June 21, 2025, 2:33 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Just like in film, television, and literature, there are eerie themes in gaming as well. That’s why we’re introducing four particularly creepy horror games.
Many people still approach video games with a lot of reservations, dismissing them as “child’s play.” Obviously, they’ve never tried a genuine horror game, or they’d know these are anything but for kids. Creepy content has a long tradition in gaming history, and with advancing technology, they’ve only become more terrifying. TECHBOOK presents four titles that truly make your blood run cold.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
“Resident Evil 2” from 1998 is already a masterpiece, so what could a remake improve? How about: everything! In the 21 years between the original and the horror game’s remake, a lot has happened technically, and it’s immediately audible and visible. Instead of fixed camera angles, pre-rendered rooms, and clunky tank controls, “Resident Evil 2 Remake” comes in a modern guise.
This means primarily a third-person perspective with a fixed over-the-shoulder camera and realistic real-time graphics that create a hauntingly beautiful feeling with atmospheric light and shadow effects. Add to that an appropriate soundscape, where the groaning or moaning sounds of the zombies particularly stand out.
Regarding the undead specifically: Rarely have they been portrayed more eerily than here. This is because they not only look and sound disgusting but also because their placement within the game world is so cleverly designed. Although most of them are still quite sluggish, it’s common for them to stand unseen around a corner, and you get startled when they want to go for your throat. And then there’s the constant shortage of ammunition… great.
As in the original, there are two parallel plots, one for Leon S. Kennedy and one for Claire Redfield. Two playthroughs are a must to see everything and to temporarily put a stop to the dubious Umbrella Corporation.
Silent Hill 2
Whether original or remake doesn’t make a big difference with “Silent Hill 2” compared to “Resident Evil 2,” which is why we simply recommend both—though the reinterpretation is likely more widely available and technically much more polished. However, graphics are secondary in this Konami classic. What matters is the incredibly dense atmosphere, unmatched in the horror game genre.
Whether in the thick fog during the day or only in the dark armed with a flashlight, visibility is always severely limited. But what lurks beyond your field of vision? Often, you don’t know, except: There’s something. Guaranteed. And it wants to kill you. As is typical for the genre, resources are scarce, and there are many puzzles that sometimes require a bit of brainpower.
“Silent Hill 2” became a true milestone due to its profound and yet emotional story about James Sunderland, who follows the call of his dead wife to the deserted titular town. The plot holds a few surprises and is closely intertwined with the game world and the monstrous appearances on a psychological level. “Silent Hill 2” is not only extremely thrilling and eerie but also offers mature, sophisticated entertainment beyond the fear.
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Carrion
Usually, in horror games, you run away from the monster or try to send it to the afterlife. Not so in “Carrion,” because in this Metroidvania (platformer with a large map to explore), you take on the exciting and powerful role of the monster.
Here, you are an indefinable blob with tentacles, making your way out of an underground research station while gleefully devouring humans. While the scientists all panic, the security is much more resilient. Occasionally, you might get too fat from all the eating and can’t fit through narrow passages. In these moments, you have to shed some mass. This makes you more agile but also more vulnerable to any kind of injury.
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“Carrion” teaches less fear to the player and instead gives them the opportunity to spread fear and terror themselves. What might seem like a simple trick turns out to be a brilliant move, skillfully implemented in gameplay. We wish you bon appétit at the great researcher feast.
Doki Doki Literature Club
Cute anime schoolgirls with big doe eyes and short skirts—only “Animal Crossing” looks more harmless. And this is supposed to be a horror game? Even the TECHBOOK editorial team was initially skeptical, but “Doki Doki Literature Club” has a reputation that precedes it. And rightly so.
Gameplay-wise, this so-called visual novel is extremely simple: You click through drawn still images and text panels, nothing more. No quick reactions or tactical maneuvers are required here. You simply follow the dialogues that depict the characters’ everyday lives for the first two hours.
Until the mood slowly but surely shifts. A fleeting side comment becomes two, a supposed graphic glitch repeats and gradually reveals itself as intentional by the programmers, and before you know it, you doubt your own perception. What is really real in the story and what is not? Is anything real at all?
The plot twists become increasingly disturbing and eventually even affect the player themselves—and they follow you even into the main menu. And without being able to predict it at the start, a cold shiver runs down your spine. Brrr.