What are some good games with a creepy/eerie atmosphere but not outright horror?
The epitome of what I’m trying to refer to is the Playdead games (Limbo and Inside). Dark Souls and BioShock both hit on this idea but not quite so directly. The game BADLAND is also a great example of this, too. The mobile game The Silent Age also did this exceptionally well. Never quite knowing what’s going on, and maybe some tension without release, but again not straight up horror. A feeling of uneasiness is what I’m looking for.
When playing through Inside, there’s never any moments where you’re scared, but you’re never sure what’s going on and there’s always a level of unease. What are all the mindless zombie-like people? Why is everyone hunting the player? What happened to this city? What’s the goal of the character the player controls? What exactly is going on here? That’s what I’m looking for. If you know of any other games which do this, I’d greatly appreciate hearing about them. It’s a very specific niche so I’m not sure how many games do this, but the games that I’ve seen do this tend to be some form of post-disaster or dystopia. I’ve seen some great artwork do this too. Zdzisław Beksiński had done some stuff like this. Some great dystopian novels also do this quite well.
Subnautica has some creepy overtones.
I’ve heard as such. I also love nautical themes in general (no surprise given my username), so I’ve been meaning to play it for quite a while. Thanks for reminding me of this game
If you like crafting bases, this sounds like it would be right up your alley, then
Be sure to clear off the next few evenings when you start it
I usually only get one day off work at a time so I’ll use up my paid vacation to play this game 😎
Seconding Subnautica.
It was one of the few games I've played where I felt sad finishing it.
The sequel does not have the same vibe, though, so be aware of that. It's an okay game, but it definitely misses the vibe the original.
I loved Subnautica, but it was too scary and claustrophobic for me to finish because I am a weenie. The first time I had to go down to that abandoned underwater cave base shivers
Outer Wilds. It's better to play it without knowing much beforehand. All I'm gonna say is: it will make you feel very lonely and even vulnerable at times, although it's not a horror game by any means. It's a beautiful videogame with a mind-blowing story.
I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews for that game, but I haven’t had any aspect spoiled for me at all. Thanks for the recommendation!
I agree. The DLC adds creepy.
I’d recommend Control by Remedy. It’s got some SCP vibe and has liminal spaces, spooky supernatural shit and great looking environments and game play.
I’ve received lots of suggestions for Control, I think I’ll be playing it soon
Control was so unbelievably good and creepy. Can't recommend it enough. Really recaptured the love of gaming and exploring a new world that I had started to lose.
Absolutely Control. I've just gotten back to it after a too long hiatus. About half way through and loving every beat. The logs and docs are 100% worth reading.
Half Life/Black Mesa. I replayed it recently and I had forgotten the level of unease that pervades most of it. While short of horror, there's been an obvious disaster, people are panicking, and it's unclear to the PC what is going on for most of the game.
I played Black Mesa a few months back and loved it. It also did a really good job with what I’m trying to explain. I kind of want to go through the original as well at some point, too.
The original is great. I actually haven't played Black Mesa all the way, but played the original recently... I have to admit it looks quite dated, which isn't surprising considering it is (amazingly) 25 years old.
I don’t mind outdated graphics (unsurprising, given that I mod this community). I’ve been meaning to get to the sequels too. Are they similar in terms of creepiness?
Oh, definitely! I don't really recall the add-ons (Opposing Force, etc) but Half-Life 2 is a very worthy sequel.
I know some people say the second is the best one, others swear by the first. I own all the Half-Life games so I really should continue the series
I am not sure which is better. I played the first at a seminal time, when the only other FPS I knew was quake. We also played a lot of HL P2P (back when it was 'deathmatch'...). I played HL2 much later, several years after it was released, and did no PvP ever. All in all, I like about 60% of each one, as far as the single player story experience.
Fair. There are some advantages to playing games at the time they were popular for sure. I’m a little bit younger though and Halo CE was my first ever video game so I didn’t really experience Half-Life as a brand new game
I'd say Arkane's Prey hits that for me. The feeling of isolation, not only on the station, but by virtue of being in space, and the story itself. The mechanics of the mimic enemies can create emergent jump scares, but I'd definitely say it's not a horror game.
I'd also say Death Stranding, at times. While the human NPCs are very wholesome, the atmosphere and experience of delivering the packages out through the timefallen wasteland and that isolation lends itself well to introspection and the BTs are pretty creepy and axiety-inducing until you're used to them and can fight them.
Oh Prey's a good one. Fantastic game.
