8 Unique Horror Games That Are Perfect for Halloween

Think of the last time a video game left you trembling with fear—a game that sunk its claws into your hapless subconscious and refused to let go. It could be anything, really. From the desolate Ishimura and its winding, blood-soaked corridors to the psychological terror coursing through the veins of Silent Hill 2, the horror genre tends to conjure up more nightmare fuel than you can shake a DualShock 4 at. And that’s the beauty of it.

At its dark, putrid core, this is a genre that is arguably one of the most innovative and, by effect, fascinating in the entire industry, and regardless of whether you consider yourself to be an avid gamer or causal passerby, it doesn’t take long to recall those long nights spent tip-toeing around a haunting, pixelated environment.

That’s a line of thinking that steers me in the direction of Dead Space, Visceral’s blood-curdling space thriller that borrowed elements of Alien and Event Horizon to produce a modern-day cult classic. Toss in a mute protagonist and a singular, downright haunting setting (the aforementioned USG Ishimura) and few would dispute Dead Space’s horror credentials—even if subsequent sequels leaned more toward blockbuster action.

But for the purpose of this feature, we want to whittle down horror’s grand roster of weird and wonderful titles to those games that tried something truly innovative, be it the blind protagonist of Perception or Resident Evil 7 and its end-to-end VR support. So without further ado, let’s get to it:

With Halloween right around the corner, we thought it’d be rather fitting to compile a list celebrating those best horror games with a difference. They may not be the latest, nor the greatest, but we’d be damned if they didn’t think outside the scare box.

However, perhaps there’s one we missed? Or a horror game that was give short shrift? If so, you can chime in with your best horror games via the usual place.

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