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The 10 Best Non-Horror Games That Become Horror Games

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Ignacio Weil

News - June 29th 2024, 11:00 GMT+2

Slay the Princess — 10. Slay The Princess

Slay The Princess presents us with a moral dilemma right from the start, where we have to enter a cabin and kill a princess, or else the world will end. But what initially seems like an encounter with a charming and innocent lady can quickly transform into a story with increasingly terrifying endings. | © Black Tabby

Spookys Jump Scare Mansion — 9. Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion

If the best way to hide a tree is in the middle of a forest, Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion hides its horror as... a horror game. But at first, it seems more like a childish and even adorable attempt to scare you, reminiscent of kids' Halloween. However, as you cross the 1000 rooms (yes, there are that many rooms in the game) within the mansion, you will soon realize that it hides more real horrors than it first appears. | © Albino Moose

Outer Wilds DLC — 8. Outer Wilds - Echoes of the Eye DLC

What’s interesting about Outer Wilds is that it’s not a horror game, but if you’ve played it before, you know there’s an intrinsic fear of being devoured that goes beyond the genre of space exploration and puzzle-solving (it reminds us a bit of the krakens in Subnautica). And it seems the developers realized the potential for horror in their game, because its DLC has a creepy aura that contrasts with the base game... and we love it. | © Annapurna Interactive

7. OMORI

There are certain experiences that you would never think are horror, but simply... uncomfortable. However, the more you delve into them, the more you realize they are more than they appear on the surface. One of these experiences is OMORI, and honestly, the less I say about this game with Earthbound aesthetics, the better. Because more than a game that seeks to scare you, it’s a fantastic experience that you must live for yourself. Then you can thank me for not spoiling it. | © OMOCAT

6. Doki Doki Literature Club

There was a time when every streamer and their mother was playing Doki Doki Literature Club, and seeing their reactions as it goes from cute anime schoolgirl drama to the kind of horror that messes with your computer files is amazing. However, it does touch on sensitive subjects, so be warned. But if you have never tried it, give it a go, since it is completely free on Steam. And if you want more story from these anime girls without the horror element, the DLC will give you just what you are looking for. | © Team Salvato

5. NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE

Wait, another game about anime girls gone wrong? You bet! But in the case of NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE, the slow and dark atmosphere typical of the genre is replaced by a fast pace and adrenaline-filled music, which touches on themes of obsession with online personalities and how the consumption of parasocial relationships can have damaging effects in ways you haven't yet considered. | © WSS playground

4. Cooking Companions

A visual novel about kitchen companions living inside a cabin lost in the middle of a mountain forest? What could go wrong? Of course, those kitchen knives are only for cutting food and nothing else. In fact, it's better to focus on the cheerful faces of the dancing vegetables and completely ignore the basement! | © Deer Dream

Whos lila — 3. Who's Lila?

The thing with Who's Lila? is that at first, it may seem terrifying, as it features the original and curious mechanic of interacting with your character's facial features to create different expressions, which can create monstrous faces at first. Then you realize that it's actually a dither-punk point-and-click adventure... only to realize again that it WAS indeed a horror game all along. We should have guessed it from the inspiration drawn from David Lynch's films... | © Garage Heathen

2. Giraffe Town

Definitely one of the weirdest games you'll find out there. In Giraffe Town, being a giraffe makes it difficult to walk with your hooves, so at first, it feels like you're playing a really frustrating platformer. But if those elongated and uncomfortable cinematic shots don't give you hints that something else is happening, don't worry. Just keep playing... | © Samer Kathib

1. Eversion

Looking for an adorable platformer to forget all the spooky, scary times the previous games on this list put you through? Then play Eversion, an oldie with a minuscule cult following, where everything is exactly as it seems and nothing more. That's right, there's nothing else to see here, and I promise that the world won't start warping as you keep playing, no sir... | © Zaratustra Productions

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Have you ever played a game thinking it was an adorable experience, only to have the rug pulled out from under you with a jumpscare or unexpected horror twist? Whether you want to scare your friends or protect yourself from being caught off guard, here are 10 games that are masterpieces in their narrative twists, as they don't present themselves as horror games... unless you read the game tags on the store, or were told beforehand. But let me warn you: The further we go, the more obscure these games are...

Warning: This article contains spoilers! Some of these games might be on your wishlist, and you wouldn't know they are horror...

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Have you ever played a game thinking it was an adorable experience, only to have the rug pulled out from under you with a jumpscare or unexpected horror twist? Whether you want to scare your friends or protect yourself from being caught off guard, here are 10 games that are masterpieces in their narrative twists, as they don't present themselves as horror games... unless you read the game tags on the store, or were told beforehand. But let me warn you: The further we go, the more obscure these games are...

Warning: This article contains spoilers! Some of these games might be on your wishlist, and you wouldn't know they are horror...