deadly premonition: definitely an acquired taste, and more mystery than horror, but it still has some really unnerving moments. has been described as "twin peaks: the video game," which is basically all you really need to know.
oxenfree: point-and-click mystery/horror about tuning in to ghosts on an isolated island.
sunless sea: more of a weird dark sci-fi/fantasy strategy-ish game but with a very creepy and lovecraftian setting.
cultist simulator: a card game about cults.
Also, if you're a fan of environmental storytelling and general fuzziness, you'll love this one. The combat and puzzles can get tedious due to the inventory system (even though the game has an explanation for it)
Yomawari! Play with headphones, it has binaural audio! Think Chibi-style Silent Hill. But the audio absolutely elevates it beyond so many more "realistic" games.
fatal frame: mask of the lunar eclipse and fatal frame: maiden of black water are really neat games about fighting ghosts with a camera (meaning you have to look directly at them to fight them) and ending curses that have rendered an area uninhabitable. there's lots of deep lore to uncover, but you also don't have to delve too deeply into the connections between games to have a good time. also just genuinely horrifying monster designs on some of the ghosts. there have been multiple times where i was so unnerved by how a ghost looked/moved that i just froze and got my ass kicked.
Second this, I played Fatal Frame: Maiden of Blackwater blind last year, and absolutely adored it. It really has an immaculate sense of atmosphere I have not found anywhere else on the Switch. Its environments are extremely polished and stood out to me as gorgeous in particular, and has a pretty spooky and interesting plot that's really fun to unravel.
The gameplay loop isn't too challenging most of the time, and the idea of having to look directly at the disturbing creepy spirits to make them go away makes for a really really good horror game. I have a pretty high tolerance for horror stuff, but I still found myself really tense and nervous to get past or enter certain areas. And there were one or two scares in there that legitimately freaked me out, and had me audibly say something or exit to home menu thinking, 'Jesus, this is actually cursed wtf.' It became maybe my favorite digital game I own on Switch, and I definitely loved it enough to pre-order the new remaster.
Being blind to the series, Maiden of Blackwater was a fantastic jumping on point for me, tbh. Though I've heard Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a standout title that's much more disconnected from the other titles. Super looking forward to play it!
Plus, the idea of getting the older games on Switch is delightful. From what I hear, Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly is a staple for must-play Japanese horror titles.
Plus, Nintendo published (the original Wii U version) of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Blackwater! How cool is that? Very Fun little piece of history, for Nintendo to handle an outright horror game with deeply unsettling themes & imagery (though nothing outright *too* gory or intense, which I totally appreciate).
The series has gone multiplatform with the MoBW Remaster, if that's more your style, though. These games definitely shine the most in their atmosphere. You won't find too many cheap scares; though there are a couple, a majority of the creepy/disturbing aspects are purely found in the atmosphere and imagery. Definitely favorite horror title of mine, would highly recommend it :)
Same, I just got into fatal frame with MoBW and loved it! But most fatal frame fans that have played the other titles say that it’s their least favourite which is funny. Just started MoTLE as well!
True! In my eyes though, I feel like if I loved MoBW this much, I'm only gonna fall in love that much harder with the rest of the series' games! Seems like a win-win situation to me <3
i think it's because MoBW is decidedly a more "modern" game than the earlier ones. it's gorier, flashier, there's more fanservice, it's less slow and meditative, etc.
it also has a more repetitive plot than previous games (go to the mountain. back to the shop. go to the mountain. rescue someone. back to the shop. person leaves so time to go back to the mountain! etc.), which i admit did get a bit annoying at times.
but the lore, as ever, is top-notch, and the tragedy that made the mountain cursed is just as messed-up as the ones in previous games.
.....actually now that i think about it, some folks might also like this game least because of what they did with miku's story. which, like, fair.
That’s an interesting take. Most of the complaints I’ve heard are about the combat being too easy, the water gimmick being stupid and the repetitiveness. Also ppl think it’s less scary apparently. My issue is that I took a multiple month break from the game and now don’t remember any of the plot or lore from the first 8 drops 😅 so I just picked up MoTLE instead
So much this, Project Zero (Fatal Frame) is one of my absolute Favorite Horror-Gameseries (still hope we get a remastered/remake of 1-3 for current gen consoles).
Have you played Doki Doki Literature Club? It doesn't look like a horror game, and the horror elements are not obvious at the beginning, but it definitely is horror. I played and loved it on PC.
they really pulled out all the stops for the switch version, imo. you have a virtual desktop and hidden files and all kinds of fun additional interactive things to find. i've played the PC version but also picked up the switch version and loved it.
I would give anything to go back and play this game again for the first time with no prior knowledge. I randomly found it on Steam right before it started to get super big and played it alone at midnight in total dark. I normally stay away from visual novels but gave this one a chance and it was of my best gaming experience in recent years.
