I will admit it's definitely higher up there for my personal 'scariest' games list, though the scares do somewhat scale to difficulty).

It has a very unique sound design, and funnily enough featured solutions to the hide'n'seek horror game that current games of the era that do this style have issues with, and solved them before they even existed. In WhiteDay, you are stalked primarily by a twisted janitor, who randomly wanders the school (he can literally enter any room at nearly any time), and you may hear him coming by the jingling of his keys. But the school is twisting; supernatural forces are at work here. And though hiding in the dark may aid you in hiding from the janitor, there are other entities inside the school who wander in the dark... Including a spirit who comes for you if you stay in one general location hiding for too long, slowly coming for you.

Has some fun twists and turns, some pretty good scares, split storyline with a few different pathways that make different scenes trigger depending what path you're on and multiple endings, and a number of hidden scenes, scares, etc. Excited for the English release of the PC remake!

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Music Samples: Byungki Hwang - The Labyrinth (segments of this song and variations of it are used a lot in WhiteDay)
One of the Credits Themes

02.) Hellnight (aka Dark Messiah)



Hellnight is another game from my potential scariest games I've ever played list. It's a unfortunately fairly unknown game by Konami & Atlus that they released in the late 90s on the PSX. Yes, Konami actually published another horror game outside of Silent Hill, and it turns out it's actually pretty good. Hellnight features you in first-person corridors, exploring an underground Tokyo subway/sewer system/military base that has been converted into an underground civilization for those who decide to fall out of modern society or have nowhere else to go. However, some strange robot suddenly attacks a train underground, with our main character who was riding it to go home, but gets caught up and chased by this monstrosity. He much team up with others to survive.

And that robot is the only enemy in the game, it is a persistent stalker who chases you the whole game; but there's a catch. It is evolving, becoming fiercer and more dangerous, and growing intelligence to trick you and play you into its hands. It changes shape and form, and grows trickier and more deadly as the game goes on. In the game, you have partner characters, you can take one with you through the game. Each has a special ability, but more so, each has a big presence in the story and you can grow attached to them... But if you do, you better play well. Get caught by the monster, and they die. Permanently. The monster catching you will perma-death your party member and completely change the course of the story upon their death. There's a few different partner characters, and having them die at your hands can be brutal. Get caught with no partner, and you're dead.

It has great atmosphere, a surprisingly complex and interesting story, some good scares and tricks. It's a bit slow-paced, but I feel it works to the game's benefit. You can go 20-40 minutes without running into the monster, for it to only appear when you least expect it. Outside of the monster, you transgress first-person 'dungeon labyrinths', and enter rooms into a point'n'click style where you may examine them, get/use items, talk with people, some puzzles, etc. I am quite fond of the game.

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Music Samples: Southwest Area
Little Jamaica
I didn't want to die like this...

03.) Silent Hill 3



This is my personal favorite of the SH series, but to be honest I'm tempted to vote for more of them. Honestly, I am super in love with Silent Hill 1, 2, 3, 4, Downpour, & Shattered Memories. I love all six of them for different reasons. Homecoming & Origins are okay, too. But in trying to fulfill a list full of favorites, I am trying to limit myself to a single entry per franchise (since I have so many other favorites out there), and if I had to choose my personal favorite SH game, I would vote for SH3 (though part of me wants to vote for something like SH4 & Downpour for how underrated they often are).

Silent Hill 3 is my favorite for a large number of reasons which may not be immediately evident to someone that plays it. I hear of many people who play SH2, and then go to SH3 expecting it to be like SH2, and then end up being disappointed... But I think more need to realize that SH3 is NOT SH2, it is it's own entry, and there are things it does so masterfully that just captivate me every time I've played this game. SH2 I do think has a better narrative and a certain cold atmosphere to it, a very down-toned and mature game, but I just overall like SH3 more, and it is one of the horror games I can replay over and over and never get tired of it.

There's a surprising level of detail to it, ranging from big differences in the game between difficulty levels, new game+, tons of secrets, tons of environmental details, subtlety everywhere... The game is gorgeous and has some of my absolute favorite environments in any horror game ever, in big part since every room is something special in SH3, full of details, interesting imagery, and I think the levels in SH3 have much better level design than any other entry in the series (I find their layouts much more fluid, fun to explore, and memorable, coupled with almost every room having something interesting to find in it). The characters are quirky and my personal favorite cast in the series, it has by far the best puzzles in my opinion (and this is heightened with how ingeniously inputted the puzzle difficulty option is), the best boss battles (and in extension, best combat the series had imo), best secrets... I could go on, but while I think there are elements the other SH game's do better (SH2 has the best story, SH1 I think has the best atmosphere, SH4 I think has the best scares, Downpour has the best overworld, etc.), SH3 sticks strong as my overall favorite. Had to include it in my 5 votes.

