The horror gaming genre has evolved a great deal in the last few decades, and it’s taken many different forms. Horror games have gone from simple text-based adventures to fixed-camera survival horror to third-person action games, and a whole lot in between. That constant evolution has meant that the definition of a horror game is rather loose, but it usually boils down to any game that puts a primary focus on scaring the player, through eerie environments, intense music, spooky monster design, or any combination of the three.
One unique type of horror game that’s continued to gain popularity in the last decade or so is “cute” horror. These games will often have the eerie environments, intense music, and spooky monsters of standard horror games, but their overall aesthetic is quite tonally different from its contemporaries, with cutesy character models and bright lighting juxtaposing the grim atmosphere. If all goes to plan, 2025 could end up being a pretty big year for these cute horror games.
Related
March 31 Will Be a Big Day for Survival-Horror Fans
Monday, March 31 will be an exciting day for fans of classic-style survival-horror similar to the OG Resident Evil and Silent Hill games.
2025 Could Be Home to a Few Cute Horror Games
The Midnight Walk
Currently set for a May 8, 2025 release, The Midnight Walk is a first-person horror adventure game set in a Tim Burton-esque world of horrifyingly cute monsters. Coming from some of the same developers as 2021’s Lost in Random, The Midnight Walk features a similar homemade aesthetic, with all of its environments and monsters having been made out of clay in the real-world and used to create the game’s stop-motion animations.
Fans most recently saw The Midnight Walk during Sony’s February State of Play, where its distinct aesthetic left a strong impression on many watching. For those wanting to be fully immersed in The Midnight Walk‘s handcrafted horror, the game will also be available in VR for those playing on PlayStation 5 and PC.
- Released
-
May 8, 2025
- ESRB
-
Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
-
MoonHood
- Publisher(s)
-
Fast Travel Games
Little Nightmares 3
The Little Nightmares series was a pioneer for the “cute” horror game sub-genre, and though the series has changed hands, it looks like the upcoming entry will continue its strong legacy. Back in 2021, Tarsier Studios (the team behind Little Nightmares 1 and 2) announced it would be stepping away from the series due to it being acquired by Embracer Group a few years prior.
Publisher Bandai Namco retained the rights to the Little Nightmares series following the split, and it quickly turned to Supermassive Games (of Until Dawn and Dark Pictures Anthology fame) to produce a third installment in the renowned cute horror series. Little Nightmares 3 was first shown during 2023’s Gamescom Opening Night Live ceremony, where it was revealed that the sequel will feature 2-player co-op, a first for the series.
Little Nightmares 3 was originally slated for a 2024 release, but it was pushed to 2025 in May of last year. At the time of writing, that 2025 release window is still in place. It won’t be easy for Supermassive to meet fan expectations, but from the footage released so far, it seems as though Little Nightmares 3 is in good hands.
Reanimal
Something that could throw a spanner in Supermassive’s works, however, is that Tarsier Studios is currently developing a spiritual successor to Little Nightmares, one that also happens to include 2-player co-op. Titled Reanimal, Tarsier’s next game features a very similar aesthetic to the studio’s previous work, albeit a visually darker one.
With Reanimal having only been officially announced in August 2024, it seems unlikely that it’ll release this year. But even if it Reanimal doesn’t appear, The Midnight Walk and Little Nightmares 3 will give cute horror fans plenty to look forward to in 2025.
- Developer(s)
-
Tarsier Studios
Source link