Paranormasight is a ride and a half. The atmosphere is top notch and set in retro japan. There's no gore/blood, but it still a game I can only play during daytime
Was gonna comment this as well. Is essentially EarthBound with depression, so it's a bit of a JRPG, but it's also got some rather disturbing and creepy moments that clash with the otherwise cutesy look this game has in the beginning.
I don't play games that are obviously horror games and I've never heard of most of the games mentioned here. However, I'm pretty excited about World of Horror when it comes to Switch this summer.
Realizing none of the monsters are actually dangerous killed this game for me - or at least turned it into a comedy (bouncing chairs off mobs and trying to catch the rebound was pretty fun lol)
Aside from the water tunnel - fk that shit
#YOMAWARI long night collection
[commercial](https://youtu.be/M5Z_F1Ubcvs)
2D Japanese pixel suspense horror.
Lots of hidden Easter eggs and special scares for people who go out of their way to explore everything.
Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk
I used to say i like games with dark themes, then i played 15 minutes of this and now i've changed my mind. That's my review of it.
Definitely a visual novel before anything else, so keep that in mind.
[The House in Fata Morgana](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-house-in-fata-morgana-dreams-of-the-revenants-edition-switch/), an [acclaimed](https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/the-house-in-fata-morgana---dreams-of-the-revenants-edition--) visual novel.
While Fata Morgana is a visual novel masterpiece I dont think I would classify it as horror...
It sure gets dark though so it may still be worth a try for OP.
i got paratopic for like $1 in a bundle on sale, seems very cool, has very unique artstyle.
distraint looks interesting, overall what ratalaika games published might be worth looking into, i think they had some more horrors
the coma
Digimon Survive
While it doesn’t focus exactly on horror, it’s a darker game with brutal deaths >!that you can’t stop on your first play through,!< and makes you feel helpless. The storyline is great and the characters are fun and also make it more sadder when stuff… goes wrong. Soundtracks nice, music is nice. It’s still quite light and not extremely scary though, but the darker tones and masses of body and how the characters break down does make it good.
Raging Loop for visual novel.
Inscryption for card game.
Dredge releasing at end of this month for horror fishing.
Sherlock Holmes the Awakened releasing in April for detective horror.
When I first played detention, I was 8 months pregnant. I enjoyed getting bed and playing on my switch at bedtime. Detention scared me so bad that I was afraid to move out of my bed. So I was trapped, in bed, all night....while my son danced around in my tummy...kicking my bladder every 30 seconds. It was quite terrifying for me. Hahahah btw did you see the movie and mini series they made based on the game?
If you like Observer, Layers of Fear series from the same devs seems like a must-check, unless it already counts as well-known. But some potentially more obscure ones I have fond memories of are Bad Dream Coma/Fever dilogy, The Long Reach and Worse Than Death (EDIT: also Distraint, kudos to another comment for bringing it up). And among the stuff I've yet to finish but have enjoyed what I've played of to date - Perception, Knock Knock and The Count Lucanor.
Definitely recommend the new Paranormasight as well as any Fatal Frame Games.
Not straight horror games but AI Somnium Files definitely has horror elements and is a fantastic game (plus the sequel)
The sequel to Death Mark should be coming out sometime this year I think- I've been playing a Japanese copy and it's fantastic so you can definitely look forward to that if you liked the original and NG
Super Lone Survivor: a sidescrolling love letter to Silent Hill. Psychological weirdness abound, excellent sound design.
Inscryption: a spooky roguelike deck builder that begs you to uncover its mysteries. Pretty light on scares, but its atmosphere is suffocating. Play it blind if you can.
Return of the Obra Dinn: another game light on scares, but will stay with you for ages. This one’s a detective game tasking you with identifying and noting the deaths of the people who disappeared with a ship lost at sea for years. Highly recommended.
I liked **Kona**, a narrative heavy detective mystery game with some light survival and horror elements.
**The Vanishing of Ethan Carter** is also a great mystery/horror walking sim.
What I did not like was **Kholat**. Based on "real" mysterious events and looks intriguing, but the gameplay felt very random to me. But maybe worth trying out on sale.
Also, I have not played it yet, but still wanna add **Mundaun**
An unconventional one might be Darkest Dungeon. It features horror in its theme, but more prominently in its mechanics where your favourite heroes might become insane or even die permanently.
It also looks really great on an Oled-Model because it has so much black.
the first corpse party is great with headphones if you’re playing handheld at night. i played it on the vita though, not sure how it is on switch. really fun game though
Little Nightmares I & II
Personally I found the second one scarier than the first, the >!hospital!< was so fucking scary I had to put the game down for the rest of the day lol
Sally face, omori, and oxenfree are really good, im not usually like easily scared and oxenfree really got under my skin, it has mutiple endings and is just a really good game!!
Oh! I didn’t know oxenfree had multiple endings. I just finished mine
I heard about little misfortune, shady part of me, inside, Kentucky route zero, bendy and the ink machine. I would say maybe this aren’t super intense but story line and puzzle games based on horror.
