Observer is a dystopian detective story that uses smart psychological horror elements. Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Switch This story is full of twists and turns, ending with a reality-shattering conclusion that is straight up nuts. When Alan’s wife goes missing shortly after arriving in the Twin Peaks-esque Bright Falls, some dark presence begins to take over and he can’t tell if what he’s experiencing is reality or a cruel hallucination. Given that the developer’s biggest inspiration for Alan Wake was Stephen King, you probably know the drill: Struggling writer travels to a sleepy town for inspiration while a sense of evil looms like a dense fog rolling in.Īlthough Alan Wake is considered more thriller than horror because of its focus on narrative over cheap scares, it definitely offers a mystifying ride through an eerie story. Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X | S Publisher: Microsoft/Epic Games/Remedy Entertainment Although Senua is strong and determined, the voices in her head try to convince you that this battle can’t be won. But the psychological horror elements stem from her unreliability as the main character of the story. There’s a constant feeling of anxiety as the player progresses in Senua’s mission to rescue her lover’s soul from hell. Senua believes she’s being haunted by something she calls “the darkness”. Senua suffers from psychosis and frequently hears voices that she, like many others, doesn’t know constitute a mental health condition. The first game on our list, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, doesn’t play like a horror game in the traditional sense because it’s more reminiscent of dark fantasy games like Dark Souls. Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Switch That’s what makes these the best psychological horror games for confronting your darkest fears.ġ5. When you can’t even trust yourself, you may have already lost. When there’s no fighting back, one wrong move means the end. The games on this list, however, are psychologically terrifying because their characters are weak in the face of enemies. Zombie games can be horrifying in their own right, but the hero is usually heavily armed and level-headed, creating a feeling of semi-empowerment against the horde.

The best psychological horror games are those that exploit the common human fears of helplessness and loss of control.

Isolation, instability, and paranoia are used to incite an internal crisis that makes you want to stop but at the same time compels you to go on.

Instead it manipulates us in ways that may seem a little sadistic. Psychological horror doesn’t usually need jump scares or heavy gore. Of the many horror sub-genres, psychological horror is known for leaving a lasting impression because it plays on the fragility of the human mind.

Best time of day to play horror games