Ecter's TrashEcter does not play horror games
Surprising myself with how long that list can get
Okay, so recently i was asked what's my fave horror game. And my answer was a confused "I don't know? Probably Slender Arrival, because that's the only horror game i remember playing...? I don't play horrors. Really, i don't remember any."
On the other hand, i have played more horrors than soulslikes (one or two, probably) or moba (zero). Then i scrolled through what i played on Steam while i was looking for any games that i missed for my previous list page here, i noticed Eversion. And sure, that should count! So what else does? Let me dig through my memories and write them down, just so i can be made aware of how inaccurate my instinctive answer to that original question was.
Sorted in order of release date. I can't remember when i played which one.
Played and finished
- Yume Nikki (2004)
- Some people say it's a horror and i can see why... i guess? For me it was just a surreal exploration game that i liked. I'm putting this here though, because it had its somewhat scary moments and i believe that Yume Nikki always deserves a mention.
- Some people say it's a horror and i can see why... i guess? For me it was just a surreal exploration game that i liked. I'm putting this here though, because it had its somewhat scary moments and i believe that Yume Nikki always deserves a mention.
- Left4Dead 1&2 (2008,2009)
- Mostly played the first L4D with my brother and two bots. It's more intense than what i usually find managable in first person shooters. It gets a pass for me for several reasons. Also, its sequel was too demanding for my PC back when it released, so by the time i upgraded, i mostly lost interest in playing more of it. Played through one or two campaigns of L4D2 and that was it.
- Mostly played the first L4D with my brother and two bots. It's more intense than what i usually find managable in first person shooters. It gets a pass for me for several reasons. Also, its sequel was too demanding for my PC back when it released, so by the time i upgraded, i mostly lost interest in playing more of it. Played through one or two campaigns of L4D2 and that was it.
- Eversion (2010)
- Played the free version first, then the updated one on Steam. It's one of the games that tried the "appears innocent at first and then turn spooky" formula and did it pretty well. Am i spoiling things? Dunno. I don't think saying "expect something more than the title screen shows" should not count as a spoiler. Let's be real. It's 2026 now, it's pretty common to have a surreal gore horror disguised as football team manager come out and it's not even subversive anymore, it's just "oh, another one of these". Looking back on it, Eversion did it really nicely with how the game's world became "corrupted" not by jumpscares and random gotchas, but in response to a mechanic that required player's inputs. That's good, that's what i'd like to see more in this kind of "not what it seems" trend of games.
- Played the free version first, then the updated one on Steam. It's one of the games that tried the "appears innocent at first and then turn spooky" formula and did it pretty well. Am i spoiling things? Dunno. I don't think saying "expect something more than the title screen shows" should not count as a spoiler. Let's be real. It's 2026 now, it's pretty common to have a surreal gore horror disguised as football team manager come out and it's not even subversive anymore, it's just "oh, another one of these". Looking back on it, Eversion did it really nicely with how the game's world became "corrupted" not by jumpscares and random gotchas, but in response to a mechanic that required player's inputs. That's good, that's what i'd like to see more in this kind of "not what it seems" trend of games.
- Slender (2012)
- Now called "Slender: Eight Pages", but it had a shorter title when i played it originally. It was actually so original and fun to play when it came out that i really wanted to play through to the end without any external pressure. Which is rare for me when it comes to horror games.
- Now called "Slender: Eight Pages", but it had a shorter title when i played it originally. It was actually so original and fun to play when it came out that i really wanted to play through to the end without any external pressure. Which is rare for me when it comes to horror games.
- Slender: The Arrival (2013)
- I liked it. Probably the scariest horror game that i ever finished. Barely. I still think the experience was worth it!
- I liked it. Probably the scariest horror game that i ever finished. Barely. I still think the experience was worth it!
- Bulb Boy (2015)
- Oh man. It's pretty much a point&click adventure that oozes atmosphere. It's wild, uncomfortable and unforgettable. It's what my mind in 2011 expected Binding of Isaac to be like. It's how people who watched Courage the Cowardly Dog as children remember it (more scary than the series was most of the time). And i literally just now learned that there's a second one! Gotta buy it and play through it for sure!
- Oh man. It's pretty much a point&click adventure that oozes atmosphere. It's wild, uncomfortable and unforgettable. It's what my mind in 2011 expected Binding of Isaac to be like. It's how people who watched Courage the Cowardly Dog as children remember it (more scary than the series was most of the time). And i literally just now learned that there's a second one! Gotta buy it and play through it for sure!
- Sacrifices Must Be Made (2018)
- The original jam game that gave life to Inscryption. And while i wouldn't count Inscryption as a horror game, Sacrifices with its theme and mood does count as one in my opinion. It's unsettling at best, but it's so effective that i love it and replayed it several times. It's not "Inscryption but shorter" - it remained its own thing that is still very much worth experiencing!