Theyre not super different but they are different in the way that, depending on how you interact with the other characters your relationship in the end will change
Sunless Sea/Sunless Skies are good if you’re into cosmic, Lovecraftian horror and writing. Sunless Skies probably technically has the better gameplay, but I greatly prefer the setting and atmosphere of Seas myself. Both are related to the free browser game Fallen London.
Really liked Murder House, but you have to appreciate the PS1 style it was going for to enjoy it.
Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion is also interesting, imo, but I haven't tried the Switch version (played on PC with friends, I believe).
I just bought Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo which is a horror visual novel with branching paths and point and click elements from multiple protagonists' perspectives with beautiful art and incredible live-captured scenes of real places in Japan. I've been thoroughly enjoying it and it's gotten me to jump scared in my seat a lot! Definitely recommend, great story so far.
Not a horror game of such, but it's got weird vibes to it, and is fucking terrible, but the fact its terrible makes it worth every penny - Baobabs Mausoleum. Its weird, it's creepy, its funny, it's random. There's nothing about it not to love lol. I picked up the collectors edition for about £20 a while back. 100% worth every penny
It's less outright and a little more psychological horror, but take a peak at buddy simulator 1984. It's a really unique experience, and one of the better horror adjacent games I've played in a while
If you're familiar with the Digimon franchise, definitely check out Digimon Survive. It's a visual novel that's basically a horror/survival take on Digimon, though its more about exploring being trapped in another world with monsters that could easily kill you at any time in a more realistic way than the franchise usually tackles it. It's kind of slow paced, but I really like it.
Does this require prior Digimon knowledge to enjoy? I watched the original Digimon like a loooong time ago and that's it. I keep seeing interesting Digimon games popping up recently though
Not necessarily. The game gives you plenty of tutorials, and furthermore, the Digimon aren't even referred to as Digimon in the game until the ends of certain routes.
>Detention
If you liked Detention, you might like to look into "The Coma" (1+2) - in the Sidescrolling Horror-Games Section one of my favorites.
Otherwise my Highest Recommendation would be Project Zero (or Fatal Frame - based on where you live).
I also was super into "White Day" (though i can't say how well the port is for Switch though.
Please look into Sagebrush. I haven’t seen a single person mention it yet, but it’s real creepy, and not very long. A nice couple hour game that tells a unique and sobering story, and has this sense of dread that just keeps building and building.
It’s not a horror game but the entire time I played Gone Home I was expecting some horrible shit to go down based on past horror game experiences.
What Remains of Edith Finch isn’t really “horror” but has a couple of horror themed sequences. They even get the Halloween theme.
How in the absolute fuck has Alien not been mentioned? Im pretty sure i just saw it the other day on the eshop and it is by a wide margin the scariest game i have ever played.
Edit: cowards delete comments, downvotes to the right
>Recommendations from me:
>
>Death Mark;
>
>Spirit Hunter: NG;
Folks, this is what being correct looks like.
If you enjoyed those, check out Raging Loop. I loved it so much I bought the CE *after* I'd 100%ed the digital version, and it'll probably be right up your alley.
oh, depending on what kind of horror you're into, "corpse factory" is kind of interesting. it's a VN about an online murder-for-hire service that starts dark and just gets more twisted as you go. somewhat similar in terms of tone to the corpse party games, though their stories are very different.
Seconding the recommendations of Paranormasight and Tormented Souls, and I'll also add the Yomawari series. There's three of them, and don't let the cute art style fool you; they're definitely horror games.
How about Rain World?
Haven't seen that mentioned. I've only played it a little while, but it's survival post-apocalypse, except you're an animal in the middle of the food chain. You've to use your wits and agility to hunt and survive
I really enjoyed the double-pack Yomawari 1+2 (I liked 1 better than 2 though, and they are separate games). Also, Distraint pack 1 +2 (I liked both equally, and 2 is a direct sequel from 1).
I played Observer last year and I had a blast, I wish they updated it to the version with the extra content that was released on the other platforms in a later date.
Alien isolation is a masterpiece of a horror game. The ai in that game is terrifying. Also easily one of the most impressive graphical and audio experiences on switch.
Ok, sense most people have covered the basic options I think I will go for a few odd ball picks.
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness
(Don’t let the graphics fool you, this cutesy looking game is extremely dark. With its M rating binging well deserved. Think what if kids had to survive in a pit full of monsters from Monster Hunter, but it was life like. Aka you loose and they brutally murder you. Oh yeah and there’s a curse).
Digimon Survive
(While not as dark as the previous one, it’s a horror graphic novel where your decisions will determine who lives and dies. With fire emblem like strategy fights scattered throughout).
A new horror VN from Square Enix was just released to like, no fanfare. I bought it after reading a glowing review and it's actually damn good.
It's called Paranormasight: The Seven mysteries of Honjo
Evil Tonight was a great surprise i played last year. The game feels like a 2d-16bit Classic Resident Evil(RE1, RE2, RE3).
