Summary
- Horror games explore fatherhood themes such as guilt, grief, and protectiveness.
- Fathers in games like “The Evil Within 2” and “Dead Rising 2” go to extreme lengths for their children.
- Games like “Resident Evil 8” showcase fathers facing nightmares to save their families.
Fatherhood means a lot of things to different people. Like mothers, fathers are significant figures who can shape a child, for better or worse. The expectations and accountability placed upon a parent can be difficult and stressful; the way that a father navigates his role can differ wildly from family to family, making for some extreme contexts when it comes to games.
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The father figure in horror games is an interesting one; the genre has seen terrible ones and those who would go to the end of the world and back for their child. As such, horror games exploring fatherhood have delved equally into themes of guilt, grief, and protectiveness — occasionally a combination of all three. This list compiles some of the best titles.
Heavy Rain is not included on this list as it’s not generally considered a horror game. However, it deserves an honorable mention for its gritty crime thriller narrative and interrogation of father-son relationships.
10
Siren: Blood Curse
- Released
-
July 24, 2008
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
Siren: Blood Curse is the third title in the Siren (or Forbidden Siren in some regions) series. While the game follows multiple playable characters and interweaving narratives, one of the protagonists is Sam, a professor of folklore. After taking his daughter, Bella, to Japan on a job, he soon finds himself embroiled in the dark occult goings-on on the island.
Despite everything happening around him, Sam’s only goal is to reunite with Bella. Contending with time loops, malicious deities, and curses, Sam ultimately does what has to be done to ensure the survival of his child.
9
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
One Of The Most Tragic Amnesia Games
- Released
-
September 10, 2013
- Developer(s)
-
The Chinese Room
The Amnesia franchise has had its fair share of twisted protagonists, from mass murderers to calculated killers. While it is hard to sympathize with these characters, A Machine for Pigs takes a different approach with a more complex narrative about a father’s will to save his children.
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The game follows elitist businessman and butcher, Oswald Mandus, as he faces disturbing Manpigs that seem hellbent on destroying humanity. Regaining his memory and remembering his own role in the chaos, the player unveils the morally gray extent to which he was willing to protect his children from a horrible future.
8
Visage
Is It Possible To Overcome The Past?
- Released
-
October 30, 2020
- Developer(s)
-
SadSquare Studio
- Publisher(s)
-
SadSquare Studio
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Visage is a psychological horror game that puts the player in the shoes of troubled protagonist Dwayne Anderson through his suburban house as he experiences the macabre fate of its prior inhabitants. The player must survive terrifying encounters as they attempt to escape the P.T.-inspired loops.
While it’s not immediately apparent that this is a game about fatherhood, Dwayne does end up having to face what happened to his family — and his own involvement. There are two endings, generally considered good and bad, with the player’s choice at the end determining the outcome.
7
The Evil Within 2
Willing To Embark On A Dangerous Rescue Mission
- Released
-
October 13, 2017
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Set three years after the first game, The Evil Within 2 starts out by showing just how much Sebastian has been affected by the loss of his daughter, Lily. Now an alcoholic, he is given a chance to reconcile with his past when he is approached by his ex-detective partner, who reveals Lily is, in fact, still alive.
From here, the player must embark on a dangerous quest to rescue Lily from the clutches of the volatile biotech organization, Mobius. The Evil Within 2 captures the willingness of Sebastian, as a father, to confront his own trauma — as well as the mess of megalomaniac power struggles and foul monsters — in order to save his child.
6
The Forest
A Survival Game With A Much Darker Narrative
- Released
-
April 30, 2018
- Developer(s)
-
Endnight Games
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op
- Publisher(s)
-
Endnight Games
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
The Forest, on the surface, is a run-of-the-mill survival game. The player controls Eric, the survivor of a plane crash, who must navigate the forested island he has ended up on. The base-building, crafting, and health management all contribute to a fun experience in itself.
