Whether you just want to slowly get into the horror genre or you would like to play a game with a horror vibe but don’t want to get too scared while playing it - Here are some great options. 15 great games that let you get the perks of the horror genre without spooking you too much!
15. Alan Wake Remastered
Alan Wake is a peculiar survival horror game. In most survival horror games in which you are fighting your enemies, the main focus is on the combat. Usually, the story even gets neglected. Alan Wake is different in that matter because the story is very carefully thought out and you could make an argument that the combat could have been handled better.
You play Alan Wake - a writer that goes to a small mountain town with his wife to try and get through his writer’s block. He soon finds himself lost on the side of the road, not knowing how he got there, surrounded by black grim figures. The game really manages to confuse you and scare you with some well-thought-out psychological horror which is quite interesting, but not too scary.
14. Dead Space 3
Dead Space 3 takes place in a 26th-century dystopian future. You can play the co-op story mode with a friend which also changes the story narrative a bit. You follow the story of the protagonist from the previous games Isaac Clarke and a new playable character John Carver.
The game has a slightly scary atmosphere. You are always cutting corners wondering if some creepy enemy will lunge at you. But it’s also a great shooter experience. You have a vast amount of weapons and upgrades at your disposal. The shooting is very satisfying and the slight scariness the games brings to the table shouldn’t be too troubling.
13. Prey
Prey is a game set in a sci-fi world taking place on a big space station called Talos I. It’s a first-person shooter RPG game that tracks your morality through its runtime and alters the ending based on that. The levels are very dense and carefully thought through. You can just walk around the map and explore the scenery that was set up to tell small interesting stories.
Besides the scary mimics that can jump out from any object in the level, the game has a lot of interesting enemies that you can encounter and fight. The game itself doesn’t try to scare you. It’s set in a scary setting, but that’s about it. It is however a game that will keep you on edge during its playtime.
12. Soma
Soma is a game that asks a lot of ethical questions and has a great narrative. You will be meeting a lot of rusty robots that you soon realize have the consciousness of a person uploaded in them. The game constantly asks philosophical questions but the main thing to focus on is - are the robots actually living beings if they have the consciousness of a human?
Soma is a game with a heavy and impactful story. You will also have to stealth around and approach different enemy types with different strategies since they all have their own patterns and capabilities. The game has a scary and creepy atmosphere but it also has moments when it slows down the pace with some puzzles.
11. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a game released by the famous Fromsoftware. They are the makers of Dark Souls and the originators of the Souls-like games. Bloodborne is a unique game set in the Victorian era. It has a lot of horrific enemies with amazing designs that you will have to fight to finish the game.
Although the game takes place in a horror-like world, the game doesn’t aim to outright scare you. It has amazing combat that we’ve come to expect from Fromsoftware - and that’s the game’s main focus. It’s a great game for anybody to play and you don’t have to worry about it being scary. The horror will come from trying to beat this difficult game and keep your sanity.
10. Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal is the latest addition to the well-established Doom franchise. The demonic forces have overrun Earth and have wiped out a big chunk of the population. The main character called “The Doom Slayer” decides to single-handedly wipe out the demonic forces and free Earth from their corruption.
The game certainly has a story that’s very high-stakes and slightly absurd but the gameplay itself isn’t scary whatsoever. You will see a lot of scary demons and horrific scenery but the experience you will get out of it isn’t particularly scary. It’s a fun shooter with a metal soundtrack and a kick-ass protagonist.
9. Days Gone
Days Gone is a game in which you play as John Deacon - a biker caught in a “Freaker” apocalypse. Most of your traversals in this game are on a bike. It’s oddly satisfying riding through an apocalyptic version of Oregon to avoid the freakers.
The game offers a lot of combat with the freakers and humans and some emotional storytelling. You can craft your own melee weapon to bash the heads of freakers and find a large assortment of shooting weapons. It’s an enjoyable survival experience without much horror since the point of the game is to make you feel like a badass biker in a zombie apocalypse.