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Music Samples: End of Small Sanctuary
Letter - From The Lost Days
Memory of the Waters

04.) Resident Evil 4



An all-time classic. Like with the SH series, there's so many potential games I could name from the RE franchise to fit this spot. Hell, for myself personally, REmake is super close to being my favorite. But I have to give it to RE4, it is the game that got me into horror games as I am now (I used to be a huge scaredy-cat, this game helped change my mind to try and give them more of a chance, played REmake and other games after it). I think RE4 stands as my favorite for its excellent pacing, unique atmosphere, fun gunplay & monsters, enjoyably cheesy story, and just the sheer variety that there is in the game. As many will vouch for, this game is insanely replayable.

I can't really say much more that's not already been said by others, but I will say this; I think this game is as much of a horror game as the classic RE's. I love the RE franchise, but I think the scariness factor of the older RE's is a bit exaggerated (with the exception being REmake, in my opinion). They all have their moments, don't get me wrong, but I think RE4 was a natural evolution of what they were slowly setting up through the franchise, and I actually personally think it's just as scary as RE2/RE3, personally (there were a number of moments that got me the first time I played, ranging from Dr. Salvador, to the first Garrador, to the hedge maze, Regenerators, the invisible insects, 'IT', etc.).

It's known as one of the best games of all time for a reason.

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Music Samples: Save Theme
Echo in the Night
Wesker's Mercenaries Theme

05.) Fatal Frame 3: The Tormented



Maybe even more than the Silent Hill or Resident Evil franchises, I have such a hard time figuring out which of the Fatal Frame's are my favorite. Literally I like all four of the first Fatal Frame games about evenly (I still need to play the fifth game). I think FF1 feels like such a mysterious and yet engaging experience, but FF2 the best setting and ghosts, but FF4 I think has the best story and some of the most stand-out individual rooms...

But I'm giving the honor right now to FF3, which is maybe a bit of a controversial choice, but I'll try and explain my reasoning. FF3 is about a woman named Reiko, who's fiance dies in a car accident. She is grieving for a long period of time, and stays shut up in her house with her flatmate attending to everything, and begins to have mysterious dreams. Turns out, she may be under a curse that effects people in their sleep... A mansion only seen in dreams that causes a strange tattoo to form on the person's real-world body. The dream may ultimately consume them... But if they can reach the heart of the manor, they may meet someone precious to them who's passed away to spend one last moment together.

What follows is what is, in my opinion, the scariest FF game. It is a lot longer than the first two installments (it's like, a 15-22 hour long game), which features your house which you can explore in-between the mansion... But the things in your dreams slowly seep into reality... More hidden scenes and details than the other games, my personal favorite cast of characters in the franchise (and Rei is my favorite protagonist), as well as my favorite antagonist in the series (who also makes the best boss battle in the whole series. very well executed and creative). Match that with one of the spookiest locations in the series (in my opinion), some good switch-up gameplay (surprise) when you play as some other characters... There's more, but right now I'm leaning towards it as my personal favorite in the series, though it's an extremely close run for me.

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Music Samples: Reika
Kuze Family Head
Koe

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I'll keep the honorable mentions a bit shorter, but jeez, so many games, the above 5 I love to pieces, but they are tied with so many others already, but anyways...

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

01.) Penumbra: Black Plague

Really, maybe you should include all the Penumbra games together, since they were made to be episodic (all three episodes), and you can't even buy them apart anymore, only together as a 'complete' package. Well, if you include them separate, Overture is extremely close, but I ended up liking Black Plague the most due to its story, the fun personality of Clarence, the environments, encounters with the Greys, and some fun twists and turns. Penumbra stands as my favorite title from Frictional, though Amnesia & SOMA are also both very good.

02.) Ib

THIS WAS SUCH A HARD CHOICE FOR ME! There's so many RPG Maker Horror Games I adore to pieces, ranging from Witch's House, to Yume Nikki, to White Sky... But I decided to go with Ib, both as it was the first one I consciously played (I had played a few others like Ravenwood Horror and One Night before I knew what RPG Maker was though), but it is so universally enjoyable, started a big wave of actually pretty good games, introduced me to them properly, and is very creative. Little horror-puzzle game about a girl trapped in a museum where a certain artists works seem to be coming to life in a surreal way. Multiple pathways, endings, good story, characters, and puzzles.

03.) Haunting Ground

It's my personal favorite of the Clock Tower 'series', so I had to include it. Features actually one of my favorite settings in a horror game ever (Belli Castle is maybe one of the most underrated horror locations ever), some deranged and memorable stalkers, one of the best dogs in gaming, and a wonderfully twisted story that tackles several things horror games don't tackle often (including giallo and exploitation horror), it is a very fun ride through and through.

04.) Rule of Rose

Probably on my mind as I mentioned Haunting Ground (and though the two are very different, they have some outward similarities that has the two of them drawn together unconciously in my mind), Rule of Rose definitely deserves mention. Its gameplay has serious faults, but it makes up for it in one of the most unique and well-done stories in gaming, beautiful art and music, quite a unique atmosphere, tackling things almost no other game before or since dares to tackle with as much tact, maturity, and craft as done here. It is an experience and a unique rough gem.

