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Horror games that still hold up

The ones you end up playing with the lights on

68 games · page 1 of 2

The Last of Us 2013 Why it still holds upThe fights still come down to that scarcity today, and retreating to come back from another angle is often the way through, in levels open enough to improvise in.
The Last of Us Part II 2020 Why it still holds upFights that leave many ways open, from sneaking through to setting groups against each other or shooting your way out, are still worth playing for today.
Silent Hill 2 2001 Why it still holds upThe horror is the reason to go now: it is psychological, built from the characters' regrets and fears and from a town seen through fog, rather than from monsters alone.
Resident Evil 4 2005 Why it still holds upThe game escalates steadily, and muted colours keep its places oppressive, so the pacing still keeps its grip today.
Resident Evil 2 2019 Why it still holds upPlayed today it keeps the tension through scarcity: ammunition is short, zombies need their heads destroyed to stay down, and a first run takes about eight hours.
Dead Space 2 2011 Why it still holds upIts atmosphere is why it still works: the lighting and the sound design keep you on edge from start to finish.
System Shock 2 1999 Why it still holds upThe skill system and the atmosphere keep it worth playing now, since you build your character through choices aboard a ship that feels lived in.
Resident Evil 2002 Why it still holds upAmmo, inventory and saves are scarce, so you keep deciding what to fight, what to carry and when to backtrack, and that tension is the reason to play it now.
Silent Hill 1999 Why it still holds upWhat you see and hear is limited to a flashlight, a radio and the fog and darkness of the town, and that is why it is worth playing now.
Silent Hill 3 2003 Why it still holds upA flashlight, a radio that crackles near monsters and an Otherworld that changes around Heather still make the horror a matter of sight and sound today.
Left 4 Dead 2 2009 Why it still holds upSpecial infected that each change how players have to move and fight, and finales that break up horde defense, still keep every run from repeating today.
Metro 2033 2010 Why it still holds upSet pieces such as turret defense, sneaking onto a tram and hallucination sequences keep a linear structure from feeling monotonous today.
Parasite Eve 1998 Why it still holds upExploration and fighting still feel joined, because combat continues on the screen where you walk.
Devotion 2019 Why it still holds upPlay it today for a single apartment that hides its answers across several years.
Darkwood 2017 Why it still holds upEvery trip outside is still a choice about what you can afford to carry home, because a day of scavenging is followed by a night of defending the same hideout.
Left 4 Dead 2008 Why it still holds upFour survivors who depend on each other, in runs that keep changing, still make a good team to join today.
Mad Father 2012 Why it still holds upA girl alone in a house of secrets still gives the horror a personal angle.
Until Dawn 2015 Why it still holds upChoices that decide who lives still make it worth playing again today.
Cry of Fear 2013 Why it still holds upA small inventory still turns every pickup into a choice today.

Not games with a frightening corner, but games built around being afraid: something is hunting you and you are not ready for it. What lasts is rarely whatever jumps out at you.

Starter pack: ten of these, and why each one still plays today

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