2023 was quite a year for gaming in general and horror games in particular. From big budget AAA games to smaller indy releases, horror fans had a lot to choose from this year. 

10. Hellboy Web of Wyrd  Though met with some less than positive reviews, Hellboy Web of Wyrd is worth playing for two reasons. First, the game’s visuals uncannily emulate Mike Mignola’s distinctive art style. Equally impressive, the voice acting of the late Lance Riddick gives us the perfect witty, cynical and world weary hero from the comic. Get it here

9. Varney Lake  If you think there should have been a point and click video game adaptation of Stephen King’s It miniseries in 1990, Varney Lake is your game. In this coming of age story that begins in the 1950s, a trio of children encounter an injured vampire and offer him assistance – a choice that will reverberate into their adult lives. Get it here

8. Sherlock Holmes the Awakened Fans of both the Holmes and Lovecraft worlds will appreciate this remake of a well regarded 2006 game. With a much deeper and expansive story, the game’s developers show off a thorough knowledge of the mythos. Get it here

7. Killer Frequency A full blast of 80s retro-slasher horror, Killer Frequency finds the player as a former big time DJ stuck in a small town radio station on the anniversary of a horrific murder spree thirty years previously.  Get it here

6. World of Horror World of Horror is a text driven role playing game with one foot in Lovecraftian mythos and the other in Junji Ito Japanese horror. Frequently disturbing and always difficult, World of Horror is hard to forget.  Get it here

5. Dead Space  2023 was a year for remakes, and for the most part, it was a welcome trend. Dead Space reclaims its place as the best sci fi horror from among its countless imitators.  Get it here

4. Dreams in the Witch House  An adaptation of Lovecraft’s short story, this brings new energy to the retro-point and click genre with its constant sense of dread and urgency.  Get it here

3. Resident Evil 4 A near-flawless remake of a game from a franchise that is working hard to reclaim its horror credentials after a decade’s worth of missteps. Get it here

2. Dredge The breakout hit of the year, this fishing simulator game finds cosmic horror in the most unlikely of genres. Get it here

1. Alan Wake 2 What began thirteen years ago with a depressed and frustrated writer whose inner struggles manifest into a supernatural threat has now evolved into a meta-story that comments on the hero’s journey within the horror genre. As a game, Alan Wake 2 innovates the horror genre with its ‘mixed media’ presentation of live footage and amazingly rendered graphics.  Get it here