Psychological video games cater to people of extreme tastes, the genre encompasses some of the most unsettling and extremely violent video games. Whether you are hitting psychological games on PC or any PlayStation Console, these video games are available with the same intensity and gameplay mechanics. Let’s dive into some of the iconic and new releases that are drawing attention.
What are Psychological Horror Video Games?
Psychological Horror is a thrilling video game genre that manipulates or influences strong emotions and behavior. Indicated as the sub-genre of horror fiction, it focuses on unsettling the audience with a frantic atmosphere and emotional distress.
Psychological horror games often feature intricate plots suspenseful soundtracks and relatively fast-paced gameplay. When playing psychological horror, players often find themselves not being in control, these games mess with players’ perceptions.
Unlike, action-oriented horror games, where combat is essential, psychological horror heavily relies on survival with little to no combat mechanics. The objective of psychological horror is either to escape the unimaginable entities or uncover the secrets behind the strange phenomenon.
Lastly, the horror elements in the game are so strong that the game’s content lingers in enthusiasts’ brains even after finishing the video game, making them experience the games that get them under the skin and make them question reality.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is among the most unsettling video games of the previous decade. It’s a first-person shooter known for featuring graphical violence. In the game, players step into the shoes of Daniel, a character who certainly has amnesia. Daniel awakens in the frightening Brennenburg Castle with no memories of his past whatsoever. His goal is to exterminate Baron Alexander, an otherworldly being with human characteristics. As Daniel explores the dark corridors, and unravels puzzles, his past gradually unfolds.
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 exploits the gore theme as well as it’s a scary representation of mental health. The sequel to the iconic Silent Hill, this video game invites players to assume the role of James Sunderland, who after receiving a mysterious letter from his late wife, leads to the mysterious town of Silent Hill.
Players need to be ready for jump scares and unexpected encounters, the video game deliberately creates an intense atmosphere that makes players lose their heads. Due to the suspenseful gameplay, the video game becomes extremely fascinating.
Doki Doki Literature Club! (The Most Twisted Game Among the Best Psychological Video Games)
Doki Doki Literature Club! demonstrates that the initial appearance is just a facade, and exploring every facet of a particular thing can unveil its brilliance. The players in the video game join the Literature Club and interact with a bunch of charming girls Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri, and Monika.
Doki Doki Literature Club! Oozes light-hearted Otome game’s elements, however, it relies hugely on psychological horror that breaks the fourth wall. Due to its combination of abnormal elements, the video game has received acclaim and accolades.
Detention
This Taiwanese horror adventure video game is known for its eerie environment and unpredictable plot. Taking place in the 1960s during the White Terror period, the video game follows Wei and Ray who find themselves trapped in the Greenwood High School.
The atmosphere around them changes massively from delightful to haunting. The sudden and unexpected twists define the video game to a great extent, allowing players to counter the tense gameplay.
Outlast (Among the Best Psychological-Horror Video Games)
Outlast is a first-person survival video game that is entirely based on the elements of psychological horror. The video game revolves around Miles Upshur, who willingly starts his investigation on a remote psychiatric hospital named Mount Massive Asylum. His unsettling experience begins with encountering homicidal patients, who are bloodthirsty.
Outlast is often deemed as the pinnacle of psychological horror, due to its realism. Players can’t attack, they can only resort to hiding and using stealthy tactics. Escaping and tactical approaches to the gameplay can be promising.
Visage
The first impression of the video game can lead you to assume Visage is a generic psychological horror, however, it’s more than that. Visage is a psychological horror, taking place in a terrifying ever-evolving huge house with a bloody past. While exploring, you will experience the memories of the families that once resided in this place and massacred. Those memories will haunt you, each room has its story painted on an invisible canvas.
The players’ objective is to uncover the haunted houses’ mysteries and survive the malevolent entities.
Observer (Psychological Video Games)
Observer is a psychological horror, popular for its discomforting premise and eerie atmosphere that takes place in 3D through first-person perspective. The players step into the shoes of Daniel Lazarski, a Polish detective of the special police unit called Observers. Daniel uses a device called Dream Eater to hack people’s brain implants for interrogation purposes. Equipped with augmented vision, he can analyze and read certain objects in his surroundings.
The Observer offers fast-paced gameplay with beautiful world designs that are extremely mesmerizing to explore. Moreover, the video game presents a stealthy style of gameplay that suits people who are survival game geeks.
Fran Bow
While 3D graphics are more meticulous, the imaginative storytelling in 2D graphics gameplay is more unbelievable and ridiculous. Fran Bow is a graphic puzzle-adventure game that revolves around discovering ordinary objects scattered on the map to solve the puzzles.
This creepy video game tells the adventure of a young girl, Fran, struggling with a mental disorder after witnessing her parents die. After the tragic events, she ends up in an Asylum for children. Her goal is to escape the Asylum.
Conclusion: Psychological Video Games
Psychological games can plunge you into an imaginative realm that’s disturbing beyond comprehension, such traumatic or PTSD-esque experiences can aid players in overcoming terrifying fears. Out of hundreds of psychological horror, we have sorted out a few incredible titles. These titles invite you to explore and experience the traumatic gameplay, that isn’t found anywhere. Immersing in these games can only make you crave more enthralling titles.
What game on this list has become your favorite or was already your favorite, tell us in the comments or on Facebook and Instagram.
