In case you haven’t realized it already, this is an exciting time to be a horror fan. With Outlast coming tomorrow and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs a week later, we have two of the most anticipated horror games of the year getting ready to scare the pants off all of us. By mid-September we’ll all be bottomless, and that’s almost more terrifying than the six games I’m about to introduce (or re-introduce) you to.
If you read this list and find yourself craving more indie horror, feel free to check out my previous lists of indie horror games you need to play — some are free, some aren’t. Now let’s jump in.
Considered by many to be the “scariest game of all time,” Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a must-play for any horror fan. It expertly builds up each scare, keeping you on the edge of your seat so when the shit really hits the fan — for me, this happens about an hour into the game when you enter the flooded hallway — the dread is thick and effective. If you’re a fan of the genre, you should have played this game by now. If you haven’t, jumping into it now may be the perfect way to prepare for its sequel, A Machine for Pigs.
Fran Bow surprised me, and it did so by being entirely different from what I expected. On the surface, it’s a seemingly harmless indie game with a quirky art style and an unusual cast of characters, but once you explore what’s underneath you soon realize it’s an intensely twisted horror game that’s disturbing, gory and extremely clever.