Games

The Best Horror Games To Watch Rather Than Play

Published

8 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Christoph Rediske

mixcollage 18 dec 2024 05 34 pm 1568 scaled

Summary

Table of Contents

Let’s Plays boosted games like
Slender
and
Five Nights at Freddy’s
by showcasing jumpscare reactions.
Rule of Rose
and
Outlast
offer captivating stories, but hard gameplay can lead watchers to enjoy the stories.
Passively viewing
Layers of Fear
and
The Cat Lady
allows experiencing the riveting narratives without the gameplay stress.

Horror gaming has progressed by leaps and bounds, providing everything from jumpscare fests to psychologically stimulating experiences based on what players check out. For the most part, games in this genre let players mess around with compelling gameplay loops that are fun to play.

8 Best Analog Horror Games, Ranked

Forget high-fidelity graphics and smooth animations, these analog horror games embrace their 90s-inspired visuals to deliver spine-chilling scares.

However, there are times when players may prefer a passive experience instead and would rather watch certain horror games play out instead of playing an active role in their progression. There are more than enough games in the genre that fit the bill here.

8 Slender: The Eight Pages

Kickstarted The Trend Of Horror Let’s Plays

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Slender: The Eight Pages

Systems

Released: June 26, 2012
Developer(s): Parsec Productions

Slender: The Eight Pages was a phenomenon back when it launched. Playing the game was fun enough as is, but what made Slender such a captivating title was the trend of Let’s Plays that blew up following this game’s release.

Players loved watching other people’s reactions as they were shocked to their core by the sudden appearance of the Slenderman. This supernatural entity was a pain to outrun as players roamed around the map trying to find eight pages, facing an increasing encounter rate as the Slenderman started interrupting them more often. It made for great jump scares that, in turn, made for great and entertaining player reactions.

7 Rule Of Rose

The Gameplay Is Torturous And Gets In The Way Of An Amazing Story

Rule Of Rose

Systems

Released: January 19, 2006

Rule of Rose is one of the most underappreciated horror games of all time, with its story being absolutely enthralling to watch unfold. However, the catch here is that the action gameplay of this title is frustrating and can force many players to give up on this title before the story gets going.

Therefore, it’s not the worst compromise to watch a Rule of Rose playthrough to experience the story without any frustrations. Given how challenging it may be to play this game on a PS2 nowadays, this might just be the best course of action reserved for players.

6 Until Dawn

The Cinematic Nature Of This Game Makes It Easier To Watch Without Missing Out On A Lot

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Until Dawn (2024)

Systems

Released: October 4, 2024
Developer(s): Ballistic Moon
OpenCritic Rating: Fair

The Until Dawn remake has its fair share of critics, but one can’t deny that the campy horror vibes of this title remain largely intact in its faithful visual update. It plays out like a movie at times, where players must decide the fates of certain characters, either saving them from a horrible death or helping them survive after numerous harrowing encounters with the Wendigos.

Best Horror Games Set In Europe

Europe isn’t the most common setting for horror games, but these developers used locations around the continent to create a scary backdrop.

As long as players don’t mind losing out on the gameplay side of things, they can have a great time watching a perfect playthrough of this title where almost everyone survives. As a bonus, they can also watch videos of certain failures to see how brutally their favorite characters can die.

5 Five Nights At Freddy’s

Watching Other People Freak Out At The Game’s Jumpscares Is Infinitely Entertaining

Released: August 8, 2014
Developer(s): Scott Cawthon
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of the greatest horror games ever made in terms of the influence it has had upon the genre. A simple game about simulating the job of a security guard as horrifying animatronics try to hunt them down became a cultural phenomenon that is still going strong to this day.

A huge part of what made Five Nights at Freddy’s so popular was the Let’s Plays that showed popular content creators losing their minds as they got jumpscared time and time again by these animatronics. It was infinitely entertaining back in the day and can still be interesting to watch for players who want to see people get surprised by a jumpscare-heavy horror game.

4 Outlast

An Immersive Experience With A Lot Of Stressful Chase Sequences

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Outlast

Released: November 4, 2013
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

The sublime exploration and intriguing story of Outlast is one of the biggest reasons why people love this horror game, even if the title ends on a disappointing note. The mere act of exploration can be either rewarding or horrifying, especially when Miles starts getting chased by the game’s many pursuers.

However, these chase sequences can either get boring or too intense for players, who may miss out on the other great parts of this game as a result. Watching a playthrough online is a great compromise to ensure that players can still have a great time checking out the twisted experiments that caused Mount Massive Asylum to garner such a cursed reputation.

3 The Cat Lady

A Disturbing Adventure Game That’s Simple Yet Engrossing, With The Linear Story Making It Perfect For A Binge

The Cat Lady

Systems

Platform(s): Linux , Microsoft Windows
Released: December 1, 2012

One of the most disturbing horror games players can check out, The Cat Lady is a story-driven experience that isn’t afraid to shock its players. On the gameplay side of things, the title is fairly simple, with run-of-the-mill puzzles and other things players usually see in point-and-click adventure games.

Great Horror Games Featuring Immersive Flashlight Mechanics

Not all horror games leave players in total darkness. Here are some of the best that feature immersive flashback mechanics.

With its lengthy scenes featuring a lot of dialogue, it’s easy to see why The Cat Lady can be such a rewarding game to watch instead of play. The gameplay is decent, but it’s the story of The Cat Lady that will keep players coming back for more, regardless of whether they’re actively playing the game or just watching a playthrough.

2 Layers Of Fear

A Psychological Horror Game With A Riveting Story That Can Be Witnessed Passively

Released: February 16, 2016
OpenCritic Rating: Fair

Layers of Fear is one of the most interesting psychological horror games around, where the simple act of walking can turn into a nerve-wracking experience. The game’s scares are effective but don’t lose their impact even if players just decide to watch a playthrough instead of playing it firsthand.

It helps that the story in Layers of Fear is so engaging that passively experiencing this title is a ton of fun too. The Painter may seem like a sympathetic figure early on, only for certain plot reveals to make players question the actions of the protagonist.

1 The Walking Dead

The Choices Aren’t Too Varied And Make It Easier To Watch A Playthrough Without Missing Out

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The Walking Dead

Telltale’s claim to fame is The Walking Dead, an adventure set in the world of the popular graphic novel series that has become a legendary story-driven adventure game. Most people will agree that this breakout success led to the Telltale formula becoming more mainstream as other titles tried to replicate this game’s magic.

While The Walking Dead has a lot of choices that players can make, only a few of them lead to any meaningful narrative changes. This is why players won’t miss out on a lot if they choose to watch a playthrough instead of playing it themselves, with the main story beats being largely similar across most branching paths.