Have you ever considered playing terrifying games that focus on staying alive, with some RPG elements included? There are plenty of games like that, and if you haven’t tried this genre before, you’re missing out.

And today, in this article, I’d like to show you some of my favorite games of this specific genre - without further ado, let’s begin with the first game:

10. Dead Frontier 2

The world has died and it has been plagued with bloodthirsty zombies that have once been human - those days are long gone, with very slim chances of things returning to normal…

Still, there are supplies scattered in the ruins and it’s up to you whether you’ll have the guts to go out there and risk everything for a little boost.

While supplies are important, developing your skills is also crucial - without evolving your character, you won’t make it in the long-run.

Create alliances with other players and trade with them but never lose your focus, it might be the end of you otherwise.

Why this game rocks:

• Graphics-wise, the quality is surprisingly high
• A unique atmosphere, might make you feel uneasy at times
• Plenty of different weapons to choose from

Fun rating: 83/100

Opening fire at approaching zombies.

9. Darkwood

A top-down game might not seem very scary, although Darkwood does a great job at keeping you spooked, as well as fascinated with new challenges appearing each night.

The soundtrack of this game is what will keep you on your toes - it builds tension perfectly, as well as fear. The eerie silence is also present…

The mental health of your character is also important, the last thing that you want is to completely lose your mind in the dark woods, as it will result in your downfall.

Hide in the little shack that you’ve prepared, set up deadly contraptions, and try to survive, without fully succumbing to insanity.

Why this game is awesome:

• You can set up your own little spot, which makes everything cozier
• The game has a very unique style of its own, very grotesque, plus gory imagery
• The world is randomly generated, which will make it hard for you to get bored of it

Fun rating: 85/100

Never feel comfortable at night…

8. WORLD OF HORROR

If you’re a fan of Japanese horror, then this game is one of a kind - it has to offer the world slowly dying to evil powers, which are the old gods trying to gain a foothold.

You’ll encounter many strange events, some will leave you thinking, while others will leave you speechless and disturbed.

The game itself has multiple endings that you can get, as well as 10 mysteries that you can finish. 

You get to play one out of five characters, who have unique stories and personalities - this also will keep you replaying this game!

Why this game is awesome:

• Japanese-styled horror is always welcome in my book
• Surprisingly difficult to finish, although you’ll get a hang of it eventually
• Multiple endings that you can get
• You can also pick 5 different characters for each playthrough

Fun rating: 89/100

She’s totally fine. Totally.

7. Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut

A horror game combined with psychological elements, which gives its a very unique atmosphere where you feel completely alone in a disease-ravaged world.

Not only that, you get to listen to over 30 songs that were composed by Jasper Byrne himself - they fit in quite perfectly into this game.

The game is not really about graphics, although it has +100 detailed locations that you’ll eventually encounter.

Find new weapons and items or craft them, find more as you progress and eventually make your existence less miserable!

Why this game is awesome:

• A very good game that had a reasonably low budget
• 2 different types of endings that you can accomplish
• Plenty of findable/craftable items

Fun rating: 91/100

When you wait for the shop owner to finally open up so you can buy an energy drink.

6. Dead Space Remake

Although some players might disagree with this game being an RPG, it does, without a doubt have some unbelievably terrifying moments on the forsaken ship of USG Ishimura. 

One of them is the infection plaguing the ship, or the Necromorphs slashing, dismembering, and beheading everything that they come across…

If that wasn’t bad enough, your main character, Issac Clarke, will have to struggle with his mind fighting off the increasing hallucinations with Nicole, his girlfriend that’s also stranded on the ship.

Try your luck, although you’re gonna come across many things that you’ll want to unsee…

Why this game is awesome:

• Of the most unique and grotesque monsters that you’ll come across
• Incredible sound design(ship ambience, monster roars, engines, etc)
• Interesting plot(markers, hallucinations, characters, etc)

Fun rating: 92/100

Good old slashers!

5. At Dead Of Night

Once upon a time, in a hotel located in god knows where, a girl named Maya was put in a position where she was forced to free her friends or die trying.

The owner of the hotel Jimmy Hall, is a deranged psychopath that’s known for torturing people, as well as keeping them in captivity.