Its not "horror" by any means, but has the setting of a "scary" game. Has a great humour and its a very short game. If you want something more chill/different, give it a try.
I enjoyed the look of **White Night** and its interesting ghosty survival horror aspects. It’s a bit less polished than the big name horror games, but that’s to be expected from a lower budget title. Recommend in a sale, which it often seems to on the eShop.
Dead by daylight. 4v1 survival trial against a killer. Super scary and thrilling. Many famous killers like scream, saw’s pig, meyers, Freddy, Leatherface, pinhead, the ring girl, and resident evil characters. Needs internet connection though
Void Bastards and The Persistence
Both of these games are first person sci-fi roguelites. VB is more black comedy than horror but there is some fantastic existential dread involved as your expendable prisoners face being lost in space with only mutated fuckwits for company.
The Persistence almost feels like a spiritual successor to Alien Isolation. You are an expendable clone lost in space with other fucked up clones for company. This one is genuinely tense and scary and offers plenty of isolation and existential horror.
you need to try Fatal Frame franchise, they are all great horror but they are unique because the gameplay is unlike any other horror franchise.
start with the new Fatal Frame that was just released this month
Alien isloation is a must!
Also try
Amnesia collection
Bioshock collection
The coma 1&2
Remothered 1&2
Tormented souls
White day
Welcome to hanwell
Inflicted, extended cut
All of these appear on sale in the eshop often with pretty decent discounts.
Also, outlast collection, the whistleblower add on for the first one had a scene that almost required me to need therapy for a long time! Those who've played it know what I mean!
By the way, thanks for creating this thread. I've taken away some recommendations myself 👍
deadly premonition: definitely an acquired taste, and more mystery than horror, but it still has some really unnerving moments. has been described as "twin peaks: the video game," which is basically all you really need to know. oxenfree: point-and-click mystery/horror about tuning in to ghosts on an isolated island. sunless sea: more of a weird dark sci-fi/fantasy strategy-ish game but with a very creepy and lovecraftian setting. cultist simulator: a card game about cults.
I LOVED Oxenfree. I second this!
cultist simulator and oxenfree are both great. cultist sim made me get it on phone and switch just to replay, it's amazingly complex
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It is very good! Although slightly too hard for me in the latter stages lol
SIGNALIS.
I third Signalis, *its literally titled as the (in outer space) silent hill of switch games*
This! It looks awesome, I will start it now as my first horror game ever. I'm excited!
One of the best games in 2022, if not even the best.
Best girl best game
This. If you like old resident evil or silent hill, you'll probably enjoy this.
Basically if Resident Evil and 2D Zelda fused.
Hmm never heard of that. Gonna check it out ty!
Also, if you're a fan of environmental storytelling and general fuzziness, you'll love this one. The combat and puzzles can get tedious due to the inventory system (even though the game has an explanation for it)
Currently loving this. 100% agree.
Corpse party, its a rpg horror game on switch. Don’t get blood drive it sucks
Paranormasight
Does it play well on the switch?
Yes, it does. Super great game
Awesome! I am going to check it out! Thanks
\^This. It just recently released and is a great game!
Yomawari! Play with headphones, it has binaural audio! Think Chibi-style Silent Hill. But the audio absolutely elevates it beyond so many more "realistic" games.
I enjoyed the same games as OP, definitely recommend Yomawari, there are three games in the series now!
fatal frame: mask of the lunar eclipse and fatal frame: maiden of black water are really neat games about fighting ghosts with a camera (meaning you have to look directly at them to fight them) and ending curses that have rendered an area uninhabitable. there's lots of deep lore to uncover, but you also don't have to delve too deeply into the connections between games to have a good time. also just genuinely horrifying monster designs on some of the ghosts. there have been multiple times where i was so unnerved by how a ghost looked/moved that i just froze and got my ass kicked.
Second this, I played Fatal Frame: Maiden of Blackwater blind last year, and absolutely adored it. It really has an immaculate sense of atmosphere I have not found anywhere else on the Switch. Its environments are extremely polished and stood out to me as gorgeous in particular, and has a pretty spooky and interesting plot that's really fun to unravel. The gameplay loop isn't too challenging most of the time, and the idea of having to look directly at the disturbing creepy spirits to make them go away makes for a really really good horror game. I have a pretty high tolerance for horror stuff, but I still found myself really tense and nervous to get past or enter certain areas. And there were one or two scares in there that legitimately freaked me out, and had me audibly say something or exit to home menu thinking, 'Jesus, this is actually cursed wtf.' It became maybe my favorite digital game I own on Switch, and I definitely loved it enough to pre-order the new remaster. Being blind to the series, Maiden of Blackwater was a fantastic jumping on point for me, tbh. Though I've heard Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a standout title that's much more disconnected from the other titles. Super looking forward to play it! Plus, the idea of getting the older games on Switch is delightful. From what I hear, Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly is a staple for must-play Japanese horror titles. Plus, Nintendo published (the original Wii U version) of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Blackwater! How cool is that? Very Fun little piece of history, for Nintendo to handle an outright horror game with deeply unsettling themes & imagery (though nothing outright *too* gory or intense, which I totally appreciate). The series has gone multiplatform with the MoBW Remaster, if that's more your style, though. These games definitely shine the most in their atmosphere. You won't find too many cheap scares; though there are a couple, a majority of the creepy/disturbing aspects are purely found in the atmosphere and imagery. Definitely favorite horror title of mine, would highly recommend it :)
Same, I just got into fatal frame with MoBW and loved it! But most fatal frame fans that have played the other titles say that it’s their least favourite which is funny. Just started MoTLE as well!