- The original jam game that gave life to Inscryption. And while i wouldn't count Inscryption as a horror game, Sacrifices with its theme and mood does count as one in my opinion. It's unsettling at best, but it's so effective that i love it and replayed it several times. It's not "Inscryption but shorter" - it remained its own thing that is still very much worth experiencing!
- Perfect Vermin (2020)
- Since "short free to play spooky games" get a pass on this list, Perfect Vermin deserves to be here. It was short but i remember it getting my "yes, it's a horror" seal of approval.
- Since "short free to play spooky games" get a pass on this list, Perfect Vermin deserves to be here. It was short but i remember it getting my "yes, it's a horror" seal of approval.
- Letters to a Friend - Farewell (2021)
- Another interesting short story of a game! Together with its game jam prelude it's an interesting, atmospheric experience. If it was a movie, it would be classified as a horror, so it's fair to dump it here on this list. It's unique in its presentation and worth checking out - just don't expect to be spooked. "Unnerving" is how far most of horrors that i can manage go in terms of their scare factor.
- Another interesting short story of a game! Together with its game jam prelude it's an interesting, atmospheric experience. If it was a movie, it would be classified as a horror, so it's fair to dump it here on this list. It's unique in its presentation and worth checking out - just don't expect to be spooked. "Unnerving" is how far most of horrors that i can manage go in terms of their scare factor.
- Unsorted Horror by Mike Klubnika (2023)
- Played through it all and loved it! It's a pretty neat collection of shorts with a great atmosphere to them.
- Played through it all and loved it! It's a pretty neat collection of shorts with a great atmosphere to them.
- Dredge (2023)
- To me, it's a cozy fishing game that i really like. But it's very often labelled as horror, so i won't go against the grain with it and give it a spot on the list. I like how much it let me play at my own pace, get used to the world until it became less scary. Avoiding monsters was still as intense as in a more conventional survival horror game, and the generally unsettling aura never went away for me. It's spooky and cozy at the same time - somehow it's not mutually exclusive, it turns out!
- To me, it's a cozy fishing game that i really like. But it's very often labelled as horror, so i won't go against the grain with it and give it a spot on the list. I like how much it let me play at my own pace, get used to the world until it became less scary. Avoiding monsters was still as intense as in a more conventional survival horror game, and the generally unsettling aura never went away for me. It's spooky and cozy at the same time - somehow it's not mutually exclusive, it turns out!
- Project Zomboid (live service)
- First things first: If a game is in "early access" for more than ten years - i'm gonna call it live service, even if there are no microtransactions. Otherwise, how would you decide which release date counts? Project Zomboid from 2013 is not the game i played - by the time i bought it and tried it myself, it was very different. Still scary to me, so i count it here. I don't count every "game with zombies" as horror by default, but this one - i think it gets a pass. I also count it was "finished", since it presents itself as a "see how long you can survive" kind of experience. Well, i lasted for a couple of days, can i say i'm done with it? Will do!
- First things first: If a game is in "early access" for more than ten years - i'm gonna call it live service, even if there are no microtransactions. Otherwise, how would you decide which release date counts? Project Zomboid from 2013 is not the game i played - by the time i bought it and tried it myself, it was very different. Still scary to me, so i count it here. I don't count every "game with zombies" as horror by default, but this one - i think it gets a pass. I also count it was "finished", since it presents itself as a "see how long you can survive" kind of experience. Well, i lasted for a couple of days, can i say i'm done with it? Will do!
Dipped my toes at the very least
- Resident Evil 2 (1998)
- Gave it a try. Dropped it pretty early because i did not really enjoy it, but i'm glad i did try it myself to decide it's not really my thing. Linking the wikipedia page here, because i never played the remake (so can't comment on whether i like it or not), and it's the only easily available/linkable thing now.
- Gave it a try. Dropped it pretty early because i did not really enjoy it, but i'm glad i did try it myself to decide it's not really my thing. Linking the wikipedia page here, because i never played the remake (so can't comment on whether i like it or not), and it's the only easily available/linkable thing now.
- Telltale Games The Walking Dead (2012-2018)
- No links there, i can't be bothered. Liked the first season. Played through the second and decided it's gotten worse (not more scary - rather "less enjoyable") and i never picked up the third season. I'm gonna count the Telltale TWD series as a whole and declare that i dropped it halfway. I'm fine with that decision.
- No links there, i can't be bothered. Liked the first season. Played through the second and decided it's gotten worse (not more scary - rather "less enjoyable") and i never picked up the third season. I'm gonna count the Telltale TWD series as a whole and declare that i dropped it halfway. I'm fine with that decision.
- Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (2013)
- Not gonna form an opinion on Amnesia games based on this one. Not even gonna form an opinion on this singular game too, honestly. It looked too dark and unreadable, i assume it was an issue with my PC rather than how the game was supposed to look like. So, gave up on it for technical reasons - that's my takeaway.
