Between mass layoffs and other major shake-ups, AAA game development is in a state of flux right now. Meanwhile, independent titles make up more and more of the average person’s gaming library. Horror is the one genre that indie gaming may be most at home in, and that’s hardly a recent development. In fact, one could argue that indie gaming owes its rise in popularity to a few horror titles in particular.
There are plenty of games that have strong horror-inspired elements, but aren’t very scary to play. The Binding of Isaac comes to mind as a certified classic, and Deadlock stands as a much more recent example. In short, indie horror is a genre that has become very saturated with top-tier games, but only a few of those titles have proven themselves to have a lasting impact on the gaming landscape. Those are the games whose influence can be read all over, sometimes crossing out of the genre, or even outside the medium entirely.
Five Nights At Freddy’s
Your Grandfather’s Horror Game
- Created by
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Scott Cawthon
- Creation Year
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2014
- Developer(s)
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Scott Games, Mega Cat Studios, Steel Wool Studios, Illumix
- Publisher(s)
-
Scott Games, Clickteam LLC USA, Illumix
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a first-person survival horror and resource management game from Scott Cawthorn that raced to popularity thanks to its creepy animatronic enemies and its array of panic-inducing jumpscares. Bringing life to a cavalcade of well-known characters like Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, and more, Five Nights at Freddy’s has seen immense success, spinoffs, and fan games.
In a list ranking iconic games, it makes sense to get the most obvious out of the way. When it comes to indie horror specifically, it doesn’t get more obvious than Five Nights at Freddy’s. Since the very first game, FNAF has enjoyed an unparalleled virality thanks to several popular Let’s Play series. FNAF single-handedly pioneered the now-massive mascot horror subgenre, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that indie gaming as a whole couldn’t have reached as near to the mainstream if FNAF wasn’t such a smash success.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Inscryption
Deeply Immersive and Disturbingly Addictive
Inscryption
- Released
-
October 19, 2021
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Daniel Mullins Games
- Engine
-
Unity
For games that reached influence past the horror genre, Inscryption is another title that immediately comes to mind. Inscryption was an early adopter of the rogue-like deck builder format, a genre combo that has become almost infamous for its overwhelming saturation in the modern day. Other than Slay the Spire, Inscryption is perhaps the game most responsible for this explosive trend.
Inscryption remains an unforgettable experience in its own right, thanks to blending found footage horror into an ARG element of the game. This escape room-esque narrative structure brought immersion to the forefront of the experience, while never crowding out the addictive game mechanics.
Slay the Princess
Dictionary Definition of Existential Dread
Slay the Princess may very well be the least traditionally scary game on the list, but it’s no less horrific, and certainly no less deserving of praise. Horror games used to be somewhat infamous for trading a coherent narrative for immaculate vibes, but Slay the Princess helped prove that you don’t need to have one without the other.
Slay the Princess is an existential horror visual novel with so many branching paths that it feels genuinely impossible to see everything. On the other hand, it’s impossible to walk away without undergoing a profound experience with the game’s meditation on the multitudes inside a person, and the sheer impossibility of ever truly knowing yourself.
Signalis
Love Is Terrifying, Retro Aesthetics Rule
Signalis
- Released
-
October 27, 2022
- ESRB
-
m
- Engine
-
unity
Sometimes the best way to gain influence is to take it from days gone by. Signalis understands this better than most, with its PS1-inspired visuals and survival horror gameplay lifted right out of Resident Evil, both of which helped spark trends that still endure in many indie titles. Signalis is rich with literary reference and obscure lore, making it perfectly primed for today’s video essay landscape. With multiple endings and a powerful narrative about love, doubt, and identity, Signalis has firmly earned its place inside the indie horror hall of fame.
Mouthwashing
A Cult Classic in the Making
Mouthwashing
- Released
-
September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Wrong Organ
- Publisher(s)
-
Critical Reflex
- Engine
-
Unity
- Number of Players
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1
If you pulled an indie horror fan out of a hat and asked them for game recommendations, you’d better be ready to hear an hour-long lecture about Mouthwashing. All of this is to say that Mouthwashing has caused another paradigm shift in how active fans can engage with their favorite indie titles.
