One of the foundations for horror is helplessness. Murderous monsters and otherworldly threats are imposing enough, but the terror amplifies when you can’t stop them. That’s why so many horror games position players as victims. When you can’t rely on the usual offensive approach, you must find creative ways to escape before your assailant closes in. Not only does that approach breed suspense, but it leads to greater challenges. Sometimes, however, the shoe should be on the other foot.
A few games flip the horror script by letting you play as the killer. Controlling a masked maniac or mythical monster, you hunt down innocent civilians to satiate your bloodlust. NPCs and even other players exist solely as your victims, and you’re nigh impervious to their pitiful attacks. While this premise undermines the difficulty, it compensates through the sheer thrill of a power fantasy. It also offers a fresh perspective on cliched horror scenarios. These perks make it worth seeing things from the other side—as demented as it is.
Related: 10 Horror Video Games You Won’t Want to Play in the Dark
10 Texas Chainsaw Massacre
How fitting that this early example stems from one of the most notorious horror flicks ever made. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre focuses on an unsuspecting group of friends who stumble into a macabre ordeal. A simple pit stop brings them face-to-face with a family of cannibals. The most imposing of these killers is Leatherface, a silent giant with a chainsaw and a mask made of human skin. You’d think such grisly visuals would be too much for an old Atari game, but you’d be wrong.
The Texas Chainsaw tie-in has you play as Leatherface during a killing spree. Wielding his trusty chainsaw, he chases civilians around the screen. Colliding with these victims slices their heads off, leaving them in a mass of pixelated blood. That gameplay loop sounds simple, and that’s because it is. You control this iconic serial killer and do what he does best. The game gives you exactly what you ask for.
If old-school Atari is not your thing, the 2023 version of the game comes with more killers and better graphics.[1]
9 The Happyhills Homicide
In the same retro vein is a pixelated indie title. The Happyhills Homicide introduces John Wade. This unfortunate school janitor’s grotesque appearance earns brutal treatment from both students and staff. After a fire leaves him scarred and homeless, this poor soul takes revenge on those who wronged him. Needless to say, this game makes you root for the killer. It’s not just a mindless massacre, though.
The game is a side-scrolling puzzle title. You must sneak into your victims’ homes to catch them unawares. This process involves studying the layout, using tools lying around, and bypassing obstacles. This preparation makes success all the more rewarding. Not to mention, the harebrained schemes have a sadistic perk: killing your targets in wonderfully elaborate ways. The game prioritizes patience and ingenuity with its sadistic showmanship. Revenge is a dish best served cold.[2]
8 Dead by Daylight
This title sees you target other players. Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer adventure whose premise stems from horror archetypes. Each match sees several players control the Survivors. Working together, they must escape the arena that they’re trapped in. This process involves gathering materials, crafting tools, and fixing generators to power up the exit gates. The catch is the time crunch.
The final player controls the Killer. This masked maniac hunts down the Survivors and impales them on hooks. This unholy act sacrifices them to a mysterious being known as the “Entity.” If he accomplishes this terrible tribute before his victims escape, then he wins. Essentially, each side has to race against time to outfox the other. The gameplay loop is basic, but so are most horror scenarios.[3]
7 Predator: Hunting Grounds
The formula of Dead by Daylight naturally spawned a few imitators. Predator: Hunting Grounds is one of them, but it’s a fitting match. The Predator movies are about extraterrestrial hunters systematically slaughtering characters in densely confusing settings. That premise lends itself naturally to this formula.
As before, players compete in a horrific game of cat and mouse. Four of them control elite spec ops soldiers. Together, they must complete military missions like recon or eliminating targets. Meanwhile, the remaining player goes after them as the Predator. Either side can kill the other, but the latter obviously has the advantage, thanks to alien stealth tech and durable biology. It can easily catch its quarry unawares like a superhuman assassin. The toughest troops look like lambs by comparison.[4]
6 Friday the 13th
Another multiplayer movie tie-in uses Dead by Daylight as a template. Friday the 13th focuses on a masked murderer stalking a forest campground and offing the counselors. This survival title positions one player as Jason Voorhees, who proceeds to hunt down the others. His uncanny mobility and extrasensory abilities make him a skilled killer able to ward off any attack, but the others are far from defenseless.
