Video games are a great medium to transport players into a virtual reality and entirely immerse them in a different life and universe, with detailed graphics, captivating stories, and engaging world-building.
Horror games are perfect for getting the blood pumping and giving players that adrenaline fixes they are craving - great for lifting their spirits or getting their souls to leave their bodies entirely. Here are some of the most immersive horror games if players are brave enough to handle them.
10 P.T (Silent Hills)
The fear of the unknown is a trait utilized in many horror games, with Silent Hills P.T being no exception. This playable teaser offered players a small glimpse into the sequel's potential and proved that games don't need to be long to still be immersive.
From the outset, P.T. has an ominous atmosphere as players wander around in an aimless and disorientating loop of hallways. P.T. is vague at the best of the time, which makes it all the more terrifying as the player hears creepy radio messages and a mysterious crying baby. Coupled with its claustrophobic environment, the player may feel like the world is closing in on them with no way out.
9 Visage
Visage is one of the scariest modern horrors to date and a game some fans say is the spiritual successor to the canceled P.T. It's a first-person psychological horror set in an ever-changing house that has seen countless deaths, demonic possessions, and other disturbing atrocities.
The darkness plays a massive part in Visage's world-building, with the player spotting ghostly apparitions lurking in the shadows while completing puzzles. Visage features jumpscares and gore galore, setting the tone for an unsettling atmosphere while keeping the player on the edge of their seats.
8 Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares is a gothic yet whimsical puzzle-platformer horror, where players take on the role of Six, a small yellow-raincoat-clad child stuck aboard the Maw, a ship full of child-eating and deformed enemies.
Six must stealthily sneak and hide her way past the myriad of enemies that stand in her way, becoming increasingly more corrupted as she delves further into the Maw's depths. Little Nightmares' dark fantasy art coupled with the immersive world-building of giant enemies and larger-than-life furniture, make the player feel small and helpless and fully immersed in this Tim Burton-esque universe.
7 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a classic that popularized the psychological horror genre and paved the way for many horror games that followed it. It places players in the mind of Daniel as he explores the gothic Lovecraftian Brennenberg Castle and uncovers the terrifying secrets within.
What makes Amnesia: The Dark Descent so terrifying is that there is no combat, so players cannot defend themselves. As Daniel encounters deformed monsters lurking in the shadows, he must hide and use his wits to escape their clutches or face losing his sanity.
6 SOMA
Another game from Fictional Games, the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, is SOMA, released in 2015. This survival horror features playable character Simon, as he wakes up in an abandoned underwater facility with no clue how he ended up there.
SOMA is a game that messes with the player's mind and scares them senseless without needing copious jumpscares or overt gore. It features some philosophical themes that make the player question what it truly means to be human, and it is a game that leaves a lasting impression on players long after they complete it.
5 Layers Of Fear
Layers Of Fear is a first-person psychological horror that tells the story of a talented artist's gradual descent into madness as he attempts to paint his magnum opus and life's work. It is a truly immersive and horrifying game, leaving players caught up in its disturbing atmosphere.
In order to do this, the player must explore his seemingly ordinary and endless mansion, as it steadily evolves into a mysterious hellscape that truly explores the horrors of the human mind. Layers Of Fear features ominous music, and the gradual deterioration of the environments' are sure to immerse players and keep them hooked as they finally finish the artists' masterpiece.
4 Alien: Isolation
Based on the legendary sci-fi films of the same name, Alien: Isolation follows Amanda Ripley as she embarks on a journey to get closure for her mother and discover the truth behind her disappearance. However, she is not alone, as there is a terrifying Xenomorph stalking through the corridors of the Sevastapol trading station.
While exploring this abandoned space station, the player must gather resources to craft valuable items and hack through systems while avoiding the hulking alien creature. The only way Amanda can survive in Alien: Isolation is by hiding. But even that isn't a guarantee; the titular alien has evolving A.I to keep the player on their toes. If the player uses the same stealth strategies, it will eventually discover their location.
3 Resident Evil: Biohazard
Resident Evil games are the cornerstone of the horror genre, with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard being one of their most immersive horror titles. It introduces the Baker family, as they, unfortunately, came under the influence of Eveline, a bioweapon capable of controlling people like puppets using her mold powers.
Players control Ethan Winters as he infiltrates the Baker family home in search of his missing wife, Mia. In Biohazard, players must escape the clutches of the Baker family, as Eveline's mold has given them cannibalistic tendencies and grotesque Eldritch forms. Players must sometimes rely on their survival instincts and stealth to survive, with sparse ammo meaning they must conserve it and remain cautious and alert.
2 Phasmophobia
Phasmophobia is a unique foray into the horror game genre, with a first-person perspective and proximity chat using handheld radios. Taking on the role of a ghost hunter, players can work together or alone to perform specific tasks in haunted locations to uncover the ghostly apparition residing there.
To figure out which supernatural being they are dealing with, Phasmophobia players must use the wide range of tools at their disposal, from infrared cameras to spirit boxes. Ghostly events may occur, like objects being moved or literal ghost hunts! When the ghost begins its searches, the lights will flicker with spooky sound effects - the player must hide or be caught in the rampaging spirit's warpath.
1 Outlast
Outlast has often been coined as one of the scariest games ever made. Playing as investigative journalist Miles Upshur, players must enter and explore the abandoned psychiatric facility, Mount Massive Asylum, wherein he encounters several deformed patients with a penchant for bloodlust.
What makes Outlast so immersive is the incredible sound design and lack of combat. Players can hear the thundering footsteps of enemies echoing in the distance and the sound of their breathing nearby. Miles can only escape his pursuers by quietly sneaking around and hiding inside lockers or underneath beds.