Top 10 Horror Mystery Games

Horror Mystery Games
Whatever happened here, it wasn't anything good.


Horror games are fun, but add some mystery into it and it becomes more exciting.

Crack the enigmas of these Top 10 Horror Mystery Games:

10. Remothered: Tormented Fathers

Remothered: Tormented Fathers Trailer

This psychological horror game follows a woman’s quest to uncover the disappearance of a young girl.

The events occur in the girl’s family’s villa filled with dark secrets.

This is the first game in an intended trilogy developed by Stormind Games in collaboration with Darril Arts (aka director Chris Darril). The concept was inspired by Clock Tower and Silent Hill, as well as old psychological horror movies such as Rosemary’s Baby and Silence of the Lambs.

Get out of my house! My farm tools are ready if you don't leave at once!

(Not listening)

9. Tokyo Dark

Tokyo Dark Trailer

Play this sidescroller mystery-adventure as Detective Ito, who is on a quest to search for her missing partner. Unveil layers of intrigue and explore the city’s underbelly through a porthole in the sewers of Tokyo. Cherrymochi Game Studio took cinematic cues from games like Shenmue, and combined them with their love of the visuals in Corpse Party: Book of Shdows. Real Japanese locations were incorporated to enhance environmental authenticity. Discover the nightmarish revelations hidden in the shadows by playing in anime-haven Akihabara, or frightening Aokigahara (“Suicide Forest”), or even the redlight Kabukicho.

You must obtain more training. Because we are all professionals, here.

Cherry blossom time or not, Detective Ito ignores the pretty scenery in favor of searching for her partner.

8. Call of Cthulhu

Call of Cthulhu Trailer

A family is dead. An investigator searches for clues about the incident and the soon-to-be revived Old God, Cthulhu. The RPG is set on an island off of Boston. The investigator sees his sanity start to crumble while milling about seedy bars, derelict buildings and even the loony bin. The developers at Cyanide Studio (and previously, Frogwares) wanted to adapt the game from the 1981 tabletop Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. Initial inspiration of course also stemmed from the original writings of H.P. Lovecraft.

Is this where the Great God rests?

The big Kahuna has awoken.

7. Anatomy

(no trailer available)

Alone in a house with only cassette tape clues, try to figure out why objects suddenly switch places or float in mid-air. This house is not a home, and if you’re not in your right mind, you may get trapped inside forever. The creepy lo-fi, low budget thriller will purposely ‘crash’ or glitch to confuse the player. The home is a metaphor for an unwell body and mind. Developer Kitty Horrorshow wanted to use primal fear and body horror as concepts. Instead of incorporating jumpscares, body parts are represented by parts of the house. Crumbling architecture represent a crumbling mind.

Thanks for the memo.

If I press play, will this screen stop glitching?

6. Outlast

Outlast Trailer

A journalist sneaks into an asylum to investigate deranged patients known as Variants. Discover what could be causing the mutations while trying to find your way out alive. Nestled in the mountains of Colorado, the first-person stealth-horror game moves through the unethical facility’s corpse-filled corridors and underground labs.

Red Barrels’ developers (all former Ubisoft and EA Montreal employees) wanted to make a game where survival meant no combat. The player suffers because they have no weapons, and can only hide from attackers. Real-life CIA mind-control and bio warfare experiments are the backbone to the game’s story.

Night vision makes things look so normal. But don't be fooled.

Regular vision is kinda gruesome.

5. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Amnesia: The Dark Descent Trailer

Daniel has amnesia. His sanity is at risk while he searches a dark castle for clues about his identity.

While creeping around shady corridors, he learns of an enemy hiding in the bowels of the castle. Like #8 on this list (Call of Cthulhu), H.P. Lovecraft’s tales of the cracked psyche inspired some of Amnesia’s plot structure.

Publisher-Developers Frictional Games sought to create a mood in the style of older horror movies like The Haunting. Like #8 on this list (Call of Cthulhu), H.P. Lovecraft’s tales of the cracked psyche inspired some of Amnesia’s plot structure.

Who left these red spots here?

If I move this chair, will it open that bookshelf?

4. Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear Trailer

A mentally disturbed artist must paint layer after layer to uncover his mysterious past.

While lightning casts erratic shadows throughout his Victorian mansion, the player must solve puzzles in order to be able to complete the painting.

In this game, Polish developers, Bloober Team pay homage to P.T., a cancelled portion of the Silent Hill series. Parts of the house morph; the painter’s flashbacks are hallucination-like; and all in all, reality bends to emulate a disturbed mind. Bloober wanted to portray a descent into madness through distortion and psychedelia.

Behold the work of a truly disturbed mind.

Who’s been sleeping in my bed?

3. Detention

Detention Trailer

Why are you stuck in an abandoned school and how did you get there?

Ghosts of the past form an ever-evolving snapshot of the backstory. The setting is a point-and-click 1960s Taiwan amid Communism and Chinese history.

The Taiwanese developers, Red Candle Games, wondered why there was a certain lack of games depicting their own culture and history. They decided to change the trend by incorporating Taoist and Buddhist elements into their spooky game.

School sucks. Maybe I’ll just sit here until detention ends.

These two dudes are the same, but different.

2. Alan Wake

Alan Wake Trailer

Author Alan Wake is living events from a thriller novel he doesn’t remember writing. He must uncover why or how his wife disappeared during their vacation in small-town Washington.

The Twin Peaks-esque adventure game was developed by Remedy Entertainment, to resemble TV episodes. Writer Sam Lake paid homage to numerous books, art, films and TV shows. Stephen King was a heavy influence on him, and yes, the game even features a The Shining style hedge maze.

Reach the gas station, young lad! Do it by any means, before time and energy run short.

Stop telling me where to go, okay? Some games are so bossy. Just let me think for myself!

1. The Cat Lady

The Cat Lady Trailer

A true ‘cat-lady’, Susan has no human friends and is hopelessly depressed. After committing suicide, she is granted immortality but in exchange, she must kill five psychopaths. Who and where are they?

A highly stylized point-and-click universe, dealing with mature themes like cancer and death.

Creator Remigiusz Michalski based the story on life’s sad realities, and people with real depression. With developers Harvester Games, he wanted to bring the subject matter out of the dark, and imply that suicide is not the answer. Bring your tissues, guys.

I don't abide by anyone's rules but my own. But, well. Fine, I’ll be your puppet.

A bloody disgusting scene unfolds. Didn’t anyone ever teach Susan not to eavesdrop?

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Daria is an octopus (multi-tasker!). Since graduating from Film Studies, she has freelanced as an arts & culture writer. Currently she focuses on film critique – specializing in horror and genre film.
Gamer Since: 2001
Top 3 Favorite Games:, ,


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