Source (from left to right): DeerDream Studios, RedCandleGames, Bloober Team, Serenity Forge, SadSquare Studio
With Halloween right around the corner, here are some good horror games to play to get into that spooky mood!
There are all kinds of horror games out there, but the best kind is the one that can play with your mind, make you doubt reality, give you that eerie feeling like there’s just something wrong and you can’t quite put a finger on it. Was that a shadow behind you, or are you seeing things? Was that a whisper somewhere, or was it just the wind?
If you’re looking for games that can do those things and more, then we’ve got you covered! Here are five of our psychological horror game picks:
Cooking Companions
Developer: Deerdream Studios
Publisher: Deerdream Studios
Cooking Companions may present itself as a lighthearted visual novel, what with the adorable vegetable mascots, but don’t let their beady round eyes fool you. There’s something sinister at play.
Set deep in a mountain range in Europe, a group of friends are stranded in a remote cabin when a storm floods their only way out. With dwindling food supplies and hope for a sunny day seemingly being washed away by the rain as time passes on, survival becomes the primary focus that will drive you and your companions to drastic, dangerous means.
But starvation isn’t the only threat in the cabin. There’s an ancient evil hiding behind the walls and underneath the floorboards. No matter what, don’t go into the basement.
Cooking Companions is available to purchase on Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Devotion
Developer: RedCandleGames
Publisher: RedCandleGames
Reminiscent of the infamous P.T demo by Kojima Productions, Devotion is set in a 1980s apartment complex that once housed a loving family of three – now lost in a hellish nightmare lost to time.
Playing as the troubled and failing writer Du Feng-Yu, you are set to uncover the tale of just how his family began to crumble and tear apart as you journey through rooms that display certain points in his life; exploring the recesses of his psyche and his growing, morbid obsession with a religious cult that seems too good to be true.
Devotion was once available to purchase on Steam, however, controversy regarding a certain politically-charged easter egg forced developer RedCandleGames to pull the game away from the site due to backlash, as such, Devotion is only available to purchase on the official RedCandleGames website.
Layers of Fear
Developer: Bloober Team, Anshar Studios
Publisher: Bloober Team
What is it like in the mind of an artist who’s lost to his madness? In this historical horror, you will play as a painter who is set to create his greatest work yet. However, there seems to be something lacking in your work, certain ingredients that will truly make it shine. You must now explore your decrepit Victorian mansion, with its twisting corridors and ever-changing rooms, to gather the materials you need to create your magnum opus. No matter what the cost.
Beware the rats. Skittering against the wood, pounding in your head. You’re the only one who can hear them.
Layers of Fear has a remake that is available to purchase on Windows, macOS, Playstation 5, Steam, and Xbox Series X|S, which also includes its sequel Layers of Fear 2 and DLCS.
The original game can also be purchased on Steam.
Slay the Princess
Developer: Black Tabby Games
Publisher: Black Tabby Games, Serenity Forge
In this cosmic horror visual novel, there’s only one thing you need to do, and you need to do it right: slay the princess. Easy, right? She’s locked away in the basement of a cabin, chained and ready to be killed. There’s a dagger right by the entrance. Bring it. Sheathe it into her pretty heart.
If you fail, it’s the end of the world. You have to do this right.
Don’t be fooled by her pleas, don’t be manipulated by her tears, and don’t let her know when she terrifies you, if you do you’re dead. The fate of the world relies on your choices. Don’t let her win. Don’t fall in love.
Remember: Heart. Lungs. Liver. Nerves. Heart. Lungs. Liver. Nerves.
A remastered edition, titled Slay The Princess - The Pristine Cut, will feature additional content, and will be made available on the 24th of October, 2024 for Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox, and Steam.
The original version is also available on Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Visage
Developer: SadSquare Studio
Publisher: SadSquare Studio
This huge house, once called home, is stained with a terrible, tragic past. As its last resident, there are mysteries to be solved in every changing room, and it’s your job to uncover them one by one.
Visage is an atmospheric horror game that truly immerses you in fear, forcing you to relive each and every dark event that has occurred within the walls of your house. Murder, insanity, suicide, all linked together by unspeakable evil. Each victim the house has claimed will haunt you with their wrath, with their grief. Will you be able to escape? Or will you end up as a victim; another haunted story to remember when a new resident takes your place?
There’s only one thing you can do. Run.
Visage is available for purchase on Steam, Xbox, and Playstation.
Each of these psychological horror games promises to take you on a terrifying journey through the darkest corners of the mind. They’re not just about jumpscares or gore; they’re about making you question reality, leaving you unnerved long after you’ve finished playing. And with Halloween just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to embrace the fear: challenge your sanity, and see how far you can go before the dread becomes too much to bear.
So, which one will you dare to play first?
