Horror fans have had a blast in 2023 with some great games. New releases and heavily anticipated reboots have brought high tensions, frighteningly dangerous monsters, and twisted, ruined worlds to explore. Whether you’ve preferred running and hidingfrom chasing monstersor picking up a weapon and fighting back, there have been several huge hits to enjoy playing.
From both big and small companies, there have been many games to delve into. Lethal Company was an unexpected but welcome surprise that took the genre by storm late this year. Alan Wake 2 and Resident Evil 4 were also some big names that have lived up to their hype. With that being said, here are some of this year’s favourites.
Alan Wake 2 was one of the biggest games to launch this year, and it’s safe to say that no one was disappointed. The game is much scarier than its predecessor in both story and atmosphere. There’s no break between worrying about what you’ll discover next and seeing what creature is waiting for you in the next room.
Even with its jump scares and chasing monsters, the story of Alan Wake 2 makes it all worth facing, even for those who don’t like horror. Its creepy audio and truly unsettling environments make the game one of the biggest highlights of horror this year.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been a big hit for the fans of the 1974 film. The atmosphere and graphics of the game are incredibly well-done, making playing as a victim a terrifying experience. With mechanics and playstyle similar to games like Dead By Daylight, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one to easily sink your hours into.
The game gives you the option to play as either the family or the victims. Since each character has special features and different abilities, there are lots of things to learn and discover by playing. With friends or strangers, each game can be entirely different, so you may keep playing to your heart’s content.
Adding multiplayer to the world of Outlast was a great decision by Red Barrel. With numerous trials to exploreand deadly enemiesto run from, The Outlast Trials had a successful and very enjoyable launch.
There are many mechanics and strategies to learn and have fun with, along with many consumables and pieces of equipment to dig around for. Even if you’re not familiar with the previous games and their lore, you can still head into the trials with your friends and hope for the best.
Resident Evil is already well-known to horror fans with its abundance of horrifying creatures and dangerous areas to traverse through safely. Its remaster has done all of its greatest features justice, keeping everything that made the game its own masterpiece back in 2005 while ramping up the quality and fear factor.
The adaptations to the controls make it entertaining on current consoles, and discovering where to swap combat for stealth makes it a well-rounded experience. The upgraded quality in both control and content makes this great for both first-time players and those heading back for nostalgia.
6Amnesia: The Bunker
Amnesia is another popular franchise that rose to the top of horror very early on. The latest release of Amnesia: The Bunker brought back all the suspense, atmosphere, and a frightening monster to top it off.
While the game isn’t as long as previous Amnesia games, The Bunker is much more gameplay-focused and takes you right into the action. You’re required to think carefully about your next steps and take the time to think strategically. You also finally get a gun, and who doesn’t want a gun in a horror game?
Lethal Company took the horror community by delightful surprise with its release. Making the most of in-game voice chat, the developer, Zeekerss, created a hilarious horror game that’s been enjoyed by many.
Lethal Company has you collecting and selling scrap for your company, all while facing thenumerous monsters inside. There are several maps with winding corridors to get lost in, with many creatures ready to jump out at you from the dark. You’re not on your own, of course. You at least have your friends with you until you lose sight of them, that is.
4Barotrauma
Barotrauma takes any small fear of the deep blue sea and ramps it up to the max. The game’s dark graphics add a lot to the eerie underwater atmosphere, and its disturbing music and audio do a great job of making you panic while keeping your submarine running. You can expect to die quite a lot in this game, but the learning experience makes it one of the most fun multiplayer horrors this year.
If you’re not one to swim solo, diving in with friends is also an option. The multiplayer in Barotrauma makes it incredibly fun, especially since your friends could end up being more dangerous than the giant creatures attacking outside.
3Dredge
It’s easy to be fooled by the cute art style of Dredge, especially when you love peacefully fishing in calm waters. Dredge’s waters are, unfortunately for some, not calm at all. Embarking on a journey to discover the secrets of the sea, you’re taken into unknown waters to find shipwrecks, search for unique creatures, and visit islands to sell your finds.
The gameplay of Dredge is both unique and a lot of fun. With different mechanics to learn and a variety of characters to meet, the game is a wonderfully scary change from traditional horror games, bringing a nice breath of fresh air to the genre this year.
It’s hard to mention horror and not think of Dead Space. Against other big releases this year, Dead Space has done remarkably well, preserved its story, and intensified the horror. The revamped graphics make the environment more exciting and terrifying to explore, and the audio pulls you straight into that dangerous atmosphere.
Anyone who’s a fan of space will have a blast with this game. Following the story of an engineer uncovering the truth about what’s onboard the ship, you have to take everything as it comes and face dangers head-on. True to the original, there are many deadly creatures and many ways you can get creative to survive.
The final mention of this year’s games goes to the remake of System Shock. The game has held up well among all the big releases this year, and its work has to be appreciated. As a remake, the gameplay is maintained well and is very similar to the classic, making it a very faithful and well-done adaptation.
System Shock’s enhanced graphics make for an immersive experience, creating eerie and complex areas to explore, and the game happily sets you free to discover things on your own. There’s an excellent spooky atmosphere to get engrossed in and more than enough jump scares to make it a great horror remake.
