The current year has been a great one for horror films, and there’s no clear end in sight.
Releases such as “Hereditary,” “A Quiet Place” and “Annihilation” proved the horror genre can do new and interesting things. Upcoming films, like “Halloween” and “The Nun,” will hopefully continue to build on this.
And then, of course, there’s always films like “Slender Man,” which I will never mention again.
Yet, not everyone has the patience to binge watch films — sometimes a little more interactivity is needed.
Here are a few fantastic video games in the horror genre that are sure to keep you occupied on a smoky afternoon.
“Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” —Windows/PS4/XB1/Switch
Arguably the scariest game on this list, “Biohazard” plunges you straight into a Louisiana plantation. When Ethan Winters gets a message from his supposedly dead wife, Mia, he immediately sets out to find her.
Standing in his way are the Bakers, a cannibal family, who are holding Mia captive and protecting a greater secret.
While “Resident Evil 4” is another fantastic entry in the series, I eventually settled on this because of its recent release.
“Biohazard” is the first to utilize a first-person perspective, which makes the experience even more frightening. To top it off, the entire game is playable in virtual reality. I was only able to utilize VR in short sessions, since my heart received more of a workout than any of my gym visits this year.
“Alien: Isolation” — Windows/Mac/PS4/XB1/PS3/Xbox 360
There’s nothing more intense than playing cat-and-mouse with a giant, fast, invincible monster. “Alien: Isolation” toys with you in this manner throughout the entire, lengthy campaign.
Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the original film, is trying to figure out the cause of her mother’s disappearance, leading her to Sevastopol, a remote space station. It’s easy to figure out what happens next.
What makes this game so unique is the player’s dynamic with the enemy AI. The aliens are immune to injury, and can be only briefly scared away. Hiding in lockers and under tables is mandatory. Because I can be an impatient gamer, I became very familiar with the death screen.
Using only a motion tracker and tools meant to distract, it’s an impossibly fun task to try and outwit the almost human-like AI.
“Until Dawn” — PS4
When eight teenagers spend the night in a mountain cabin, they are soon attacked by a mysterious figure and must survive … until dawn. The plot seems fairly generic on the surface, but thankfully doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“Until Dawn” sets itself apart in a few interesting ways. The game has a heavy emphasis on quick-time events, and uses the “butterfly system,” which promises consequences for player actions.
There are eight playable characters, and because of this system, the ending can completely vary from player to player. One story might end with all characters surviving, while another could result in the deaths of all eight.
This is also a great party game, as each person can pick from the list of characters and pass the controller around. Be warned though, some can die very quickly.
“Dead Space” — Windows/PS3/Xbox 360
Released in 2008, “Dead Space” remains a pioneer of modern third-person horror. Set in the mining ship USG Ishimura, protagonist Isaac Clarke has to fight his way through necromorphs, the reanimated corpses of his dead crew.
In addition to the setting being very unnerving, Clarke is a slow-moving character and the game does not pause when opening menus or upgrading weapons. He must use only the mining tools at his disposal to stay alive, but he’s lucky that objects such as the plasma cutter exist for whatever reason in this universe.
“Little Nightmares” — Windows/PS4/ XB1/Switch
The cheapest title on this list, “Little Nightmares” lives up to its very straightforward name. The protagonist is little and the creatures are nightmarish.
Even after beating this game, I’m still not entirely sure what happened, but I had a good time nevertheless. It’s a short but sweet experience and relies on a very zoomed out, third-person perspective to induce paranoia.
“Little Nightmares” is described as a puzzle-platformer and can be fairly challenging, so for those looking to scratch a less violent itch, this is a solid choice. Keep in mind, however, that no horror game is entirely violence-free.
“SOMA” — Windows/Mac/PS4/XB1
Most recent horror games prioritize gameplay and atmosphere over story. “SOMA” flips this on its head by focusing on story before all else.
Set in the underwater research facility PATHOS-II, mysterious protagonist Simon Jarrett embarks on a journey to discover more about his past. What follows is a confusing yet surprisingly intriguing story that spans about eight hours.
While the gameplay is nothing to write home about, the story alone is worth the price of admission.
“Inside” —Windows/Mac/PS4/XB1/Switch
If I had to describe “Inside” using one phrase, it would be confusingly creepy.
The 2.5D side scroller evokes an almost claustrophobic aura throughout, which made me always feel on edge. The game brilliantly balances puzzles and exploration, although I couldn’t even begin to describe the game’s “story.”
It’s strange, it’s puzzling, it’s creepy but it’s worth playing.
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]