In the gaming world, the horror genre is typically mainly concerned with suspense, fear, and anxiety-inducing gameplay as the player is thrust into some perilous environment and left to fend for themselves against some form of evil, entity, or other monstrous beings. As common as that formula is, however, there are some games that allow players to experience life on the other side. Sometimes, it's more fun to be the monster rather than the hero.
From Frankenstein to Freddy Krueger, horror fans everywhere have their favorite monster or villain that symbolizes the genre for them. So of course they would jump at the chance to step into the blood-drenched shoes of the creature waiting for victims in the darkness.
Slayaway Camp
It might be a mobile game with simplified, blocky graphics, but Slayaway Camp is a juicy love letter to all things '80s horror with enough in-jokes and references to the genre to choke the hungriest horror hound. If it's a cheezy, gory, violent film affair from the days of VHS, it's somehow referenced in this gruesome game.
Players take on the role of the killer as they solve maze-like puzzles to pick off their victims one by one before slaying the final victim and progressing to the sequel. It's not the deepest, but one horror fans will eat with a spoon.
Mortal Kombat X
It might not look like a horror game to some, but with its brutal Fatalities, gruesome deaths, tons of gore, and monstrous characters like Baraka, Scorpion, and Reptile, Mortal Kombat X.
Considering the tenth game features special guest characters like Jason, Leatherface, and the Xenomorph rounding out the selection of fighters, the game definitely goes the extra mile to earn a place in the horror genre. To say that watching Leatherface absolutely tear his way through Johnny Cage is anything but satisfying would be entirely untrue.
Stubbs The Zombie: Rebel Without A Pulse
Night of the Living Dead, the game gives players a chance to lead their own zombie horde.
As Stubbs, players can wreak havoc as the titular zombie as they trudge through a '50s city. They'll eat brains, maim victims with melee attacks, and lead their own army of the dead to overrun the screaming populace. With a self-aware twist to it, the game will definitely satisfy classic horror fans.
Legacy Of Kain
Vampires are a frequent foe in video games across the board, and there are plenty of games that allow players to don their fangs and seek out the blood of the living. Legacy of Kain sees the titular Kain on a quest for vengeance after he is turned into a voracious, sword-wielding creature of the night. But the longer he lingers as an undead monster, the more he begins to enjoy it.
The use of the top-down dungeon crawling mechanics will definitely make some gamers feel right at home, especially if they enjoy titles like Diablo. Dark, gothic, and rich with blood, it's a solid dark fantasy RPG with a vampiric flavor.
Destroy All Humans
Similar to Stubbs the Zombie, the campy sci-fi horror movies of yesteryear. But just because it aims to mainly hit the comedic threshold, that doesn't mean that it goes without its obvious horror nods either.
When one of the core mechanics is literally eating brains, it has to be considered horror. As Crypto, the game's alien protagonist, players have the ability to incinerate, levitate, and mind-control the litany of human victims they meet during the game. There's no denying that this little green man is a truly wicked character.
Vampyr
On the other side of the spectrum, there's no rule that says playing as the monster has to be as simple as chase, kill, repeat. Sometimes the most memorable monsters are the most complex, and Vampyr allows gamers to walk the line between tragic figure or bloodthirsty monster at their leisure.
In this RPG, players step into the shoes of Dr. Johnathan Reid, a doctor-turned vampire who must maintain his prestigious reputation while still satisfying his hunger for blood. Exploring a post-WWI London with all the abilities and dramatic choices that come with being a vampire, gamers are treated to a dark and rich saga filled with twists and turns.
Carrion
If horror fans Carrion. This terrifying Metroidvania casts players as a slimy, tendriled monster with an appetite for slaughter as it rips, tears, and slinks its way through a government facility.
The best way to describe this game would be "gruesomely-imaginative," as the strange hybrid of genres mesh together wonderfully to create a gory and challenging experience. Lacking empathy and reason with only two goals, eat and escape, the game truly captures the raw experience of being a horrifying monster.
Friday The 13th: The Game
Of course, the horror genre would practically be incomplete without slashers, and Jason Voorhees is one of the biggest names in the business. Watching Jason hack and slash his way through campers has often been compared to watching Godzilla destroy Tokyo, they're both horrific forces of nature that only get stronger with each new incarnation. A video game adaptation needed to capture that same vibe in all its gory glory.
Friday The 13th: The Game is a multiplayer survival horror game where three players play victims while one plays Jason as they try to survive a night at Camp Crystal Lake. As Jason, players have a variety of powers and abilities they can use to maul and mutilate their victims before they can escape his clutches. While three against one might sound unfair, the hockey-masked slasher definitely has odds boosted in his favor.
Dead By Daylight
Taking a similar approach to Friday the 13th, Dead By Daylight is another asymmetric multiplayer survival game where players are cast as victims and killers in true slasher movie fashion. The difference between the two is that Dead By Daylight has much more story, darker overtones, and a large selection of monsters and maniacs to choose from.
Along with its own selection of original horror characters like the Trapper, the Wraith, and the Hag, the game also features a number of famous slasher villains like Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Pinhead thrown into the mix. With so many horrifying characters wanting to sacrifice players to a dark god, it's a wonder the victims even have a chance to make it out alive.
Evolve
Predating both Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th, Evolve was the go-to multiplayer survival horror game, favoring a sci-fi approach instead of the bloody slasher motifs of the games that followed. But what truly makes the game's monsters stand out from others in its genre is the titular evolution mechanic that makes things more dangerous as the game progresses.
As the match goes on, the monster will evolve from a minor threat into a full-on kaiju-level beast that will take a team of players to bring down. Adding a slow-burn element to the survival title, Evolve brings together the best elements the monster genre has to offer.
