Horror games offer a diverse range of bone-chilling experiences. A common strategy employed by developers is setting the stage in a single building, intensifying the fear and tension. This trapped-in-one-place scenario allows for boundless imagination to conjure up terrifying scenarios lurking in every corner.
Many of the most iconic horror video games unfold within the confines of a solitary location. From family crypts to neglected gardens, these narratives can unfold in various settings like haunted mansions, warehouses, police stations, or ancient castles.
6 The 7th Guest
Metacritic Score: 68
- Developer: Trilobyte
- Publisher: Virgin Interactive Entertainment
- Genre: Interactive movie, puzzle game
- Release Date: April 28, 1993
A pioneer in blending cinematic sequences with gameplay, The 7th Guest introduced the concept of the haunted mansion to video games. The narrative revolves around the mysterious toy-maker Henry Stauf, unveiling a dark history of theft and murder. As players delve deeper, they uncover Stauf's sinister pact involving a sinister death quota, particularly focusing on children.
5 Alone In The Dark
Metacritic Score: 64
Alone In The Dark, a 1990s classic, revolutionized survival horror and 3D design. Centered around private investigator Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood's quest to find her missing uncle in Derceto Manor, the game's entirety unfolds within the Manor's eerie confines, extending to the back garden and shed.
4 Half-Life
Metacritic Score: 96
Despite the vastness of the Black Mesa Research Facility, Half-Life maintains a single-location setting. Protagonist Gordon Freeman's routine experiment gone awry leads to an interdimensional portal mishap, thrusting him into a battle against alien forces to escape the underground facility and surface threats.
3 Castlevania, Symphony of the Night
Metacritic Score: 96
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night marks a shift to Dracula's Castle as the sole setting, departing from the series' traditional countryside exploration. Playing as Alucard, Dracula's dhampir son, players traverse creatively designed castle interiors ranging from torture chambers to grand halls, epitomizing the Metroidvania genre.
2 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Metacritic Score: 86
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard continues the franchise's theme of isolation by confining players within the Baker Plantation's main house, shrouded in eerie mystery and infected by the malevolent Baker family. Players, embodying Ethan Winters, navigate the abandoned estate following cryptic clues from his vanished wife, encountering nightmarish threats.
1 ECHO
Metacritic Score: 71
- Developer: Ultra Ultra
- Publisher: Ultra Ultra
- Genre: Stealth, action
- Release Date: September 2017
ECHO presents a futuristic sci-fi narrative where En, a genetically enhanced humanoid, explores a colossal structure crafted by a malfunctioning AI. Awoken from cryogenic sleep, En embarks on a mission left by her deceased colleague Foster, navigating through the AI-created copies, the