I loved Dishonored 1 and the second was also quite good. I know Redfall was a disappointment but I’ve never played it, so every experience I’ve had with Arkane has been positive so far. I’ve been meaning to play Prey because of this, and I think I bought it over the previous steam sale. I’ll consider downloading it soon to try it out.
I picked up Death Stranding as one of the free games over the Christmas free games thing with Epic, so I don’t have an excuse to not try that one.
Incidentally I just started Prey about an hour ago after sitting on it in my backlog for a couple years. It's very good so far, seems to have a good spread of systems with decent depth and the graphics are still 2023-approved.
I've been playing a lot of DOOM so the combat feels a bit Lite™, but I felt that way about Dishonored too—blows land like wing chun and not like a rock crusher.
It's got BioShock's turrets, F.E.A.R.'s slow-mo and Dishonored's stealthy parkour, and so far it all comes together nicely.
It feels very much like an Arkane title, too. Maybe a bit too much going on at once, but boy do they know how to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks.
Slightly off topic but how do you like the newer Doom games? Assuming that’s what you’re referring to. I still go back and play Doom 1 & 2 quite frequently, but I never got into 2016 or Eternal. My coworker’s favourite game is Eternal and he raves about it all the time. I played a few minutes of 2016 and it seemed alright but I didn’t play enough to get a good idea.
I love them both. I feel like they both need to be played on harder difficulties because they're built for a pushy playstyle, especially Eternal which requires melee finishers for ammo drops even more than the '16 game already did.
'16 has more of a straightforward plot. The story is fine. The main NPC looks and sounds like James Spader's Ultron, which thrills me. I love the Mars station design and wish the Hell levels were a bit more creative. Other than some mysterious hints at a connection between Doomguy and all the Hell stuff, '16 doesn't bother much with lore.
Eternal takes everything good about '16 and gives it an espresso, some laughing gas, and a whole bunch of lore that might have been written by Tenacious D. It's deeply silly, very hard and has some of the best game design I've ever seen. I don't think one is better than the other; 2016 is more nostalgic, but Eternal is more ambitious. The only catch about Eternal's ambition is that you really have to be on board, because there aren't optional play styles — you play Eternal the way the devs tell you it's supposed to be played.
I might just have to give them another shot then. Eternal sounds like my type of game anyway, so I might go for that one first. Thanks for the explanation!
I'd recommend against playing the Epic version that was free. That was the standard edition. Product placement ruins the atmosphere. Your health potions are literally Monster Energy Drink. If you want to play this game, get the director's cut.
I was one of the few to get the director’s cut before they switched it, and I kept my copy of the director’s cut and also got the standard edition as well. I guess I got lucky
Redfall was a break from their usually fantastic single player immersive Sims.
The dishonored games obviously has the top slot, but prey follows the same type of setup. Then deathloop is similar in presentation but mixes the formula up with some roguelike-style repetition.
Redfall was unfortunately just the death rattle of arkane as their first xbox-involved launch, if developer interviews are to be believed
What made Redfall so bad? I haven’t really heard anything about the game other than that it was a massive disappointment. Is it just that Arkane usually does a fantastic job and so when they didn’t it was perceived as worse than it was? Or is it genuinely a bad game?
Bloodborne
Control (definitely what you're looking for)
The Last of Us
Little Nightmares (quite similar to Inside, horror-inspired and creepy but barely any jump scares)
Inscryption
Dying Light (admittedly not very scary, but at night where you get chased by creatures can be very intense)
I’ll be bitter about Bloodborne not being on PC until the day they release it on Steam. I’ll look more into the other ones though. I think I own Control already so I might play that one soon
Control is definitely 10/10 for me, very satisfying once you get used to the mechanics.
Yes, Control hit all the right spots for me. Its got an X-files/Twin Peaks feeling about it. I loved every minute of my playthrough. Its architecture and level design also really appealed to me.
Control was so good! I found it was a little tough at times, but it maintains the creepy vibes throughout the game. And the more you progress, the more Jesse feels like an absolute badass without undercutting the game's atmosphere. Just a fantastic game all around.
@simple @cod I loved Control. One of my few platinum trophies
Seconding Control. It's an absolutely amazing game. Very creepy vibes in most of the game but not quite horror.
Inscryption is such an amazing, surprising, mind-bending and downright crazy experience. Everyone should play it absolutely blind.
Bloodborne is my favorite game of all time.
So amazing. The music in the goal.. shivers!