- Not gonna form an opinion on Amnesia games based on this one. Not even gonna form an opinion on this singular game too, honestly. It looked too dark and unreadable, i assume it was an issue with my PC rather than how the game was supposed to look like. So, gave up on it for technical reasons - that's my takeaway.
- Sir, You Are Being Hunted (2013)
- Too scary for me, but i really wanted to try it myself because i adore the premise of it!
- Too scary for me, but i really wanted to try it myself because i adore the premise of it!
- Cry of Fear (2013)
- On its Steam Store page it's presented as: "psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a deserted town filled with horrific creatures and nightmarish delusions."
I'm gonna take their word for it. After the first few minutes that were feeling like a stream of nonsense scenes that don't build up to anything, a cheap jumpscare happened. Then i decided that's enough. In that short period before throwing its ooga-booga at me, the game did not show anything to make me believe it's worth continuing, so that's where it ended for me.
- On its Steam Store page it's presented as: "psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a deserted town filled with horrific creatures and nightmarish delusions."
- The Consuming Shadow (2015)
- Guys, guys. You gotta try this one. It's a detective game mixed with survival horror and randomized runs (so you can't just get the solution out from a walkthrough). Rough around the edges, but very effective. Definitely worth checking out. It's on the second category here, because i don't feel i have played it enough to count as "finished" - two successful runs (and many more failed) are just the beginning, in my opinion.
- Guys, guys. You gotta try this one. It's a detective game mixed with survival horror and randomized runs (so you can't just get the solution out from a walkthrough). Rough around the edges, but very effective. Definitely worth checking out. It's on the second category here, because i don't feel i have played it enough to count as "finished" - two successful runs (and many more failed) are just the beginning, in my opinion.
Honorable mentions, or "not really a horror"
- Gorky 17 (1999): The closest to a scary 90's game that i played back then, really. Unsettling at best, but i do remember it fondly and i believe it deserves at least a mention here.
- Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness (2001): Somewhat clunky adventure game that i liked at the time. It has slightly spooky themes and it's almost impossible to recommend, but it has a special place in my gaming memories >:]
- Garfield's Scary Scavenger Hunt (2002): Smol early 2000's Ecter checking out shockwave / flash games online would not have approved of this list if i made no mention of that game. Was it a horror or not? I don't even care - it's a game about Garfield looking for muffins and donuts in a haunted mansion. It doesn't have to be scary, i'm just glad that such a thing exists.
- Ghost Master (2003): Definitely not a horror, but i like all the references it makes. Also, it's the opposite of scary.
- Half-Life 2 (2004) + Episodes, Half-Life: Alyx (2020): While they're not "horror games", i appreciate how much of survival horror feel they managed to fit in these games. Ravenholm from HL2, garages part of Episode One deserve a mention here. But then there's HL:Alyx which takes the cake for "the only horror-adjacent experience that i'd ever touch in VR". Good job, guys!
- OFF (2008): It got its atmosphere and deserves a mention. Not gonna think deeply on that and consider which list to put it on. I'm still salty about that preordered physical version of a remake/remaster/whatever that never arrived. It sucks. Love the original game though.
- Binding of Isaac (2011): Originally i did not want to play it because it looked both spooky and gross. But there was a demo version up on Newgrounds and after giving it a try i got hooked and decided to buy the full version and completed it (the original Flash one, not Rebirth). Doesn't count as horror, but for a while it got the same treatment from me before the demo changed my mind.
- Rebuild 1-3 (2011-2015): Not every zombie game is a horror! But for a turn-based city builder, this one is unsettling enough to get a honorable mention here. For the atmosphere, not for the jumpscares in the third game. Love it, recommend it, gonna replay it several times for sure.
- Darkest Dungeon (2016): I suppose it counts as much as Rebuild does...? I guess. Haven't played much of it though.
- Pony Island (2016): It has some themes, but i as an easily spooked creature would never count this thing as a horror.
- Inscryption (2021): Did you mean "Sacrifices Must Be Made"? Yeah, Inscryption has a story and gameplay that i love, but only the game jam original is what i'd label as horror or horror-adjacent. I love its promo website though!!
- Buckshot Roulette (2024): It's probably a horror. I think...? For me it was mostly a gambling game. I enjoyed playing it, but i'm not really sure how to categorize it. Unsorted Horror collection left more of an impression on me.
- Cookie Clicker: Not a horror, but i find it hilarious that it got the horror tag on Steam. Steam tags are a joke. Even Don't Starve and Dear Esther are tagged as horrors there. Come on.
Conclusion...?
Well, there were a few. Though i don't wonder why Slender made such an impression - i rarely play anything as close to the purest definition of a "horror game" as it was. So all in all: "Ecter does not play horror games" kinda remains true.