When it comes to instilling fear in the hearts of gamers, there are plenty of options to choose from. Thehorror genre is rifewith different settings, and vehicular terror is a trope that comes up often. It’s likely because of the claustrophobic nature of vehicles themselves, with the only means of escape being quite dangerous.
Fromtrains to boats to cars, there are all sorts of spooky vehicles out there. And horror isn’t the only genre to play with this trope: some entries on this list come from unexpected, cozy sources. Here’s a list of the creepiest vehicles in gaming.
10The Elizabeth Dane From Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines
While Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines isn’t a horror game per se, several quests in the game helped pioneer aspects of the modern horror genre. The Elizabeth Dane is a cargo ship your character sneaks onto during the first half of the game, with rumors of an ancient sarcophagus onboard.
When you arrive, the entire crew is missing or dead, with local police investigating the scene. Bloody smears on the floor and a foreboding atmosphere are all that await you. It’s just a little reminiscent of the fate of the Demeter from Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
9The Spooky Carriage From Animal Crossing: New Horizons
It’s in the name. Sure, this carriage may be stationary, but it’s full of creepy-cute personality. It’s perfect as Halloween decor for your island, and comes in four different color variations to choose from. Pick your favorite and make your island absolutely spooktacular.
It has an almost Tim Burton-esque charm to it, being subtly creepy without risking the game’s E for Everyone rating. To get the DIY recipe, talk to Jack and complete his sidequests duringthe game’s Halloween event. He’ll usually give you the recipe for the carriage after the last quest for the evening has been completed.
8Ghost Ride From Mario Kart Tour
Most of the cars in the Mario Kart series are pretty goofy looking at best and mundane at worst. The games aren’t exactly known for being spooky, but Mario Kart Tour introduces Ghost Ride. It’s the signature car for King Boo, and it’s equal parts spooky and stylish.
Firstly, that’s no ordinary car: that’s a hearse. But it’s just not any ordinary hearse! On top of being driven by the spookiest Mario Kart character in existence, Ghost Ride is oozing with vintage style. It adds plenty of gothic charm to the game, especially on the Luigi’s Mansion themed courses.
7The Troll-Powered Carriages From Elden Ring
There was absolutely no reason for the carriages in Elden Ring to be as needlessly dramatic as they are. We’re pretty sure horses exist in the Lands Between, and there’s nothing preventing them from pulling carriages as they do in other worlds. But lo and behold, some of the carriages in this game are pulled by two massive trolls.
The trolls' appearance alone is fairly unsettling, being both skeletal and bulky all at once. Combine this with the spooky, gothic design of the carriages themselves, and you have a vehicle that adds to the unsettling atmosphere of the game. It’s just a shame you don’t get one of these rides for yourself.
6The Sunken Ship From Okami
Okami is a gorgeous game. The entire world is bathed in dreamlike watercolor, making its locations seem larger than life. This makes your idyllic villages seem all the more idyllic and your epic battles seem more epic. But when the game requires you to explore a sunken, haunted ship, the art style takes a sinister turn.
The entire ship is overrun with ghosts. This is to be expected, but what’s totally surprising is that some of these specters can attack you while you’re still in painting mode. This makes the ghosts on the ship all the more scary: you’re not safeanywhere.
5The Airship From Rule Of Rose
Rule of Rose is a forgotten horror game thatdesperately needs more love. The entire game takes place on an airship, but you’ll be forgiven for forgetting that little fact. The abstract nature of the game’s storytelling makes the ship more of a symbolic location than a real one.
Throughout the game, you’re forced to navigate this creepy, abandoned dirigible with only your dog for company. Some of the creepiness comes from the atmosphere and monsters. However, the real terror comes from the barrage of childhood trauma that Jennifer, the protagonist, is forced to relive.
4The Ferry To The Other World From Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Ocarina of Time isn’t as full of spooky moments as its sequel, but there are still some bone-chilling segments that stand out. One of them comes relatively late in the game when you take on the Shadow Temple. It’s a creepy dungeon full of undead, but the fun doesn’t stop there.
to progress further into the dungeon, you’ll have to board an eerie ship with a Stalfos at the helm. It’s reminiscent of Charon from Greek myth, which is fitting considering that the temple is filled with the spirits of the dead. Turn back after you reach dry land, and the boat disappears, suggesting you just took more of a spiritual journey than a physical one.
3Sweet Tooth From Twisted Metal
Let’s face it: clowns are creepy. They’re even creepier when they’re driving a monstrous ice cream truck, bent on killing everything in sight. It was hard findingjust one car from Twisted Metalto put on this list, but Sweet Tooth takes the cake. If you ever dreamed of tearing your enemies to shreds in the least serious way possible, this is the car for you.
Sweet Tooth is an ice cream truck that looks like it was plucked out of hell. It’s rusted and bloodstained beyond all comprehension, and the fireball clown face ornament inspires terror in all who see it. As the saying goes: “I scream, you scream. We all scream.”
2The Phantom Express From Cuphead
“Railroad Wrath” is by farone of the most memorable boss fightsin Cuphead. In this level, you face off against the Phantom Express, a formidable haunted train that can and will end you if you’re not careful. To top it all off, it has some of the most memorable music in the game, and the art is pure Halloweeny delight.
A variety of ghosts inspired by different legends and folklore emerge from the train to fight you. All the character designs are both spooky and downright charming, and it’s easy to lose track of what’s happening. This train is a boss fight full of surprises and jumpscares, so you won’t want to board it anytime soon.
1All The Cars In Groaning Steel
Groaning Steel is a game with a nightmarish premise pulled straight from a metal album. In a post-apocalyptic world, an entity known as the Fleshsteel God descended from another realm, remaking the world into a viscera-covered hellscape. The sky is bloody scarlet, and the new world is made from meat, bone, and steel.
Naturally, this includes the cars, all of which are made of a combination of flesh and metal. You drive one of these nightmare automobiles through the world as you go on missions to appease your new god. And yes, the game is in third-person, meaning you never lose sight of your viscera car.
