Most Stomach Churning Horror Games

Summary

• These horror games are gruesome and gory, with some also having psychological effects.
• Soma explores consciousness through a grim narrative, leaving players questioning sentience while Amnesia delves into moral responsibility in a Lovecraftian setting, blurring reality with hallucinations.
• Alien: Isolation captures the essence of survival horror with a relentless Xenomorph to evade or hide from.

The most terrifying horror games can captivate our imagination and take it to dark places. Some of these games rely on jumpscares and graphic imagery to give the player a rush of adrenaline as they decide whether to flee the scene or fight the creepy monster that jumped out of the sewer.

On the other hand, the best psychological horror games use subtle means to frighten you. While there is the occasional jumpscare, these games create an isolated environment with little or no human presence. Moreover, the plot is deeply insidious, and its details are either obscured or slowly revealed. Together, these elements create an uneasy gut feeling that something is lurking in the shadows—always.

8

Soma

Creepy Underwater Creatures

Soma explores questions of consciousness and the dystopian possibilities of advanced tech gone wrong, and we warn you that its answers are pretty grim. The premise involves a man, Simon Jerett, who agreed to an experimental brain scan, not knowing that his psyche was being copied. He wakes up a century later in a robotic body, shocked to see the world is now underwater and that the entire human race, save a few, has been wiped out.

While the original Simon died, the game will make you question and even accept that the copy is just as sentient. Combat is not an option. All you can do is run and hide from the hideously disfigured mutants or underwater creatures.

7

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Moral Dilemma Galore

Amnesia features the ideas of moral responsibility in a Lovecraftian cosmic horror setting. The game’s protagonist, Daniel, erased his memories to rid himself of the guilt of partaking in human torture. According to a note he supposedly wrote to himself, he must kill Alexander, a Baron living inside a castle in Prussia where he woke up after his amnesia.

As you struggle to find your way through the dark, empty halls of the castle and learn about your past through notes and flashbacks, your grip on reality slips in the form of hallucinations. Moreover, the castle is filled with torture victims with exposed flesh and gaping mouths that chase while you find a way to confront Alexander.

6

Alien: Isolation

You Can’t Run Forever

Alien: Isolation is set 15 years after the events of the cult classic movie Alien (1979). The story follows Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley (the film’s protagonist), as she investigates her mother’s disappearance on the decaying space station known as Sevastopol. Upon boarding the station, Amanda finds the station in disarray, its inhabitants either afraid or hostile towards her, and the looming threat of a Xenomorph.

The game embodies the spirit of survival horror games. You’re stuck on an abandoned station and an alien predator is hunting you down. Your only options against the Xenomorph are to hide or distract it, as any attempts at direct combat will lead to instant impalement at the mercy of its sharp tail.

5

Silent Hill 2 (Remake)

Trippy Atmosphere And A Disturbing Story

The Silent Hill 2 remake honors the franchise known for its iconic psychological horror. The game faithfully adapted the story of James Sunderland, a guilt-ridden man looking for his dead wife in an abandoned town filled with haunting elements such as the thick fog permeating its streets or the stuffy blood-stained hospitals, not to mention the creepy entities that try to kill you.

The otherworldy atmosphere of the town called Silent Hill has led many fans to theorize that the whole story is just one big dream James conjured up to deal with the guilt relating to his wife’s death. However, this is neither confirmed nor refuted with certainty, and the mystery makes for a fascinating, albeit unsettling, story.

4

Dying Light

Best Return To Camp Before Sundown

Dying Light mixes themes of spy movies and apocalyptic wastelands. You’re an undercover agent tasked with recovering a crucial piece of intel from a gangster in the fictional city of Harran, which is overrun by a virus that transformed the infected people into horrifying zombies. Upon arrival, you team up with the locals and even side with them at the expense of your mission.

The gameplay can be fast or slow, depending on the enemy—either an infected individual or another human hunting for airdrop supplies. Moreover, the caliber of zombies changes with the Sun’s cycle. The zombies during the day are slow and weak, but when the sun goes down another class known as Nightmares roam the city—running away is your best bet to survive.

3

Resident Evil 3 (Remake)

Jill Valentine Returns

Resident Evil is a beloved franchise in the zombie apocalypse video game genre. The remake of its third installation impressed the critics with its attention to gory detail and narrative. The player controls former agent Jill Valentine and mercenary Carlos Oliviera as they work together to secure a vaccine and escape the virus-infested streets of Raccoon City.

The main antagonist is a bioweapon called Nemesis, created by the Umbrella Corporation, who hunts down the player and possesses far greater intelligence than other undead entities. The gameplay is a balanced mix of blockbuster action and survival horror with a lot of intricate puzzles and, of course, blood-splattering headshots.

2

Outlast

Survival Horror At It’s Peak

One of the most popular survival horror games, Outlast, starts with an investigation gone wrong. You play as Miles Upshur, a journalist who has decided to dig into the reports of terrible things happening at Mount Massive Asylum, a remote psychiatric facility. Upon arrival, he sees a heap of bodies and grotesque humans that either want you dead or keep you alive for rituals.

The game’s emphasis on pitch-black claustrophobic corridors forces you to use your camera’s night vision, limiting your field of view and making everything twice as scary. Also, did we mention you cannot fight back? All you can do is run and hide in lockers or under the bed without moving a muscle while enemies search nearby.

1

Dead Space (Remake)

Dread-Inducing Atmosphere

Dead Space (2023) is one of the successful horror game remakes. Our story begins in the year 2508 with engineer Isaac Clarke, who goes on a mission to save his girlfriend from the Necromorphs that inhabit the spaceship USG Ishimura.

The gameplay features active combat against the enemies. You can attack enemies by shooting at their limbs to expose their bones and inflict critical damage. Moreover, Isaac can move around objects at a distance using the Kinesis module. This comes in handy during combat where you can throw blunt or sharp objects at the Necromorphs, obliterating them on the spot.