05.) IMSCARED

There are SO MANY games I could name, SO MANY! But this one came to mind and I did want to end with one I don't expect many to name. IMSCARED is a 3D pixely metahorror game with some great tricks up its sleeve, a fun yet creepy antagonist, keeps you on edge and throws a lot of unexpected curveballs at me. Was a very fun experience for me, and one I include among my favorites.

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There is so many horror games I absolutely love, just as much as the ones I'm naming, that I feel disappointing only having to name 10, but submitting this as my vote, and interested to see what comes of this.

1) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis / Biohazard 3: Last Escape - Criminally underrated. By far the best entry in the RE series. It took RE2 and fixed all it's flaws, RE2 while good gave too much ammo vs the enemies in the game, RE3 fixed it by adding more enemies so you never got moments rest and resources had to actually be used against them, the Tyrant for all it's good was slow and could be avoided easy, and leaving the room ended his threat, so RE3 gave us Nemesis who was fast, ran at you, would use a Rocket launcher on you and most of all, would stalk you through entire areas, leaving the room was no lnger safe.

The puzzles in RE3 are probably the best in the series, not just in terms of being real puzzles, but there was several variations to them, and each time you played you'd get a different variation making them fresh each playthrough. The game would randomise item locations depending on not just the order of locations you visited but also what you did at those locations. There are plethora of hidden cut-scenes to find on repeat playthroughs.

The ammo crafting system allowed each playthrough to be tackled differently, you could end up with lots of weaker ammo types but less strong ammo, or enhanced ammo, or more strong ammo types by less weak ones, focus on grenade rounds types, or Magnum and shotgun types, the choice was yours.

In terms of fresh content, RE3 easily has the most replay value of any game in the entire series and a great closure to the Raccoon City saga (before Capcom had to keep going back and try ruin it). Plus The Mercenaries minigame was extremely challenging and fun.

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Music track - There is no catchy tune you'd listen to on your phone or anything, everything int he game is there to set the mood, so I'll end this with the final theme of the game. - Unfortunate Event.


2) Dino Crisis - Releasing only months apart from RE3 it was a great time to be a survival horror fan. I kinda rambled on about RE3 a lot so gonna be brief with the rest of these games. The puzzles were really great having to solve not only environmental puzzles but codes for every key/door unlock combo. Probably the Capcom survival horror game with the least amount of resources vs need for them. Items are used for both creating ammo as well as creating healing items, so if you start getting hurt to much you can really spiral into a situation of not having much firepower, which in turn gets you hurt more, which then leaves you with less firepower and so on. The Dino's are quite threatening and being able to lose weapons when attacked added a great new source of panic during encounters. The branching paths and alt endings gave it a fair amount of replay value.

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Music - A Rowdy in ancient ages

3) Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly / Fatal Frame II - Easily the best of the series (even the weakened Wii remake), what's unique great about this is probably the fact you have to take risks with the enemies since the best way to 'attack' them is to wait until they are up close or about to attack you. Environments play a much bigger role in dealing with enemies too since enclosed spaces actually are a risk to you since the ghosts can hide in walls, where as in other series enclosed spaces tend to help funnel enemies into your line of sight. Good puzzles, good replayability with the endings.

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Soundtrack Example (Game)

4) Forbidden Siren - This game played without a guide is both terrible and great at the same time, there are no checkpoints and it is so easy to die, and die you will. If you cannot work out how to go about completing a level, or make a wrong turn at the wrong moment then you're gonna die and restart the entire level. It gets frustrating as hell if you can't work it out, the game does nothing to help or explain things to you at all, but on the other hand it really makes exploring and enemy encounters really intense and scary because the consequences of failing are so high. The ability to se through the eyes of the enemies is a pretty good game mechanic with how it is used, and you're always panicked when you go to check what it is seeing and suddenly you're looking at yourself.

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5) Haunting Ground - It's a great game and nobody else is gonna vote for it so here it goes.

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Cannot be bothered with honourable mentions.

1. Bloodborne
2. Resident Evil 4
3. Silent Hill 2

1) Alien: Isolation

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Great use of sound design, lighting and tension building. The atmosphere is perfectly replicated from the 1st film. Some music highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmVMWK9WS_Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEXMFRkdjrE

2) P.T.
It's a shame the concept was never turned into an actual full game (because... you know why...)

3) Silent Hill 3
Only Silent Hill I played. The animations were amazing for their time.

4) Resident Evil Remake
One of the best remakes ever in my opinion...

5) Resident Evil 4
Incredible pacing and one of the few games back then to induce panic (thanks in large part to the perspective/camera change). It doesn't take itself too seriously and this is something I liked quite a bit. However, this is also one of the reasons I've scored it lower when classifying it as a pure horror experience. Still, it remains one of my favourite games ever made (and one I've bought for multiple systems).

Honourable mentions:
Bloodborne
Dead Space

1. Resident Evil 4

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Not only the best horror game, but the best game period. Perfect gameplay, pacing, and progression through a series of amazingly atmospheric locations and scenarios that run the gamut from moodier rural skirmishes to full blown John Carpenter 80's action horror extravaganza, ramping up as you progress. It's certainly not the scariest horror game, but it has a number of harrowing set-pieces, some great atmosphere, and a tension filled crowd control gameplay that will make your palms sweat.

