June 21, 2025, 2:33 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Just like in film, television, and literature, there are also eerie themes in gaming. That’s why we’re introducing four particularly creepy horror games.
Many people still approach video games with a lot of reservations and simply dismiss them as “child’s play.” Obviously, they have never tried a genuine horror game, because then they would know that these are anything but for children. Eerie content has a long tradition in gaming history, and with advancing technology, they have only become more terrifying. TECHBOOK therefore 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 possibly improve? How about: everything! In the 21 years between the original and the remake of the horror game, 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 primarily means 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. Added to this is an appropriate soundscape, where the groaning or moaning sounds of the zombies particularly stand out.
Regarding the undead specifically: Rarely have they been staged 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 regularly happens that they stand unseen around the corner, and you get startled when they want to go for your throat. And then the ammunition is constantly scarce… great.
As with the original, there are two parallel plots, one for Leon S. Kennedy and one for Claire Redfield. Two playthroughs are therefore mandatory to see everything once and to at least 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–although the reinterpretation is likely to be more widely available and technically much more polished. However, the graphics in this classic from Konami are only secondary. What matters is the extremely dense atmosphere, which is unparalleled 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 enough, you don’t know, except: There’s something. Guaranteed. And it wants to kill you. As is typical for the genre, resources are scarce here too, and there are many puzzles that sometimes require a bit of brainpower.
But “Silent Hill 2” became a true milestone due to its abysmal 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 apparitions on a psychological level. “Silent Hill 2” is thus 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 undefinable 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, it also happens that you become too fat from all the eating and can no longer fit through narrow passages. In these moments, you have to shed extra 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 but gives them the opportunity to spread fear and terror themselves. What may seem like a simple trick turns out to be a brilliant move that is 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 in the TECHBOOK editorial team, there was initial skepticism, but “Doki Doki Literature Club” has a reputation that precedes it. And rightly so.
In terms of gameplay, the 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, which for the first two hours trace the everyday life of the characters.
Until the mood slowly but surely shifts. A fleeting side remark becomes two, a supposed graphic error repeats and gradually reveals itself to be intentional by the programmers, and before you know it, you start doubting your own perception. What is really real in the story and what is not? Is anything real at all anymore?
The twists in the plot become increasingly disturbing and eventually don’t even stop at the player–they even follow you to the main menu. And without being able to foresee it at the beginning, a cold shiver runs down your spine. Brrr.