8. Vampyr
Vampyr is a game taking place after WW1, in England. You play Doctor Jonathan Reid as he tries to adapt to his new life - the life of a vampire. He gets turned into a vampire against his will and has to try to infiltrate the populace as best as he can. He also has to fight a lot of enemies just to survive.
Vampyr may not be a true horror game, but it deals with a lot of creepy and horrific scenery and story sequences. It has a grim tone and some heavy story but it’s also at its core a fun adventure game. It’s also unique in the fact that you can choose to consume your quest givers, which also changes the world around you.
7. Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 is a co-op shooter game in which you can take up to 3 friends with you to fight the onslaught of zombies. There are 14 campaigns that you can select and play, casually or maybe even try to master a single level perfectly.
Left 4 Dead 2 has a wide variety of guns and melee weapons you can use to fight off the zombie horde. The game can get intense when you’re fighting against a huge horde but it’s overall a not-too-scary experience. If you switched the zombies for something less scary, you would be left with a pretty chill game.
6. Metro: Exodus
Metro: Exodus is a game taking place 25 years after a nuclear war. In Russia, people are living in the metro-stations underground to avoid the polluted air and the dangerous mutated creatures that roam the surface.
Metro: Exodus is a game that looks a bit different than the other games in the franchise. It has you spend a lot more time outside of the metro (which is a bit ironic) as you explore the world above. It still has a little bit of that horror vibe, but it’s not too scary. At its core Metro: Exodus is a first-person shooter game with a horrific story.
5. Subnautica
Subnautica is a game in which your main focus is exploring the ocean of a strange planet you have crash-landed on. The game earned its horror title due to the creepy and lonely feelings it can cause. It’s pretty scary to feel like you’re the only human on the whole planet surrounded by weird and scary monsters of the deep.
Even though the game has some creepy moments, the reason why most people play it isn’t for the scares. Its strongest characteristic is the huge aquatic open world that you can explore. It’s quite fun to roam through the beautiful ocean and collect resources and slowly improve your base and your tools.
4. The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us is a game that takes place in an apocalyptic zombie-like setting. The fungal infection known as “Cordyceps Brain Infection” turns people into brainless monsters. The game features some shooting action but it’s best known for its emotional storytelling.
And as such, with the storytelling being the main focus, it’s not a horror game that aims to spook you with jumpscares and an unbearable atmosphere. It’s mainly played by people who appreciate a good emotional narrative. The setting is grim and the story hits heavy but the game doesn’t outright try to make you horrified.
3. Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon isn’t really a horror game but rather it takes place in a horror setting and it has that nice aesthetic so I chose to put it on the list. Darkest Dungeon is a strategy roguelike game. It features turn-based combat as you slowly go through the dungeons and collect gear and upgrade your team of people.
Darkest Dungeon has a really beautiful art style. I really enjoy the sort-of grim comic-book vibe it gives off. The game is quite tedious and requires a lot of careful planning and strategy but it isn’t scary. It has a nice, grim setting and addictive gameplay that can make you spend a little more time than you intended on it.
2. Little Nightmares 2
Little Nightmares is a staple in the horror genre. The franchise deals with some creepy imagery and some scary themes, but in a way that even a kid could play the games and enjoy them. The art style is cartoonish and the story is not so much in your face that it’s scary.
Little Nightmares 2 has some creepy enemies, and overall a scary theme. But it’s also lighthearted in a way. At the surface level, the main characters are just kids that are saving the world. If you don’t overanalyze the story and just play the game to enjoy it, it’s a fun little game with some horror scenery.
1. Spooky’s House Of Jumpscares
Spooky’s House Of Jumpscares is a game that somehow manages to make horror feel not scary (most of the time). It has a cartoonish art style and the whole premise is that you have to explore the big mansion filled with jumpscares. The mansion’s owner - Spooky is funny and lovable and every time you see her she has something interesting to say.
The game slowly increases the scariness as you play it. When you start playing the game, for the first levels you will be jump scared only by some cute cardboard cutouts hidden along the sides of the hallways. The game does become scarier and introduces enemies, but none of them are too scary and the light tone of the game makes it so you never feel like you’re in real danger.