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Players often have to rely on their fight-or-flight instincts to survive in these games where ammo is sparse or non-existent.
But beyond the survival gameplay, there is a darker underlying narrative. Eric’s son, Timmy, has been kidnapped, and to find him, players must navigate dangerous terrain and cannibal islanders. Following the main story is actually optional, but either way, The Forest is a truly disturbing experience.
5
Dead Rising 2
No Zombie Will Stand Between Father And Daughter
- Franchise
-
Dead Rising
- Released
-
September 28, 2010
- Developer(s)
-
Capcom, Blue Castle Games
For all the satisfying hack-and-slash combat that is the trademark of the Dead Rising games, the titles still have comprehensive plots that drive players forwards. Dead Rising 2 follows Chuck Greene after a horde of flesh-eaters is released during an underground zombie-killing show.
Chuck has to navigate being framed for the outbreak while also protecting his daughter, Katey, who has been infected and needs Zombrex to remain human. Taking on the role of investigator, savior, and parent, Chuck Greene is a hero and surprisingly developed for the protagonist of a zombie horde game.
4
The Last Of Us Part 1
An Attachment That Could Shape The World’s Future
- Franchise
-
The Last of Us
- Released
-
September 2, 2022
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
The Last of Us has been highly praised, primarily for its storytelling and complex character writing. The Last of Us Part 1 revolves around smuggler Joel as he attempts to transport the immune Ellie to the Fireflies in order to create a cure for the fungal zombie infection that has left the world on the brink of collapse.
Over the course of the game, their bond develops into a father-daughter-like relationship, one which ends up carrying a lot of weight later in the game when Joel is presented with a potentially world-changing choice. Part 1′s focus on the complicated nature of characters’ relationships is what truly invests players, and Joel’s role as a father figure is a particularly emotional one for many.
3
The Walking Dead
High Stakes And High Tensions
The Walking Dead is an interactive drama and episodic horror game that takes place shortly after a zombie outbreak. It is memorable for its emotional storylines and the difficult decisions that players are forced to make that, with branching narratives, shape the trajectory of their playthrough.
These desperate times form unconventional family units, and The Walking Dead does a great job of interrogating survivors’ responses to the outbreak. There is no shortage of encounters with fathers willing to fight for their family, and they will stop at nothing to do so. Sometimes this means trusting no-one — other times, it means teaming up — but their actions are almost always motivated by love.
2
Silent Hill
The Lengths A Father Will Go To For His Daughter
- Released
-
January 31, 1999
Harry Mason is one of the most iconic dads in horror games. He makes his first appearance in the franchise’s original game Silent Hill, where he embarks on a journey to find his missing adopted daughter, Cheryl, after crashing the car. Unfortunately, this proves a lot more difficult.
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One of the reasons that Harry Mason is so memorable is that he is just an ordinary man, not a police officer or FBI agent or veteran; it is easy for players to root for his success as he is put through hell. Facing horrific creatures and uncovering the true extent of Silent Hill’s darkness, Harry plows through all doubts and challenges in pursuit of his daughter.
1
Resident Evil Village
Facing The Nightmare All Over Again
Survival Horror
Survival
Horror
- Released
-
May 7, 2021
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Most players hoped for a peaceful life for Ethan Winters after the trauma he went through in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. At the beginning of Resident Evil Village, it seems he has achieved domestic bliss with his wife and baby safely beside him. All that turns upside down, however, when they are abducted, and Ethan finds himself once again on a mission to rescue his family from evil clutches.
This time, Ethan must face the four lords of the Village, all of whom are under the thumb of Mother Miranda, leader of the Cult of the Black God. Dropped in the middle of a sinister operation, Ethan never surrenders his determination. From being thrown around like a rag doll to losing a hand (again) to getting repeatedly bitten, it is clear that Ethan would stop at nothing to get his baby back. That has to earn him a father of the year award.
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