Summary
- Horror games rely on disturbing lore, not just jumpscares.
- Games like Mouthwashing use psychological horror elements to unsettle players.
- Alien: Isolation and P.T. deny players the ability to fight, creating intense fear.
Horror games can be many things; each player will want something slightly different from the games they play. Whether that be grotesque creatures of unknowable origins chasing the player down, or a simple text-based psychological horror that makes them second guess their place in the universe.
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8 Horror Games With The Most Disturbing Lore
Horror games don’t thrive on jumpscares alone. Oftentimes, it’s the disturbing lore of these games that makes them stick with players.
This list looks at 8 games that inhabit each of these extremes, and everything in between, with one simple factor in common: their distressing nature. While not all of these games contain graphic imagery or horrible creatures, they each manage to leave the player feeling uncomfortable, unnerved, and a little pale.
8
Mouthwashing
Take Responsibility
Mouthwashing
- Released
-
September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Wrong Organ
- Publisher(s)
-
Critical Reflex
Mouthwashing is a relatively simple psychological horror that took the horror genre by storm in the latter months of 2024. The game revolves around the player trying to keep morale high within the crew of a crashed space-freighter as resources dwindle, and the disfigured yet still alive captain is kept pacified in the medical bay.
The real disturbing elements of Mouthwashing come in the form of mind-bending hallucinations, fueled by a guilty conscience and the excessive consumption of alcoholic mouthwash. It is also impossible to talk about Mouthwashing without mentioning the ironically sobering moment the player is confronted with the reality that the character they have been playing is not only the cause of the crew’s situation but also as much of a monster as any creature the horror genre has to offer.
7
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Welcome To The Family, Son!
- Released
-
January 24, 2017
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
The first first-person entry in the long-running Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard has much to offer in the way of distressing moments. Not only can the player watch first-hand as Ethan Winters is dismembered, and other characters are beheaded, disemboweled, and transformed into the creatures the franchise is known for, but all of this can be experienced in VR.
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5 Resident Evil Games That Changed The Franchise The Most
The Resident Evil franchise has seen multiple games come out that changed the course of the series, and these titles had the biggest impact.
Biohazard rebooted the franchise out of the action-horror slump it had found itself in, getting back to the classic horror roots it became famous for. Despite this, some of the tension does fade away once the player gets a gun and can start fighting back, but this does little to detract from the overwhelmingly unpleasant atmosphere.
6
Outlast
Only One Way Out
- Released
-
November 4, 2013
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Outlast is possibly the closest thing to a true found-footage horror game on the market, and it executes this perfectly. Placed in a mental hospital with nothing but a camera, the player’s only objective is to survive. Where Outlast succeeds in being truly distressing is its level of immersion, forgoing a health bar and stereotypical HUD (except when using the camera).
Outlast never gives the player the option to fight, instead requiring them to hide, sneak, and run to escape and outlast the inhuman assailants chasing them.
5
Alien: Isolation
Something’s On This Station. Something You Wouldn’t Believe.
- Released
-
October 7, 2014
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Similar to Outlast, Alien: Isolation denies the player the opportunity to fight the main antagonistic force, which appears in the form of the Xenomorph. The player must make their way around a space station that is falling apart, avoiding rampant androids and desperate humans all while being hunted by an unstoppable alien force.
Being caught by the alien is game over, and it is constantly lurking nearby (thanks to the revolutionary AI systems in place), making the entire game an anxiety-inducing experience. It is never clear exactly when the Xenomorph will appear, but it is very clear that it is never far away enough to truly relax.
4
The Mortuary Assistant
It’s Not A Life I Would Want For Anyone
Indie Games
Adventure
Simulation
- Released
-
August 2, 2022
- ESRB
-
m
The Mortuary Assistant is one of the games on this list not from a previously established franchise and was developed by a singular dev, making it a pinnacle of the indie horror genre. The player takes control of the titular mortuary assistant as they work to embalm bodies. This sounds simple enough, if not a bit macabre, but it is complicated by the numerous demons possessing the bodies, and the players’ character themselves.
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8 Simulation Games With Horror Elements
These simulation games creatively feature horror elements to make gameplay much more interesting.
While the game plays like a walking simulator, similar to Outlast, the procedurally generated narrative means that each playthrough is unique and that the scares leading to each of the different endings will keep players on their toes every time. The creature design in The Mortuary Assistant does a stellar job, on top of the already distressing feeling of simply being in a morgue.
3
Silent Hill 2 (2024)
In My Restless Dreams, I See That Town
Survival Horror
Horror
Adventure
Action
- Released
-
October 8, 2024
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Most, if not all, gamers will be familiar with Silent Hill 2, the atmospheric survival horror game set in the town of Silent Hill, where fog permeates all and brings with it unknowable horrors. The 2024 remake of the 2001 classic takes what many loved about the original and cranks it up to 11, taking the creatures that caused many nightmares and making them look that much more realistic.
It isn’t only the horrors lurking in the fog that cause the distressing atmosphere of Silent Hill 2, but also the game’s reflection on human nature, guilt, and ultimately the realization that James may not be the diligent husband he claimed to be. The environmental aspects of the game also do a huge amount for the game, making the desolate town feel even more isolating.
2
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
We Were All Heroes. In Spite Of Ourselves.
- Released
-
October 31, 1995
- ESRB
-
t
The oldest game on this list, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is a point-and-click adaptation of the classic Harlan Ellison short story of the same name. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the last five members of humanity are held captive by AM, an AI, which keeps them alive simply to torture them for centuries on end.
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Forget high-fidelity graphics and smooth animations, these analog horror games embrace their 90s-inspired visuals to deliver spine-chilling scares.
If the premise of that isn’t distressing enough, the end of both the game and the story (hinted at in the title) is truly one of the most depressing narrative conclusions in horror, and the subject of many “fate worse than death” lists. The player can play the hero all they like, but only one of the seven endings has any real hope for the future of humanity.
1
P.T. (Silent Hills)
The Only Me Is Me. Are You Sure The Only You Is You?
The final entry on this list is P.T., a game that is no longer playable unless someone can get their hands on a PS4 from 2014 that still has the game installed. Intended to be a “playable teaser” for a now-canceled project known as Silent Hills, P.T. has the player simply walking through the corridors of a house. That loops over, and over, and over, each cycle bringing new horrors and narrative revelations with it.
Despite the short runtime of the teaser, many gamers consider P.T. to be one of the scariest games ever made and is distressing in true Silent Hill fashion. From a crying fetus in the bathroom sink, to the terrifying “Lisa”, P.T. made the simple concept of turning the corner into one of the most distressing decisions in horror game history, and many gamers lament the decision to cancel the full game release.
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7 Horror Games With The Most Eerie Environments
One of the main things that can make or break a horror game is its setting. Here are some titles in this genre with the most eerie environments.