Horror games are, obviously, supposed to be a terrifying experience. Players go in expecting to be faced with their worst fears and tension, following a horrific scenario that nobody would wish upon their worst enemies.
Yet, some games tend to drop the ball when it comes to the fear factor – in fact, some games end up becoming a joke to the genre.
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Some of these games may be good on their own, so long as they were put into a different genre than horror. These terrible horror games could be lacking in gameplay, story, or just having no emotional impact.
Truth be told, these ‘horror’ games are simply not scary at all.
10
Agony
Absolutely Agonising to Play
Agony is a first-person survival horror game set in hell – and unfortunately, it makes players feel like they’re in it.
Somehow, it manages to squeeze in far too much yet still be a bore, not even the atmosphere is able to save it. It’s to the point where many players haven’t even finished it, dropping the game within the first couple of hours.
If anything, this was a game that was full of ideas and potential, with a complete lack of understanding on how to execute it. It just feels like a gratuitous gore-fest that even the most die-hard Mortal Kombat fans would be uncomfortable with. This isn’t even mentioning the overly convoluted story with cheap religious themes.
Plus, stealth is a chore. It’s unforgiving and brutal, combined with a hell that’s too dark to see anything in, the game becomes far more frustrating than scary. The entire game feels like a Groundhog Day loop of relentless trial and error, and it’s just not worth that kind of effort.
9
Ju-On: The Grudge
A Cheap Haunted House Simulator
Fans of Japanese horror were excited to get their hands on Ju-On: The Grudge, one of Japan’s most popular horror IPs, finally being released as a Wii game. However, what they got was pure disappointment.
Kayako and Toshio Saeki can only do so much to carry the game, but unfortunately, even their scares become mindless after a while.
Basically, if players want a jumpscare extravaganza without going to their local haunted house attraction, they’d get a kick out of this game. Otherwise, it’s needlessly loud and obnoxious, unlike the horrific slow-burn it’s based on.
Sure, it’s unnerving the first couple of scares, but after playing as yet another family member with the same exact curse, it’s just a bore.
8
Silent Hill: The Short Message
An Insult to the Silent Hill Franchise
Horror
Systems
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Rating:
56/100
Critics Recommend:
27% Franchise Silent Hill
Platform(s)
PS5
Released
January 31, 2024 Developer(s) Konami Publisher(s) Konami
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Strong Language, Violence
How Long To Beat
2 Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Weak
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Silent Hill is an iconic horror franchise that’s been trying to make its way into the modern gaming scene. Unfortunately, it got off to a rocky start with the release of Silent Hill: The Short Message.
While it brought some of Team Silent’s powerhouses (Masahiro Ito for the monster design and Akira Yamaoka for the soundtrack), there was only so much they could do with such a lacklustre story and characters.
Combine that with dull, basic gameplay, and all fans can do is admire Sakura Head with pretty ambience.
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Fans of Silent Hill tend to be hungry for more horrifying games similar in style — maybe with the fog not included.
While the Silent Hill franchise isn’t afraid of dark themes, they’re normally eloquently portrayed and done rather tastefully. However, The Short Message’s themes are painfully on the nose to where it’s corny, cheapening its own message and the entire series as a whole.
Seriously, this game feels like one of those tone-deaf anti-suicide campaigns that have been sanitized by and for public schools. Thankfully, the Silent Hill 2 Remake is so good, fans can just forget this game exists.
7
Deadly Premonition
Odd, Bizarre, and Full of Camp
When talking about divisive games, Deadly Premonition tends to always be mentioned by players. It’s either beloved as a cult classic, or it’s despised in every way — and honestly, both opinions are understandable and respectable.
Simply put, this game is bizarre. Inspired by Twin Peaks, you play a detective trying to catch a serial killer, which in and of itself is a terrifying endeavor.
However, this game quickly turns frustrating with its controls and chases with fixed camera angles. Alongside this, players are subjected to some of the most insane dialogue that no human would casually say. Sure, it adds to the dreamlike quality of this game and its plot, but it isn’t executed well enough to be anything other than weird.
In all honesty, it’s unclear if this game is trying to take itself seriously or not, since the tone is all over the place. Maybe the game doesn’t know, either.
6
Resident Evil 5
This is Just Action
Resident Evil more or less invented the survival horror genre in video games. Ever since its release in 1996, it’s become a household name for horror as a whole, releasing incredible, terrifying games to this day.
However, there was a dark period for the franchise, and it became glaringly prominent with Resident Evil 5.
While this game is pivotal for the series’ story and is tons of fun to play (especially multiplayer), there is not a single thing scary about it. The monsters are grotesque, but they don’t face a single threat with the absolute arsenal that Chris and Sheva have.
It doesn’t belong in the survival horror genre, or even horror as a whole. This game is purely action — fun action, sure, but it’s action nonetheless.
