Summary

• Prepare to be haunted for nights by the psychological terrors of these recommended horror games.
• Take caution as these games delve into dark themes like self-harm and suicide.
• From Saya to Silent Hill, brace yourself for intense psychological horror experiences.

For as many ways as horror can frighten us, one of the deepest and most effective kinds of horror is psychological. A good psychological horror story can have you up in the middle of the night weeks after you've stopped playing, not because of what it showed you, but because of what it made you think about.

For fans of hoꦇrror that really gets under your skin, we present our picks for the most effective psychological horror games we've ever plaဣyed, each guaranteed to haunt you for many nights to come.

The very nature of psychological horror means that most of these games featu🧔re references to self-harm and suicide, among other topics which could be deeply disturbing to some players. We'll add an extra warning for any extreme cases, but in general, player discretion is advised.

11 ♔ The Song Of S🌠aya

The World Is Flesh

In the aftermath of a terrible car accident, Sakisaka Fuminori sees the world in a new and terrible way: everything and everyone around him is nothiꦍng but pulsating flesh. Everyone, that is, except for a mysterious girl in a white dress.

Coming from legendary writer Gen Urobuchi of Puella Magi Madoka Magica fame, The Song of Saya is a mature exploration of how our morals are tied 𒀰to our perception of the world around us, and asks us how far we're willing to go for the ones we (think) we love.

The Song Of Saya is incredibly graphic (though it has been toned down for the English release so that it can be sold on Steam), and ꦏis not for everyone. It features sexual content, graphic violence, and especially prevalent themes of self h🌸arm and suicide.

10 💮 Neverending Nightmares 🌠

A Personal And Brutal Horror Experience

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Presented in a beautiful hand drawnไ style, Neverending Nightmares looks how nails on a chalkbo𒀰ard sound. No matter what you're d𒅌oing, or where you are, there is always going to be some subtle detail in the art that will make your skin crawl.

The game's lead designer, Matt Gilgenbach, has gone on record saying that the game is based heavily on h♐is own struggles with OCD and depression, and as a re♏sult, the game depicts these themes in a brutal and honest way, without feeling like it's making light of them.

9 Yomawari: M𝓰idn𝓰ight Shadows

Don't Let The Chibi Visuals Fool You

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Yomawari series is full of psychological terrors that take advantage of the fact that its main protagonists are children who have just had to experience something horrible enough to shatter their entire worldview, but the entr💃y that leans the farthest into the psychological has to be its second entry, Yomawari: Midnightܫ Shadows.

Switching back and forth between two kids named Haru and Yui, you'll experience the longest night of your life as you run and hide from 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a plethora of disturbing monsters based on the children's darkest fears.

8 Spe𒊎c Ops: The Line 𒆙

No, It's Not Really A Shooting Game

Spec Ops: The Line might look like just another mid 2010's 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:third person shooter at first, but once you get into the meat of the game, things quickly unravel and the game instead delivers a harrowing and believable nightmare about guilt, mistakes, and the꧅ horrors of war.

Unfortunately, Spec Ops: The Line 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:was delisted from Steam in early 2024, but the good news is it's still possible to track down 🔯a physical copy of this psychological horror gem if you're interested in trying it out for yourself. As disturbing as it can be, The Line is a𓆉n important work of art.

Spec Ops: The Line features realistic depictions of war crimes and extensive visuals showing the after𒊎math of chemical weapons attacks on civilians.

7 Eternal Darkness 𝔍

Nintendo's Horror Masterpiece

Eternal Darkness is pretty famous these days for being 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:one of t♔he darkest Nintendo games ever ma♔de. But l✨ooking past the novelty of a horror game being a Gamecube exclusive, the way Eter🎶nal Darkness messes with you as you play feels fresh and frightening.

Oddly enough, the game has never been officially spoken of again outside of a spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but the innovative mechanics 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:and spooky atmosphere have h💯elped Eternal Darkness maintain its reputation and cult status, both of which are deserved.

6 Doki Doki Literature 🌸Club

The Anti-Visual Novel

Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the smartest video games I've ever played; using tried and true visual nov👍el tropes to pull us in and give a false sense of security before thrashing us with some very e❀ffective psychological and meta horror.

Despite how popular DDLC has become in the years since ꦅits release, the ♎game is still just as effective as it ever was, with smart scares that catch you off guard no matter how many times you play it. Of course, the polished visuals and soundtrack don't hurt, either.

Please be aware that Doki Doki Literature Club features especially graphic depictions of suicide and self-harm throughout t🔜he story.

5 Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

To These Gods You Cannot Pray

The Hellblade games don't market themselves as psychological horror games, but I've never been able to forget the th🙈ings the first game made me feel, and in Hellblade 2, Ninja Theory has taken those aspects even further to deliver some truly haunting moments.

If you're a psychological horror fan, and especially if you liked Eternal Darkness, you owe it to yourself to play both Hellblade games as soon as possible. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:But 🦋if you can only pick one of the two, I recommend the sequel.

4 Devotion

The Forbidden Horror Game

Devotion draws on themes of religious trauma to unravel a haunting story of faith, trust, and some of the most unnerving mann🅠equins ever seen in a video game. Blending memory and belief together, Devot🦋ion shows us psychological horror in what is perhaps its most honest form.

This Taiwanese horror game remains true to its cultural roots while simultaneously raising the bar for developers the world over. If you haven'💎t played this cult classic gem yet, seek it out ASAP.

Devotion was delisted from Steam in 2019, shortly after its release. While it is still unavailable on Steam, the game has been made available to purchase by its developers, Red Candl🅠e Games, through its online store.

3 Soma

You Lost The Coin Flip

Frictional Games has always had a good grasp on what makes horror effective, but their unique approach to psychological horror in their 2015 game Soma combines 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the fear of underwater terrors with the fear of ♈losing yourself to create something that is truly next level.

Without spoiling anyt🐬hing, Soma plays with the idea of transferring one's♚ consciousness from body to body, and asks you how much of yourself is lost in the process. The game was ahead of its time in many ways, and is one of the most impressive psychological horror games ever made.

2 Signalis

Do You Trust Your Memories?

Signalis is a wonderful su🐎rprise that nobody saw coming. An indie hit right out of the gate, Signalis tasks you with taking control of a robot and exploring a derelict ship where, in 🧸time, you'll eventually uncover everything about both the ship and yourself.

The game is what we would describe as the logical combination♛ between Soma and Silent Hill 2, and if that sounds good to you, trust us when we say it's somehow even better than it sounds. The way the game's story unfolds is truly engaging.