Although there are enough video games out there to last more than one lifetime, it can still be heartbreaking when an excellent-sounding upcoming game is canceled. Sadly, Silent Hills joined the long list of highly anticipated titles that are unlikely ever to release, following the public breakup between Kojima Productions and Konami. Silent Hills is a gutting cancellation in particular, as the game’s playable teaser, P.T., was extremely well received.
Thankfully, there are numerous fantastic horror games available, many of which are made by indie studios, that can scratch players’ itch for frightening adventures. Some of the indie games on this list are vastly different in playstyle than P.T., but they all provide thoroughly enjoyable horror experiences that will hopefully fill the void left by Silent Hills‘ cancellation.
10 The Medium
The Medium is one of the few games that has been released on Xbox Series X, but not on Xbox One. This is due to the game’s dual world feature, which the Xbox One simply isn’t powerful enough to run smoothly. Bloober Team’s The Medium is set in post-Communism Poland and puts players in the shoes of a medium named Marianne. After getting a mysterious phone call, Marianne travels to a resort named Niwa, where she uncovers its tragic history.
The psychological horror game is very linear and story-driven, with the gameplay predominantly consisting of puzzle-solving.
9 The Forest
Playing The Forest is similar to watching a 60s horror film, in the sense that it can be scary alone but hilarious with friends. Although The Forest does have a narrative centered around the protagonist losing their son in a plane crash, its popularity was predominantly due to the excellent multiplayer.
Endnight Games’ survival horror title was well received by critics, with the PC iteration receiving an 83 Metascore on PC. The game’s success has unsurprisingly meant that a sequel is in development; Sons of the Forest is expected to release within the next couple of years.
8 Five Nights at Freddy’s
Surprise hit Five Nights At Freddy’s was initially released in 2014 on PC before coming to iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 in the years that followed. The game was developed by Scott Cawthon, who has also worked on its many sequels.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is certainly not the most complicated game in the world, though its simplicity makes it all the more engaging. The game puts players in control of a security guard at a Chuck E Cheese-inspired restaurant, who needs to fend off a group of deadly Animatronics who sporadically start approaching.
7 Soma
When judging Soma purely on its gameplay, it’s certainly not a bad game, but it doesn’t stand out from the large crowd of average horror games that have been released over the last few decades. However, Soma became one of 2015’s most interesting and talked about horror games thanks to its fascinating, haunting, and well-crafted story.
It’s difficult to discuss the story without running into spoiler territory, though it can be said that fans of the tv series Black Mirror should certainly consider giving the game a try, as they have similar themes of the danger of technological advancements.
6 Subnautica
When coming across Subnautica‘s box in a store or perhaps flicking past it on Game Pass, most people would likely believe the game to be a relaxing, meditative venture into an alien planet’s sea. However, it soon becomes clear that this isn’t the case when booting up the game, as players will find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean and having to delve into the deep blue sea to scavenge materials while evading the deadly creatures that lie below.
Subnautica was extremely well-received by the gaming community, and it was awarded the accolade of Fan Favorite Indie Game at the Gamers’ Choice Awards in 2018.
5 Darkwood
Darkwood was initially released on Mac and PC in 2017, before coming to Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 nearly two years later. The game features a top-down perspective which is uncommon for the horror genre, as the perspective is inherently less immersive than first or third person. However, the game’s development team, Acid Wizard Studio, did a fantastic job creating an atmospheric and truly unsettling experience.
Darkwood is also notable for its semi-open world, which has a well-integrated day/night cycle.
4 Outlast
Outlast is a rare case of an indie game that is known to many people who aren’t particularly interested in gaming. This is because the survival horror game has been played by many influencers of YouTube and Twitch, thanks to the game’s easy-to-learn controls and numerous jumpscares that make for great viewing.
Outlast takes a leaf out of Amnesia‘s book by giving players no weaponry, forcing them to hide and stealth past enemies if they want to survive. The game is notable for its level design, which is well-crafted to give players numerous places to hide without making them ever feel too safe.
3 Cry of Fear
Cry of Fear was released by Team Psykskallar in 2012. The game was initially a mod for Half-Life but released as a standalone product shortly after.
Similar to Outlast, Cry of Fear is well-known by the YouTube community thanks to influencer reactions to the game. Unlike Outlast, which most people watch others play an entire walkthrough of, many people only watch the reactions of one specific part of Cry of Fear. This is because the game has one of the most infamous jumpscares in gaming history. Not only does it feel as though “the face” is jumping out of the screen, but it’s also terrifying because it comes completely out of nowhere.
2 Observer: System Redux
Observer: System Redux is the second game on this list that was developed by Bloober Team. System Redux is an enhanced re-release of Observer, featuring new story content and improved visuals to the game’s cyberpunk world.
The cyberpunk world is one of Observer: System Redux‘s many fantastic features, exemplified by it winning the Best Setting accolade from Game Informer in 2017. The game also received solid reviews from critics, especially the Xbox One iteration, which has an impressive Metascore of 86.
1 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Dark Descent is today recognized as being one of the best and most influential horror games of all time. The horror genre was in a bit of an odd place around 2010, as many of the games released that year or the year prior had predominantly been action-centric with horror themes; Resident Evil 5 and Dead Rising 2 being two prominent examples.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent went against this trend, providing a pure horror experience with one of the most unsettling atmospheres in the genre’s history.
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