5
Poppy Playtime
Mascot Horror is Ineffective
Adventure
Puzzle
Indie Games
Action
Survival Horror
Systems
OpenCritic Reviews Platform(s) Android , iOS , Microsoft Windows
Released
October 12, 2021
Developer
Mob Entertainment, Mob Games Studios
Publisher
Mob Entertainment, EnchantedMob, Inc.
Engine
unreal engine 5, unreal engine 4
ESRB
r
How Long To Beat
54 minutes
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The 2020s are seeing a massive surge in Mascot Horror, particularly mascots aimed towards children. It’s marketable and an easy way to make money, but it cheapens the horror genre — and there’s no clearer example than Poppy Playtime.
Poppy Playtime is a puzzle horror game that’s centered around the player surviving an abandoned toy factory. They do this with the help of the GrabPack, which is a handy tool that will be required to progress. Unfortunately, the concept is where it stops being cool.
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This game is a blatant cash grab for children, so lacking in substance that Bluey could probably do better. It’s all the staples of Mascot Horror in all the wrong ways, feeling sanitized and scrubbed clean of any genuine bite.
It’s one thing to make a horror game that’s supposed to look cutesy; there’s a genuine tone shift at play that’s unsettling. It’s another thing to make a toy commercial and call it a horror game.
4
Until Dawn
Wacky Hijinks Ensue
Horror
Systems
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Rating:
79/100
Critics Recommend:
48% Platform(s) PS4
Released
August 25, 2015 Developer(s) Supermassive Games
Publisher(s)
Sony
Engine
Decima
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
How Long To Beat
8 Hours
PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating
Strong
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Everyone loves a crappy teen horror movie; slasher flicks and creature features are all the rage around Halloween time. So, when Until Dawn was released, players were expecting a similar experience – unfortunately, the game is more camp than it is horror.
It lacks all the personality these horror movies are packed with, managing to be more unintentionally hilarious than terrifying. Genuinely, I don’t understand why it gets all the love it does.
With insane facial animations, terrible dialogue with hysterical voice acting, and literal wacky hijinks, it’s impossible to take any of this game seriously. Sure, there’s a charm in that, but it shouldn’t be marketed as one of the scariest games ever when players need to be honest with themselves: it’s laughable.
About the only genuinely freaky thing in this game are the Wendigo, the game’s main monsters. Honestly, let’s hope the movie is better; this game seems more fitted for that kind of medium.
3
Dead Space 3
Horror Shouldn’t Be Hidden in Lore
Third-Person Shooter
Horror
Systems
Franchise Dead Space Platform(s) PC , PS3 , Xbox 360
Released
February 5, 2013 Developer(s) Visceral Games
Publisher(s)
Electronic Arts
Multiplayer
Local Co-Op , Online Co-Op
Engine
Hydraulic Engines
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
How Long To Beat
12 Hours
Number of Players
2
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Many fans of Dead Space 3 agree: this is a good game, a great game even, but it’s a terrible Dead Space game and an even worse horror game.
Like Resident Evil 5, this game lacks many of the survival horror staples that made the originals so beloved, taking a stark turn into the action genre. Any horror elements lie within the game’s lore, buried and tucked away for only the most thorough players.
Plus, this game butchers a lot of the previously established characters, to where many Dead Space fans pretend that the game doesn’t even exist. Those who acknowledge its existence, though, can largely agree that the game isn’t scary.
It’s fun with some pretty awesome mechanics, despite being underwhelming. That being said, the extreme lack of scares and substance ends up being more prominent than what’s fondly remembered.
2
Five Nights at Freddy’s Sequels
Too Big For Its Britches
The first Five Nights at Freddy’s game was absolutely revolutionary to indie horror, even if it is a bit overrated. Sure, it basically invented Mascot Horror, but it was a genuinely refreshing experience that hadn’t been done before.
All the sequels, however, seem to misunderstand that the breath of fresh air was what made it popular in the first place. Now, players can’t even breathe without being suffocated by the FNAF franchise.
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By the time it got to Sister Location, the franchise had long become a joke, releasing far too many unnecessary sequels that play more or less the exact same. Plus, trying to tone down the horror for the sake of being meme-able ruins its own narrative, and the legacy of the first game.
At this point, when players pick up a FNAF game, they’re expecting loud, obnoxious jumpscares with equally loud and obnoxious humour.
1
Hello Neighbor
Nothing Short of Laughable
It’s always wonderful to see a creator being so passionate about their project. Unfortunately, in the case of Hello Neighbor, the passion (and the project) should have been left alone.
This game is a massacred mess from start to finish, littered with bugs, poor gameplay, a corporate art style and lazy direction. There is nothing that can be considered scary about this game, simply because it’s so bad.
It’s clearly trying to latch its tendrils in as a YouTuber/Streamer’s ideal game for their channel, but unfortunately, it’s a laughingstock in the horror genre. Its extreme lack of guidance is frustrating, the stealth is inconsistent, and the horror elements aren’t even well executed.
It’s an empty game with an empty soul, to which the idea of playing it is absolutely nonsensical.
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