For a protagonist (or antagonist) to be interesting, they more often than not need their own goals and desires to motivate them; their drive invests the player and makes them more than simple, two-dimensional figures. Unfortunately, in horror games, the main character’s goals are rarely easy to achieve, and they come face to face with challenges, either internal or external (often both).
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Open-World Games About Revenge
Many open-world games feature revenge as the driver of the plot and narrative, enabling moraly challenging stories.
Some of the most interesting narratives are those centering around revenge; when a character is driven by little else, it can present a whole load of complicated scenarios and consequences. Whether the protagonist is seeking their own or is suffering at the hands of someone else’s, these are some of the best horror games about revenge.
Games where revenge is an optional route/ending will not be included, such as The Walking Dead, instead focusing on titles where it is the core of the plot.
Spoiler Warning: some of the entries on this list discuss major plot points and characters’ actions
10
Harthorn
The Return Of A Scorned Artist
Harthorn
- Released
-
October 27, 2020
- Developer(s)
-
Vincent Lade
In Harthorn, the player steps into the shoes of a newly hired security guard for Harthorn High School. Responding to an alarm trip, they must investigate the site to figure out what – or who – caused it.
It is soon revealed that the rumors surrounding the school’s past are true, and the game quickly becomes a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase between the player and the antagonist, who seeks revenge against those that previously advocated for his arrest.
9
The Backrooms 1998
Who Is The Real Monster?
- Platform: Windows
- Release Date: May 25, 2022
- Developer: Steelkrill Studios
The Backrooms 1998 transports the player – a skateboarder – into the dingy yellow realm of the backrooms. While searching for a way out, they must find and collect items, the caveat being that something else is roaming the seemingly endless complex.
Using a combination of mic activity, found footage format, and liminal space, Backrooms 1998 is a very tense experience. What begins as a run-of-the-mill stealth horror game subtly tells a much darker story and players will be left wondering whether justice is, in fact, best served bloody.
8
Monster House
Home Not-So-Sweet Home
Monster House
- Developer: Behaviour Interactive Inc.
- Publisher: THQ
Most 90s and 2000s kids will remember Monster House as an iconic, if not slightly uncanny, animated horror movie. Somewhat forgotten, however, was the accompanying video game of the same name, following the three heroes as they attempt to escape and destroy the titular house.
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Monster House‘s revenge narrative is a somewhat tragic one, with the house’s sentience owing to the ex-circus performer, Constance, who was accidentally murdered and buried under the foundations. Angry at the world for her past, she seeks revenge on anyone who gets too close.
7
Red And The Whispering Wood
A Dark Version Of The Classic Fairy Tale
- Platforms: Windows, macOS
- Release Date: N/A
- Developer: Mike Ren
Red and the Whispering Woods is a horror game based on Little Red Riding Hood where players use their voice to control Red. Beginning rather innocently with the player delivering medicine to her grandma, things suddenly become a lot more sinister when the big bad wolf begins hunting them down.
Finding her grandma with a certain four-legged, sharp-fanged guest, who has no reservations about killing its host, Red can only run. That is until she finds an axe. Definitely not a happy ending, it is at least satisfying to see an end to the beast terrorizing the forest.
6
Alice: Madness Returns
Hack-And-Slash Therapy
- Released
-
June 14, 2011
- Developer(s)
-
Spicy Horse
- Publisher(s)
-
Electronic Arts
Alice: Madness Returns is a hack-and-slash horror game and dark interpretation of Alice’s journey through Wonderland. Struggling with grief and guilt, she must find the root of Wonderland’s corruption, uncovering unsavory truths about her past along the way.
In essence, Alice: Madness Returns is a stylistic representation of coping with and overcoming trauma; on her travels, Alice is able to face and defeat certain figures representing their real world counterparts. Whether she fully returned to reality is debatable, but getting revenge proved a monumental step towards peace.
5
Castlevania 2: Belmont’s Revenge
The Vampire Vs. Vampire Hunter Conflict Continues
Castlevania 2: Belmont’s Revenge
Platformer
Action-Adventure
Castlevania 2: Belmont’s Revenge sees Dracula getting even with Christopher Belmont, a descendant of the clan of vampire hunters who defeated him in The Adventure. Dracula takes Christopher’s son, Soleil, on the night of his coming of age ceremony, turning him into a demon.
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In return, Christopher takes it upon himself to rescue his son and save the rest of Transylvania. The second title in the franchise to be released on the Game Boy, Belmont’s Revenge holds a lot of the classic appeal with significant gameplay improvements, from combat to level and sound design.
Revenge is the underlying theme of many of the Castlevania games, owing to the death of Dracula’s wife.
4
Silent Hill 3
Seeking Revenge But Finding Something Much Worse
Revenge acts as a catalyst for much of Silent Hill 3′s plot. The high priestess of the Order cult arranges the death of protagonist Heather’s father for disrupting their insidious plans. In turn, Heather seeks to avenge him, leading to her resolution to travel to Silent Hill in the first place.
There are three endings to Silent Hill 3, one of which is called “Revenge”. This is the trademark silly UFO outcome that can be achieved in most of the franchise’s games. In the revenge ending, the players see Harry Mason alive and well, destroying Silent Hill with the help of some extraterrestrial friends.
3
The Last Of Us Part 2
Will The Eye For An Eye Cycle Ever End?
-
OpenCritic
-
Top Critic Rating:
93/100
With its great storytelling and world-building, it is no wonder that The Last of Us Part 2 has so many awards under its belt. One of the most highly praised elements of the game is the writing of the characters, who, for better or worse, are distinctly human and relatable.
The high stakes of living in a post-apocalyptic world means that many of the characters have experienced loss and pain, subsequently abandoning civility in favor of revenge. Throughout Part 2, Abby and Ellie are on a mutual mission to avenge their fathers, at some very pricey costs.
2
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Revenge As An Alternative To Taking Accountability
Survival Horror
Indie Games
Adventure
Action
Puzzle
- Released
-
September 8, 2010
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a psychological horror game, following amnesiac Daniel as he traverses Brennenburg Castle. On the way, he discovers that he kidnapped, tortured, and killed people in order to – as Baron Alexander led him to believe – escape the clutches of the “Shadow”.
4:20
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Best Psychological Horror Games
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Interestingly, in The Dark Descent, Daniel’s desire for revenge stems from his own inability to accept his actions or face his guilt. Instead, he relinquishes a lot of responsibility and blames Alexander for his deeds, resolving to kill him in the hopes of redeeming himself.
1
Until Dawn
A Deranged Plan Goes Awry
-
OpenCritic
-
Top Critic Rating:
79/100
Supermassive has a growing library of fantastic interactive horror games with multiple playable protagonists and branching storylines. Each entry explores different dark or supernatural concepts, often with a fresh twist. Until Dawn follows a group of young adults reuniting at a cabin owned by Josh, the brother of their mutual twin friends who died on the mountain a year prior.
After a series of dangerous and distressing encounters with a masked stranger, it is revealed that the trip was a ruse for Josh to get revenge on the group, who he blames for his sisters’ deaths. Despite having no intention of murdering them, things don’t go to plan as a new threat emerges. It turns out it’s not only Josh seeking revenge; there are also Wendigos stalking the mountain seeking vengeance for the damage done to the mountain over the centuries.
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