- 4 months ago
Category
🎈
FunTranscript
00:00Like I'd let you get away, you'll be sliced to ribbons!
00:05Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're taking a look at the 30 best horror games of each year, beginning with
00:13one game in 1996 and ending in 2025.
00:29Before we begin, we publish new videos all week long, so be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays and ring the
00:35bell to be notified about our latest videos.
00:391996 Resident Evil
00:42ALBERT WESKER
00:49RESIDENT EVIL
00:51Prior to 1996, horror games were essentially point-and-click adventure games with a scary atmosphere.
00:57But once Resident Evil rolled around, it managed to show the industry how to make horror work in a truly
01:02unique way.
01:03Scarce ammunition, replayable scenarios, and clever puzzles that still encouraged exploration helped pave the way for the survival horror genre
01:12in gaming.
01:13All of that, plus the campy voice acting, made Resident Evil one of the most memorable games of the 90s.
01:19It's almost hard to believe the folks at Capcom would manage to outdo themselves somewhat consistently in the years that
01:25followed, as we'll see throughout the list.
01:331997
01:35Blood
01:43Admittedly, 1997 was a rather weak year for horror-themed video games.
01:47Even so, Blood remains to be one of the most brutal and terrifying boomer shooters ever created.
01:54This ain't your daddy's Wolfenstein.
01:55This is an FPS where the enemies hit hard, which already make them and the environments more frightening than they
02:01may seem.
02:02It isn't until later in the game, when you start seeing some truly horrific creatures, like Cerberus and the demon
02:08lord himself, Chernabog.
02:10The creativity on display is enough to call this the best horror game released in 1997.
02:15Not like it had much competition anyways.
02:241998
02:25Resident Evil 2
02:27Resident Evil 2
02:31When talking about the classic Resident Evil games, RE2 seems to be at the top of the list on a
02:36near-universal scale.
02:37And understandably so. Capcom went bigger with the concept of a zombie apocalypse occurring at a police station instead of
02:44a giant mansion.
02:45But they didn't stop with just Leon and Claire's respective campaigns.
02:49RE2 boasts an insane amount of replay value, with two bonus campaigns starring Punk and a sentient block of tofu.
02:58And if you had the N64 version, you likely clocked in dozens of hours more with the built-in randomizer
03:04mode.
03:04Man, why don't we get official randomizers in other RE games?
03:08Head to the station! I'll meet you there!
03:11Okay!
03:151999
03:17Silent Hill
03:26With Capcom showing the world how to make survival horror games, Konami decided to throw their hat into the ring
03:31with their own spin on the formula.
03:34Whereas Resident Evil was providing a sort of popcorn horror experience focused on jump scares and campy writing, Silent Hill
03:41would get deadly serious with its story, tone, and creature designs.
03:46What resulted was a horror game many were genuinely fearful of.
03:50Granted, that fear was out of love and respect.
03:53Silent Hill pretty much showed how you could use horror and gameplay to create something that would shock the player
03:59and leave a strong impact.
04:102000
04:11American McGee's Alice
04:14Why must I suffer?
04:17Because your mind is fouled by self-deception.
04:20Even your fantasies have fragmented into tortured versions of themselves.
04:25You are wracked with guilt because you survived.
04:28Having left id Software after working on Doom 2 Hell on Earth,
04:32American McGee took his sadistic level design and demented ideas to Rogue Entertainment to direct this PC gem.
04:40American McGee's Alice implements harrowing platforming, mind-boggling puzzles, and visceral visuals to create a morbidly imaginative take on Lewis
04:50Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
04:51Admittedly, some aspects of the game have not aged well, such as the controls and the whole Veil of Tears
04:58section.
04:59Still, there's a part of us that wishes EA would just bring the game forward to modern hardware already.
05:04Your pathetic attempts to reclaim your sanity have failed.
05:09Retreat to the sterile safety of your self-delusions, or risk inevitable annihilation.
05:152001
05:16Silent Hill 2
05:27No matter how old it gets, Silent Hill 2 will forever be known as the greatest horror game ever made.
05:33James' journey through the cursed town is one that has haunted players for decades now, and it's hard to not
05:40see why.
