With Halloween approaching, October is a good time to look back on the best horror games of 2022 so far, from Poppy Playtime - Chapter 2 to MADiSON. Which among them are the best for giving players a fright? Games like Evil Dead: The Game and Dead by Daylight have shown a demand for multiplayer horror, and 2022 has seen a mix of releases for both multiplayer and single player horror games. But the very best have shown a propensity for dense atmosphere and compelling environments, cranking up the horror through immersion.
Heavy-hitter horror franchises like as Silent Hill and Resident Evil make up much of the horror space, but with events like EEK3 2022 showcasing indie horror games, the field widens all the time. 2022 has a few more horror games set to release by the end of the year, but there have been plenty already that offer perfect choices for anyone looking for interactive horror to help fill up their Halloween season.
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There are also titles that received some substantial updates, or are set to get new DLC, but new horror games from 2022 have taken the spotlight this year. Some of them have added new twists to improve the replayability of single-player horror, like STRANGER through its customization options. But there are also games and major DLCs releasing later in the year like Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose, and the games presented here might help players pass the time while they wait to learn more about the next installments of favorite franchises.
The Quarry Takes Inspiration From Cult Classic Horror Films
The Quarry is the spiritual successor of Until Dawn, but its atmosphere was closer to that of classic slasher films in comparison. The Quarry follows a set of camp counselors who are enjoying one more night at camp before they leave for the beginning of the school year. The night turns into a series of deadly events, of course, and there's a chance that not every counselor will make it to see the morning depending on the choices of the player.
The Quarry has 186 endings that are decided by player choice, which offers a lot of replayability. However, most of the endings are similar with a few key differences, and replaying the entire game to change a handful of choices might be tedious for some. If players would rather watch the events unfold with predetermined paths, The Quarry also has a movie mode that will play out based on choices the player makes all at one time before it begins.
SCP: Secret Files Brings A Collaborative Writing Project To Life
The SCP Foundation is a fictional organization that handles non-human anomalies, containing them to prevent them from becoming a threat to humans. It might be easy to confuse this game with the Twitch-popular SCP: Secret Laboratory from 2017 set in the same universe, but SCP: Secret Files is different in that it takes a much heavier, story-based approach, and it's single-player. While SCP: Secret Files is overall positively reviewed by players, they do report that it has some bugs. However, it seems that this game might be a good choice for fans of the SCP writing project since it walks the line between video game and visual novel.
The Horror Of Martha Is Dead Involves The Tragedy Of War
Martha is Dead is set in 1944 Italy and follows the story of Giulia, Martha's twin sister, who is trying to unravel the mystery of her sister's murder. A fictional story set with WW2 as a backdrop, Martha is Dead is slow and atmospheric, putting a focus on the story and its horror. Sony's censorship of Martha is Dead's violence garnered the game a bit of a controversy, but as a psychological thriller dealing with visceral content, it includes warnings regarding its content so that players can decide if they want to be exposed to it.
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Martha is Dead forgoes some elements that others might consider standard for a horror game. Players will find that it lacks jump scares, preferring to make the horror feel like part of the story instead of shoehorning scares into the content. For players who decide to play Martha is Dead, be warned that the content is heavy, and it can be gruesome at times.
Poppy Playtime - Chapter 2 Shows FNAF Successor's Prowess
Poppy Playtime's first chapter launched in 2021 with its iconic monster toy Huggy Wuggy, but while Poppy Playtime - Chapter 2 had a great new creature in Mommy Long Legs, it was the deepening of its interesting lore and being three times the size of the first chapter that really set it apart. A cult favorite with younger horror fans and YouTube creators, Poppy Playtime's next chapter will undoubtedly seek to supersede the already strong story its first two episodes have set in place. Whether the true villains will be revealed in the third chapter is yet to be determined, but it's almost certain that the horror will be ratcheted up to new levels.
The Mortuary Assistant Mixes The Mundane With The Demonic
The Mortuary Assistant puts players in the role of a newly graduated mortuary sciences major who is working an apprenticeship at River Fields Mortuary. Differing from modern horror games, The Mortuary Assistant doesn't rely on running away from enemies or constant jump scares as some do. Instead, it creates an atmosphere that mixes the mundane tasks of working as a mortician with the tension of avoiding being possessed by a demon by attempting to solve
Aside from working a job that some people might consider unsettling - and the game does have players perform the tasks of a mortician - the player is told that a demon has set its eyes on them and wants to possess them. In order to avoid possession, the player must find clues about the demon's name in the middle of doing their job tasks. The feeling of The Mortuary Assistant evolves Silent Hills P.T.'s slow-building atmosphere of dread, which might make it a good choice for players who enjoyed P.T. and are disappointed by Silent Hills not being released.
Ghostwire: Tokyo's City Makes For A Stunning Horror Backdrop
While Ghostwire: Tokyo has some unsettling moments and some truly creepy monster designs, it aims to be an action sandbox more than hardcore horror. With one of the best-realized versions of a real-world location games have managed thus far, Ghostwire: Tokyo finds great success in a massive, explorable environment full of secrets and collectibles to discover. With solid combat challenges, an excellent localization, and stellar sound design, this may not be one the scariest horror-themed games of 2022, but it's easily one of the best.
MADiSON Offers Scares & Puzzles Aplenty
MADiSON is another highly atmospheric 2022 horror release, riddled with scares and brain-bending puzzles. Taking control of main character Luca, players are tasked with navigating MADiSON's creepy house, escaping its Blue Knees monster, and solving puzzles on the way to its final conclusion. Its haunted house environments invoke a classic horror feel, with instant camera mechanics that recall Dreadout perhaps more than Fatal Frame. With some excellent art and sound design, this is one that fans of classic horror puzzlers simply won't want to miss.
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Horror contains a lot of genres under its umbrella, which can make it difficult for a player to find one that suits them. So far, 2022 hasn't seen a lot of releases from the well-known horror franchises, although Shadows of Rose and Outlast Trials are scheduled to come out later this year. But there are some horror titles that have been released that players might find worth trying, especially with Halloween coming soon.
Upcoming games like The Dark Pictures Anthology's The Devil in Me or Resident Evil 4 Remake tend to get more attention than smaller games like SCP Secret Files or Martha is Dead. Games like Martha is Dead even take their commitment to authenticity to another level with putting Italian as the default language, which shows the developers' dedication to its setting. 2022 is coming to an end, and it has seen the release of games, some that are known and some that are hidden gems, with a deep horror atmosphere and rich stories, which makes them some of the best horror games of 2022.
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