2014's Top 5 Must-Play PC Horror Games
5. SCP-087-B
Price - Free
Visuals - 6/10
Gameplay - 8/10
Story - 1/10
Scare Factor - 9/10
Based on the popular stories surrounding the fictional SCP organization, SCP-087-B takes advantage of people’s fear of claustrophobic environments and forces players to navigate through dark, cramped corridors without a weapon to defend them.
The game is incredibly simple in design, as the player is only able to move down the stairs and hallways the game presents to you, but the fear factor is still very real. While the game doesn’t offer much in the way of story, its simple concept and effective game design makes it a quick and highly effective scare for anyone looking for that coveted rush of adrenaline.
4. One Late Night
Price - Free
Visuals - 8/10
Gameplay - 7/10
Story - 6/10
Scare Factor - 8/10
Much like SCP-087-B, One Late Night plays up humans natural fear of enclosed spaces, but does so within the familiar environ- ment of an office workspace.
The story follows an un- named graphic design employee who experiences a strange and terrifying series of events. This office setting is easy for anyone to familiarize themselves with and the story is fairly easy to
get involved in. Moreover, for a free game the graphics are very impressive, offering more than enough variation in visuals.
Unfortunately, where the game struggles is in its level de- sign. One Late Night offers too little direction when exploring its spooky office environment, leaving the player frustrated
at times where they can’t find out what to do to advance the plot. Still, the game makes up for it by producing genuinely terrifying moments, making it a must-play for fans of a good scare and undoubtedly the best free horror game this year.
3. Alien: Isolation
Price - $60
Visuals - 9.5/10
Gameplay - 8/10
Story - 8/10
Scare Factor - 8/10
One of the few big-budget titles on this list, Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival-horror game that exists within the fictional universe of the Alien films. What makes it so compelling is the game’s ability to create a unique universe that perfectly mirrors its source material. As soon as you start Alien: Isolation, players immedi- ately feel like they have entered the universe of the films, only adding to the terror the game provides. The only drawback of the game is that the random na- ture of the alien “Xenomorph” can be more frustrating than it is fun. For those looking for a longer story-based experience – albeit it at a steeper price – check out Alien: Isolation.
2. Five Nights at Freddy's
Price - $5 on Steam
Visuals - 6/10
Gameplay - 10/10
Story - 7/10
Scare Factor - 8/10
One of the most innovative horror games since the indie hit Slender: The 8 Pages is this year’s release of Five Nights at Freddy’s. The story revolves around an employee named Mike Schmidt who takes a job at the fictional pizza place “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza” (think Chuck-E-Cheese). As the game soon reveals, the animatronic animals inside the store come to life, making many children’s nightmares come true.
This $5 title knows exactly what it wants to be and effectively produces real scares despite its simple mechanics.
By utilizing a point-and-click style, the game has a surprising amount of depth and strategy that offers players far more hours of excitement than the $5 price tag entails. While the story is fairly simple, I feel the point of Five Nights at Freddy’s isn’t to engross players into a fictional universe, so it becomes less of an issue. Instead, Five Nights at Freddy’s should be seen as an easy horror gaming experience that effectively scares anyone who boots it up. Five Nights at Freddy’s is a simple, but addic- tive horror game that leaves the player wanting more after they conquer each night.
1. Among the Sleep
Price - $20 on Steam
Visuals - 9/10
Gameplay - 9/10
Story - 10/10
Scare Factor 7/10
While many titles on this list of- fer exciting new ways to engage the player, none do it quite as effectively as Among the Sleep. The game takes the perspective of a young toddler who explores eerie worlds created by its own imagination, as the player unravels the fears and struggles of the child’s home life through various memories. Without giving too much away, what makes Among the Sleep deserving of our number one spot is that it succeeds in so many different areas of game design. The story is fantastic, and is one of the only games that left me hungry to find out the plot the whole way through.
Moreover, the game does not suffer from the same navi- gational errors that plagued One Late Night as the game effec- tively balances level of difficulty and level of frustration perfect- ly. Because of this, I never felt bored while playing Among the Sleep, and also never felt lost for too long. Visually the game is immediately engrossing, and does justice to the wild imagi- nation of the toddler you play. Each world feels unique, and the games antagonist does a great job of keeping you frightened.
One of the only faults of the game is its relatively short length, as it is roughly two hours long, which to some doesn’t justify the $20 price tag. Despite this, the amount of scares and genuine sense of ad- venture the game offers is more than enough to put this game at the number one spot. If there is any horror game you play this year, it has to be Among the Sleep.