05:41The way it handles the feeling of guilt, the many perspectives it shares on how people deal with grief, the
05:48raw intensity behind the anger.
05:51Silent Hill 2 does not hold back to a frightening degree, so if you have not played this game yet,
05:58you absolutely need to.
06:01Like, right now. Like, pause the video, go buy the game right now, and come back.
06:06Just steal yourself for when you're about to play it.
06:08Ha ha! I tricked you!
06:11Open the door, Laura!
06:13Why, shut up! I'm a liar, right?
06:162002
06:16Eternal Darkness
06:18Sanity's Requiem
06:30Eternal Darkness really does not get the amount of love and admiration it truly deserves.
06:35To this day, this is one of the most brilliant horror games made in gaming history, simply in the way
06:41it turned sanity into a truly maddening experience.
06:45Should your character's sanity get too low, you, the player, will soon experience your own hallucinations.
06:51The game will act like your TV's volume is getting lowered by an unseen force, distort and contort character models,
06:58and even fake your character's death in rather convincing ways.
07:02Honestly, we're surprised nobody else has tried copying Eternal Darkness's ideas.
07:162003
07:17Siren
07:30Few horror games can match the intensity of Siren.
07:33While there are moments that can be a little heavy on the cutscenes, they're almost necessary as a breather from
07:39the difficult, intense gameplay.
07:41See, Siren's hook is that you possess the ability to see everything that the enemies see.
07:47The problem is that this is your only source of information, and if you can see your character, it's all
07:53over.
07:54You have to be methodical and play with extreme caution.
07:57Despite the challenge, it adds to the game's horror, especially when you're sneaking around more congested and narrow areas.
08:122004
08:13The Suffering
08:14Ever wonder what happened during those blackouts?
08:17Would you say you have visions of bloodshed?
08:21Yes, surely there is bloodshed.
08:24Carrying on with horror games known for intensity, The Suffering is one relic that doesn't get as much recognition as
08:31it ought to receive.
08:31For instance, setting the game in a prison is a classic choice for horror, and one that, surprisingly, is not
08:38seen a lot in video games.
08:40While some today may tire from the focus on the never-ending cycle of violence being the main story, The
08:45Suffering also touches on some rather sensitive topics, such as capital punishment and its often questionable ethics.
08:52Unfortunately, this clever and unsettling title has gone largely unnoticed since publisher Midway closed its doors in 2004.
09:00But are you really surprised to know that Warner Bros. is ignoring a real treasure such as this?
09:05Doesn't life mean anything to you?
09:08And your own children?
09:09God!
09:10I can't believe I ever loved you!
09:122005
09:13Resident Evil 4
09:15You are a long way from home, cowboy.
09:19You have my sympathies.
09:21Guess that's a local's way of breaking the ice.
09:23We all knew it was coming.
09:25Resident Evil 4 has forever been known to be the best Resident Evil game ever made.
09:30Some fans going so far as to call it one of the greatest video games ever made.
09:34Indeed, there is a lot to love here.
09:36The amount of interactivity with enemies, the environment, and the game's mechanics create some truly exciting moments throughout every playthrough.
09:44The Mercenaries mode is an excellent example of this too.
09:48And would you believe the remake is just as incredible as the original?
09:51Where's everyone going?
09:54Bingo?
09:552006
09:57Dead Rising
09:58Doesn't sound like civil disobedience.
10:01It's too quiet.
10:05Almost as if everyone's already dead.
10:09In a world filled with tons and tons of zombie games, Dead Rising is among the few that manage to
10:16stand out from the crowd and stand the test of time.
10:19Sure, you can take zombies out the usual way with a baseball bat or some bladed weapon.
10:24But have you tried taking them out with a toy gun or a guitar?
10:27You wind up in funnier situations in this zombie apocalypse than you may expect.
10:32And the amount of weapons you can find is what make it so highly replayable.
10:36The colorful and deranged psychos also made for some fun boss fights as you rescued survivors.
10:492007
10:50Bioshock
10:52I chose the impossible.
10:55I chose...
10:58Rapture.
