Best Horror Games Set In Europe

Summary

• European countries provide rich backdrops for horror games due to dark histories, folklore, and landscapes.
• Games like Saturnalia, Mundaun, and Pathologic 2 set in Europe offer unique horror experiences.
• From France to Spain to Sweden, European horror games showcase diverse settings and themes.

The Americas and Asia have historically dominated the gaming industry, developing and distributing some of the biggest games and consoles in the world. As such, it is no surprise that many of these games are also set in their respective countries. Despite their influence over the field, other continents have proved equally popular settings and produced just as talented developers.

European countries offer a number of reasons as to why they are perfect backdrops for horror games, including their dark histories, rich folklore, and variety of landscapes. Drawing inspiration from wars, mythology, traditions, and socio-economic climates, these are some of the best horror games set in Europe.

11 Saturnalia

A Stylized Exploration Horror With Dark Themes

In Saturnalia, the player controls four characters as they try to navigate the Italian town of Sardinia. The goal? Escape. The catch? The town has a dark history that is trying to catch up with the characters. How much of the story the player uncovers is up to them and the extent to which they explore.

Stalked by masked figures and a formidable beast, escaping the procedurally generated labyrinthine town makes each playthrough just as challenging as the last. Thanks to its unique art style and dark unraveling lore, Saturnalia is a memorable horror game.

10 Mundaun

A Beautiful Hand-Drawn Folk Horror Game

• Developer: Hidden Fields
• Setting: The Alps, Swizerland

Mundaun follows Curdin’s attempts to reach the top of a mountain in the Alps to find out what happened to his recently deceased grandfather, despite warnings not to from the priest. The further the player gets, the more sinister secrets they will uncover.

Despite being a slower paced game, the pencil-drawn visuals successfully recreate the uncomfortable vibe of folk-horror. This, alongside the puzzle elements and mystery, makes Mundaun worth a play for any fans of the occult.

9 Pathologic 2

Survive An Open World Where The Plague Is Your Enemy

• Setting: Gorkhon River, Russia

Plague narratives are not a rarity in horror as a genre saturated with zombies. However, Pathologic 2 steps away from the mutated monsters with a more realistic portrayal of a contagious disease. The protagonist, Artemy, is a surgeon tasked with saving the Town from the “Sand Pest” in an interesting mix of modern science and ancient tradition.

In addition to managing their health, the way players choose to tackle objectives can also impact the Town’s districts, determining which will (or won’t) get infected, as well as the player’s own reputation. While there is combat, the main challenge is surviving, making the horror elements of Pathologic 2 all the more real.

8 Cry Of Fear

A Disturbing Psychological First-Person Shooter

Long-time gamers might correctly recognize Cry of Fear as stylistically similar to the 1998 game Half-Life. The title began as a mod, but was released as its own entity after four years of development. It has since become a staple in the psychological-slash-FPS horror game hall of fame.

Cry of Fear follows Simon through a twisted nightmare version of a city in Sweden, encountering a range of disturbing antagonists that reveal dark truths about both the protagonist and the world he has been thrust into. There are five possible endings, determined by the player’s decisions.

7 Year Walk

A Haunting Rendition Of A Swedish Tradition

The “Year Walk” is an old Swedish tradition, during which participants walk a long distance with no resources and avoid supernatural encounters in order to foresee the following year. Year Walk was originally a mobile game, but has since been made available on Windows and the Wii U.

The player’s goal is to partake in the Year Walk to a church, despite warnings about the many dangers from their partner. As events gradually unfold through point-and-click style gameplay, this seemingly beautiful adventure game becomes a foreboding, haunting tale.

6 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chornobyl

Discover Dangerous Anomalies Inspired By Real Events

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series began with Shadow of Chornobyl,drawing inspiration from the real-life 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. The game is set in “the Zone”, where nuclear radiation has resulted in dangerous natural phenomena.

The player controls the “Marked One,” suffering from memory loss, with one task: “kill Strelok.” Shadow of Chornobyl is a lot darker than the following S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, plunging players into a radioactive world full of strange new mutants and unknown anomalies for a terrifying experience.

5 Metro 2033: Redux

Engage With Topical Plots In A Post-Apocalyptic Survival-Horror

• Top Critic Rating: 85
• Setting: Moscow, Russia

Metro 2033 is a horror FPS set in Moscow’s underground metro system, 20 years on from a devastating nuclear war. The surface is fatally irradiated and home to hostile mutated creatures, while the remaining survivors are split between Nazis and Stalinists. The player, as Artyom, must brave the outside and internal dangers to save humankind.

The horror in Metro 2033 is delivered through combat, stealth, and exploration, with the player encountering terrifying threats in an atmospheric dystopian landscape.

4 Amnesia: The Bunker

Escape A WW1 Bunker Stalked By Stange, Nightmarish Creatures

Amnesia: The Bunker is the fifth game (by release date) in the Amnesia franchise, set during WW1. Awakening after being knocked out in No Man’s Land to find himself in a sealed-off bunker, Henri, a French soldier, must explore deeper to find a way to escape.

The player gradually uncovers the true history of the bunker in an increasingly awful series of events. The Bunker doesn’t only dive into supernatural horror, but also touches on the horrors of real life conflict. There are two endings for players to find.

3 Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Embark On A Rescue Mission And Take Down A Zombie Cult

Resident Evil is one of the most successful franchises in the world of horror gaming, often credited with inventing the survival horror genre. Resident Evil 4 is one of many entries that has received a remake, taking place in rural Spain.

The player once again takes control of Leon Kennedy on a mission to rescue the US President’s daughter from a parasite-infested cult. Although slightly tonally different from the previous Resident Evil games, this entry offers new scares, puzzles, and environments to explore without compromising the combat and survival mechanics that players have come to love and expect.

2 Bramble: The Mountain King

Experience The Darker Side Of Nordic Folklore

Bramble: The Mountain King might not be the scariest horror game of all time, but it is still full of fear-inducing moments. Based on Nordic folklore, it is packed with larger-than-life, grotesque creatures, and moments that will frighten even the bravest megalophobes.

The player controls a young boy, Olle, on a mission to find his missing sister. Bramble: The Mountain King is hugely cinematic, from its visually stunning locations to epic soundtrack, great for horror fans who prefer aesthetic games like Little Nightmares.

1 Darkwood

Fight, Scavenge, and Craft In A Sinister Forest

Sometimes, in horror games, it is the environment that proves to be the most formidable enemy. In Darkwood, the player must contend with a mysteriously expanding forest that makes escape feel impossible, and a plague that affects its victims mentally and physically, to find a way out.

Darkwood has most bases covered when it comes to gameplay, encouraging a combination of crafting, stealth, combat, and strategy, as well as interactions with a series of interesting NPCs with their own troubling storylines. This game nails the gloomy design and somber plot, resulting in a distinctly complex survival horror.