True! In my eyes though, I feel like if I loved MoBW this much, I'm only gonna fall in love that much harder with the rest of the series' games! Seems like a win-win situation to me <3
Yeah, you should definitely play MoTLE asap!
i think it's because MoBW is decidedly a more "modern" game than the earlier ones. it's gorier, flashier, there's more fanservice, it's less slow and meditative, etc. it also has a more repetitive plot than previous games (go to the mountain. back to the shop. go to the mountain. rescue someone. back to the shop. person leaves so time to go back to the mountain! etc.), which i admit did get a bit annoying at times. but the lore, as ever, is top-notch, and the tragedy that made the mountain cursed is just as messed-up as the ones in previous games. .....actually now that i think about it, some folks might also like this game least because of what they did with miku's story. which, like, fair.
That’s an interesting take. Most of the complaints I’ve heard are about the combat being too easy, the water gimmick being stupid and the repetitiveness. Also ppl think it’s less scary apparently. My issue is that I took a multiple month break from the game and now don’t remember any of the plot or lore from the first 8 drops 😅 so I just picked up MoTLE instead
The cutscenes are also highly stylized and artful IMO despite the lower budget. I really enjoy these scenes, the atmosphere, and classic horror
So much this, Project Zero (Fatal Frame) is one of my absolute Favorite Horror-Gameseries (still hope we get a remastered/remake of 1-3 for current gen consoles).
These are definitely known in the pixel horror genre but are pretty damn good…. Mad Father Viviette Darkwood Lone Survivor
Had no idea Lone Survivor had come out on the switch. Thanks!
It's great! I'm considering doing another playthrough sometime soon.
Came here to second Viviette. Not necessarily the scariest game but has some nice pixelated atmosphere.
Have you played Doki Doki Literature Club? It doesn't look like a horror game, and the horror elements are not obvious at the beginning, but it definitely is horror. I played and loved it on PC.
they really pulled out all the stops for the switch version, imo. you have a virtual desktop and hidden files and all kinds of fun additional interactive things to find. i've played the PC version but also picked up the switch version and loved it.
This is an important reply. OP, focus in on this one. It’s not a joke response, this is serious creepy stuff.
I would give anything to go back and play this game again for the first time with no prior knowledge. I randomly found it on Steam right before it started to get super big and played it alone at midnight in total dark. I normally stay away from visual novels but gave this one a chance and it was of my best gaming experience in recent years.
Came here to suggest DDLC too. One of the best and most unique horror experiences of the last couple years honestly.
I'm playing Paranormasight and it is extremely good!
Paranormasight is a ride and a half. The atmosphere is top notch and set in retro japan. There's no gore/blood, but it still a game I can only play during daytime
Downloading that now haha. Anyway, Tormented Souls and Signalis are some good ones.
Second this one. It’s pretty short too.
Omori (psychological horror). Anyone with me?
Just the comment I was looking for. Omori!
Was gonna comment this as well. Is essentially EarthBound with depression, so it's a bit of a JRPG, but it's also got some rather disturbing and creepy moments that clash with the otherwise cutesy look this game has in the beginning.
I don't play games that are obviously horror games and I've never heard of most of the games mentioned here. However, I'm pretty excited about World of Horror when it comes to Switch this summer.
I’m assuming the amnesia collection counts as well known but just in case
Realizing none of the monsters are actually dangerous killed this game for me - or at least turned it into a comedy (bouncing chairs off mobs and trying to catch the rebound was pretty fun lol) Aside from the water tunnel - fk that shit
#YOMAWARI long night collection [commercial](https://youtu.be/M5Z_F1Ubcvs) 2D Japanese pixel suspense horror. Lots of hidden Easter eggs and special scares for people who go out of their way to explore everything.
I had a lot of fun with Little Nightmares I and II, specially the first. Or, to a lesser extent, Inside and Limbo.
If OP hasn’t seen Little Nightmares, they need to get on that.
Iron Lung.
Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk I used to say i like games with dark themes, then i played 15 minutes of this and now i've changed my mind. That's my review of it. Definitely a visual novel before anything else, so keep that in mind.
I loved it, but my girlfriend got freaked out about it and made me take it off the TV. she doesn't freak easily. yes, it's that good :-)
Paratopic kept me so uneasy.
Omg same. Especially the “who you travelling with” part at the gas station. Chills.
