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.
2010s horror games that still hold up
The ones you end up playing with the lights on
Games
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.
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.
Alien: Isolation 2014
Why it still holds upA creature driven by systems rather than scripts still turns every room into a risk today.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard 2017
Why it still holds upPlay it now for the anxiety that builds in one confined location with limited vision.
Metro Exodus 2019
Why it still holds upChoosing how to approach each objective, between open areas and linear stretches, still gives it room to play your way today.
Metro: Last Light 2013
Why it still holds upSupplies that keep running out still give every trip outside its tension today.
Soma 2015
Why it still holds upWith no way to fight, the threat is being caught, and that still gives the setting its pressure 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.
P.T. 2014
The Evil Within 2 2017
Why it still holds upEven now, a town you can explore freely, with scarce ammunition, makes every trip between buildings a decision about risk.
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead 2013
Why it still holds upBecause so many survival systems depend on each other, every run still sets its own problem today.
Little Nightmares 2017
Why it still holds upEvery room is a matter of timing and cover, since hide and seek against threats that catch you in a glance is the whole game, and it stays tense today.
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.
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.
Days Gone 2019
Why it still holds upWith hordes that outnumber you, every open stretch of road is still something to plan around.
Dying Light 2015
Why it still holds upA day that turns into a dangerous night still changes how you move through the same streets.
Detention 2017
Why it still holds upA short game set under martial law still leaves a mark beyond its scares today.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent 2010
Why it still holds upLight that calms you and also gives you away still makes every dark room a choice between safety and sanity today.
The Darkness II 2012
Why it still holds upThe arms still give you four hands, two of them not yours.
Observer 2017
Why it still holds upA cyberpunk detective story inside one building still keeps the world small and tense.
Outlast 2013
Why it still holds upA horror game whose only tool is a way of seeing still runs out of batteries today.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2012
Why it still holds upLimited ammunition still makes every corridor a place to move carefully.
The Forest 2018
Why it still holds upEnemies that react to how you treat them, on ground with no set path, still keep every night uncertain today.
Some of these give you a weapon and too few bullets, others take the weapon away and leave you to hide. Both kinds work by keeping the threat a step stronger than you.