Control does a good job of starting out uncomfortable and weird, and continuing to escalate as the story progresses. A great deal of unease since you don't understand what's going on with your character or the environment she finds herself in.
That sounds perfect. Thanks for the recommendation. I own it so I really should play it
Portal series
Absolutely. I forgot to mention those in my post but I’ve played them many, many times and they’re some of my favourites. Once you leave the test rooms in Portal 2 and explore the rest of Aperture after it became abandoned is one of the coolest experiences in video games for me. I love abandoned stuff, creepy in all the right ways
Yes, the games are not especially creepy but the implications are really horror material the more you think about it. Like the reason why Aperture is abandoned, what experimentations were conducted there, what are the consequences, who is the rat man... Chills.
That’s the best way to do creepy imo. Not immediately in your face or done in a horror-type way but more subtle.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice kinda fits this description. It's a game about a mentally ill viking(ish) warrior so it's more "psychological" creepiness than zombies, but it definitely achieves what it seeks out to do as with its atmosphere without being outright horror. The game is not for everybody since the gameplay can be a bit offputting.
This is the most skin crawling game in the thread. In VR it's super creepy, the voices are just downright harrowing.
Oof, I can only imagine VR. The voices with good headphones and a long play session gave me a headache the next day haha
I’ve heard really good things about that one. Good to know it fits what I described, I’ll be checking it out for sure. Thanks!
If you have issues with too-close FOV in games, you may want to make sure you play the PC version and not the console one. PC you can adjust the FOV. Console version is one of the few games I've played that made me straight up barfy. Dishonored 2 was another.
Duly noted. I always play on pc anyway, so no big deal. Thanks for the tip
Definitely try Hellblade. And definitely play with headphones.
I have an extra key for Senua if you're interested.
If you’re willing to, that would be awesome.
Play it with good over-ear headphones. It's SO good that way.
STALKER for that horror undercurrent, Deus Ex Mankind Divided probably has the best atmosphere of any game I've ever played and the fact the franchise was abandoned for that marvel brain-rot is a crying shame.
STALKER was my first thought as well. amazing atmosphere. The zone doesn't care if you're there or not.
Metro games are pretty good too, especially the first two for that creepy vibe.
What Remains of Edith Finch. It's not horror at all but you're the last person alive in your family, exploring your childhood home, which is a crazy house with tons of weird add-ons and secret passages, exploring how your family members died. Mental illness, insane unlucky accidents, all that. It's a really truly excellent game. It's unsettling in a way that keeps you on edge without ever being actually afraid
I forgot about that game but I’ve heard really good things. I’ll take a closer look, thanks!
That game left SUCH an impression on me. It's so poetic and the emotions are so raw.
I've been playing DREDGE and it definitely has the creepy element down. It's gotten me hooked for sure
I've been absolutely loving DREDGE. Picked it up in the summer sale without really knowing anything about it and I've been having so much fun with it.
OP, I'd strongly recommend this game but don't look anything up, it really adds to the suspense and eerieness.
Duly noted, I’ll check it out. Thanks!
Second dredge.
I pirated it and then like it enough to buy it on steam.
Segments of most 3d Zeldas are like this, but the one that takes the cake is definitely Majora's Mask. The entire game is like one bad dream.
Most Metroid games also qualify, which makes sense since they draw heavily from the Alien movies.
If only the Zelda games were on pc :( I could emulate though
I’ll look more into Metroid too
Seconding basically all the (mainline) Metroid games.
Firewatch. The story and gameplay don't lead you to believe you're in for a paranoia existential plot but it certainly goes there. Sounds right up your alley. It's an amazing game and certainly hits the point of scaring you without jump scares with an uneasy tension.
I heard lots of good things when it first came out and then sort or forgot about it. I’ll look into it some more, your description sounds exactly like what I’m looking for
Hollow Knight
I absolutely love Hollow Knight. One of the best games I’ve ever played. Not sure how I didn’t think of it when writing my post. That game is a masterpiece
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
it's about scavenging and fighting in a radioactive exclusion zone in Ukraine
it has some monsters, that scare the shit out of me, and 'anomalies' that break the rules of physics
it's really good
I think the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games are outright survival horror. The realism of the games, the historical event as background, makes it even more creepier.
That sounds really cool. I’ll definitely be taking a look, thanks.
Returnal. It has an unsettling atmosphere on an unknown alien planet and a mysterious story that you piece together. It’s very tense and you are isolated with just your character’s thoughts, I highly recommend it.
