Have you ever pondered why children in horror games are always exceptionally frightening? It's a widely used element in this genre for a particular reason. By taking something typically associated with innocence and purity, and twisting it into something sinister, game developers create a jarring contrast that leaves players deeply unsettled. When child characters, who are traditionally perceived as embodiments of wonder and goodness, are infused with malice, it creates a disturbing effect. Pair this with eerie sound effects and the right setting, and even the most innocuous elements can turn into sources of fear.
Horror games excel at leveraging the terrifying child trope to evoke fear in players. Few things send chills down a gamer's spine in a survival horror game like encountering a malevolent child in a dimly lit corridor. Let's delve into some of the most outstanding examples.
7Amanda (Amanda the Adventurer)
The Mysterious Presence
- Platform(s): Steam
- Released: April 25, 2023
- Publisher(s): DreadXP
- Genre(s): Survival horror
Within Amanda the Adventurer, players gradually uncover the sinister undertones lurking beneath the facade of this Dora the Explorer-esque game. While the protagonist of this kids' show usually addresses the audience in a benign manner, it becomes evident that this young girl senses a watcher and desperately seeks their aid.
Poor Amanda remains oblivious to her own transformation. With her macabre inclinations and escalating hostility towards her closest companion, she displays only partial awareness of the demonic force that has ensnared her. She is resigned to the fact that reversing whatever she has become is futile.
6Six (Little Nightmares)
Beyond Innocence
In Little Nightmares, a game shrouded in mystery, players are left to speculate about the characters and the game's underlying narrative. The diminutive protagonist, Six, remains enigmatic, with little to no backstory provided. All that is apparent is her desire to flee the ominous Maw and her insatiable hunger.
Initially, players may empathize with Six based on these basic motivations. However, as the game unfolds, her callous indifference towards other Maw captives, prioritizing her survival above all else, reveals a darker side to her character. When hunger strikes, even her companions are not safe from her self-serving actions.
5Joshua Shepherd (Silent Hill: Homecoming)
An Enigmatic Figure with Tragic Undertones
- Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
- Released: September 30, 2008
- Publisher(s): Konami
- Genre(s): Survival horror
Joshua's enigmatic demeanor in the Silent Hill series mirrors the franchise's penchant for cryptic and symbolic storytelling. Appearing before his brother Alex at intervals, Joshua speaks in riddles before eluding any meaningful interaction. Encountering a child coloring in a dim hospital corridor surely bodes well, doesn't it?
However, in the grim world of Silent Hill, every detail carries a weight of sorrowful significance. Joshua's sporadic appearances, cryptic guidance, and deliberate avoidance of his brother all hint at a somber truth: the brother Alex sought to save had long been beyond redemption.
4Akane and Azami Kiryu (Fatal Frame 2)
Twin Terrors United in Death
The heart-wrenching tale of twins separated by tradition and reunited through macabre rituals unfolds in Fatal Frame 2. Akane and Azami Kiryu, born into a town where dark rites were essential for maintaining peace, metamorphosed into identical specters of torment and violence. Their eerie presence, clad in traditional garb, coupled with synchronized speech and a penchant for ambushing players collectively, exudes an aura of dread that rivals the infamous Grady sisters.
3The Sink Baby (P.T.)
A Disturbing Enigma
In a departure from convention, this unnamed infant in P.T. remains shrouded in mystery, with doubts lingering about its corporeal existence. Traversing the dread-soaked, looping corridors of this infamous demo, players occasionally catch unsettling whispers and chuckles. The enigma unfurls when the bathroom door creaks open, revealing the uncanny entity within.
The Sink Baby's grotesque countenance and eerie, resonant voice, delivering articulate monologues that hint at the backstory of the specter Lisa, introduce a sinister twist. A mere infant possessing such profound insight into parental lives defies the norm of innocence associated with childhood.
2Eveline (Resident Evil 7)
A Tragic Prodigy of Fear
Eveline's descent into terror was not of her making; she was engineered in a lab to embody fear. Disguised as an innocent child, Eveline wields immense bioweapon capabilities, compelling others to succumb to her will through her mold-infused powers. Unleashed unwittingly upon a hapless Louisiana family, she orchestrates one of the most petrifying video game encounters of 2017.
Her innate desire for familial bonds injects a tragic element into her character. Despite commanding the Bakers and Ethan's spouse to turn against him, her true aspiration is for Ethan to join their macabre kinship. Oscillating between gleeful revelry in terrorizing her victims and poignant yearning for affection, Eveline embodies a blend of innocence and malevolence that hints at the peril of unfettered power in youthful hands.
1Alma Wade (F.E.A.R.)
The Sinister Specter in Scarlet
Alma Wade reigns supreme as the epitome of dread-inducing children in video games. Drawing inspiration from iconic figures like Sadako from The Ring and Kayako from The Grudge, Alma embodies a chilling persona with her disheveled appearance, bloodied feet, and overwhelming psychic prowess. Subjected to experimentation by the Armacham Technology Corporation throughout her life, Alma metamorphosed into a vengeful spirit of immense power.
Encountering this spectral child in the initial F.E.A.R. installment prompts fleeing as her psychic abilities unleash havoc, induce madness, and unveil her spectral projection. The true Alma remains ensnared within the facility, her childlike guise echoing a lost innocence or perhaps a deliberate facade to evoke fear—a potent reminder of the sinister allure of untamed power in a fragile form.