Horror has always been, and will forever remain, a popular genre. People love feeling scared without actually being placed in danger, and horror entertainment is the perfect vehicle in which one can experience those feelings. And while mainstream horror games are often quite good, there is a lot of magnificent creativity to be found in the independent sphere as well.
In fact, it seems like gaming has been veering more and more independent throughout the 2010s, with indie developers and indie games often overshadowing the more expensive and bombastic mainstream titles. Gaming experienced an indie horror explosion throughout the decade, and there are a number of terrific titles to come from it, especially when looking at their Metacritic scores.
Outlast (2013): 80
Released in the boom of the indie horror craze, Outlast was a first person survival horror that saw a freelance journalist investigating a creepy psychiatric hospital. The gameplay behind this title was very simplistic, as it required little more than running from enemies and hiding under beds.
That being said, the game exhibited a terrific sense of atmosphere and dread, resulting in a strong Metascore of 80. Much of the praise went towards its simplistic gameplay, atmosphere, and memorable villains.
Darkwood (2019): 80
While it was originally released through Steam Early Access in 2014, Darkwood was officially released to PC gamers in the summer of 2017. It takes place in a creepy, dark Soviet forest and serves as a top-down, semi open world horror game
Developed by Acid Wizard Studio, Darkwood earned praise for its difficulty, story, and unique art style, drawing comparisons to the likes of Silent Hill 2 and receiving a Metascore of 80. It's good company to have, considering Silent Hill 2 is one of the best survival horror games ever made.
Visage (2020): 81
Released just in time for Halloween 2020, Visage was largely inspired by the now-infamously cancelled project, P.T. And while it doesn't reach the heights of its obvious spiritual predecessor, Visage is nevertheless an engrossing and captivating horror game with a Metascore of 81.
The game has earned continuous praise for its imaginative design and memorable set pieces, often toying with players' heads and forcing them to confront a wide variety of fears - including those of the psychological variety. It's not for the fainthearted, but Visage proves a fantastic horror experience.
Stories Untold (2017): 81
It seems like the pop culture landscape is feeling nostalgic for the 1980s, as shows like Stranger Things are filled with palpable '80s features. Stories Untold was developed by No Code and takes enormous inspiration from video games of the '80s, including text-based adventures.
The gameplay is refreshingly simple, and its atmosphere is gloriously '80s, somehow making a text-based adventure work in the 21st century. It also contains a genuinely scary and well-told story, resulting in a strong Metascore of 81.
The Forest (2018): 83
As its title suggests, The Forest takes place in a deadly forest. Players control a plane crash survivor named Eric Leblanc as he attempts to survive in the titular forest with his young son Timmy. Earning a strong 83 on Metacritic, The Forest continuously earned praise for its oppressive atmosphere and horrific, well-told story.
The story is relatively grounded, helping players to inhabit the character of Eric and his nightmarish plight, and the titular forest makes for a memorable setting, full of oppressive shadows and unknown horrors.
Detention (2017): 83
Detention was developed by a Taiwanese developer known as Red Candle Games and served as their debut title. It's a period piece, taking place in Taiwan in the 1960s while the country is under martial law. The story is wonderfully fresh and inventive, touching on difficult themes regarding the country's history with martial law.
It's a title with something to say, and players will find lots to learn. But it's also a horrifying video game on the surface, complete with a brooding atmosphere that proves reminiscent of Silent Hill.
SOMA (2017): 84
Developed by the acclaimed and popular Frictional Games, SOMA is an underwater survival horror with a strong emphasis on puzzle solving. Holding a very strong 84 on Metacritic, SOMA earned widespread praise for its story and production values.
The story was wonderfully original, mixing themes of humanism and ambiguous consciousness within sentient machinery with creepy Lovecraftian elements. The voice acting also sold the ambitious story and the machines' aforementioned humanism, resulting in an unforgettable experience.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010): 85
Arguably the very video game that kicked off the indie horror craze of the 2010s, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a certified classic of gaming. Developed by Frictional Games, Amnesia was largely inspired by the works of author H.P. Lovecraft, including a unique gameplay element that sees the protagonist slowly losing his mind upon witnessing otherworldly creatures.
The game has a terrific imagination reminiscent of the famous author, and it comes with a foreboding atmosphere and solid puzzle design. Its influence is enormous, and it remains just as effective as it was in 2010.
Observer (2017): 85
Developed by Bloober Team, Observer is a psychological horror game that sees players hacking into others' minds. The protagonist is Daniel Lazarski, a detective who interrogates suspects by hacking into their minds and reading their inner thoughts.
The System Redux version holds an incredible 85 on Metacritic, with much of the praise centered around the game's production values. The world design is richly imaginative and filled with mesmerizing detail, and the visual effects portray an engrossing sci-fi future that rivals that of Cyberpunk 2077. In many ways, this game could even be better.
LIMBO (2011): 88
While not necessarily a straightforward horror game, LIMBO nevertheless contains many horror elements that place it firmly within the genre. The game served as the debut title of Danish development company Playdead, and it quickly established them as one of the leading names in independent gaming.
LIMBO holds an incredible 88 on Metacritic thanks in large part to the game's gorgeous visual design and tantalizingly ambiguous story. It proved wholeheartedly that video games could be a form of art, it established Playdead as a development team to watch, and it proved one of the most memorable gaming experiences of the 2010s.