It’s been a great year for fans of the horror genre in gaming but it’s tough picking the best of the best for 2023.<\/p>
Whether you are playing a horror game for the immersion, story, jumpscares, or pure thrills, each entry held its own in 2023. Regardless of its horror subgenre, these are the best horror games that were released last year.<\/p>
Honorable mentions<\/h3>
After debating between a tenth spot, I decided to leave it open to my honorable mentions. This is because I did not feel like a single game in my honorable mentions was better than the other entries on the list. Each has its pros and cons and hits different aspects of horror that will intrigue particular horror fandoms. <\/p>
How did 2023 fair when it came to horror? My honorable mentions for the best horror games of 2023 are:<\/p>
- World of Horror<\/em> (a fantastic Junji Ito-inspired game)<\/li>
- Midnight Scenes: From the Woods<\/em> (a great story about queerness and friendship)<\/li>
- Slay the Princess<\/em> (a unique and narrative-driven game)<\/li>
- Ironbark Lookout<\/em> (similar to Do You Copy?<\/em>)<\/li>
- Dead Signal<\/em> (a very challenging game that fills you with paranoia)<\/li>
- Dredge <\/em>(a Lovecraftian cozy horror game)<\/li>
- The Exit 8<\/em> (the most unique Observation Duty<\/em>-style game)<\/li>
- Teleforum <\/em>(a surreal and dark experience similar to Videodrome<\/em>)<\/li>
- The Windows Are Gone<\/em> (a short Silent Hill<\/em> inspired tale)<\/li> <\/ul>
For example, if you want a narrative that keeps you gripped from start to finish, Slay the Princess<\/em>, From the Woods<\/em>, and Ironbark Lookout<\/em> are perfect for you. But you’ll want to play Dredge<\/em> or World of Horror <\/em>if you’re a Lovecraftian lover. Teleforum<\/em> and The Windows Are Gone<\/em> are chilling for the surreal and psychological fans who love an ambiguous ending. Finally, if you want an Observation Duty<\/em>-style game, The Exit 8 <\/em>and Dead Signal<\/em> will keep your attention at all times.<\/p>
With those out of the way, my nine best horror games of 2023 are in no particular order\u2014they’re all as good as each other across many criteria. Let’s dive in.<\/p>
Amanda the Adventurer<\/em><\/h3>
![\"Amanda](\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/amanda-the-adventurer-header.jpg?w=640\")
A mind-bending childish nightmare. Image via MANGLEDmaw Games<\/figcaption><\/figure> Amanda the Adventurer<\/strong><\/em> is an obvious and twisted take on Dora the Explorer<\/em>. While the setting of the game isn’t particularly unique, its small environment packs a punch and offers a ton of mysteries. With cursed video tapes, secrets, and six endings to uncover, Amanda the Adventurer<\/em> is a fantastic horror game that completely ruins your childhood. It left me with many questions, having me beg for an Amanda and Wooly sequel.<\/p>
Amanda the Adventurer<\/em> has a hold on its players. You feel like you have literally been taken and transported into Amanda’s world. The use of real-life actors and cartoonish characters adds to the uncanniness of the game which makes it feel like a real and forgotten TV show. <\/p>
Amnesia: The Bunker<\/em><\/h3>
![\"Amnesia](\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/amnesia-bunker-pit.jpg?w=640\")
A series that you can’t forget. Screenshot by Dot Esports<\/figcaption><\/figure> In simple terms, Amnesia: The Bunker<\/strong><\/em> is an awesome horror game. I never truly got over the first hour of The Dark Descent’s<\/em> gameplay which I still believe has the scariest atmosphere in horror game history. Amnesia <\/em>deals with an almost cosmic horror where the fear of the unknown is always at the forefront of the game. The fear of the unknown is continued inside The Bunker<\/em>.<\/p>
I absolutely loved playing The Bunker<\/em>. It had the perfect blend of genuine horror and a challenging premise. Frictional Games always offer a unique gameplay mechanic to master. The winding flashlight is a great way to add to the horror and switch it up from the sanity mechanism that we typically see with their games.<\/p>
Resident Evil 4 Remake<\/em><\/h3>
![\"Resident](\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/resident-evil-4-leon-las-plagas.jpg?w=640\")
Look at this dramatic shot of the K-pop idol. Screengrab by Dot Esports via Resident Evil YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure> Capcom always offers visually beautiful games that few, in my opinion, have been able to take on (like The Last of Us<\/em>, Bloodborne<\/em>, and Alan Wake 2<\/em>). I loved the changes they made towards the escorting mission in Resident Evil 4 Remake<\/a><\/em> and being able to play Ashley in a nightmarish library level. Every Resident Evil<\/em> remake is faithful but its polish and modern gameplay puts it above the originals. <\/p>
Alan Wake 2<\/em><\/h3>
![\"AW2:](\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Alan-Wake-2_20231030230153.jpg?w=640\")
Sitting alone in the VIP. Screenshot by Dot Esports<\/figcaption><\/figure> Alan Wake 2<\/strong><\/a><\/em> is a step above many AAA horror games. It has incredibly beautiful visuals, great real-life acting, terrifyingly impressive graphics and character models, and banger-after-banger songs in its soundtrack. As someone who obsesses over great storytelling, Alan Wake 2<\/em> takes the cake this year for the best narrative. The game plays like a film. <\/p>
Dead Space Remake<\/em><\/h3>
![\"Dead](\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/dead-space-remake-trailer.jpg?w=640\")
The man, the myth, the legend. Screengrab by Dot Esports via Dead Space YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure> When I heard Dead Space<\/em> was getting its own remake, I thought “Why bother?” With more and more media diving into remakes, remastering, reimagines, and so on, I thought why should they remake a horror game that still holds up to this day? However, with Dead Space<\/em> originally released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the remake made sense for those who were unable to witness this fantastic horror game when it came out.<\/p>
Dead Space<\/a><\/em> (2023) is a faithful remake of the original game. It stayed true to what made it great to begin with and added much-needed polish that naturally occurred with the newest generations of consoles. Dead Space<\/em> is a truly immersive experience and one that easily goes against the titans of Resident Evil<\/em> and Silent Hill<\/em>. The atmosphere is unmatched and the dread I felt while traversing across the dark space station after forgetting all of the terrors that lurked within had me on the edge of my seat.<\/p>
