There are so many incredible aspects of horror for you to enjoy each time you find a new game in the genre. With all the different horror games that have been launched, it can often feel like each new horror game tries to outdo the last one.
Everyone will find different things scary, but when it comes to an excellent horror experience, one of the most important aspects is tension. An excellent monster is always a must as well, but an aspect that is a bit more heavily debated is jumpscares, something horror games do implement in some of their fantastic levels.
10 Resident Evil - The Mansion
The remake of the original Resident Evil is still one of the best remakes ever made, and a large part of that was the incredibly spooky atmosphere they managed to capture. The main Spencer Mansion is easily the scariest section of the entire game and the one you’ll be spending the most time in.
The lab, dormitory, and tunnels all have claims as scary sections in their own right, but trudging through the tight corridors of the mansion is always terrifying regardless of how much you’ve played the game. Things only get better once Crimson Heads and Hunters are thrown into the mix.
9 Silent Hill 2 - The Apartments
If you go into Silent Hill 2 without knowing a thing about the game, it’s likely that you’ll be stuck in one of the scariest sections for quite a while. In the early section of the game, you’ll find yourself wandering around a dark and limited apartment complex.
The enemies here aren’t the worst in the game, but you are far from safe. The entire situation gets so much creepier thanks to the fact that Pyramid Head is roaming around the apartments, meaning you’ll never truly know how much danger you’re in.
8 The Evil Within - Ruvik’s Mansion
While The Evil Within is a relatively underrated horror game in general, most people seem to agree that Ruvik’s Mansion is both the most interesting and one of the scariest parts of an intensely scary game.
The whole situation you find yourself in only gets scarier the higher the difficulty you’re playing on. It’s the atmosphere here that really kicks this stage to a whole new level because if you play in the dark, all alone, you’re going to be checking over your shoulder pretty often.
7 Alien: Isolation - The Medical Facility
You could probably put a majority of the missions from Alien: Isolation on this list and no one would complain because this whole game is one big test of intensity. Creeping around while mostly helpless will always put you on the edge of your seat.
The thing that makes this section so scary is all the little things you have to do mixed with the fact that the Xenomorph is basically always on top of your position. Good headphones and knowledge of the game’s mechanics are an absolute must if you want to keep your drawers in good condition.
6 Outlast - The Administration Block
It may sound a bit odd to say that the very beginning of a horror game is the scariest that game will be, but in the case of Outlast, that kind of is the case. You do get used to what the game has to offer outside of a few key moments, leaving the opening as unforgettably horrifying.
A big part of the scares is the build-up before anything all that scary even happens. Once you hit that infamous jumpscare, things get a bit wild. The entirety of this section keeps the scares up, and realistically, the rest of the game does too, you just get used to the scares at some point.
5 Amnesia: The Dark Descent - The Prison
A big part of why so many people seem to agree that this section in Amnesia is one of the scariest is because it’s so easy to get lost. Plus, the atmosphere is off the charts. It’s not one of the most difficult areas, and it’s not even one of the most dangerous, but something about it is just frightening.
It’s possible that because it’s so easy to get lost, you’re anxiety will only continue to heighten the longer you’re running around in the dark. Things are only bound to get worse if you’re low on resources for light, something that can make the dark corners of the prison all the worse.
4 Silent Hill - The School
As you’ll continue to find out later, schools are always a great choice for a creepy location in any kind of horror media. The school from the early portion of the first Silent Hill is sure to be a level that sticks with anyone who plays it.
There are so many tiny moments that ramp up the tension before the entire level becomes something entirely different. Once the school becomes a twisted version of its former self, you might find yourself needing to pause to calm yourself down.
3 Resident Evil 7 - The Baker House
Once you wake up at the dinner table with the Baker family, you’re probably already sweating a bit. Resident Evil 7 throws its cast of evil at you right away and they really do a great job of making you feel like you’re in a truly hopeless situation.
Having to then maneuver around Jack as he searches for you is a truly terrifying moment, especially if he catches you. The fact that there’s a unique scene that can occur if Jack grabs you, which some people have never even seen, just goes to show how excellent this horror game is.
2 The Forest - The Forest
If you’re looking to find a game that will make you never want to fly or go camping ever again, play The Forest. You’ll be stranded in the wilderness with some of the creepiest beings imaginable, and the fact that they can be just on the other side of a tree makes things so much scarier.
You’re never truly safe in The Forest, something that most people will know considering it’s not hard to be completely blindsided by a few cannibals. You will feel better once you build a base and have resources, but for a long time, you’ll be constantly whirling around to check your surroundings.
1 Dead Space 2 - Titan Elementary
What is creepier than a game forcing you into a school? A sci-fi horror game like Dead Space 2 that forces you into an elementary school that is complete with a nursery, which also happens to be filled with horrific little creatures, that's what. You’ll really want to be prepared to take on the threat this area can offer.
It’s another area where you aren’t in a ton of danger with the right gear, but the atmosphere makes everything unsettling. Hearing creepy tones as you trudge through the halls of Titan Elementary is something that you will never forget about long after it's done.