11:04Some would never consider Bioshock to be much of a horror game compared to Resident Evil, Silent Hill, or, well,
11:10just about every other game on this list.
11:12Despite this, Bioshock very much is a horror game, and a well-made one at that.
11:16What's more frightening than an ambitious utopia being turned into a collapsed civilization whose remains consist of murderous maniacs, beastly
11:25beings in diving suits, and genetically mutated superpowered freaks crawling on ceilings.
11:30As if things couldn't get any worse, the audio logs paint an even darker picture of the events that happened
11:36in Rapture before your arrival.
11:38Really, Bioshock is way more of a horror game than you would think at first.
11:502008
11:50Dead Space
12:02It's rare to ever see a horror game showcase the true power of hardware, and Dead Space was definitely a
12:08driving force in showing the capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox One.
12:13From the gruesome death animations to the lighting and detailed textures, Dead Space was stomach-churning just from seeing screenshots.
12:21Things got even more alarming when you heard Necromorphs crawling in vents, busting out of the ceiling, and charging at
12:27you.
12:28So many players were scared shitless at the time, and the 2023 remake, yeah, they managed to get me a
12:35second time.
12:432009
12:44Left 4 Dead 2
12:54Multiplayer
12:54Multiplayer never works well with horror since the player is playing with other people.
12:58You kind of need the player to be alone to scare them properly.
13:02However, Left 4 Dead 2 was scary on another level.
13:05Sure, you had hordes of zombies to worry about as you made your escape, but you also had special foes
13:11like boomers and witches that could put you on high alert the second you could hear them.
13:16The mere sound of them puts you on edge so quickly that the stress immediately turns into fear as everybody
13:23is scrambling and trying to figure out where the damn thing is lurking.
13:27And that is partially why Left 4 Dead 2 and its predecessor are still talked about to this day.
13:34Well, that and the mods.
13:402010
13:41The Dark Descent
13:52By 2010, horror games were becoming scarce.
13:55Companies like Capcom, EA, and even Konami were fooling themselves into thinking that everybody wanted every game to be action
14:03heavy like Call of Duty.
14:05This little indie classic helped show that that was not the case.
14:09The Dark Descent was so unique in presentation, and its then clever mechanic of making light a safe spot instead
14:16of dedicated rooms.
14:17At the time, it was genuinely frightening, and the success of Dark Descent helped pave the way for the indie
14:23gaming market to basically steal the AAA company's
14:25collective lunch.
14:342011
14:35Shadows of the Damned
14:47Though it isn't really teetering anywhere on the side of terror, Shadows of the Damned is essentially the evil dead
14:53of video games.
14:54Directed by Suda51 and produced by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, you follow Garcia, as he tries to save his
15:02girlfriend from the demon lord known as...
15:04Fleming?
15:05That is definitely a name for a demon, I suppose.
15:11Not only does it have the same hokey horror scene in the Sam Raimi classic, many parts of the game
15:16were very clearly inspired by it.
15:18You could say it's a comedy horror game with how ridiculous it gets, and it is worth playing through the
15:24entire thing every Halloween.
15:26Or any time, really.
15:27But I quit the whole demon thing ages ago and written my memories absolutely rubbish.
15:33Oh, I'm sure it will come back to you in no time.
15:362012
15:37Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1
15:50Deviating from traditional horror once more, Telltale's first season of The Walking Dead is an experience that still enters our
15:56minds every once in a while.
15:57While it may not be focused too much on jump scares or having intense fights with zombies all the time,
16:03there are many moments that almost made the game hard enough to sit through.
16:06In a good way, of course, you're presented with so many terrifying encounters as you're trying to protect Clementine from
16:12a visceral world of cannibals, killers, and the undead.
16:17And yes, it is still hard going through the final episode without bawling our eyes out.
16:22If only the following seasons were as good as this one was.
16:25I'll miss you.
16:28Me too.
16:302013
16:32Outlast
16:40Another horror gem made by a then small team of developers, Outlast took the internet by storm upon release to
16:46an almost absurd degree.
16:48Whereas many horror games try to keep a pace between safety and danger, Outlast threw all of it out of
16:54the window.
