6. Vulnerability

When you’re all powerful in a game, what do you have to fear? But when you’re vulnerable, everything is immensely dangerous.

Vulnerability is a great tactic that good horror games utilize. In games that lack combat like Amnesia and Outlast, players don’t have any weapons to depend on. The player’s only chance for survival is running and hiding from whatever is out to get them.

The worst game of hide and seek

Games with very limited ammo like Silent Hill will keep players scared. However, modern Resident Evil games are practically over following with ammo and firearms, giving players tons of comforting resources.

Playing alone, with no weapons or extremely finite ammo, will keep any player wholly absorbed in the game so no baddy stabs them up.