Horror games. When done properly, they can be a thrilling experience that cuts to the core of our humanity, and when done poorly, they’re very funny. Either way, they make for good entertainment, so it’s no surprise that the genre has birthed so many titles and attracted so many let’s-players. There’s just one problem: you live alone, the sun has gone down, and you never finished that Slender game where you have to collect all of the pages because you were too scared.
The compromise? Watch people play the game while making jokes about penises to mellow the mood a little bit. Today, Nerfwire is looking at our top five horror games that you can watch someone else play on YouTube.
5. Until Dawn
This one came out in 2015, but if you missed it, and want to see where that scene with Hayden Panettiere in a towel goes, Until Dawn is for you. Catching the series on YouTube gives the benefit of allowing you to disagree with your chosen content creator’s choices as they irreversibly change the outcome of the game at every turn.
4. Phasmophobia
Not terribly scared of ghosts, but don’t have any friends to yell at them in a house with? If you’re looking to vicariously experience four people’s investigation into what kind of ghost is haunting them, Phasmophobia is the game for you to watch. If you’re having trouble finding gameplay, look for content creators who also play Among Us.
3. Doki Doki Literature Club
Doki Doki Literature Club is a bit of a slow burn, but it’s a horror game nonetheless. This game initially presents itself as a cutesy visual novel, giving you plenty of time to brace yourself for Monika. It’s worth noting that it’s generally much easier to minimize a tab in chrome than a full-screen game.
2. The Five Nights At Freddy’s Series
Five Nights At Freddy’s is finally over, as creator and retcon master Scott Cawthon has announced that he is stepping down from game development. The interesting thing about FNAF, and what helps it land the number two spot on our list, is that you don’t even have to watch gameplay to experience it. Viewers that are less into jumpscares and more into observing the grotesque decline of a man’s mental state can watch MatPat cover the game on Game Theory.
1. Resident Evil: Village
Is it honestly a surprise that the most recent addition to the Resident Evil series makes it to the number one spot on our list? In Resident Evil: Village, you (or Michael Davis of the Scary Game Squad) play as Ethan Winters, the man with the most resilient hands in all of video games, as he tries to find out why his friend Chris shot his wife so many times. Also, quick tip: afterwards, go to r/Rule34 and sort by Best > Year.
That’s it for this top five. We hope we’ve helped some of you find a binge-able series, or inspired you to check out other games in the genre that weren’t listed here. Make sure to think of us when the video ends and the heavy silence in your empty room takes over.
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