The story is straight Lovecraftian style horror, even if the game play style isn't typical of a horror game. 🤷🏻♂️
I’ve heard of this one. It’s a very pretty looking game, if it goes on sale on Steam I’ll consider getting it. AAA price for a “we’ll see” isn’t worth it imo especially given my backlog on steam is massive. But it’s now on my wishlist so thanks!
Gone Home
Never heard of it but it looks cool.
I'm surprised I haven't seen Morrowind in the comments yet. The storytelling gave me the impression that Todd Howard must've played a lot of DND campaigns while under the influence of psychedelics just to lay the setting for the plot. I highly recommend because I've had a lot of moments throughout my playthrough asking myself "wait, did that actually happen?" And, "Is this a Bethesda bug, or is the game straight up cursed?". Also, Many of the characters, creatures, and a certain "house", or faction in the game are straight up Lovecraftian, with aesthetics pretty on par with Bekzinski's art-style. I also think the Marathon series fits the bill on a lot of these aspects. It's Bungie's precursor to Halo, and while its narrative may be similar, I think the devs had to get creative with the limited software capabilities available at the time and so the narrative ended up being an experience I'd describe as "wild and uncanny".
I’ve heard of the Marathon games but never played them. I’ll look into them more.
I’m a huge fan of Oblivion and Skyrim, and really enjoyed ESO as well, and I’ve tried getting into Morrowind a few times but every time I get a few hours in another game comes around. I never stop playing the game because I get bored or anything, I always really enjoy it, but every time I start a playthrough it ends because of another game. I really need to just isolate myself from other games for a while and sink a bunch of time into it. The limited time I’ve had with it really impressed me, to the point that I think it could become one of my favourite games ever. Oblivion is probably my favourite game ever (tied with Sekiro and Elden Ring) and Morrowind managed to impress me even more, so I really think once I get into it I’ll really get into it. The setting is just incredible.
Sounds good. A forewarning before playing, they're a major product of their time so the controls and mechanics are a bit janky but not quite to the levels of the original system shocks.
I completely agree. It'll definitely sink a lot of your time though but it's setting is incredible and unique. Morrowind and the Shivering Aisles are my two favorites in the whole series so far because of their creativity and sense of wonder.
I also like how much freedom you get in Morrowind. The game just lets you do whatever you want. It invites you to break it apart more than any game I’ve ever seen. And then on top of that, the environment is just spectacular. I really Souls sink some time into it. I really want to 100% the Dark Souls trilogy before I do much else though, and I only just got to Anor Londo in Dark Souls 1 so I’ve got a ways to go yet. Plus a ton of suggestions on here, and Starfield in September, and I’ll be jumping back into Elden Ring for the DLC whenever that drops. But Morrowind needs to happen. If only I had more time.
I think Oxenfree has an eerie atmosphere. I haven’t played the second one yet since it got released just a few days ago, but I really enjoyed the first one.
It’s on sale right now for a couple bucks, I think I’ll get it and try it out. Thanks!
GMOD.
Something about Source engine maps set in realistic locations devoid of anything but a player has an overpowering creepy, liminal space vibe.
I wouldn’t have thought of that one. Thanks for pointing it out!
There's 2 indie games that are SETI simulators. The original is Signal Simulator. It spawned a newer one, done like a half life clone, called Voices of the Void. Neither game is outright horror, but both give you a feeling of isolation induced paranoia. You feel like you're constantly being watched. There's a few random events that are creepy, but the idea is not outright terror.
I’ve never heard of either of those but they look really interesting. One of the better suggestions on here, based on pictures at least. I’ll definitely be checking both of those out, thank you.
I have another. One of my all time favorite games for the PS2 is Everblue 2. It's a first person diving adventure game, you swim around a tropical island, looking for treasure and advancing the plot. Travelling around the map, you're fixed to just moving left, right, forward, and back, but there are dive sites where you are given full motion. These are dark, claustrophobic spaces, sometimes with dangerous sea life. Usually, you're searching for a specific item at the request of a person on the island. You're given a time limit to each dive in the form of oxygen, and each item you collect effects both your overall health and the amount of oxygen you consume. Once you've got what you want, you then have to exit the site. There's literally no music during dives unless there's a threat. The only sounds are you and water...
Not super scary, unless you have thalassophobia. Just paranoia inducing, creepy, and tense at times.
