Graveyards are one of the creepiest places in video games where all kinds of supernatural beings lurk. However, some of the scariest killers in video games also like to frequent these eerie locations. While graveyards tend to be scary, they can also create a deeper atmosphere. Players have all kinds of options from whacky and whimsical games to downright sinister ones that all approach the graveyard setting and what it can bring to a game in different ways.
Just like in real life, video game graveyards can carry a deeper meaning which instantly turns even non-horror games into a spookier or even terrifying experience. However, players can choose from all kinds of games that are set in graveyards, from first-person shooters and beat 'em ups, to simulation games, and, in doing so, experience these spooky settings in very different ways.
7 Graveyard Keeper
Graveyard Keeper's charming graphics can be a little deceiving. It's actually one of those games that are scary without gore with gameplay that gets menacing surprisingly quickly. This indie RPG sim lets its players manage a medieval cemetery while facing various issues and making questionable decisions like holding witch-burning festivals to make more money.
Thanks to its great visuals, Graveyard Keeper gets especially spooky during the night periods. It also has atmospheric music that makes this often dark game even more enjoyable. What really makes this game memorable and spooky are the morbid ethical dilemmas that players are faced with. The aim is to turn the graveyard into a thriving business, and they might just have to cut open dead bodies and sell the organs to the local butcher to make that happen.
6 Catacomb 3D
Catacomb 3D is not one of the hardest FPS games, but it's still a great retro game with dark fantasy elements and creepy graphics. Players get to explore the spooky catacombs of the town cemetery and will get to step into the shoes of a powerful high wizard named Petton Everhail.
The goal is to rescue Petton's friend and kill the lich Nemesis while completing the maze-like levels of the catacombs. Players have to defeat creepy monsters with a magical fireball and survive deadly traps. While Catacomb 3D is not a particularly scary game it's still a fun and spooky game thanks to its unique graphics and the wide variety of enemies.
5 Deadtime Stories
Deadtime Stories is a spooky hidden-object and puzzle game with whimsical graphics that are going to provide an especially fun experience for those who appreciate Tim Burton's signature art style. The game's story is actually inspired by a real-life 19th-century New Orleans crime. The players will have to figure out why lost souls were buried in Edward Blackgate's private cemetery.
During Deadtime Stories' engrossing storyline players get to meet all of the trapped spirits, cast spells, and learn the truth behind the ghosts' mysterious deaths. This game has a great ambiance, darkly whimsical graphics, and pretty difficult and imaginative puzzles that prove to be challenging even for adults.
4 Monster Bash
Monster Bash is one of the most action-filled spooky and feel-good retro games around, with plenty of great visual horror references. The story follows a 10-year-old boy named Johnny who has to defeat the evil Count Chuck and rescue his puppy before the evil Under World leader turns all the Day World's pets into terrifying monsters.
The game has great design, various monsters, and bosses that can be challenging to beat but always fun thanks to Johnny's super-charged slingshot that can shoot all kinds of powerful things including fireballs and rockets. Players will have to haunt for puzzles while defeating these monsters in this spooky Under World.
3 Cemetery Warrior 4
Cemetery Warrior 4 is certainly not one of the hardest horror games out there, but it's still a pretty good indie shooter with cool graphics set in a creepy world filled with monsters. It's also a unique game because the players get to play the demon Zexus who was defeated and imprisoned for years.
The game's story follows Zexus as he tries to take revenge on his father who tormented him for five years for losing the battle. The once beautiful monastery is now in ruins and became a graveyard that's filled with dead souls, demons, and monsters. The player has to go through various levels while killing monsters and bosses while trying to stay alive.
2 Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds is one of the most fun survival horror games of its era with good graphics and a great story that mostly follows the original series' storyline. Buffy fans get to control Buffy or choose from other characters while trying to defeat supernatural foes.
Buffy and the gang have to face an army of vampires, as well as other supernatural creatures, thanks to the First and Ethan Rayne. This game is not fully set in a graveyard but since it's a well-known fact that Buffy hangs out a lot in cemeteries, players should expect to do the same. It's an entertaining game with a great story that'll also be exciting for non-Buffy fans who appreciate creative beat 'em up games.
1 Redemption Cemetery: Curse of the Raven
Redemption Cemetery: Curse of the Raven is a visually stunning hybrid game that mixes the elements of traditional point-and-click adventures with hidden object games. Players control a car accident victim who enters the mysterious Redemption Cemetery after a serious car crash.
However, as their character gets trapped in this haunted place, players have to find a way to help the graveyard's trapped spirits protect their loved ones and free their souls. Redemption Cemetery: Curse of the Raven has eerie music, a gorgeous art style, and creative but not too difficult puzzles which make it enjoyable for all types of gamers no matter their skill level.