16:54Your only means of staying safe was by finding batteries and using your camera's night vision filter to see where
17:00you were going.
17:01Run into an enemy while wandering in the dark, and you better know where a good hiding spot might be.
17:06It was about as mortifying as Dead Space was, man.
17:212014
17:23Alien Isolation
17:34It was hard to be excited for anything related to Alien on account of Gearbox Software screwing up Colonial Marines
17:41the year prior, but developer Creative Assembly reminded us why Xenomorphs should be feared.
17:46It doesn't take long for Alien Isolation to instill a paranoia in you towards open holes and walls and ceilings.
17:53And the way Xenomorphs will search for you, and sometimes come close to finding you, there's nothing more chilling.
18:00It was as if we were living out the 1979 film ourselves.
18:05And that is why so many of us are so eager for the sequel.
18:09Whenever that arrives.
18:172015
18:19Until Dawn
18:20K
18:21I
18:22L
18:23L
18:24E
18:25D
18:26No!
18:27Kill!
18:27We didn't kill them!
18:29It was just a prank!
18:30Ash, calm down, okay?
18:32We need to find out more.
18:33Speaking of games replicating movies, Until Dawn is an interactive movie game that has become absolutely timeless.
18:40You control a group of friends who reunite for a brief getaway until they find themselves being stalked by a
18:46mysterious killer.
18:47This is one of those few games where just about every choice you make matters, as it could determine which
18:53character lives and who dies.
18:56Yeah, the writing could be a little bit better in some areas, but overall, it's a game you will never
19:01forget after your first playthrough.
19:03Especially if you wind up getting a favorite character killed off.
19:07This is very interesting.
19:11For answering so diligently.
19:142016
19:16Dead by Daylight
19:30Though its player base would argue against the very game they play, Dead by Daylight truly is one of the
19:36most impressive horror games ever made, and the best to have come out in 2016.
19:41Now, to be fair, the game was super rough when it first launched.
19:45However, as the years have gone by, it's become a powerhouse in horror-themed multiplayer.
19:50Not only does DBD provide scares with particular builds that let killers play stealthy, some of the killers themselves employ
19:57tactics like ambushing with teleporting skills or summoning beings to assist in chase.
20:02That's kind of hard to pull off when survivor players are almost never alone on mic.
20:07And do we even need to mention the absurd number of horror IPs that are represented in this game in
20:12clever and creative ways mechanically?
20:15It's truly impressive, man.
20:16This is an awesome game.
20:18I love this game.
20:272017 Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
20:43For a time, it seemed as if Capcom had lost its touch with Resident Evil, no thanks to RE6 and
20:50Umbrella Core.
20:51Games focused more on action and eSports.
20:56With RE7, Capcom went back to the drawing board and focused primarily on scaring the living crap out of players.
21:03In addition to bringing the franchise back with a bang, Capcom managed to remind everybody why Resident Evil is widely
21:09regarded as the best horror game franchise ever created.
21:12On top of that, RE7 showcased the power and potential of the company's own, then brand new, in-house engine,
21:20appropriately named RE Engine.
21:23It's been used in just about every single Capcom project since 2017.
21:28And damn, it looks great every time we see it.
21:512018 Dusk
21:56Before giving us the 2021 gem known as Iron Lung,
21:59David Szymanski and the folks at New Blood Interactive gave us this boomer shooter loaded with chainsaw-wielding maniacs, cultists,
22:07and demons.
22:08Don't let the simplistic visuals fool you.
22:11The game gets tough with its enemy placement, enemy variety, and hazards.
22:15You can play fast and loose if you want, but the second you run low on ammo or find yourself
22:20getting a bit overwhelmed,
22:21don't be surprised if the game ends.
22:24And don't be surprised if you end up playing some more immediately after.
22:27I certainly lost an afternoon or two just playing this game.
22:31It's too much fun.
22:402019, A Plague Tale, Innocence.
22:51They call this Odorous.
22:53From the very beginning, A Plague Tale had won us over just from its distinct setting.
22:59A whole game set during the 14th century when the Black Plague was the deadliest disease in the world?
23:04It's not something many video games explore.