2. Resident Evil (2002)

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The mansion, the camera angles, the methodical exploration and resource management...I could have put a lot of the OG Resident Evil games but I decided to just stick with the best. Like RE4, Mikami brings amazing pacing with a number of incredibly memorable set-pieces (although smaller in scale here) and a great core gameplay system built on risk and reward. I love how well thought out each area is as you slowly unlock paths, plan routes, and your resources dwindle. Like RE4 it's practically perfect.

3. Bloodborne

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Another game with pitch perfect gothic aesthetic, and amazing core gameplay systems and pacing (notice a trend here?) built around exploration and combat through incredibly memorable areas fighting equally memorable monsters. What really sets this one apart though is the story and storytelling enhance the horror tenfold, as your what you have to piece together tells an even more disturbing tale than what you see in front of you.

4. The Evil Within

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This is basically a "Mikami's greatest hits" in this darker, creepier, harder, and more methodical successor to Resident Evil 4. Most of what RE4 got right make this game great too, with excellent pacing, encounter variety, level design, and bosses. The art direction and atmosphere rival that of Bloodborne too. It would be been even better if some of the rough edges were more polished, and if it had a more entertaining story, but it's one of the generations finest games and an excellent horror experience, and a criminally underrated game.

5. Silent Hill

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This is definitely the scariest of the games in my top 5 (my honorable mentions are probably overall scarier than my top 5 horror games funny enough). Its off-kilter story lends a weird dreaminess to the cutscenes, and the stuff you encounter is incredibly nightmare inducing. Everything from the industrial sound design, the deformed monsters, and the aesthetic shifts burrow into the back of your mind and just creep you the fuck out. The game would be higher on my list but the gameplay isn't particularly well thought out with unsatsifying combat and no real resource management to give it more depth or tension. The game also peaks about half-way through, with most of the memorable and scariest occurances happening in the school and hospital. Exploring Silent Hill, while definitely moody, isn't as satisfying an experience as unlocking the Spencer mansion, but it is scarier.




Honorable Mentions
1. SOMA
Like Bloodborne, the story greatly enhances the dread here, along with a great setting. If only the monster sequences were as good as the moral dilemmas.
2. Condemned: Criminal Origins
Great first person combat, some super memorable freak-out moments, and a lovely grimy, horrifying, industrial nightmare atmosphere.
3. Alien: Isolation
Amazingly recreates the atmosphere of Alien, and has just enough depth that most first person horror games are lacking. The story is mediocre though, and the game could have tightened up its pacing.
4. Until Dawn
The best of the "choose your own adventure style" games, and horror works wonderfully for this highly entertaining game that does a great job of making your choices matter. The story is pulpy fun, has some good twists, and there's enough interactivity to make it worth replaying, especially with friends.
5. PT
What could have been. Probably the scariest first time through of any horror game, and and a brilliant marketing tactic and low budget game design. It eventually descends into nonsense obtuse puzzles, but the first 10 minutes are some of the scariest ever, with an aesthetic that gets under your skin like only Silent Hill could. Lisa still creeps me out.

1. Resident Evil Remake - This game is the pinnacle of what a game remake should be as it greatly enhanced the original games gameplay & story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpNSsZw9t7Y

2. Dead Space 2 - I really enjoyed the first Dead Space and with the sequel the game's developers cranked everything up to eleven from the game's opening moment where you are trying to avoid/outrun Necromorphes while confined to a straight jacket all the way up to the games thrilling conclusion. If you liked the first Dead Space then playing this game is a no brainer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=g-NBXZc8JYw

3. Fatal Frame 2 - I came to this game late, but now having played it I can see why it is considered one of the best PS2/Xbox horror games out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=g-NBXZc8JYw

4. Parasite Eve - If the teams behind Resident Evil & Final Fantasy had a baby this game would be the end result.....and it's f^^^in amazing, it's so good that to date it's the only RPG with a turn based/ATB combat mechanic that I've beaten/finished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=SCb-gZMW82E

5. Outlast - I've never been one for first-person "adventure"(no weapon) horror games, but this game seriously challenged my pre conceived notions about this rising sub - genre. This game is an uttlerly heart pounding experience in terror and it has me excited that the new Resident Evil seems to be following in this game's footsteps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpC_N53rUi8&list=PL1caomPZ-YkrT0nIHF2SxTpJ2STZS0uJ0

Honorable Mentions
1. Dino Crisis - Jurassic Park meets Resident Evil.....where do I sign up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgWaKPkyZ48&index=1&list=PL320F454B86DDDFA0

2. Alien Isolation - this game further cemented my enjoyment of first person horror games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiLJxXkrUbo&list=PLRBPCu-IyqB5Xqu5rK5R-tdkeysqDWlX0

3. Evil Dead: Regeneration - Not only is this 3rd person hack n slash horror game the (imo at least) best Evil Dead game ever made it was also the closest we got to an Evil Dead 4 prior to the series premiere of Ash vs. Evil Dead last Fall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfGVmXkpwik

4. Onimusha Warlords - Resident Evil in Fuedal Japan with some Hack n Slash elements......yes please
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIofXKtO5w&index=2&list=PL622E7D8108AE6DD4

5. Bioshock - This game is a terrifyingly amazing first person shooter set in the creepy as f*** setting of Rapture, if you love horror & first person shooters then this game is right up your alley so would you kindly go check it out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfwJ6C1eN8&list=PLZzKhgUfPukA57nSomZkV-FGrbhkpIHcZ

I might keep this topic posted some, since I think it'd be fun to get a lot of different people's hat into the ring on this. Grrr, Evil Within I should of voted for, but too late now. Some good votes here. My problem will always be I am to much a fan of the genre that limiting my answer, despite 10 being a pretty high number, will have to make me omit so much of what I personally love.

So you all are really going with Bloodborne? Then you might as well throw Castlevania, Zero Escape or The Walking Dead in there. They are horror themed, despite, just like Bloodborne, there probably isn't any intention by the developers to actually scare the player.

Spieler Eins said:

So you all are really going with Bloodborne? Then you might as well throw Castlevania, Zero Escape or The Walking Dead in there. They are horror themed, despite, just like Bloodborne, there probably isn't any intention by the developers to actually scare the player.

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I mean, this thread is about the best horror games, not necessarily the scariest horror games. There's some seriously creepy stuff in Bloodborne tho.

1. Silent Hill 2

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No other game has handled such dark subject matter so subtly than this game has. The game's horror revolves morely around implications than just telling you or showing you, which is what true horror is imo.

Promise (Reprise)

2. REmake

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It took all the concepts of the classic REs before it, specifically RE1, and took it all the way up to 11. Amazing game design. Forcing players to think. save resources for later and risk the enemy still being a threat or kill the enemy and risk not having enough ammo for later. These design decisions were used in the RE games before of course, but I think they were used the best way in REmake.

Save Heaven

3. Resident Evil 4

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It pretty much set the expectations for horror in that generation and the next. We got Dead Space 1 and 2 (My personal GOAT in terms of combining horror with action) because of it

Infiltration

4. P.T

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It's the perfect reminder of what could have been the greatest collaboration for a video game ever made. Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear), Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), and Junji Ito (Uzumaki) were making a horror game. And only Konami can ruin it.

Closest thing this game has to music: The Radio

5. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

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It brought pure horror back on it's feet in a world where all horror we had was either action horror or just bad horror (The western SHs)

Game Menu

Honerable Mention: And if you want to go by the logic of putting Bloodborne in there as well, I'd say put the whole Souls Series in there. Those games show that just putting a creepy atmosphere in your game can mean a lot. I have never been more scared in my life than whenever I visit The Abyss.

Fancy Clown said:

I mean, this thread is about the best horror games, not necessarily the scariest horror games. There's some seriously creepy stuff in Bloodborne tho.

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Regardless of whether one finds a game scary, it's easy to determine whether the game actually wants to scare you. BB is an action RPG and I have a hard time imagining they designed the game to be frightening the same way (for example) Mikami did. It's not something I'd naturally recommend if someone asks me for a horror game. I.e. I thought that choice is stretching the genre quite a bit.

Spieler Eins said:

Regardless of whether one finds a game scary, it's easy to determine whether the game actually wants to scare you. BB is an action RPG and I have a hard time imagining they designed the game to be frightening the same way (for example) Mikami did. It's not something I'd naturally recommend if someone asks me for a horror game. I.e. I thought that choice is stretching the genre quite a bit.

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My definition of horror is broader than some folks. I think horror is often more a tonal thing than a design intent, it often gets combined with thrillers and such for some similar themes. Some horror movies are made to be more funny or campy than anything, almost more like comedies (or horror-comedies), but with a focus on the hammy. I think that horror takes on a lot over time due to the genre being exanded a lot. For example, Bloodborne undoubtedly pulls a lot from horror works, the most famous being Lovecraft, and it does work to evoke atmosphere and have interesting monsters, which monster movies were combined to horror in the drive-in theater era... It's a rabbit hole, but I appreciate the variety of horror, and horror-toned worked, but I keep a broader definition than some, partially since I think that helps speak volumes for how varied and non-specific horror is, and it's almost fitting that blurry definition and uncertainty exist for something like horror, which is often about that and an incredibly subjective thing already, as it were.

I hear some people say Home Invasion movies aren't horror, or they don't consider slashers horror, or if it doesn't scare them it's not horror... Basically, I find so many people try to be so restrictive on the genre to fit their personal taste, when I'm more interested in the broadness and variety under the umbrella of horror, what it inspires, its communities, and the variety of tastes and experiences one can have. But I am an enthusiast with pretty broad taste.

It isn't really about what's 'best' or 'scariest', just 'essential'. It could be either! Or both. Or neither? Illbleed sure isn't either, and it's worth playing.