If you're not opposed to emulation, because that's the only way to play it now,, I really recommend giving it a try! We only got the second game, but there's a European release of the first Everblue too. Emulation isn't perfect for it though. There's a ton of interlacing jitter no matter what settings you use, to the point that I can't play it because it screws with my eyes too much. The same company also made the Endless Ocean games for the Wii.
I've been wanting more games in the genre like it ever since. Only Subnautica came remotely close.
I’ll definitely look into that more, it sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the suggestion, I especially love hearing about these lesser-known games
Check out Manlybadasshero's channel, he plays a lot of games like that. CJU does as well. A lot of them are very narrative-based, which might not be what you're looking for. The Coffin of Andy and Leyley for example, freaking fantastic game but it's a slow creepy burn rather than action-oriented. Little Misfortune is another personal favorite, and the Tartarus Key. They also play some random ass games like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VWL4vKRp8Uwhere it's a dystopian world and you never really find out what's going on, which sounds similar to what you're into.Awesome, thanks for the recommendations. I’ll definitely be checking out those channels later on. That last game you mentioned sounds exactly like what I’m looking for, so I’ll check out that video tonight or tomorrow. Appreciate it!
about Little Misfortune, i remembered of Fran Bow
Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines's hotel level was one of the best atmospheric horror parts in a game that I've ever played. Just incredible.
Subnautica is pretty good too.
I’ve got Bloodlines so I might do that one soon. I’ve seen it recommended a couple times. Control is the one I’ve seen recommended the most, by a pretty large margin, so I’ll probably do Control and then Bloodlines
Vampire the Masquerade, Bloodlines. Came out before HL2 and I still go back to it ever year or two
There's one famously scary area, however.
I’m a pretty big fan of Outside Xbox and they talk about that game all the time, so I’m definitely aware of it. I bought it recently so I think I’m going to have to play it soon.
@cod a tougher ask than it initially seems. Most creepy games do seem to categorise as horror.
I think Superliminal has an eery feeling to it.
I don't think Intruders hide and seek is a horror, but it is pretty scary in virtual reality.
I started playing Superliminal a week or so ago but got stuck at one point and started a playthrough of Dark Souls, whoops. It was a pretty fun game though, I should finish it.
I haven’t heard of that second one, but I don’t have VR so maybe that’s why.
@cod One or two of the puzzles are a bit finicky, but it does make you feel smart for solving them. Oh yea, intruders is just a short game, you finish it in about 2 hours. I bought it at a deep discount just to play in vr.
It’s a puzzle with a fan and a ball I think. I’m sure I’ll get back to it and immediately figure it out soon enough
@cod if its the one I think it is, that one stumped me for a bit because the solution was different to any of the puzzles that came before it. Still perfectly fitted with the worlds logic though.
Thinking about it a bit more, it had a ball that would replicate itself every time you clicked it and you have to get a pressure plate to be pressed on but a fan blocks the way, blowing the balls away. I’m sure there’s something I’ve missed though. The rest of the game has been a ton of fun so I hope I can figure this one out when I get back to playing it again.
@cod yes, it is the one I thought. I thought they were apples, but I probably misremembered
I never did finish it, but The Solus Project is, I'm pretty sure, exactly what you're asking for. 2017 first person exploration game, very environmental, set on a subtly creepy and somewhat confusing alien world. I got a copy in my Steam library...somehow that was cheap enough I don't remember and played a big chunk of it a couple years ago.
Less action than the Half Life/Unreal/Marathon alien horror FPS lineage, but similar feel.
I second this. I bought this game around 2016 and have also never finished. I absolutely love the concept, but it just feels so eerie that it makes me too anxious to finish.
One thing to add to the previous comment is that this game has a survival element to it. You can adjust how tough you want it to be though. So you have to monitor things like hydration, hunger, warmth, sleep, and saturation. It's not super complex or anything, I just feel it's worth mentioning that it exists in the game since some people don't like survival games.
Very interesting game, a lot of secrets and things to explore. I CONSTANTLY want to go back and give it another shot thinking "this is the time I'll stop being so creeped out by this game" maybe I'll just have to get some Xanax and try again. I think I made it halfway through one time...
I actually stopped because I realized I'd missed some important early-game stuff that was making it frustrating to continue. Not a softlock, just a pain in the ass and/or long trek back.
The environment and exploration are amazing and the uh... things left behind by the alien children... are supremely unsettling.
This thread convinced me. I’ve never really played many survival games so this’ll be interesting. Thanks for the recommendation, it seems perfect
Firewatch is a good example of this. Wandering round an empty forest, seeing an evergrowing forest fire all the time. It's quite eerie but not outright horror.
