Horror is one of the most popular genres within gaming, though it is somewhat dominated by familiar franchises like Resident Evil, Silent Hill and more. However, part of the allure of a truly scary game is not knowing what to expect, which is why digging out lesser known ones can be so rewarding.
After all, for as tantalizing as Resident Evil: Village looks, it’s a known quantity. From Call of Cthulhu to Eternal Darkness though, many players will be starting these adventures in the dark. Here are a handful of the best horror games most people have never played.
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Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Released in 2005 for the original Xbox, this survival-horror is based on the novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth, by H.P. Lovecraft himself. With a first-person perspective, the game puts players in the shoes of a private detective trying to escape an asylum while fending off an assortment of ghoulish enemies.
Part of the player’s HUD (Heads Up Display) is a Sanity Meter. The more this is depleted, the more creepy hallucinations will appear. Of course, the events of the game are designed to knock this meter down and scare the player silly. Blending action-shooter gameplay with puzzles and genuine scares, Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth also features some pretty hardcore gore. It’s certainly not for the fainthearted.
At Dead of Night
Described as “part horror film, part horror game and part ghost hunt” by Baggy Cat, the UK-based indie developers who created it, At Dead of Night is centered around Maya, a young woman who checks into a remote hotel where her friends are already staying. From the get-go, when Maya meets the hotel’s unsettling proprietor, Jimmy, the game creates a sense of palpable dread.
After choosing not to watch Jimmy’s stand-up comedy show, things take a turn for the worse for Maya and her friends. From a first-person perspective, the player must move through the darkened corridors of the hotel, exploring empty rooms and trying not only to find her friends but also uncover the dark history of the establishment… while being stalked by a murderous Jimmy the entire time. With interesting mechanics that make for blood-curdling jump scares, this PC exclusive is a hidden gem.
Echo Night: Beyond
This first-person sci-fi horror was a breath of fresh air for the genre when it released in 2004, in that it featured almost no combat. Instead, it used atmosphere and a sense of isolation to build tension. The player must move through the game relatively slowly, coming across hostile ghosts that they’ll need to appease rather than fight.
The main mechanic of the game is preventing your character from having a fatal heart attack (yes really) by keeping their heart rate down as much as possible. It’s also worth noting that this is one of the few horror games set in space that focuses on ghosts, rather than aliens. Though its gameplay hasn’t aged particularly well, Echo Night: Beyond is ideal for those looking to be seriously freaked out.
Phasmophobia
Given this game’s popularity on Twitch and YouTube, Phasmophobia might seem like a strange inclusion here. But, the reality is that while millions have watched others play, not that many people have experienced it first-hand. With online co-op multiplayer, Phasmophobia is a psychological ghost hunt that is utterly terrifying.
Gamers become one of four paranormal investigators, tasked with finding out more about the ghosts that lurk in various locations. Players communicate through voice chat but, in an innovative twist, the ghosts can hear what is said and become particularly triggered at the sound of their own name. With horrifying ghost designs and no form of defense for the players, Phasmophobia isn’t any less scary just because there are four people in the game together.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
This game is criminally underplayed for one main reason: it’s only available on the GameCube. Nintendo’s console did not perform as hoped. One of the consequences of that is Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem remaining in relative obscurity, despite its brilliance. The game actually spans several different locations and time periods as the player works to solve a tragic family mystery involving a demonic cult.
Like Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth, there’s also a Sanity Meter to monitor here. Failing to do so results in some warped results for both the protagonist and the player themselves. For those with a GameCube hidden away somewhere at home, it might be worth digging the system back out to experience this impactful horror game.
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