Summary
Horror is one of the most profitable genres in the multimedia landscape. Companies often seek to capitalize on this popularity by licensing out some of the most popular horror franchises for video game adaptation. However, the quality of these licensed games can be suspect.
Licensed or tie-in games are often used as cheap cash grabs with little effort put into them, and one need look no further thanThe Walking Dead: Destiniesto realize this. Fortunately, for every lackluster licensed horror game, there are just as many good games that arerespectful of the franchise and the charactersthey are based on. Here are the best examples of licensed horror games.
From the traps to gory deaths,Sawis a franchise that lends itself well to video game adaptations. It is a shame that there has only been one good game adaptation of the series.
2009’sSawis a third-person survival horror game set between the first and second movies. It follows the first film’s David Trapp as he navigates an asylum modified and fitted with numerous traps by Jigsaw. The game has some very good puzzle solving, an unsettling atmosphere, and reveals more of Jigsaw’s backstory, making it a worthy addition to the franchise.
The Road Aheadtells an original story in theA Quiet Placeworld. The game serves as a prequel to the original films and puts players in charge of Alex as she attempts to survive and seek safety for herself and her unborn child.
It is a first-person survival horror game primarily focused on stealth. The signature aliens of the franchise stalk various levels as players attempt to sneak past them and complete objectives while incorporating microphone options to include player audio.The Road Aheadtells a compelling narrative filled with tension and drama.
Killer Klowns From Outer Spaceis an asymmetric multiplayer game from 2024 in the vein ofFriday the 13th: The Game. It was released just in time for fans of multiplayer games based on 80s horror franchises,as the latter shut down its servers at the end of 2024.
AKiller Klowns From Outer Spacematch consists of three Klowns hunting seven humans and triggering the Klownpocalypse as the humans try to escape before the 15-minute timer runs out. The game is incredibly fun to play with friends and has a lot of potential for laughter-inducing moments.
The originalBlair Witchwas instrumental in popularizing the found footage genre of horror. While what came after may not have lived up to the quality of the original film, theBlair Witchgame by Bloober Team comes pretty close.
This first-person survival horror game follows a former police officer, along with his dog Bullet,as they venture into a forestin search of a missing boy. With a terrifying atmosphere, a good story, an excellent dog companion, and multiple endings that are different levels of messed up,Blair Witchis a worthy sequel to the original film.
Dead by Daylightstands as a shining beacon of the popularity of horror as a genre. This asymmetric multiplayer juggernaut has been consistently partnering with various publishers to bring content based around popular horror franchises to the game.
A match ofDead by Daylightconsists of a Killerhunting down four Survivors as they run around to find ways to escape. What makes this loop incredibly fun is the host of who’s who of horror monsters players can take control of, like the Xenomorph, Michael Myers, Leatherface, and the list goes on.
John Carpenter’s seminal horror cult classic was adapted into a third-person horror shooter in 2002.The Thingis a single-player squad-based shooter where players take control of a new character, Captain Blake, as he finds survivors and seeks to uncover what happened at the Antarctic outpost and research team, and comes face to face with the shape-shifting alien in the process.
The squad-based gameplay ofThe Thingis a genius move as it taps into the film’s feeling of paranoia as squadmates turn out to have been assimilated by the alien, and it makes the game very tense to play.
The Walking Deadis one of the most popular zombie horror franchises in recent memory. The TV show was popular for its entire run, and the graphic novels are widely read. With a franchise that focuses so intensely on story, there was no better choice for a developer to adapt it into a video game than Telltale.
The Walking Deadtells an emotional story separate from the main storyline, but no less compelling.The Final Seasonis a brilliant culmination of the long-running storyand the perfect final entry into the series.
Parasite Eveis a sequel to the novel by Hideaki Sena of the same name. There is also aParasite Evemovie from 1997. The game sticks more closely to the novel, though, which is an incredibly creepy and terrifying work of sci-fi horror literature.
The game manages to capture the atmosphere that made the novel so great in a semi-open-world RPG with unique combat mechanics that mix real-time and turn-based combat. The game’s real strength lies in its story and the pervasive sense of horror that permeates the entire experience.
TheMetroseries isset in a post-apocalyptic Moscowfollowing a nuclear war. The game is based on the novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky and tells the story of Artyom as he seeks to protect his underground settlement from the terrifying Dark Ones.
Metro 2033is a first-person survival horror shooter, and its 2014Reduxis the definitive version of the game. It perfectly captures the claustrophobic nature of the underground societies from the novels. The creature designs are suitably grotesque and terrifying, and the Dark Ones especially are rendered in gloriously scary detail.
Alienis one of the most beloved sci-fi horror franchises in history. While there have been multiple attempts to adapt it to video games, none have been as good or as terrifying as 2014’sAlien: Isolation.
This first-person survival horror shooter puts a larger focus on survival horror than the shooting, since the Xenomorph is unkillable for most of the game. Being chased by the Xenomorph with little respiteis a nerve-racking experience. The game also manages to perfectly adapt the retro-future aesthetic of the films.
