The Scariest Witches In Horror Games

The image of the witch has changed massively over the centuries; a figure once perceived as a seductive devil worshiper is now often portrayed in contemporary media as the familiar pointy hat-wearer or ordinary teen student of magic. While their significance on and off-screen is compelling, it is important to note that witchcraft has dark roots that are not mutually exclusive to the condemnation of women, particularly during the Salem Witch Trials.

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While witches still exist today, most are associated with paganism, and the stereotype of malicious users of black magic has carried over into the horror genre. This list includes some of the scariest witches in horror games, from the dangerously demonic to the rage-filled revenge-seekers.

10

Mother (I’m Counting To 6…)

Haunts An Eerie Town With A Dark Past

• Platform: Windows
• Release Date: January 26, 2024
• Developer: EMIKA_GAMES

Happening upon a village after crashing his car and looking for help, the protagonist of I’m Counting to 6… finds himself in the middle of its dark past. In order to find a way out, the player must uncover the tragic tale of a bullied boy and his witch mother, becoming involved in the rest of the villagers’ fates in the process.

While she doesn’t make a lot of appearances, the times when Mother does pop up will catch the player off guard. With great sound design and subtle scares, I’m Counting to 6… blends story and horror well for an engaging experience.

9

Elderly Woman (Witch’s Doll)

Nurtures A Sinister Presence

• Platform: Windows
• Release Date: May 24, 2024
• Developer: Elite Lords Studio

Witch’s Doll is a psychological horror/walking simulator. The player takes on the role of a young writer moving into their new, suspiciously cheap apartment. They soon discover that a witch is using the tenants to try and resurrect her daughter, unknowingly feeding something much more evil.

While the game is rife with clichés—mannequins, jumpscares, and inconvenient flashlight deaths—Witch’s Doll serves up a respectable number of unexpected moments. The lengths a grieving and protective mother will go to in desperation is what’s truly frightening in this title.

8

Bethany Covenant (Clive Barker’s Undying)

The Penultimate Boss Of An Underrated Horror FPS

Systems

Released

February 7, 2021

ESRB

m

Clive Barker is an English horror writer best known for his books and films (most notably, Hellraiser). Often overlooked, however, are his video game contributions. Clive Barker’s Undying is an FPS that follows Patrick Galloway to 1920s Ireland to help a family whose interest in the occult has gone horribly wrong.

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Bethany is one of the Covenant family’s cursed siblings. An earth magician in life, Bethany is reincarnated as a demon witch, ruling her own realm and hellbent on destroying Patrick. Due to its age, Undying doesn’t hold up as one of the most terrifying entries in the genre, but it certainly has its fair share of unsettling, dread-inducing monster designs, being largely inspired by Lovecraft.

7

The Witch (Evil Dead: Endless Nightmare)

A Memorable Undead Foe

• Platform: Android, iOS
• Release Date: October 20, 2016
• Developer: Boomdash Digital

Evil Dead: Endless Nightmares is an endless runner based loosely on the Fede Alvarez Evil Dead movie remake. Starting in a shed, the player must survive the woods for as long as possible, facing demons and Deadites, and finding new weapons and power-ups along the way.

The Witch is a boss, summoned after collecting five “Book of the Dead” fragments. The Witch stands tall, complete with protruding branch-like growths and a tentacled arm. As an action-horror game, The Witch feels more manageable and able to be defeated, but that’s not to say that her design isn’t intimidating or disturbing.

6

The Witch (Shhh!)

She Can Hear Everything

• Platform: Windows
• Release Date: December 11, 2023
• Developer: 616 Games

Horror games that use players’ mics are some of the most terrifying, adding an extra layer of tension to the gameplay. Shhh! is one such game, with players re-enacting found footage tapes across different maps while having to stay quiet—a feat that proves difficult when faced with intermittent jumpscares.

“Witch Forest” is one of the playable tapes, taking place in the woods—a place shrouded in the legend of a murderous witch. The uncanny design of the witch, with her haunting cackling and murmuring emerging through the darkness of the trees, is undoubtedly creepy.