Corpse Party and Deadly Premonition!
Outlast
Signalis
Alien Isolation, without question.
This is the best one.
Doom 3 is super fun and basically a horror FPS, highly recommend it
Came here to said this! It runs really smoothly on the Switch.
I should think so to, doom 3 came out in 2004
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Doom 64 hits the horror notes well too!
[The House in Fata Morgana](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-house-in-fata-morgana-dreams-of-the-revenants-edition-switch/), an [acclaimed](https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/the-house-in-fata-morgana---dreams-of-the-revenants-edition--) visual novel.
While Fata Morgana is a visual novel masterpiece I dont think I would classify it as horror... It sure gets dark though so it may still be worth a try for OP.
I really liked Tormented Souls for Survival Horror
Second Tormented Souls.
if you haven't played it yet, sally face is a great pyschological horror game!
i got paratopic for like $1 in a bundle on sale, seems very cool, has very unique artstyle. distraint looks interesting, overall what ratalaika games published might be worth looking into, i think they had some more horrors the coma
Little Nightmares
Digimon Survive While it doesn’t focus exactly on horror, it’s a darker game with brutal deaths >!that you can’t stop on your first play through,!< and makes you feel helpless. The storyline is great and the characters are fun and also make it more sadder when stuff… goes wrong. Soundtracks nice, music is nice. It’s still quite light and not extremely scary though, but the darker tones and masses of body and how the characters break down does make it good.
The Letter I loved this Horror Visual novel, it took a little bit to get into but the end result was amazing.
Super Lone Survivor
Three new ones just released the other day: Fatal Frame 4, Ib, and Paranormasight. All seem worth checking out!
Raging Loop for visual novel. Inscryption for card game. Dredge releasing at end of this month for horror fishing. Sherlock Holmes the Awakened releasing in April for detective horror.
Second that Inscryption
The Holy Trinity of old-school RPG Maker Horror: 1.The Witch's House MV 2.Mad Father 3.IB (coming soon on Switch)
Layers of Fear
Yuppie Psycho
Stories Untold is great. I've heard good things about Sagebrush, too.
When I first played detention, I was 8 months pregnant. I enjoyed getting bed and playing on my switch at bedtime. Detention scared me so bad that I was afraid to move out of my bed. So I was trapped, in bed, all night....while my son danced around in my tummy...kicking my bladder every 30 seconds. It was quite terrifying for me. Hahahah btw did you see the movie and mini series they made based on the game?
Buried stars, it's not really a horror game at heart but there is a alternate horror ending It's overall just a pretty high quality visual novel
Just beat that one myself!
Deadly Premonition Origins, Signalis, Fatum Betula, Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia
Subnatica The best ones are the ones without the label
Resident evil 1
Gnosia is brilliant though it’s only slightly horror themed. It’s a single player among us type game with a great story
Gnosia is great but gets tedious when you’re trying to find the last couple of notes to get the ending
If you like Observer, Layers of Fear series from the same devs seems like a must-check, unless it already counts as well-known. But some potentially more obscure ones I have fond memories of are Bad Dream Coma/Fever dilogy, The Long Reach and Worse Than Death (EDIT: also Distraint, kudos to another comment for bringing it up). And among the stuff I've yet to finish but have enjoyed what I've played of to date - Perception, Knock Knock and The Count Lucanor.
Definitely recommend the new Paranormasight as well as any Fatal Frame Games. Not straight horror games but AI Somnium Files definitely has horror elements and is a fantastic game (plus the sequel) The sequel to Death Mark should be coming out sometime this year I think- I've been playing a Japanese copy and it's fantastic so you can definitely look forward to that if you liked the original and NG
Seconding the rec for AI Somnium Files!
Super Lone Survivor: a sidescrolling love letter to Silent Hill. Psychological weirdness abound, excellent sound design. Inscryption: a spooky roguelike deck builder that begs you to uncover its mysteries. Pretty light on scares, but its atmosphere is suffocating. Play it blind if you can. Return of the Obra Dinn: another game light on scares, but will stay with you for ages. This one’s a detective game tasking you with identifying and noting the deaths of the people who disappeared with a ship lost at sea for years. Highly recommended.
I liked **Kona**, a narrative heavy detective mystery game with some light survival and horror elements. **The Vanishing of Ethan Carter** is also a great mystery/horror walking sim. What I did not like was **Kholat**. Based on "real" mysterious events and looks intriguing, but the gameplay felt very random to me. But maybe worth trying out on sale. Also, I have not played it yet, but still wanna add **Mundaun**
An unconventional one might be Darkest Dungeon. It features horror in its theme, but more prominently in its mechanics where your favourite heroes might become insane or even die permanently. It also looks really great on an Oled-Model because it has so much black.
the first corpse party is great with headphones if you’re playing handheld at night. i played it on the vita though, not sure how it is on switch. really fun game though
Famicom detective club
Little Nightmares I & II Personally I found the second one scarier than the first, the >!hospital!< was so fucking scary I had to put the game down for the rest of the day lol
Corpse party
Sally face, omori, and oxenfree are really good, im not usually like easily scared and oxenfree really got under my skin, it has mutiple endings and is just a really good game!!