Anyway, I'm surprised at Bloodborne's popularity, but I have no objections. It'd be an interesting choice.

Spieler Eins said:

Regardless of whether one finds a game scary, it's easy to determine whether the game actually wants to scare you. BB is an action RPG and I have a hard time imagining they designed the game to be frightening the same way (for example) Mikami did. It's not something I'd naturally recommend if someone asks me for a horror game. I.e. I thought that choice is stretching the genre quite a bit.

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I think it's 100% horror. Even though the gameplay is action, the aesthetics, atmosphere, sound, and story all make it pretty disturbing experience even if I'm not jumping. I think it's probably scarier than many of the classic Resident Evil games, and those are also undeniably horror games. Horror also isn't a genre of game anyway, since that doesn't really describe the mechanics, but the aesthetics and tone. I think Bloodborne was totally supposed to evoke a very uncomfortable atmosphere and it succeeded in that regard handily.

cj_iwakura said:

It isn't really about what's 'best' or 'scariest', just 'essential'. It could be either! Or both. Or neither? Illbleed sure isn't either, and it's worth playing.

Anyway, I'm surprised at Bloodborne's popularity, but I have no objections. It'd be an interesting choice.

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Really?

1.P.T.

Played nothing like it before. Oozes atmosphere that is palpable and intrigues you enough to make the next loop. Small changes to a place that you visit over and over is brilliant.

2.amnesia: dark descent
Same as above with the atmosphere. First time I've ever truly wanted to hide in a game

3.siren Blood Curse
The first time that being overpowered has truly worked on me. I've played other games that attempt this and it's never scared me like it has in this game.

4.REmake
Can't go without the father. Oozes great atmosphere and a great B-movie feel. Always more fun than scary to me.

5.RE4
Same as REMake.

Spieler Eins said:

Regardless of whether one finds a game scary, it's easy to determine whether the game actually wants to scare you. BB is an action RPG and I have a hard time imagining they designed the game to be frightening the same way (for example) Mikami did. It's not something I'd naturally recommend if someone asks me for a horror game. I.e. I thought that choice is stretching the genre quite a bit.

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Agree. I feel like some people just wanted to name BB.

I mean, the hotel section of Masquerade is scarier than a LOT of "horror" but lol calling the game an horror.

1. Fatal Frame 2


This is the scariest scene by far . Imagine walking up a circular state , then a screaming ghost falling down in the middle , and then you have to battle with this .

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Soundtrack - Chou by Amano Tsukiko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWFRpFAZjQ

2. Silent Hill 3

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Nuff said

3. Fatal Frame 1

- While it is a rougher game than FF2 , it's very fresh at that time during the first try . And Miku is bae

4. Dead Space

- excellent atmosphere , gameplay and creature design

5. Resident Evil : Remake

- great game , but its not really scary outside of some tense moment with Crimson Zombie .

Still yet to complete SH2 , Fatal Frame 3 or play any Sirens games to include them in my Top 5 . As for RE4 and DS2 while they are great , I don't really consider them as horror games . And for survival horror FPS like Amnesia and Outlast , not really for me I found them to be very boring and nauseating .

And extra note for P.T . While it is the scariest game media ever made , it's not really a game .

1. Dead space 2
2. Resident evil 4
3. Bioshock 1
4. Resident evil remake
5. Alien: Isolation

1) Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Couples being the scariest horror game I've played with a fantastic narrative.
2) WhiteDay
Has a very realistic look/atmosphere to it I can't put my finger on.
3) Fatal Frame
The classic.
4) Chaos;Head
Visual Novel, precursor to Steins;Gate, player choices dictate how much of it is horror (go all red delusions). Delusion horror.
5) Phenomeno
Visual Novel, short but sweet (scary). Free to play.

1. Silent Hill - Played this when I was 11. Truly the scariest experience I've ever had with a game. That intro! Those things flying through the cafe window! It's the original 'too scared to turn the console on and play it' game. It was also my first 'OK, I need to take a break. This is too much' game. The sounds and atmosphere were the scariest part. Fuck. I remember missing the shotgun in the school and the boss fight being too hard so I had to restart the game and run the gauntlet again. Fuck about! There was nothing like this in 1999. Nothing came close to the Silent Hill experience. Unforgettable game.
2. Silent Hill 2 - My number 2 because it wasn't my horror awakening in the way SH was, and it's less scary imo, but Silent Hill 2 is still a great game. Best story in any game imo. Shit scary to play on release and the graphics wowed me.
3. Silent Hill 3 - More of the tried and tested SH formula but playing as a young girl made me feel helpless in this hellish world. The traversal through the grotesque world of Silent Hill was incredible and the graphics were phenomenal. This game took you on a journey more than any other SH game and the environmental variety remains impressive.
4. Resident Evil - The birth of survival horror. I remember being horrified when the zombie's head turned around and it left a lasting impression on me. Fantastic game and that VO adds to the b-movie feel. 2 is a much better game but 1 is an essential horror experience.
5. P.T. - Just a brilliant and novel horror experience, albeit bite-sized. It was a horror sensation when it released, with everybody on GAF sharing the experience. TURN AROUND ARGHRGHRGRHRG. Truly sum spooky shit.