23:07You'll sneak past guards and try to wade through rat-infested spaces as you navigate through a land enveloped in
23:13the Hundred Years War.
23:14It's a surprisingly engaging experience and one that may cause you to never see rats the same way again.
23:21Okay, that's a flat out lie.
23:23Rats can be cute.
23:25Just not these ones.
23:26I could climb on it.
23:342020, Carrion.
23:45For decades, horror games always placed the player in the typical spot of fighting zombies, ghosts, demons, and so on.
23:53It likely wasn't the first to do this, but Carrion's take on reverse horror has left a long-lasting impression
24:00on players to this day.
24:01As a blob made of flesh and teeth, you can live out your own horror fantasy as the murderous monster
24:07and stalk soldiers as you try to break out of an underground laboratory.
24:11Not only is it one of the most unique horror games in concept, it still manages to instill fear by
24:18giving the enemies more and more devastating tools that can put the player in dangerous situations.
24:24In other words, Carrion is a very well executed balancing act.
24:402021, Resident Evil Village.
24:56Hey, we didn't name it our 2021 game of the year for nothing.
25:00Village managed to take a lot of the best elements of RE4 and RE7 and turn the blend into something
25:06truly unique for itself.
25:07Castle Dimitrescu, House Beneviento, and even the village itself have become iconic for their intricate design, detailed layouts, and the
25:16kinds of terrors that lurk within them.
25:18As for the story, it's rare to find a game so perfectly paced from start to finish.
25:23Some may gripe about Heisenberg's factory for its alliance on backtracking, but that is nothing more than a brief pimple
25:30on an otherwise morbidly beautiful base.
25:432022, Signalis.
25:53You rarely see many games utilize a top-down perspective unless they're in the shooter or RPG genres.
26:01Signalis looks to be the former until you start encountering dead bodies and enemies.
26:06Despite the change in perspective, it manages to be terrifying thanks to the dynamic lighting and inventory management.
26:12However, for as unsettling as the atmosphere can be, Signalis brings an existential dread with its story as it explores
26:20identity, obsession, and grief.
26:23Trust us, it is as heart-wrenching and disturbing as Silent Hill 2.
26:352023, Alan Wake 2.
26:39There's the car, so where's the deputy?
26:42Eaten by a bear?
26:44I'll check out that map.
26:48Trippy.
26:49That's really the best way to describe Alan Wake 2, and it's way more trippy than the original 2010 game.
26:55For this long-awaited sequel, it isn't enough to simply fend off the many monsters and criminals you'll encounter.
27:01Most of the mysteries depend on your own critical thinking skills as you explore the mind place and writer's room
27:07to solve puzzles and manipulate surroundings.
27:10As bizarre as it gets, there's no denying that it's one of the most creatively mind-boggling games ever made,
27:16especially in the horror genre.
27:252024, Mouthwashing.
27:292024, Mouthwashing.
27:422024, Mouthwashing.
27:45was perhaps the biggest horror game to launch in 2024 for its disturbing imagery and premise.
27:51When a freight crew crashes their ship, they find almost all of their supplies and inventory
27:56to be destroyed in the process. Their only means of maintaining survival, a container of several
28:01bottles of mouthwash. It's best you go into this game knowing and seeing as little as possible.
28:07Just know that you may not be the same after playing it.
28:36Maybe in another place in time
28:41We'd still be dancing
28:46Your hand and mine
28:512025 Silent Hill F
29:07Much like Blood in 1997, Silent Hill F didn't have much competition in 2025. Really, 2025 was a
29:14pretty weak year for horror. Regardless, that does not detract from the impressive quality on display
29:20here. Silent Hill F was proof that Konami actually wants to come back to gaming. The game is blossoming
29:27in amazing creature designs and tells a stomach-churning story about generational trauma,
29:33sexism, and conforming to social norms. It's pretty biting in its commentary at about the same level as
29:38the franchise's early games. Not only is Silent Hill back and better than ever, but so is Konami.
29:45And that is something we never thought we would ever say.
29:53Have you played any of these horror classics for yourself? Let us know down in the comments, and don't forget
29:58to subscribe to Mojo Plays.
30:00Mojo Plays
Comments