Despite being a genuinely traumatic experience with almost unspeakable subject matter, Mouthwashing has managed to spread its wings into the realm of marketable plushies. New ambitious fan projects still pop up all the time, often with professional voice actors at the helm. Horror is an evergreen genre as it is, and indie games are increasingly encouraging their audiences to become lovingly rabid. Mouthwashing took the best of both worlds, and may still make waves we have yet to witness.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Lethal Company
The Mascot of Gaming’s Most Viral Genre
Lethal Company
- Released
-
October 23, 2023
- ESRB
-
t
- Developer(s)
-
Zeekerss
- Publisher(s)
-
Zeekerss
- Engine
-
Unity
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
These days, the lovingly titled Friendslop genre tends to top the Steam charts any given week. Even in this already saturated genre, horror threatens to reign supreme, and that’s in large part thanks to the influence of Lethal Company. Nothing beats the experience of getting scared to death alongside your friends, and Lethal Company throws so many things at each player that the stress is near guaranteed to bring you to the edge of terror. As more Let’s Play content flocks from long-form video to livestreams on Twitch, Lethal Company showed audiences that indie horror isn’t going anywhere.
Phasmophobia
Eerie Environments and Hair-Pulling Puzzles, All With Your Friends!
Phasmophobia
- Released
-
October 29, 2024
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Kinetic Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Kinetic Games
- Engine
-
Unity
While many co-op horror games today take a great deal of influence from Lethal Company, that game owes its own success to Phasmophobia. Famously, the developer of Phasmophobia only created the game because he couldn’t find something like it anywhere else. There’s nothing scarier than solving puzzles while disappointing your friends, after all. Phasmophobia not only laid the groundwork for other smash successes in co-op horror, but pioneered an eerie realism aesthetic that remains a go-to for many horror devs.
Dead by Daylight
Many Imitators, Few Equals
Dead by Daylight
- Released
-
June 14, 2016
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 4
What Phasmophobia is to co-op horror, Dead by Daylight may be to competitive horror. There is a key difference, which is that many of DbD‘s successors have fallen short of its success. Dead by Daylight is uniquely capable of generating the feeling of terror in its players, even more so than the games which clearly imitate its slasher-inspired formula. There are still plenty of games that attempt to recapture the magic every other year, and one of them may very well succeed. In the meantime, Dead by Daylight has become the biggest crossover fest this side of Fortnite, so it should stick around to keep players satisfied for many years to come.
Dredge
A Class Act of Cosmic Horror
Dredge
- Released
-
March 31, 2023
- ESRB
-
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
-
Black Salt Games
- Engine
-
Unity
Dredge is one of the more recent titles on this list, but no less impactful. It was received with near-universal acclaim, becoming the rare horror game to receive wide recognition in awards season. Part of why Dredge stands out is its deceptively cozy vibe, thanks to its focus on life as a fisherman. Moreover, Dredge takes a dive into the cosmic horror subgenre. Fear of the unknown is hard to convey in an interactive experience, but Dredge is able to pull off the longing sense of dread so well, it may as well be the final word in cosmic horror.
Iron Lung
Indie Horror Gaming Has Never Climbed Higher
There’s one reason Dredge can’t wholeheartedly be called the best cosmic horror this side of Lovecraft, and that’s all thanks to Iron Lung. The profoundly terrifying isolation of Iron Lung has already reached far enough to influence several of the games earlier on this list. In a way, you might call it your favorite horror game’s favorite horror game. If you hadn’t heard of the game prior to this year, you certainly have now thanks to Markiplier’s Iron Lung movie. Iron Lung will stand the test of time as proof of indie horror’s ability to fully break containment into the mainstream, and the oncoming tide of indie game adaptations will know exactly who to look back on and thank.