That game looks stunning. I’m very interested in checking it out
Pathologic 2. Eastern European absurdist psychological "horror". Definitely what you are looking for.
That one looks pretty cool, though it does call itself horror which isn’t quite what I want. How horror-y is it?
Not really as far as I remember. No monsters or gore
Oh good. I’ll check it out then, in that case. Thanks!
Outer Wilds. It isn't the whole game, but there are parts that will chill you to the bone.
Also, the expansion.
I've heard that before, I found 99% of it just beautiful. I dropped acid playing it in VR and it was just incredible. But yeah, I knew enough not to go to Dark Bramble! Some of the quantum effects can be spoopy too.
“Don’t go to Dark Bramble” is the only thing I’ve heard about that game, other than a general idea of what the game is. It does sound intriguing though, I might have to play it
It's honestly one of the most wonderful games I have played in a really long time. Totally different from anything I've played, the sort of thing I wouldn't have thought I'd have enjoyed.
All I can say is, read as little as you can before going in, and resist the temptation to look up guides, at least to start with. Your curiosity slowly leads you to answers, and the satisfaction of piecing together bits of information and constantly making and adapting your own theories as you play is priceless. It's a game actually designed to be completed by natural curiosity and exploration, which you rarely see!
Oh cool! Yeah I’m definitely interested and will check it out. I rarely use guides anyway so no issues there. I only ever do a guide if I’m going for 100% which is usually not on the first playthrough anyway
I saw a game that fits this bill mentioned on two videos recently. It's called BABBDI and you explore a eery city where everyone you meet can't move other than to twist their heads to look at you. Nothing ever puts you in danger and that's established right away. But everything looks... Off.
I saw it mentioned in a video recently too. It’s free so I just added it to my library after seeing your comment. I’ll be playing it soon!
SOMA with the safe mode that makes the monsters not attack you is still really creepy and an extremely atmospheric game, but without the amnesia type hide and run horror elements.
Oh that definitely sounds promising. I’ll take a look, thanks!
America McGees Alice and Alice Madness Returns are both great game, the first one is very very dated, but the second game plays quite well with some manual patching. I strongly recommend Madness Returns and it has a creepy atmosphere like you'd want
My girlfriend is a huge Alice in Wonderland fan so her and I started playing Madness Returns (really just me playing and her watching but that’s what her preference is anyway). Unfortunately we got stuck due to a bug pretty early on and we haven’t continued yet, but we’ll probably try to figure it out eventually and go through the game. It’s definitely got a really cool atmosphere and art style, for sure.
The world of Scorn felt pretty alien and unnerving.
I just wish Scorn's gameplay had been better (more engaging at least). It kinda felt like a visual tech demo.
Incredible art direction though
Doki doki literature club.
I couldn't see it recommended anywhere which surprises me considering the hype around it when it first came out. This is the only game I have ever played that gave me a genuine feeling of unease throughout. Pretty sure it is free on steam too.
Is that the one that’s disguised as a dating sim? If so I’ve seen a fair bit of gameplay for it, definitely a bit creepy but the art style puts me off a bit. Maybe I’ll look into it in the future though
That's the one.
it's a step more horror-y, but little nightmares always felt to me like the third playdead game. i solidly recommend playing the first one first too
there's also far: lone sails (and its sequel, but I haven't played that); and it's a bit more low-budget i also really liked darq
salt & sanctuary had this atmosphere; but i've never finished it so i can't comment on its quality. and some other souls likes as well - thymesia and helloint come to mind
also portal (1) kind of fits this if you haven't played it
I totally forgot to mention Portal. After leaving the test levels in the second one especially was really on-point, and probably what started my love for these types of games. The first one also did it really well too.
I’ve got Little Nightmares on Steam but haven’t played it yet. I’ll definitely download it soon. I played the mobile one (Very Little Nightmares) and loved it.
I’ve heard of Far: Lone Sails but don’t know much about it. I’ll check it out; thanks! I’ll also look into Darq
I saw Iron Pineapple play Salt & Sanctuary, along with a million other souls-likes, I’ve got that one and several others on my wishlist and kind of forgot about them until your comment. Thanks for the reminder
Little Nightmares comes to mind.
I’ve played the mobile version and plan on playing this one next I think.
I wouldn't say it's that much niche. I can recommend the first Alan Wake game (since the sequel is allegedly going more into horror). It's a game that makes you tense without showing you guts or jump scares every 2 minutes. I remember it making me pretty anxious about staying in the light (it's the premise of the game, you can't be hurt in the light, the monsters come from the shadows).