1) Silent Hill 2 - Not your typical "scary" game. SH2 doesn't rely on cheap jump scares but rather creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that puts you on edge and keeps you there for hours. No other game has come close to the level of psychological terror that SH2 reaches.

https://youtu.be/QFvt2cNSOaM?t=10m

2) P.T. - One of the very few games I will not play alone. Despite clocking up hours in the "corridor of pants shitting" I still jump every time Lisa grabs me.


3) Project Zero (Fatal Frame) - Something about Japanese horror just scares the hell out of me. PZ perfectly marries psychological horror with some fantastic jump scares.


4) Dead Space - The sound design in Dead Space is what really makes this game. The oppressive atmosphere which greets you on the Ishimura is some of the most terrifying in gaming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLCvsoliKlU

5) Alien Isolation - After the shit-show that was Aliens: Colonial Marines I held out little hope that anyone was going to make a good game from the franchise. Up stepped Creative Assembly and knocked it out of the park. Another game with relies heavily on its sound design and does not disappoint. Also one which you should never play without a change of underwear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eByJAmVXb5E


Honorable Mentions

1) Resident Evil Re-Make - A fantastic take on the godfather of survival horror.


2) Outlast - An abandoned psychiatric hospital, a night vision camera and death around every corner.


3) Siren: Blood Curse - I just can't do Japanese horror and the Shibito are some of the most terrifying enemies of all.


3) Resident Evil 2/4 - Two amazing games but only honorable mentions due to not really being that scary.


3) Silent Hill 4 - The Haunted apartment was simply fantastic.

1. Silent Hill 2
2. Dead Space
3. Silent Hill 3
4. P.T.
5. Outlast

ImboSlice said:

1. Silent Hill 2
2. Dead Space
3. Silent Hill 3
4. P.T.
5. Outlast

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yo, junior person...

cj_iwakura said:

5. Back up your choices! No one is interested in reading a post that simply lists 5 games with no explanations.

Screens and music encouraged!

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Spieler Eins said:

So you all are really going with Bloodborne? Then you might as well throw Castlevania, Zero Escape or The Walking Dead in there. They are horror themed, despite, just like Bloodborne, there probably isn't any intention by the developers to actually scare the player.

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Bloodborne is a cosmic horror game through and through. It's the game Lovecraft would have made if he was a game designer living today. It's a fitting game and a brilliant one to boot.

This isn't about the scariest games and what is scary is entirely subjective anyway. I say there is more dread in Upper Cathedral Ward and Nightmare of Mensis than in many games listed here.

TheMoon said:

Really?

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I've never played it.

cj_iwakura said:

I've never played it.

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Me neither but considering where we are the popularity with the others shouldn't be surprising, no?

Spieler Eins said:

Regardless of whether one finds a game scary, it's easy to determine whether the game actually wants to scare you. BB is an action RPG and I have a hard time imagining they designed the game to be frightening the same way (for example) Mikami did. It's not something I'd naturally recommend if someone asks me for a horror game. I.e. I thought that choice is stretching the genre quite a bit.

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I always thought of horror as a 'taste'. Much like music or comedy, not everyone will agree on what is the scariest game, movie, book, etc. Some people like cheap jumpscares, others like a psychological side. Myself, the fear of the unknown is what scares me much more than some axe-wielding maniac in a mask and through Lovecraftian influence, that is what Bloodborne does. So Bloodborne definitely qualifies in this thread.

Magic Mushroom said:

Bloodborne is a cosmic horror game through and through. It's the game Lovecraft would have made if he was a game designer living today. It's a fitting game and a brilliant one to boot.

This isn't about the scariest games and what is scary is entirely subjective anyway. I say there is more dread in Upper Cathedral Ward and Nightmare of Mensis than in many games listed here.

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Castlevania is classic horror through and through, it literally has every classic monster ever created in it. But it's not a horror game. Bloodborne is the best game of the generation with an amazing horror theme, but it's not a horror game. The game's clearly not made to frighten the player. In fact, openly inviting the player to aggressively approach the enemies like Blooborne is the complete opposite of everything else in this thread (among other things). Maybe Resident Evil 3 doesn't scare you, but it's obvious that the developers wanted it to.

Spieler Eins said:

Castlevania is classic horror through and through, it literally has every classic monster ever created in it. But it's not a horror game. Bloodborne is the best game of the generation with an amazing horror theme, but it's not a horror game. The game's clearly not made to frighten the player. In fact, openly inviting the player to aggressively approach the enemies like Blooborne is the complete opposite of everything else in this thread (among other things). Maybe Resident Evil 3 doesn't scare you, but it's obvious that the developers wanted it to.

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I disagree that there was no intent to scare the player. Stuff like being kidnapped and waking up in the hypogeon gaol, discovering the upper cathedral ward, uncovering the story, talking to almost any NPC, the sound design, etc is totally meant to scare players. I think you are just working on a narrower definition of horror than some of the people in this thread. Like I think Bloodborne is 100% unquestionably horror. Just like in film Rosemary's Baby and Texas Chain Saw Massacre are very different movies, but they are also 100% horror films.

