Horror games, more than almost any other genre, are known for their tense gameplay loops and branching narratives, relying on players to make the right choice in key moments or else face the consequences. Sometimes, this boils down to pure item management, likeResident Evil’s ammo conservation and limited inventory. Other times, it’s the life or death of a friend or party member.
Whether fighting off undead hordes or battling with a deity, players will regularlybe faced with choices. Often, even decisions that seem insignificant at the time can hold consequences that ring throughout the rest of the game and deeper into the player’s psyche.
Updated on July 31, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:Horror games have been around for decades at the time of writing this article, and they never disappoint when it comes to delivering a terrifying experience for players who love the genre. While some titles are set in ancient Victorian mansions that make for the perfect location for a supernatural encounter, others opt to focus on dark woods or even futuristic settings. This only proves that while the setting of a game is important, what truly matters is the narrative and the scary elements that the developers put into the game to surprise players at the least expected moment of their playthroughs.
Observeris a psychological horror game that will have players thinking about their every choice at every turn. While the choices that players make during their playthrough will not affect the ending, they will have to make a very difficult decision once they reach the end of the story, and that one does determine how it ends. Granted, not having as many choices as there are in other horror games with a more impactful outcome can be a little disappointing, butObservermakes up for this with its excellent narrative and interesting concept.
The game is set around Daniel Lazarski, a detective of the Observers Police unit. Through the use of a mysterious device known as the Dream Eater, he can hack into people’s brains to interrogate them and obtain all the information that he seeks. A great part about this game is that several objects can be interacted with and examined to get to the bottom of various situations, which further complements the detective-esque experienceObserverhas to offer. There are also various dialogue trees that can guide conversations and provide different outcomes for them depending on what players select. Collectibles are also a thing, so those who like exploring every corner of a game they’re playing will be greatly rewarded for it.
21Song Of Horror
A Great Title With Exciting Supernatural Elements
As its name suggests,Song of Horroris a survival horror game developed by Prodigal Games, a Spanish studio that has proven it has what it takes to make an amazing title. The story begins with the vanishing of an acclaimed writer along with his family, which prompts his editor to send an assistant to investigate the scene and uncover the secrets behind the mysterious disappearance. Eventually, the assistant discovers a strong supernatural being simply known as “The Presence”, which could be the explanation behind all the mystery.
One of the greatest parts about this game is that The Presence has a well-developed AI that creates different dynamic events that change as players progress through the story.Song of Horroralso features a Permadeath mechanic, which means that if one character dies, players will have to continue with another character. This has prompted many players to ask for advice on online forums to avoid situations that would result in Permadeath. There are many choices that will be laid before players throughout their experience, and depending on their selection, they might be able to survive for a little longer or perish to The Presence and all the dangers that lurk in the shadows.
The Sufferingis one of those games that, despite being more than 20 years old, still holds up pretty well in terms of the experience it offers and the different endings possible. While graphically not as impressive as modern horror titles,The Sufferinggives players a lot of freedom to decide whether they want to walk the path of evil.
There are three different endings that can be unlocked depending on the actions or inactions of players: the Evil Ending, the Neutral Ending, and the Good Ending. Each ending has its own unique aspects and will present players with the just reward or punishment that they’ve earned throughout the game.
What happens when you have a “cabin in the woods” type scenario in whichthe cast of charactersis controlled entirely by the player? A very good game, that’s what.Until Dawnpays tribute to the classic of cinematic horror and offers something new by virtue of it being a video game.
In a typical movie, each character’s fate is predetermined by the filmmakers.Until Dawngives that control directly to the player. The choices that the player makes not only affect how each character interacts with another, but they also determine what happens to them at major narrative moments in the story.
One of the most important choices players can make inUntil Dawnis what to do with the flare gun they find. While using it as soon as they find it is an option, it’s strongly advised against, as it can serve a much greater purpose down the line. Most advanced players recommend giving the flare gun to Emily and telling her to hold on to it. This will make certain areas of the game much simpler and more survivable.
The Dark Pictures Anthologyis anongoing series from Supermassive Games, the developer responsible for 2015’s hugely popular interactive drama horror gameUntil Dawn. At the time of writing, the British studio has released four of the eight planned games, with the fourth,The Devil in Me, dropping in 2022.
For the most part, the games all follow the same formula, with players following a group of people as they venture through some kind of spooky setting. As they explore, they’ll be faced with a series ofdifficult decisions and quick time eventsthat will invariably determine which members of the in-game group survive until the end of the story. When played consecutively, the games' formula can start to feel a little stale, but with a full year typically separating releases, this shouldn’t be an issue for most.
Unlike its contemporaries,Silent HillandResident Evil,Clock Toweris a'90s survival horror classicthat went without its fair share of attention from studios and audiences alike. Aside from an attempted reboot a few years ago in the form ofNightCry,the franchise mainly lives on in the fond memories of retro fanatics.
The main difference withClock Toweris its point-and-click gameplay, setting it aside from the 3D games that found an easier ride onto next-gen consoles. The series doesn’t lack tension, however, and has several outcomes based on player reactions in its scenarios, which are split up between two characters, which is a lot like classicResident Evilgames.
As goofy asDead Risingcan be in places, the first game’s survival horror aspects are fantastic. This is because the player must make tough decisions regarding not only their resource management but also their fellow survivors. While balancing various tasks around the Willamette Parkview Mall, the player will often come across survivors trying to secure their positions in various shops and locales.
The player is encouraged to rescue these people and bring them back to the safe house where they can await their eventual rescue. However, this can be a hard task to complete when the player is overrun on all sides and lost in the labyrinthian layouts of the mall. More often than not, players will find themselves unable to save everyone, as the zombie hordes overpower NPCs before they can even be met.
SCP - Containment Breachis like the worst amusement park one could ever attend. It’sa terrifying zoo of cryptidsand nightmares ready to kill the player at every turn in unique and horrifying ways. This is one of the things that make the element of choice so powerful in the game. Resource management is of paramount importance, as is how the player chooses to interact with the various SCPs that can be found in the randomly generated map. The game also features multiple endings that are determined by certain actions players take during their escape from the facility.
Another classic zombie survive-em-up,Telltale’s The Walking Deadseries is a wonderful look at inevitability, as the player will often be given options that seem impossible to choose from and will likely end up irrelevant in the end due to a slip-up down the line. The difference inTWD’s decisions is that they’re often built up to devastating ends, with the ever-looming Telltale line “this action will have consequences” further reminding gamers.
While Telltale’s development cycle may have been troubled, gamers were at least given a resolution on the part of Clementine and Lee.The Walking Deadquickly became a fan-favorite narrative in the gaming world, on par with the greatest cinematic experiences of the generation.
A great example of the importance of decision-making in this title can be seen in season 1, where Lee must choose between Shawn and Duck when chaos erupts near Hershel Greene’s farm. The death of one of these characters is ultimately inevitable, and it will always be the same one. However, if players make the wrong choice, the surviving party will be judgmental and confrontational towards Lee, making everything much harder and affecting the story in a few ways.
Call of Cthulhuis an interesting look at the world of adaptations. It seems as though, in the many years since his passing, Lovecraft himself has cursed every adaptation of his work to either fail miserably or elsego under the radar. Between last gen’sCall of CthulhuandThe Sinking City,the cycle remains uninterrupted, as most audiences found themselves disappointed in these titles.
While they didn’t get their deserved reviews on release due to a myriad of bugs and jank, Cyanide’s horror adventure became a bit ofan overlooked gem. It presents the player with seemingly impossible odds that change and waver with the slightest decisions throughout the campaign.