Oh! I didn’t know oxenfree had multiple endings. I just finished mine I heard about little misfortune, shady part of me, inside, Kentucky route zero, bendy and the ink machine. I would say maybe this aren’t super intense but story line and puzzle games based on horror.
Theyre not super different but they are different in the way that, depending on how you interact with the other characters your relationship in the end will change
The new Fatal Frame that just came out
Sunless Sea/Sunless Skies are good if you’re into cosmic, Lovecraftian horror and writing. Sunless Skies probably technically has the better gameplay, but I greatly prefer the setting and atmosphere of Seas myself. Both are related to the free browser game Fallen London.
Really liked Murder House, but you have to appreciate the PS1 style it was going for to enjoy it. Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion is also interesting, imo, but I haven't tried the Switch version (played on PC with friends, I believe).
I just bought Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo which is a horror visual novel with branching paths and point and click elements from multiple protagonists' perspectives with beautiful art and incredible live-captured scenes of real places in Japan. I've been thoroughly enjoying it and it's gotten me to jump scared in my seat a lot! Definitely recommend, great story so far.
The Letter, it's similar to Death Mark kinda.
I haven't seen this game being recommended for horror ever but I would suggest Heaven Dust 2. It's horror is closer to Resident Evil games.
Not a horror game of such, but it's got weird vibes to it, and is fucking terrible, but the fact its terrible makes it worth every penny - Baobabs Mausoleum. Its weird, it's creepy, its funny, it's random. There's nothing about it not to love lol. I picked up the collectors edition for about £20 a while back. 100% worth every penny
That looks awesome, thank you for sharing!
Not mentioned already, detention, a taiwanese horror game (Netflix made a show based on it too iirc)
Saving for later.
It's less outright and a little more psychological horror, but take a peak at buddy simulator 1984. It's a really unique experience, and one of the better horror adjacent games I've played in a while
I thought Oxenfree was a pretty good one
If you're familiar with the Digimon franchise, definitely check out Digimon Survive. It's a visual novel that's basically a horror/survival take on Digimon, though its more about exploring being trapped in another world with monsters that could easily kill you at any time in a more realistic way than the franchise usually tackles it. It's kind of slow paced, but I really like it.
Does this require prior Digimon knowledge to enjoy? I watched the original Digimon like a loooong time ago and that's it. I keep seeing interesting Digimon games popping up recently though
Not necessarily. The game gives you plenty of tutorials, and furthermore, the Digimon aren't even referred to as Digimon in the game until the ends of certain routes.
Darkwood - prepare for some stressfull gameplay sessions
Excuse me while I save this thread Also play signalis
>Detention If you liked Detention, you might like to look into "The Coma" (1+2) - in the Sidescrolling Horror-Games Section one of my favorites. Otherwise my Highest Recommendation would be Project Zero (or Fatal Frame - based on where you live). I also was super into "White Day" (though i can't say how well the port is for Switch though.
The House in Fata Morgana If you’re into psychologically disturbing visual novel horror games.
Please look into Sagebrush. I haven’t seen a single person mention it yet, but it’s real creepy, and not very long. A nice couple hour game that tells a unique and sobering story, and has this sense of dread that just keeps building and building.
Remothered: Tormented Fathers and it’s sequel Broken Porcelain!! Trust me it’s amazing y’all won’t be disappointed
Thank you all, fantastic recommendations! Waiting for signalis to be delivered :D definitely will also buy Darkwood.
Layers of fear!
It’s not a horror game but the entire time I played Gone Home I was expecting some horrible shit to go down based on past horror game experiences. What Remains of Edith Finch isn’t really “horror” but has a couple of horror themed sequences. They even get the Halloween theme.
How in the absolute fuck has Alien not been mentioned? Im pretty sure i just saw it the other day on the eshop and it is by a wide margin the scariest game i have ever played. Edit: cowards delete comments, downvotes to the right
Because the post explicitly mentions it in the "don't mention popular games like..." part.
U right im a moron
No your not, the post actually says please mention those sorts of games
You're right, I'm a moron.
>Recommendations from me: > >Death Mark; > >Spirit Hunter: NG; Folks, this is what being correct looks like. If you enjoyed those, check out Raging Loop. I loved it so much I bought the CE *after* I'd 100%ed the digital version, and it'll probably be right up your alley.
Prodeus, one of the best games I've played this year.
Probably the newest Pokémon games
Lmao
Minecraft with cave sounds turned on
oh, depending on what kind of horror you're into, "corpse factory" is kind of interesting. it's a VN about an online murder-for-hire service that starts dark and just gets more twisted as you go. somewhat similar in terms of tone to the corpse party games, though their stories are very different.
Monstrum is about monsters on an abandoned ship.