1. Resident Evil
2. Resident Evil 2
3. Silent Hill 2
4. Fatal Frame 2
5. Haunting Ground

Honorable mentions

Clock Tower 3
Parasite Eve 2
Rule of Rose
Resident Evil 4
Fatal Frame

Wireframe said:

1. Resident Evil
2. Resident Evil 2
3. Silent Hill 2
4. Fatal Frame 2
5. Haunting Ground

Honorable mentions

Clock Tower 3
Parasite Eve 2
Rule of Rose
Resident Evil 4
Fatal Frame

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What is it with juniors today?

cj_iwakura said:

5. Back up your choices! No one is interested in reading a post that simply lists 5 games with no explanations.

Screens and music encouraged!

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This isn't quite a vote yet -- but what would you guys think of Inside being considered something of a horror title? As abstract as it is.

Roussow said:

This isn't quite a vote yet -- but what would you guys think of Inside being considered something of a horror title? As abstract as it is.

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Again, as we debated above, I have a broader classification of horror than some people do, but I would say INSIDE would be labelled as a horror game. It's an atmospheric piece with an emphasis on survival, and for anyone who plays it, it definitely has a number of moments that harken to Farm Horror, J-Horror, and horror. It has gruesome deaths, some twisted enemies, a foreboding atmosphere, and a twisted narrative. I would consider it, but then I also would of considered LIMBO as well, but again I have a broader opinion of what horror is than most. I say if you want to include it, include it. Challenge people's perspective on what horror can and can't be. I think horror is something that can be attached to any other genre, but has formed its own tropes and works that it encompasses through people's contribution to the genre over the years. If people play INSIDE, and a good number of people who play it consider it a horror game, then viola, it's a horror game.

I'll also add that the developers intent in INSIDE was definitely to make you incredibly tense, possibly scare you, make you uncomfortable, and explore dark themes all with an underlying atmosphere and subtle story.

Roussow said:

This isn't quite a vote yet -- but what would you guys think of Inside being considered something of a horror title? As abstract as it is.

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I actually considered putting it on my list, but I figured that there would be objections. I haven't had a game get my heart racing like that in a while. The sound design is ridiculously good.

Jim Sterling explained it pretty well why Bloodborne can be classified being a survival horror game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb4n4jwTDUM

I agree with Jim here, Bloodborne shouldn't be questioned if it's a horror game or not. It is a horror game and includes many aspects/themes of the horror genre and aesthetics. I'm sure many (incl. myself) dreaded traversing through Upper Cathedral Ward and Nightmare of Mensis. Who wasn't scared (and annoyed) seeing this... thing (the so called Winter Lantern):

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Maybe I should change my list...

Spieler Eins said:

So you all are really going with Bloodborne? Then you might as well throw Castlevania, Zero Escape or The Walking Dead in there. They are horror themed, despite, just like Bloodborne, there probably isn't any intention by the developers to actually scare the player.

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Bloodborne more effectively build dread and tension, makes you scared of the unknown, has more horrifying creatures, than most games that label themselves as horror

Nothing has made me more tense to turn a corner or enter an unexplored room/area than Bloodborne and, by extension, Dark Souks.

Bloodborne is horror. Much like Resident Evil and its shooting, just because you can defeat the monsters doesn't you can't feel terrified and weak. That means the creatures aren't just scary props. They're actually dangerous creatures that you should be scared and cautious of.

So many posts with games for long dormant consoles and not readily available for consumption in 2016...

Roussow said:

This isn't quite a vote yet -- but what would you guys think of Inside being considered something of a horror title? As abstract as it is.

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Yes, definitely.

More_Badass said:

Bloodborne more effectively build dread and tension, makes you scared of the unknown, has more horrifying creatures, than most games that label themselves as horror

Nothing has made me more tense to turn a corner or enter an unexplored room/area than Bloodborne and, by extension, Dark Souks.

Bloodborne is horror. Much like Resident Evil and its shooting, just because you can defeat the monsters doesn't you can't feel terrified and weak. That means the creatures aren't just scary props. They're actually dangerous creatures that you should be scared and cautious of.

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This is another thing that sticks out for me. When something unexpected comes at you in a horror game, it's clearly meant to shock the player. When something in BB jumps at you from a hiding, I don't think it's meant to startle. To the contrary, while it indeed signals the danger of the world, it also shows you to become a more skillful hunter. Getting better at quickly killing enemies.

But in most other titles in here, you're actually the one hunted and its usually clearly reflected in game design. So it's the opposite design philosophy in BB. Yesterday a jumpscare got me in Condemned, because it came within the context of typical horror world design. BB's world building is not like that either. How many other horror games feature worlds with several epic fantasy ballads during boss battles? There's also the hub world you can retread to if one enemy is too hard. Hence the further suggestion of actual survival horror is ridiculous for a game that lets you grind infinitely to potentially cheapen through every tough situation.