The horror genre is a monolith of the gaming industry. With popular series likeResident Evil,Amnesia,OutlastandDead Spacedominating, it is near impossible not to have heard of these games. From survival horror to zombie horror, every sub-genre has been explored leaving little room for new innovative games to take the spotlight.
However, for true horror game lovers there still exists a catalog of obscure horror games. Obscure relates to those not yet discovered or remaining unknown. It is about time these obscure horror games became mainstream.
8Detention
Created and developed by Red Candle Games, Detention is a horror adventure game. The 2D atmospheric side-scroller brings an uncanny creepiness, by limiting your perception of the world you are in. Unlike 3D horror games, you cannot peak around corners to see oncoming enemies.
Red Candle Games honors Taiwanese folklore and mythology by incorporating certain religious elements into the story.Set in the 1960sTaiwan under martial law, two students find themselves trapped in a high school haunted by evil creatures.
7Rule Of Rose
This PlayStation 2 survival horror game is a throwback but one definitely worth playing. Developed by Punchline, Rule of Rose pushed the envelope for horror games back in 2006 by emphasizingpsychological horrorover jump scares.
Set in 1930s England, you play as a young woman who awakens on an air ship she must escape. Accompanied by a friendly dog, you must evade strange monsters while solving puzzles. Upon release, the game received controversy due to its themes relating to lesbianism and cannibalism. Despite this initial moral panic, Rule of Rose is a chilling horror game that should be played more.
6Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth
Combining action adventure with realistic first-person shooter and elements of stealth, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a horror game often overlooked. Developed by British Studio Headfirst Productions, the game is inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, the progenitor of the Cthulhu mythos. If you are tired of the typical paranormal or zombie horror, then this cosmic horror will be a refreshing game to play.
You play as a former police detective in Boston who has been committed to a mental institution. After working on a disturbing case, the protagonist develops a split personality. Once discharged, you embark on an adventure to recover parts of your missing memory all the while fighting with an invisible force working from the shadows.
5Siren: Blood Curse
The third installment to the Forbidden Siren series, Siren: Blood Curse is a survival stealth game developed by Project Siren. This final installment to the series is a re-imagining of the first game, Siren, with alterations to the structure and content. When an American TV crew visits a rural village in Japan, they earn more than they bargained for when horrifying events begin to happen.
The Legend of Hanuda is a myth of the village said to be the reason behind the vanishings and sacrifices that took place 30 years prior. Similar to theDark Picturesseries, in an episodic structure you play as different characters during events parallel to one another. Unlike any other game, you can see through the eyes of the enemies on a split screen.
4White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
This Korean survival horror game developed by ROI Games was initially launched as amobile horror gamein 2015. Following its success, White Day: A Labyrinth Named School was introduced to other platforms such as Windows and PlayStation. The survival game utilizes a first-person perspective and, true to its genre, offers no combat abilities purely offering the protagonist the options of running or hiding.
In Korea and Japan, White Day is exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, when boys give the girl they like chocolates. The teenage protagonist sneaks into school late at night to plant chocolates on his crush’s desk. Things quickly start to take a turn for the worse. Between a murderous school janitor and the labyrinthine halls of the school, you must solve puzzles to escape.
3Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home is a Thai first-person survival horror and puzzle game. Developed by Yggdrazil Group, this horror draws from Thai folklore to scare you with creatures and mythology you have probably never come across before. It primarily focuses on storytelling and stealth with puzzles provided here and there. Over two episodes, you must unravel the mystery of the disappearance of your wife while evading perilous creatures.
The protagonist, Tim, suffers from the disappearance of his wife who mysteriously vanished leaving no clue or trace of her whereabouts. One day he awakes and finds himself in a different apartment building existing on another plane of reality. He must discover the reason his wife vanished within his own home all the while evading a demonic female entity.
2Scratches
Scratches is a mystery adventure PC game developed by Nucleosys, the first-ever commercial adventure game to be made in Argentina. This game certainly makes the Argentines proud as it is a truly terrifying and obscure horror game. Taking on the stereotypical trope of the haunted house, Scratches redefines the trope in this first-person perspective where you only use a mouse to navigate.
The game revolves around the Blackwood estate, an elusive property owned by James T. Blackwood. After multiple tragedies occurring here and the previous tenant disappearing, the state eventually lands in the hands of the protagonist. The author takes this house as a place to work on his next novel. However, when the constant sounds of scratching can be heard all over the house, he realizes he may not be the only resident still there.
1Faith: The Unholy Trinity
With a full ten-star rating on Steam, Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a horror game that truly explores the terror of humanity in a fresh and captivating way. The survival horror developed by Airdorf Games, is an example of how retro graphics can be terrifying in an era of hyperrealism. Therotoscope cut-scenesand 80s-era synthesized speech add a layer of creepiness not found in traditional horror games.
The game follows a priest a year after an unfortunate, failed exorcism. Set over three episodes, you play as this priest whose only ‘weapon’ is his cross against unholy foes. Going back to the cabin where it all began, you discover the mystery of a larger force at work while struggling with your own faith. Inspired by the Satanic panic of the 80s, Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a prime example of how great storytelling, simple graphics, and intentional use of audio, can be terrifying.