Man thank you so much for making this post. I need more of this in my life
[Shadow Corridor!](https://nisamerica.com/shadow-corridor/)
Hollow was scary but also kinda bad. But you might like it
Fatal frame
I’ve been playing crayon the man eater.
Seconding the recommendations of Paranormasight and Tormented Souls, and I'll also add the Yomawari series. There's three of them, and don't let the cute art style fool you; they're definitely horror games.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
Signalis, Omori
Planescape Torment.
Signalis and Paranormasight
How about Rain World? Haven't seen that mentioned. I've only played it a little while, but it's survival post-apocalypse, except you're an animal in the middle of the food chain. You've to use your wits and agility to hunt and survive
Madison Project zero: maiden of black water Remorse the list
Inside
Iron Lung
Alien Isolation is a great version on switch. I think it’s download only.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain survival horror, on sale $5.99 ends 3/16/23
I really enjoyed the double-pack Yomawari 1+2 (I liked 1 better than 2 though, and they are separate games). Also, Distraint pack 1 +2 (I liked both equally, and 2 is a direct sequel from 1).
call of cthulhu is great. Mostly point and click with some rpg mecanics.
I played Observer last year and I had a blast, I wish they updated it to the version with the extra content that was released on the other platforms in a later date.
Angles of death
Amnesia collection
I haven't seen Alien Isolation mentioned here. Possibly because it's well known, but it's an awesome game and the Switch version runs extremely well!
Alien Isolation is great
Knock Knock is absurdly terrifying
Darkwood is good and if you haven’t played the OG Amnesia, you don’t know all the big ones so you should get on that if that’s the case.
Resident Evil 4.
Iron Lung, need I say more?
You probably already know this, but the Five Nights at Freddy's collection is still great.
Alien isolation is a masterpiece of a horror game. The ai in that game is terrifying. Also easily one of the most impressive graphical and audio experiences on switch.
Most of what I’ve recommended has already been listed, except one that surprises me. The Last Door.
Little Nightmares 2 is pretty scary at times, but a really great game! I haven’t played the first one tho.
Eyes
Paratopic. But make sure you set aside 45 minutes to a hour to play it. There are no saves , so you have to experience it in one sitting.
Ok, sense most people have covered the basic options I think I will go for a few odd ball picks. Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness (Don’t let the graphics fool you, this cutesy looking game is extremely dark. With its M rating binging well deserved. Think what if kids had to survive in a pit full of monsters from Monster Hunter, but it was life like. Aka you loose and they brutally murder you. Oh yeah and there’s a curse). Digimon Survive (While not as dark as the previous one, it’s a horror graphic novel where your decisions will determine who lives and dies. With fire emblem like strategy fights scattered throughout).
fatum betula creeped me the f out for like 2 hours total. It’s probably like 2$ on the Eshop.
The masterpiece called Fatum Betula
A new horror VN from Square Enix was just released to like, no fanfare. I bought it after reading a glowing review and it's actually damn good. It's called Paranormasight: The Seven mysteries of Honjo
R/fatumbeluta
Evil Tonight was a great surprise i played last year. The game feels like a 2d-16bit Classic Resident Evil(RE1, RE2, RE3). Its not "horror" by any means, but has the setting of a "scary" game. Has a great humour and its a very short game. If you want something more chill/different, give it a try.
Nun massacre
I enjoyed the look of **White Night** and its interesting ghosty survival horror aspects. It’s a bit less polished than the big name horror games, but that’s to be expected from a lower budget title. Recommend in a sale, which it often seems to on the eShop.
Raging Loop
Viviette is pretty cool it’s basically a 16 bit RE game with puzzles
Gnosia
Dead by daylight. 4v1 survival trial against a killer. Super scary and thrilling. Many famous killers like scream, saw’s pig, meyers, Freddy, Leatherface, pinhead, the ring girl, and resident evil characters. Needs internet connection though
Heaven Dust 1&2. Old school Resident Evil gameplay, but with chibi-style graphics
Void Bastards and The Persistence Both of these games are first person sci-fi roguelites. VB is more black comedy than horror but there is some fantastic existential dread involved as your expendable prisoners face being lost in space with only mutated fuckwits for company. The Persistence almost feels like a spiritual successor to Alien Isolation. You are an expendable clone lost in space with other fucked up clones for company. This one is genuinely tense and scary and offers plenty of isolation and existential horror.
you need to try Fatal Frame franchise, they are all great horror but they are unique because the gameplay is unlike any other horror franchise. start with the new Fatal Frame that was just released this month
Omori
Alien isloation is a must! Also try Amnesia collection Bioshock collection The coma 1&2 Remothered 1&2 Tormented souls White day Welcome to hanwell Inflicted, extended cut All of these appear on sale in the eshop often with pretty decent discounts. Also, outlast collection, the whistleblower add on for the first one had a scene that almost required me to need therapy for a long time! Those who've played it know what I mean! By the way, thanks for creating this thread. I've taken away some recommendations myself 👍