That certainly sounds promising. I’ve seen gameplay before and it looked to be a bit too horror-esque but I’ll look into it some more. Thanks!
Stalker did it for me. I wouldn't consider it a horror game but it for sure caused unease and anxiety in spots.
That one’s getting a sequel soon right? Looks pretty cool, if it’s what I’m thinking of
Yes, a sequel is in the works. The originals are amazing though and I highly recommend them, especially if you throw some mods at it. There are several recent YouTube reviews of it, check one out and see if it looks worth the time to learn!
Will do, thanks!
oxenfree. And a sequel has just been released too!
It’s on sale for super cheap so I’ve added it to my cart. I’ll buy it in the next day or two. Thanks for the recommendation! It looks really good
damn, forgot about the sale. I had originally played it on android. Thanks for reminding me, I got myself a copy on pc for less than €2
Voices of the Void. It's a free "job simulator" game from itch.io with a creepy atmosphere that is pretty unsettling.
Can’t complain with free. I’ll look into it some more, thanks!
Take a look at Vomitoreum. It's heavily inspired by the paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński, the atmosphere is simply amazing.
The steam page for that game looks really good. Thanks for the recommendation, I’m definitely interested in that one.
This might not hit the right genre for you based on the games you mentioned, but I feel like a lot of visual novels have that setting without horror. For example: 999, the Zero Escape games, Danganronpa, maybe AI Somnium Files as well can be creepy at times, CORPSE FACTORY
I’ve never tried that genre before, but I’m not immediately against it. I’ll take a look.
I know this is gonna sound kinda goofy but luigis mansion has some of that unneasynes going for. While it is horror themed, of course its not going to be a horror game outright, you are luigi in a haunted mantion catching ghosts and trying to save mario. Its been a while since i last played it but its a very short and simple game, you catch ghost with a vacum cleaner and its a collectaton. It feels uneasy in a spooky halloween kinda way bit has an uneasyness on with the ghosts and stuff, maybe a even a little mysterius with the ghost not having clear backgroumds. Very recomended, if its not what you are lookinh for then atleast you will have a fun time with it. Im talking abouth the first one, dont really know about the 2 sequels since i havent played them. Also any of the n64 Zelda games, particulary Majoras masks. That one is kinda like being in a nightmare while not straight up turning into one, more like being a little disturbing with its art direction and themes, kinda like the movie nightmare before christmas feel going for it. I recomend it 100% even though i havent really finished it at the moment. Oh and also metroid prime.Really captures the feel of being in a hostile planet, very mysterious and atmospheric. I played the original one on gamecube but they just remastered it on nintendo switch so thats nice. A really good aspect of this one is the scanner visor with lets you scan everything from the scenario to enemies and powerups and gives you a little lore on them. Also really nice otherwordly soundtrac and being a metroidvania (obviusly) you are absolutely gonna love this one.
I loved Luigi’s mansion. Been many years since I’ve played it though. The others have been suggested by others too so I probably should look into them a bit more. Thanks for your time writing that up!
FEAR hits this nicely, but maybe is a little more towards “horror” than you’re looking for. Although it’s not as horror as Dead Before Daylight.
Duly noted, I’ll be checking it out. Thanks.
Cultist simulator! It's a single player (card/board?) game inspired by gothic horror
Oh interesting! Very different than anything I’ve heard suggested so far. It looks super cool!
I want a second little monsters and little monsters two, those are great and creepy.
And I'd also like to mention a game I just played called the alien cube, which is like a lovecraftian story that you're the star of. It's really good and a couple parts are genuinely nerve-wracking,l. there's not so much outright horror as there is pervasive creepiness and sudden high tension moments.
If by little monsters you mean Little Nightmares, that’s probably next on my list of games to play. If you do in fact mean little monsters, I haven’t heard of it but I’ll check it out tonight.
The Alien Cube sounds pretty awesome from how you’ve described it. I’ll definitely be checking that one out.
Hahaha pffff That's exactly what I mean. Little nightmares. I'll keep my blunder up though. And make sure to get the second one also.
I’ve added the second one to my wishlist, I’ll pick it up when it’s next on sale. I actually thought I owned it already but I only own the first one.
Northern Journey. It's a hard game to put into any traditional genre. It's a Norwegian "happysad" action-adventure game with some of the most eerie visual and sound design I've seen without being outright horror.
