The horror genre in video games has seen a massive change since 1992's Alone in the Dark, considered to be the first 3D survival horror game produced and a huge influence on the subgenre in the years that followed. Horror has evolved into larger-than-life series like Silent Hill or Resident Evil that continue to capture the public imagination.
But simply looking into the scariest monsters in mythology and folklore gives you plenty of inspiration on how to make the best video games. The thrill of what slinks about in the shadows never fades, especially when you factor in folklore monsters straight from your worst nightmares.
10 Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn
Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn is very heavily inspired by creatures from Swedish folklore and Norse mythology that are pure nightmare fuel. The story revolves around dead protagonist Linn, who's going through a torture cycle of Purgatory after her sinful life.
A creepy, maniacally giggling creature called the Nakken follows her throughout her journey. According to folklore, the Nakken fell in love with the goddess Freyja, but after she rejected and humiliated him, he began to initiate his vengeance. In the game, Linn finds Freyja's lyre, which the Nakken demands from Linn.
9 Maid Of Sker
Maid of Sker is set in the Victorian era, where you're put in the shoes of Thomas Evans, who seeks to save his love Elisabeth from her family. Thomas travels to Sker Island, where he discovers a disturbing truth about Elisabeth's fanatical family and their obsession with the Siren's powers.
The game is founded on Welsh folklore, with its principal characters inspired largely by a Welsh ghost story. In the story, Elisabeth is imprisoned by her father after falling for Thomas, who was far below her station. She dies of heartbreak and becomes a ghost. Maid of Sker's Sker Hotel is based on the real-life historic manor of Sker House.
8 Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror
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Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror does Indonesian myth and legend justice in this tastefully done indie horror video game. You experience four different folklore tales in a variety of different settings – all haunted locations, of course.
The game features the most popular (and frightening) folklore spirits amongst Indonesians. The first folklore tale features the infamous Kuntilanak, the horrifying spirit of a woman who lost her baby, followed by pocong (a tied corpse that hops around) and tuyul (little devils). Pamali delivers you a look into the daily lives of Indonesians, with some otherworldly spooks to spice things up.
7 Mundaun
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Hidden Fields' Mundaun is not your average horror game, with its characters and gloomy locations being pencil-drawn. Set in the Swiss Alps, you are investigating your grandfather's mysterious death, before quickly discovering there's something darker lurking at Mundaun.
The creator of Mundaun himself has spoken about the game, citing folktales and a certain novel for inspiration. The novel, called 'The Black Spider', tells the story of a woman who made a deal with the Devil. The game's bleak settings and pagan-religious monsters serve as quite the hint.
6 DreadOut Series
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Yet another Indonesian horror game that never fails to send shivers down your spine. DreadOut sees you play as Indonesian high school girl Linda, who is plagued daily by terrifying spirits.
The first DreadOut game sees Linda and her friends end up in an abandoned town rife with evil spirits. Armed with her six senses and phone camera, Linda hunts and wards off demons like the Kuntilanak in order to escape. Linda's journey continues in DreadOut: Keepers of the Dark, where she battles monsters new and terrifying.
5 Fatal Frame Series
Fatal Frame operates on the same premise as DreadOut, with multiple games in the series wherein the protagonist's camera can deal serious damage to hostile spirits. The idea behind Fatal Frame derives from Japanese and Asian folklore and the creator's own paranormal experiences.
The Himuro mansion of the first game is based on an urban legend in Japan concerning a haunted mansion of the same name. It is said that its occupants select a girl to sacrifice every 50 years, but the girl must be raised in complete isolation. The story goes that the girl fell in love and thus destroyed the ritual, causing the family head to go on a killing spree of his family. Yikes.
4 Pagui
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This Taiwanese indie horror video game is both artistically beautiful and utterly frightening, giving you a look into 1950s Taiwan. Based on a true story, Pagui follows the tale of an orphan boy who sets off to discover the origins of his family.
In this ghost-ridden extravaganza inspired by Taiwanese folklore and urban legends, Pangui factors in real-life exorcism and other religious rituals to get rid of ghosts. The game even features Taiwan's most infamous haunted house, the Minxiong Ghost House, available for you to explore.
3 Home Sweet Home
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Survival horror Home Sweet Home brings Thai and Southeast Asian mythology and folklore to life through the eyes of protagonist Tim. With his wife missing, Tim finds himself in a series of eerie locations instead of his house.
Home Sweet Home features many ghosts and demons known to Thai folklore, such as the Preta, which are also called hungry ghosts as punishment for being greedy people in life. Other demons include the Krasue, which consists only of a floating woman's head and her innards. Creepy.
2 The 9th Gate
Malaysian horror game The 9th Gate dips into their own unique folklore and urban legends to form the inspiration of their monsters. As an investigator named Kim, you must traverse an abandoned apartment to find a missing girl.
From horrifying Southeast Asian demons like the tuyul to the langsuir (female vampire equivalent), The 9th Gate leaves no holds barred when it comes to terrifying the public.
1 Kuon
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An old classic you can always rely on to scare the living daylights out of you, 2004's Kuon is a game rife with Japanese ghosts and demons (or yokai). Set during the Heian period in Kyoto, the story focuses on magical trees that could resurrect the dead.
You play as a Japanese female onmyōji (or trained exorcist), charged with defeating the monsters and exorcising the trees. In fact, there is a similarity between Kuon and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice when it comes to centipedes, since these creepy-crawlies were used by characters in the game to serve as hosts and prolong their life.
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