There’s more than one way to convey horror, whether it be through abstract imagery, an ambiguous plot, or nonsensical characters. While all horror games aim to scare, not all intend to be purposefully weird. But that’s what makes these games so special. Some horror games are bizarre in the best way.
While there’s no official definition, a strange horror game typically consists of one or more of the following: unusual setting, plot, and characters. If a game showcases abstract imagery, a seemingly random story, and a blank-slate protagonist, it’s probably a weird game. These are some of the strangest games in the horror genre.
8Lucius
Creepy little kids are often common in paranormal horror stories, but it’s not every day that you get to play one. Lucius is the story of Lucius, an evil child whose birth was subjected to satanic rituals.
Living in a large manor, six-year-old Lucius is an odd child with a rich family. Lucifer, also known as the “Devil,” frequently visits Lucius and encourages him to gradually murder his wealthy family members, as they owe him a debt. As Lucius, you find the most unusual and creative ways to kill your family members, most of which appear to be freak accidents.
Animatronics are as weird as they are creepy, which makesFive Nights at Freddy’sthe perfect opportunity to capitalize on both. It’s likely the most well-known horror game featuring andstarring animatronic, anthropomorphic enemies.
You’re on the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a children’s entertainment venue featuring friendly animatronic characters. While watching the security cameras in your office, you’ll notice Freddy and his friends begin to move from their designated places. You’ll have to protect yourself by monitoring their whereabouts while managing to keep them out of the office. The catch? You’re completely dependent on electricity, but you’re limited in its use.
6Little Nightmares
Little Nightmarestakes place aboard The Maw, a large ship with the most unusual of guests. You play as Six, a hungry little girl navigating the ship. The circumstances of the game are strange and mysterious, as you have very little insight into what The Maw is or what Six is doing there and who she is. However,the enemies are the game’s main highlights.
Terrifying creatures present obstacles throughout the ship. While small enemies lurk in the shadows, larger ones are center-stage. These enemies include the Janitor, a man with elongated arms and short legs whose face seems to be peeling off. The Twin Chefs wear human skin as masks and will cook you into their food if they catch you. And hungry guests will chase you down to eat you.
5Bramble: The Mountain King
This 2023 game gained attention after a gameplay clip went viral on social media. In the clip, a small boy jumps on lily pads as a terrifying swamp creature stalks and hunts him. And it’s only one of many truly horrifying enemies, which are made creepier by the game’s strange setting and story.
Bramble: The Mountain Kingtransports you tosomewhere straight out of Nordic folklore. The main protagonist, Olle, shrinks in size to search for his sister who was kidnapped by a troll. As Olle, you’ll face an array of other creepy enemies inspired by Scandinavian mythology as you traverse the land.
4P.T. Silent Hill
Despite only being a playable teaser, theSilent HillPT is just as terrifying as any full-length game. The entire playthrough feels like a horrible fever dream, as the faceless, unknown protagonist is experiencing everything on a loop, like Groundhog Day.
A phone continuously rings, a baby cries, and an eerie radio broadcast plays. Everything appears randomly pieced together and it only feels more jarring as time goes on. This disconnected dream-like sequence makes the playthrough extremely unsettling, earning its own place among other horror games.
The Four Houses ofResident Evil Villageare a bit of a mixed bag. Each of these characters couldn’t be more different than the rest.Lady Dimitrescu is a giant vampiresswho towers over her three bloodthirsty daughters, each made of bugs.
Karl Heisenberg can control metal like Magneto and rules over an army of werewolves. Salvatore Moreau is a mutated and deformed fish-man living in the reservoir. And last but not least, Donna Beneviento is a doll maker who only communicates through her creepy puppet, Angie.
Similar to Little Nightmares,Limbois acreepy, strange side-scrolling game. You play a little boy traveling through Limbo, a place between life and death. The imagery in the game is abstract. Everything is in black and white, and the environments vary. Some areas even defy the rules of physics.
The plot of the game is also ambiguous, making it feel like a hodgepodge of unusual occurrences strewn together. There are plenty of interpretations of what’s happening, but the ambiguity and strangeness certainly make the gamethe weird, creepy puzzle platformer it is.
Outlast 2’s plot features a deranged cult living in the wilderness. On the outskirts of the village are a group of diseased people called the “scalled.” These outcasts are suffering from a disease that’s caused permanent damage to their minds and bodies. Though the cult believes their condition is a result of religious circumstances, the group is actually suffering from the late stages of untreated Syphilis.
It’s one of the few, if not the only, horror games to incorporate STIs into the storyline. It’s certainly a unique choice that starts a commentary on the stigma surrounding STIs and thesocial harm sometimes caused by fundamentalist religion, as the cult persecutes groups, othering them from society.
