Horror games usually prove to be scary and graphic based on their titles, trailers, and the screenshots of their gameplay. On rare occasions though, there are horror games dressed in sheep's clothing. Their titles are unassuming, their trailers are suspiciously short, and their screenshots tend to look actually a little cute.

These sneaky games do their part to show that scary content often is about being unexpected. These horror games are also typically indie, as being indie gives them more freedom to commit to looking one way but turning sinister the deeper the players get into the game.

Updated September 29, 2023 by Alexandra O'Leary: Horror games are among some of the most celebrated titles in the gaming world. Alongside frightening mechanics and graphics, horror games can provoke deep emotion with their story and sincerity, particularly when they offer something unexpected.

Certain games, often in the indie market, are purposefully not marketed as horror, to trick and surprise players. Others sport aesthetics that gamers would not associate with the horror genre. These games are phenomenal in their own right and are well worth the attention they garnered.

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12 Little Inferno

• Developer: Tomorrow Corporation
• Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

Little Inferno is a short puzzle-like game in which players receive a 'Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace,' which is literally a fireplace where players can burn things. It appears to be a harmless game in which players burn items to gain more money to buy more items to burn. It is very achievement heavy, and allows players to burn items in combination.

However, there is a story at play in Little Inferno. Soon, players will start receiving mysterious letters from a strange person. That, in combination with the increasingly worrying letters from the next-door neighbor, makes Little Inferno a surprisingly intense experience that will leave players with a deep sense of foreboding.

11 Eversion

• Developer: Zaratustra Productions
• Platforms: PC, Mac

Released on Steam in 2010, Eversion hides its horror very well. It presents itself as a retro side-scroller where the player must go on a mission to find the missing princess of the Flower Kingdom. The first couple of levels play along with the colorful and innocent-seeming game, but the levels and story slowly become deranged with eyeballs, monsters, and dark settings.

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The game was partly inspired by quotes from H.P. Lovecraft such as, "Sounds - possibly musical - heard in the night from other worlds or realms of being."

10 Five Nights At Freddy's

• Developer: ScottGames (Scott Cawthon)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

Five Night's At Freddy's is an incredibly popular, successful franchise featuring eight main titles. Although most gamers will instantly recognize this series as horror, it was not immediately apparent to first-time players just how terrifying the first game would be.

Furthermore, first-time players of its most recent installment Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach may have been caught off-guard by its horror elements, since the game begins in the bright, happy Megaplex. However, gamers familiar with the franchise would have expected no less. This series provides a dark twist on children's animatronics, and will make players think twice next time they see someone in a bear costume.

9 Dreaming Mary

• Developer: Accha
• Platform: PC

RPG Maker games are in the top tier of creative horror, and Dreaming Mary is a prime example. The RPG game came out in 2014 and is adorable-looking in every sense. Players take the role of Mary in her dream of a pink palace, cute animal friends, and fun games.

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However, the visuals, sound, and themes of the game change as more of the dream is explored. The dream basically turns into a nightmare and Mary has to figure out a way to escape.

8 Inside

• Developer: PlayDead
• Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation

Inside is one of those games that is at its best when players know nothing about it. Like many on this list, going into this game blind allows players to fully experience the story, particularly because there is no dialogue and limited communication. Inside is a puzzle platformer that follows a boy who is clearly running from something.

Inside was not marketed as a horror game, but as many players will know, it is an incredibly intense and thrilling experience. The ending has been a subject of immense speculation, and it is worth a play to experience it first-hand.

7 Can Your Pet?

• Developer: GameAde
• Platforms: Browser, iOS, Android

Can Your Pet? is not exactly a well-loved game. It is short and its twist from a cute little game about having fun with a chick to a violent mess is very sudden. On the surface, the game is quite simple. The player can dress up, play, and interact with an adorable little chick.

However, if they click on the bicycle then the twist is revealed. The bicycle turns upside down into saws and turns the chicken into processed food that goes into a can.

6 Doki Doki Literature Club

• Developer: Team Salvato
• Platforms: PC, Mac

Of games that look innocent but are actually horrific, Doki Doki Literature Club is easily one of the most famous. The game is disguised as a dating simulation and plays into a lot of familiar tropes with the genre. Players take the role of a boy who joins the school literature club - and coincidentally is the only guy among four cute girls. The gameplay is mostly like a visual novel in which the player makes dialogue-based choices, but there is also poetry crafting that can win the affection of different girls.

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However, the girls are not as cheerful and pleasant deep down. The true art of this game is in the players' total unawareness of what is going to happen, so it's best to play the game before reading about it. The game is free on Steam but one review from a player called gimp pointed out, "The game is free, but the therapy is not."

5 Wadanohara And The Great Blue Sea

• Developer: Deep-Sea Prisoner
• Platforms: PC, Mac

Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea is similar to Dreaming Mary in that it is an RPG Maker horror title. It is a fantasy game that dives into some mature and horrific themes. The player plays as Wadanohara, a sea witch that lives in a kingdom under the sea along with her familiars and shark boyfriend.

When a good-seeming character turns out to actually be a bad guy, the sea turns red with horrific imagery and dark themes. A reebot of the game was released on 2020, updating the gameplay and adding extra content.

4 Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion

• Developer: Lag Studios
• Platform: PC

Released in 2015, Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion is unique becomes it disguises itself as a horror game that is innocent. It is easy for players to walk into it expecting some cute campy fun. However, the deeper in the game the player gets, the less cute and far more serious the scares are.

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The goal is to explore a ton of rooms, about seven hundred of them. With each room, the scares get less cute and more bloody and insane.

3 Omori

• Developer: Omocat
• Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation

Omori is a 2020 RPG that follows a young boy named Sunny who is trying to navigate life in the real world, as well as life in a dreamworld in which he is somebody named Omori. The game features charming artwork and a unique combat system that incorporates emotions. It was critically acclaimed upon release, and hailed as a brilliant RPG that belongs among classics like Earthbound and Undertale.

In Omori, there's a lot more going on that players may initially think. The storyline is dark and complex, a direct contradiction to the beautiful, happy dreamworld. Gamers who enjoy a good RPG should get their hands on Omori.

2 Error #53

• Developer: Sean Toman
• Platform: PC

Gamers are lead to believe this game is a short adventure title. The game starts off as an adventure with a king sending the player to take care of some bandits. However, strange images flash on the screen and the joyful music goes silent. The game's colorful woods turn dark, and the game purposefully glitches out in ways that are unsettling.

The game is short, but it is definitely not one that easily scared players will want to complete at night.

1 Irisu Syndrome

• Developer: Wtetsu
• Platform: PC

Irisu Syndrome is actually somewhat like Tetris. Shapes fall down, and the player must make the colors match for them to disappear. There is calming music with a cute bunny girl in the background as the shapes fall. However, as the game goes on, the shapes get faster and the bunny girl gets closer to the player and the game purposefully crashes.

A story unfolds about kids camping, but there is something more sinister and cryptic going on.

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