Summary
While games such asAlien: IsolationandResident Evil: Villagefill theirhorroradventures with over ten hours worth of content, others settle for beingshort but effective horror games. This has allowed many independent and big-budget developers to rise to fame in the gaming world and go on to bigger and better things.
Sometimes, ashort horror gamecan be just as memorable, even if it leaves the player wanting more afterward. In a way, it’s a testament to how good the games can be when the credits start rolling and the player is disappointed that the experience is already over and done.
WhereResident Evil 2tormented players for nine to eleven hours, the remake ofResident Evil 3was far shorter, at only six hours. In that short time, Capcom still manages to fill the game with dread and tension thanks to the constant presence of the monster known as Nemesis,one of the most iconic villainsfrom theResident Evilfranchise.
Focusing on Jill Valentine,Resident Evil 3takes place on the same unfortunate day asResident Evil 2, showing the horrors that others dealt with during the fall of Raccoon City.Resident Evil 3is still a worthwhile sequel, but some may find its shorter story disappointing compared to its predecessor.
Playinga game set inside an asylumhas never been more terrifying than inOutlast. Taking a similar approach to many first-person horror games at the time,Outlastfocuses on traversing through Mount Massive Asylum and using stealth to avoid being killed by the twisted inmates now running the place.
From the mutant-like brute that will pummel the player to the deranged surgeon,Outlastnever ceases to terrify. All five hours of gameplay are nothing but stress, terror, and, in a few instances, disgust. It is a short indie game, but it spawned an even more terrifying DLC as well as a longer sequel and a multiplayer spinoff.
Multiple horror games have earned their accolades by being inspired by classic horror movies of the past, and such is the case withStill Wakes The Deep. This gem surprised gamerswith its body horror, akin to John Carpenter’sThe Thing, mixed withDeep Rising, with a unique setting on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean.
Isolation and simply knowing that something is stalking the halls makesStill Wakes The Deepa terrifying experience. However, gamers found thatStill Wakes The Deepends too quickly, despite plenty of chilling moments and an intriguing plot.
What helpsCarrionstand out is that it is essentially a reverse-horror game where the main protagonist is a bloodthirsty monster.Carrionplays out like a Metroidvania, with non-linear levels that require exploration and accomplishing certain goals to progress.
The player devours their foes and, akin toThe Blob, the monster, which is a red pile of flesh, continues to get bigger. Mixed with its pixelated art style,Carrionfeatures puzzles and traversal which are addictive, leading to a short but sweet experience.
Working in a mortuary is already eerie, so a game set in a haunted mortuary is bound to be terrifying, butThe Mortuary Assistantbrings an investigative element to the table. As the player inspects different cadavers, they must uncover the truth about the entity haunting the building every night.
While very short at only two hours long,The Mortuary Assistantfeatures randomized cadavers to verify that every playthrough is different, earning it loads of praise asan indie survival horror game. As a bonus, there are six different endings to the game, inviting gamers to play multiple times to get 100% completion.
For a few years, Slender Man was an icon of horror on the Internet, particularly in the indie gaming world, starting with the very shortSlender: The Eight Pages. Slender Man was then given a chance to go bigger and better withSlender: The Arrival,which showcased Slender Man’s potential as a physical and psychological villain.
Fans were surprised just how shortSlender: The Arrivalwas given how much hype the game generated, but in the two hours, it throws everything at the player to terrify them. The titular villain was present, but so were his deadly acolytes,a non-linear level structure, more lore to explore, and a foreboding atmosphere that was all given a remaster ten years later.
In gaming,most things are better with dinosaurs, and that can be said for both survival horror and a lesser-known game calledOakwood. It’s a very simple premise, with someone exploring Oakwood forest only to discover that dinosaurs are on the prowl.
In many ways,Oakwoodis not that different fromSlender: The ArrivalorOutlast interms of gameplay, but it shows the potential for what fans want to see withJurassic Park: Survival. Being chased by a Dilophosaurus through the sewers, or outrunning the stomps of a T-Rex, fills the player with fear and, with the game only being just over an hour long, it never feels dull or redundant.
Tension is the key aspect inIron Lung,as a submersible travels through an alien planet that only features a sea of blood. From beginning to end,Iron Lungwas praised for being eerie and unnerving due to its setting, entirely taking place inside a submarine. If players want to see outside, the only way to do so is by taking pictures and using sonar.
WithIron Lung, one hour of gameplay had players cringing and preparing themselves for jump scares or some monster attack. Instead, it just keeps going with the tension. Sound design and pacing go a long way, makingIron Lunga horror game so memorable that a famous YouTuber known as Markiplier is adapting it into a live-action movie.