5

Baba Yaga (Don’t Knock Twice)

The Urban Legend Might Just Be True

• Platform: Windows
• Release Date: September 5, 2017
• Developer: Wales Interactive

Inspired by the 2016 film of the same name, Don’t Knock Twice follows artist Jessica after she gains trial custody of her daughter, Chloe. Unfortunately, it turns out that Chloe has summoned the Baba Yaga—a vengeful witch—and Jess suddenly as to deal with more than just a rocky mother-daughter relationship.

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Navigating the house, the player must find items to enter the Baba Yaga’s domain and save Chloe. This witch from urban legend is very ominous, seemingly always lurking in the shadows and over the player’s shoulder. Overall, Don’t Knock Twice is an effective game that uses sound and changing environments to really unnerve the player.

4

Ellen (The Witch’s House MV)

An Unexpectedly Wicked Character

Released

October 31, 2018

ESRB

T For Teen: Blood and Gore, Violence

The Witch’s House MV may look like a cozy pixel game, but it quickly deteriorates into a 2D nightmare. The game follows Viola, a girl who has woken up in a forest and is trying to escape. Seeking refuge in a nearby mansion, she is soon confronted with dangerous traps and puzzles that suggest something more sinister is going on.

Ellen is the young witch of the mansion who, according to a talking cat, has a history of sickness and neglect. Initially a sympathetic character, it’s quickly revealed that Ellen is not as innocent as she first appears. While not the scariest of designs from a visual standpoint, it’s Ellen’s willingness to commit evil acts that is truly terrifying.

3

The Hag (Dead By Daylight)

The Vengeful Witch Of The Swamp

Released

June 14, 2016

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Dead By Daylight is an asymmetrical horror game with players taking on the role of a survivor trying to escape, or the killer hunting them down to sacrifice them to the Entity. Since its release, Dead By Daylight has seen a number of expansions and DLCs that offer new, terrifying gameplay. The Hag, also referred to as a Witch, is a formidable killer of Backwater Swamp.

Previously known as Lisa Sherwood, she was kidnapped and tortured after slipping and falling in the woods. Using magic symbols taught to her as a child, she was able to get revenge and escape, and now seeks to destroy anyone who crosses her path. Mud-covered, mangled, and relentless, encounters with the Hag are always hair-raising.

2

Young Woman (Befriended Curse)

Players Will Feel Like They’re Being Watched At All Times

• Platform: Windows
• Release Date: July 30, 2024
• Developer: Yellow Basement Games

In Befriended Curse, the player takes on the role of a psychology student who has taken a summer job helping a mother and daughter rebuild their relationship. It soon becomes apparent that the role entails more than anticipated, as the player finds themselves roped into saving the girl from an ancient witch’s curse dating back to 1492.

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The witch in Befriended Curse is unsettling, often appearing in the darkness as a glowing pair of eyes or as a shadow in the corner of the room. As far as horror walking simulators go, this one is gripping and well-paced, with a somewhat touching story that explores the history of witchcraft.

1

The Blair Witch (Blair Witch)

Manages To Be Terrifying Without Making An Appearance, Just Like Its Film Counterpart

Released

August 30, 2019

ESRB

m

When a young boy goes missing in Black Hills Forest, former police officer Ellis and his dog, Bullet, join the search, only to find themselves caught in a much darker turn of events. The player must navigate the forest to find clues that will lead them to the boy while also grappling with Ellis’s own past (and future) and the evil forces lurking in the forest. Complete with puzzles, combat, and an interesting spin on the film’s original universe, Blair Witch is an atmospheric experience.

What makes Blair Witch impressive is its ability to terrify players without the witch herself ever appearing. Despite her elusiveness, her influence over the forest is ever-present, manifesting through her disembodied voice and the shadowy figures that lurk among the trees. The Blair Witch’s ability to manipulate her victims is a genuinely scary concept and one that keeps players on edge throughout the game’s campaign.

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