Apparently it’s already on my wishlist, though I swear I’ve never heard of it. Either way, I’ll be sure to check it out some more. If it’s a Souls-like I probably saw it in an Iron Pineapple video at some point and thought it was cool enough to wishlist it.
Bendy and the ink machine
Never heard of it before this comment but the steam page looks interesting. I’ll look into it more, thanks!
I'm playing The Long Dark and I think it fits what you are looking for, however it is a survival game so if your not looking for a walking simulatior steer clear.
The premise is your plane was brought down by an eletro magnetic storm in the Canadian wilderness mid winter and you have to survive and unravel the mystery of what's happening.
Very creepy, lonely vibes with some really unsettling sequences, but no jump scares or anything.
That could be alright then. I also like the Canadian representation :) I’ll check it out, thanks
I would recommend Yuppie Psycho. It is about 80% creepy and 20% horrow. That is not exactly what you wanted, but I think it is a good game regardless. https://store.steampowered.com/app/597760/Yuppie_Psycho_Executive_Edition/
It certainly looks interesting. I’ll consider it for sure, thanks!
Bramble is a new game that's kinda got those limbo vibes, but with Scandinavian/Norse tones to the story. I beat it in one setting in about 4 hours, but it was the most gripping experience with a game I've had in a few years. There's a few mechanic switches, the final level is an awesome visual and musical fest, and the second to last boss fight was one of the most creative bosses I think I've ever seen in a game.
It's also on Gamepass right now so it's "free" if you have that.
I do have GamePass so I’ll be trying it for sure. Thanks for the suggestion!
Bloodborne in my first play through was one of the scariest game I've ever played.
I want to play Bloodborne so bad. If they weren’t so expensive I’d buy a PS5 just to play Bloodborne and the Demon’s Souls remake. I do have access to OG Demon’s Souls through PS3 emulation and I’ve put in a few hours but I’m going to try to 100% the Dark Souls trilogy first. If they ever port Bloodborne to pc though I’m buying it in a heartbeat it looks fantastic.
I’m aware I could buy a PS4 for Bloodborne and I do consider it sometimes. I recently got a pretty big promotion/raise at work so maybe now would be a good time to treat myself.
Congrats for your promotion!!!
I've played all of Soulsbourne/ Elden ring games, and bloodborne for me is still the best game. First time playing it was an experience cannot be repeated by any other kind of media consuming. The atmosphere, the soundtrack of the game, the vibe it gives, the gameplay of course are a league of itself.
I don't want to give you spoilers here, but the first half of the game feels really like a Victorian horror movie but the hell breaks loose first in the second half of the game.
Extremely recommended.
Thank you!
Yeah, I know there’s a lot of people who say Bloodborne is the best one. Maybe after I 100% the Dark Souls trilogy I’ll buy a PS4 and Bloodborne. It’s probably the most interesting looking game I’ve ever not played. This sounds kinda stupid but I bought the VaatiVidya painted world Displate a few months back and I want to “get” all the Easter eggs he put in there. I also just love the rest of the SoulsBorne games. Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Sekiro are all some of my favourite games of all time.
I’m also in a bit of an advantage in that I haven’t had any of Bloodborne spoiled for me, like, at all. I know basically nothing about the game, which is exciting.
You're in for a ride mate. :)
Tell me how your experience is after you've played the game. :D
Remind me in... We need a remind me bot for lemmy.
Absolutely! I’ll come back to this post in several months’ time when I’ve gone through it all and let you know my thoughts. I might make a post about it on this community as well, assuming it impresses me as much as it impresses the rest of the Souls community
Maybe the PvP is not that active anymore, since it's a pretty old game (damn it's already 9 years old). But the community is awesome, per usual. :D
Not sure if I’m double-commenting, I thought I replied but didn’t find it so let’s see if Lemmy is being weird
Anyway, what I think I said in the reply is that I’m not usually one for PvP except for in Elden Ring a little bit, so it’s not too big of an issue for me. I mostly play games for single-player, I guess I’m an antisocial gamer lol
Subnautica is not a horror game, and was not intended to be scary; and yet the way it captures the dark, oppressive nature of deep waters makes it an extremely terrifying experience.
Signal Simulator is a game about being completely alone in a base in the desert doing science stuff in search of aliens. It's not really horror but there's plenty of uneasy stuff in it.
There's also a newer game inspired by it called Voices of the Void which is more actively developed. Technically, it's not horror but the developer likes to fuck with you in all kinds of ways.