Prepare for the Night of Fear: the horror games of 2025 are unheard of

The horror genre invariably attracts developers of all sizes. And if it's simply impossible to miss high-profile releases like Silent Hill F, games from indie studios and less popular publishers can easily be bypassed. This article contains this year's scary games that are worth running to get scared.

No, I'm not a Human

Developer: Trioskaz
Genre: Psychological thriller
What to play on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series

Photo: CRITICAL REFLEX

The creation of a domestic studio with an unusual idea. After the mysterious cataclysm that covered the Earth, people became deathly afraid of sunlight. Now humanity can only exist at night, but death lurks under the moon: mysterious aliens from underground inhabit other people's bodies and want to kill. The owners of private homes are lucky — they can carefully choose who to let in. You will have to play for the owner of such a shelter house. The gameplay is focused on day and night cycles. During the day, you need to communicate with the "guests", perform tasks that affect the ending and deal with the resources of the house. But the night will be a time for fateful decisions, because every stranger on the doorstep may be hiding a monstrous Guest.

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CloverPit

Developer: Panik Arcade
Genre: roglight
What to play on: PC

Photo: Panik Arcade

A bagel that borrowed and reinterpreted the atmosphere and mechanics of Buckshot Roulette and Balatro. These games proved that an indie casino made by literally one person can be an addictive hit. The success of playing roulette in CloverPit largely depends on the case, but the developers have tried to make the gameplay as diverse as possible. The game cannot be played the first time, it encourages multiple runs. What's so scary about playing virtual roulette? The player finds himself in a mysterious casino filled with dark messages from past gambling enthusiasts. Every loss is fraught with death from the clutches of a demon, and victories help to get closer to unraveling the secret of this gloomy place.

Bye Sweet Carole

Developer: Little Sewing Machine
Genre: Adventure
What to play on: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch

Photo: Little Sewing Machine

The beginning of the XX century. The girl Lana is a pupil of the boarding school for girls "Bunny Hall". When her friend Carol goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Lana bravely sets out on a quest and finds herself in a fairy-tale world in the spirit of Alice in Wonderland, but steeped in evil. The creators of Bye Sweet Carole were clearly inspired by classic old-school adventure games, and the gameplay is stretched, and the plot gets confused in some places, but this scary tale is worth playing because of the style. Animators and artists have done an amazing job styling the adventure game to resemble the cartoons of the golden era of the Disney studio.

KARMA: The Dark World

Developer: Pollard
Genre: Adventure
What to play on: PC, PlayStation 5

Photo: POLLARD STUDIO

The Chinese studio Pollard was inspired by famous dystopias, including Orwell's 1984, when creating KARMA. The game takes place in the 80s of the alternate last century in East Germany, which is run by the Leviathan Corporation. Daniel McGovern, a corporate Agent for the Bureau of Thoughts, is investigating crimes committed against Leviathan. Daniel penetrates into the minds of suspects with the help of a special device, but he remembers almost nothing about his past. A trivial theft case at a scientific institute turns into a tangle of dangerous intrigues, corporate secrets and skeletons in Daniel's closet. The game's narrative is inspired by the best horror and thrillers of our time — it feels the influence of "Twin Peaks", the TV series "Darkness" and even "Very strange Cases".

Famously one-eyed

Developer: Morteshka
Genre: Adventure
What to play on: PC

Photo: Morteshka

Perm-based studio Morteshka has already given players the stunning dark Black book and Moosman, and this year it added a short but spectacular horror adventure "Famously One-eyed" to this collection. Traditionally, the plot and atmosphere are inspired by Russian folklore. The main character, the Blacksmith, is sick of a measured life, and he goes in search of a Dashing One, which, according to legend, can fulfill one cherished wish. The gameplay here is a walking simulator with puzzles, but the main thing in "Lih" is the creepy atmosphere and story, which the developers succeed with a bang.

Post Trauma

Developer: Red Soul Games
Genre: adventure, puzzle
What to play on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series

Photo: RED SOUL GAMES

Roman, a middle-aged man, wakes up one day in a cold, gloomy and isolated world, similar to the subway. He does not remember how he got here, and does not understand what is real and what is the fruit of his consciousness. The player will have to find out. Post Trauma is inspired by the second Silent Hill, the old Resident Evil and, in general, fixed-camera horror films, so it should appeal to those who like to tickle their nerves with nostalgic notes.

Hotel Barcelona

Developer: White Owls, Grasshopper Manufacture
Genre: platformer, roglight
What to play on: PC

Photo: White Owls

The brainchild of two iconic Japanese developers, Goichi Suda and Hidetaki Suehiro, known for their surreal games. This action-platformer with rogue-lite elements offers a classic horror game, but still an intriguing concept — the main character gets stuck in a hotel, where she has to communicate with guests and ... ghosts. Despite the roughness in gameplay and mixed reviews, it may be of interest to anyone who is familiar with the work of Suda and Suehiro.

Dead Reset

Developer: Wales Interactive
Genre: interactive cinema
What to play on: PC

Photo: Wales Interactive

A rare beast for these days is an FMV game in which there are no familiar graphics, but everything is shot like in a movie, with real actors. The Wales Interactive studio specializes in such interactive movie games. In Dead Reset, the main character, Surgeon Cole, gets caught in a time loop. It's a strong sci-fi horror story with a good, albeit little-known cast from the UK.

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The Inn-Sanity

Developer: Steppe Hare Studio
Genre: Adventure
What to play on: PC

Photo: Steppe Hare Studio

A good psychological horror created by a Russian studio of only ten people. Here, the player also finds himself trapped in a hotel where crazy devilry is taking place. In addition, for mysterious reasons, the main character cannot distinguish between the faces of people and creatures he meets. The game has three endings, it boasts a variety of interactions with humans and monsters, as well as dynamic gameplay.