The remaining players are camp counselors. Their in-house know-how can hinder Jason through careful planning. Specifically, they slow him down by setting traps or shooting projectiles. Those small delays buy enough time to either escape or last until the end of the session. Granted, the counselors can also kill him by replicating his childhood trauma involving his mother, but that feat is extremely difficult to pull off. Because of Jason’s otherwise invincible nature, most matches likely involve running for dear life.[5]
5 Jaws Unleashed
It’s easy to see how Jaws made audiences afraid to enter the water. This film portrays a scenic island plagued by a massive shark. Its bloodthirsty nature is never satisfied, and its aquatic habitat makes it nearly impossible to see coming. Like the best horror monsters, this animal is truly overwhelming.
Jaws Unleashed shifts the perspective beneath the waves. Players control the enormous predator as it prowls the waters near Amity Island. Gameplay involves attacking swimmers, sinking boats, fending off hunters, and eating other animals. Along the way, you improve your stats and attacks to take on larger prey. That loop continues as the pitiful humans resort to increasingly drastic means to drive you out. Overcoming those attempts lets you secure your spot at the top of the food chain.[6]
4 Vampyr
To be fair, this entry depends on your playstyle. Vampyr sees a blood-sucking plague ravage London in 1918. You play as a doctor trying to stop it. The twist is that you’re a vampire yourself, albeit of a higher tier. It’s here where the game’s choices come in.
The selfish path is easier, but it also leaves more bodies in its wake. As a doctor, you have a set number of patients. They may be innocent people, but a vampire simply sees them as a food source. Killing them and drinking their blood can satisfy your hunger. In fact, it’s practically required to level up your vampiric abilities. The downside is that it somewhat undermines the medical profession when your patients mysteriously die off. By the end, this doctor is a bigger menace than the plague.[7]
3 Terminator: Resistance
The Terminator films are pillars of technological terror. They depict an apocalyptic future where machines reduce the planet to a nuclear wasteland and wage a ruthless war against the survivors. Terminator: Resistance positions you as one of those human survivors. You frequently fight the menacing mechs, and each encounter is a grueling struggle thanks to their impregnable armor and unparalleled precision. Fortunately, you can tip the odds in your favor.
The Infiltrator Mode DLC lets you become a Terminator. Specifically, you control an infiltrator unit to terminate a Resistance commander. Accomplishing this mission involves scouring the dilapidated Los Angeles streets and storming Tech-Com facilities. At the end of the day, though, you just mow down any humans foolish enough to stand in your way. That frightening efficiency makes you wonder how people can ever win out against robots.[8]
2 Rebel without a Pulse
Zombies usually make convenient cannon fodder. Stubbs bucks that trend. The eponymous Rebel without a Pulse survives by killing humans. The goal of the game is to simply devour people’s brains. This cranial meal keeps the undead protagonist alive (so to speak). Granted, the humans don’t make this easy, as many of them are only too willing to blast Stubbs into oblivion. The zombie can defend himself with makeshift weapons and stolen vehicles, but there’s strength in numbers.
Stubbs can also infect his victims with the undead virus. Not only does this action turn them into zombies, but it makes them loyal to their deformed creator. Soon, Stubbs has a whole army of mindless followers. These legions are great for both combat and spreading the infection. The resulting snowball effect eventually topples the entire population. It’s no wonder why zombies are so good at the apocalypse.[9]
1 Among Us
Among Us looks like the most innocent entry, but those looks lure you into a false sense of security. It’s yet another multiplayer title about a group of survivors in an enclosed environment. They must roam around this rundown base and keep it operational through teamwork. Of course, they also have a killer seeking to wipe them out. However, that familiar setup comes with a lethal caveat: The murderer is one of their own teammates.
Certain players are imposters. These guys resemble regular characters, but that’s how they get close enough to assassinate you. You must somehow discover who is genuine and who is a saboteur. Otherwise, your companions will gradually get knifed in the dark. It’s tough to rely on a team you can’t trust. On the upside, paranoia is a solid foundation for horror.[10]