Your job as Maya is to find your buddies and get the hell outta there, of course, with Jimmy lurking around.

A rather unique experience, the game has incredible graphics that will leave you terrified when eventually caught by Jimmy the virgin himself!

Why I like this game:

• Once Jimmy Hall comes at you, you’ll give birth to bricks
• Photo-realistic graphics, everything looks “perfect”
• Plenty of puzzles for you to complete

Fun rating: 94/100

Lovely lad...

4. Call of Cthulhu

He comes, the consumer of the worlds, ready to unleash his madness upon your poor soul…

Will Pierce, the main character of this game, be able to uncover the dark truth behind the mysterious death of the Hawkins family? 

Or will he succumb to the insanity that has been brought by completely alien forces? Only time will tell.

Uncover the mysteries, solve puzzles, and encounter disturbing creatures that won’t go easy on your physical or psychological well-being. Good luck!

Why this game is dope:

• Lovecraftian horror appeals to many people nowadays, including me!
• A fascinating plot that will keep you engaged for hours
• Difficult but fun puzzles, might leave you thinking for a minute or two

Fun rating: 96/100

Some old fart starting at you, nothin’ to see here!

3. Project Zomboid

A game with rather primitive graphics but a massive list of cool mechanics to discover and take advantage of. What’s Project Zomboid exactly?

It’s a game where you are alone in a desolate world filled with zombies, while some are slow, there are also those which will most likely outrun you and kill you.

You can live inside an abandoned building or just create your own base, gather materials, and try to make the best out of your current situation.

Speaking from experience, entering houses with alarms installed is a bad idea - it will attract zombies from a mile away and will end up in you getting your guts ripped out!

Why this game is great:

• Plenty of traits that you can skill up
• The world is interactable and massive, can build stuff wherever you want
• Plenty of ways to kill zombies, also a lot of weapons to pick from

Fun rating: 97/100

A successful car-blockade.

2. System Shock Remake

What the hell went down here? Everything is bloody and there is a damn rogue AI speaking to me in a menacing voice. Also, why is that guy coming at me with a wrench? Someone blasts this damn spaceship into a black hole so that it’s never seen again. 

The whole purpose of this game is to explore an abandoned spaceship that was overtaken by a rogue AI that only has one purpose and that’s to survive. Because the AI gained sentience it wanted to survive and it knew if the creators found out it would be thrown into the recycling bin. 

To counter that the AI made a deal with some parasite and killed everyone. It is up to you to overcome this AI with your big IQ plays while scouting the ship for supplies so you can kill the creatures that roam the ship like mindless husks.

But the main problem is going to be the horror aspect because this is the scariest game on this list and you better be wearing a diaper while playing it. The atmosphere is amazing and the sound design is on point. If you can’t wait for this game to come out there’s a free demo on Steam and you should play it.

Why I like this game:

• The atmosphere and sound design constantly keep you on the edge of your seat
• It was one of the original games that made the horror survival genre popular along with Resident Evil
• It has an interesting story and a mystery to be uncovered 

Fun rating: 99/100

A lovely lad, he’ll always hold the door for ya!

1. Dying light 2

 Who turned off the light again? Was it you, God? Oh, why have you forsaken me the mutated creatures are coming to bite my ass. If you absolutely loved playing the first game you’ll love the sequel even more. 

It has better parkour and the graphics are picture-perfect. The game has also added dialogue choices and they impact the story more than you know which wasn’t a part of the first game mind you. 

The whole point of this game is to kill zombies in style and figure out a way to cure yourself because you have been bitten. To do that you have to loot houses and look around for any survivors that might be able to help you out on the journey. 

While exploring you’ll also encounter different factions. Some are bad, and some are good but in general, the whole world has gone to crap and it’s up to you to at least try to stabilize the situation in the city while being hunted by the new and evolved apex predators. Good luck and goodnight!

Why I like this game:

• It has a fluent parkour system
• There are dialogue choices that impact the story
• The evolved zombies can be challenging to overcome and there are different varieties
• Some city parts are controlled by different factions which you can liberate

Fun rating: 100/100

If it’s not the zombies, then it’s the humans.

You may also be interested in:

• [Top 15] Best Indie Survival Games
• [Top 15] Best Indie Survival Horror Games