Anomaly Video Games
Table of Contents
Anomaly video games put you in charge of monitoring cameras or freely exploring eerie locations for anomalies. Your job is to spot strange occurrences, like flickering lights, moving objects, or even shadowy figures. Think of it as a detective game for the paranormal! These games are often suspenseful and rely on sharp eyes and a good memory.
ANOMALY VIDEO GAMES
The following list contains anomaly video games played by Ties That Bind Gaming. Each listing contains a brief description of, and experience with, the video game.
Some anomaly video games on this list are so noteworthy that Ties That Bind Gaming has written featured articles on them. The links will be noted for the anomaly games that do.
CAPTURED
Captured fits in neatly with other anomaly horror games and contains elements associated with analog horror games. Freely roam the halls of your home in a loop. Hunt anomalies while progressing through each loop. If anomalies are reported correctly, the next loop will continue. If anomalies are misreported, the loop resets.
A haunting voice speaks to you while you explore the hallways. It whispers, and I can’t emphasize enough how creepy the voice is. I love how something as simple as a voice enhances the anomaly horror experience.
Captured has several types of entities that have a chance of appearing at any time. One entity will chase you, another will only move in the dark, and there is another that you must look away from. Your best bet is to put a door between you and the entity before it gets you.
DOLLMARE
Dollmare didn’t scream anomaly video games when I originally came across the game. Truth be told, I didn’t know what to expect other than you work in a doll factory, and there are creepy dolls. After diving into the game, the anomaly aspect immediately stood out. You have to inspect the dolls and find anomalies. If you find an anomaly, you trash the doll. If there is no anomaly, you approve the doll.
Dollmare’s mechanics change as the game progresses. New equipment, including an X-ray machine and UV-light booth, is introduced, making the inspection process more challenging.
Finding anomalies is not the only aspect that makes Dollmare unique. Exploring the factory and finding notes left behind by former employees tells a story. There are plenty of mysteries and surprises to uncover in a playthrough. Each playthrough is slightly different. There are two endings, so replayability is decent. Dollmare is creepy, too.
HANGAR 8
Hunt or run from anomalies while alone on a derelict space station. You start Hangar 8 waking up from cryo sleep. You have a partner, but they remain in stasis. Something appears to be wrong right from the start. A few clues and notes point out some of the horrors await but the sources are nowhere to be found.
The object is to report anomalies correctly 8 times in a row. You’ll want to collect gear along the way to survive the escape. When you are successful in reporting anomalies, the hangar door will unlock. Once inside, work your way to the shuttle and escape.
PLATFORM 8
I picked up Platform 8, the sequel to The Exit 8, during the 2024 Steam summer sale for a few bucks to add to my collection of anomaly video games. I went in knowing the game was short, but I read a lot of good things. I beat the game within an hour but completed multiple playthroughs. I have to say that those few bucks were well spent.
Platform 8 is one of those anomaly video games with a P.T. vibe. You are in a subway and can move from car to car. The subway cars are identical until an anomaly appears. The anomaly can be subtle or apparent. Sometimes, the digital displays warn the player of danger, but not always. Some of the anomalies are deadly, so be careful.
Platform 8 stands out from other anomaly video games in the diverse types of anomalies. Anomalies can be static and need to be found. Some anomalies move or alter the subway car. Other anomalies are deadly and can send you back to level 1. All anomalies block your way from progression in the game so you’ll need to tread carefully.
I am pleased with Platform 8 enough to add it to my favorable list of anomaly video games. The scares aren’t effective, but the creep and dread factors exist.
PROJECT 13
The concept for Project 13 is simple and familiar to other anomaly video games. You are in a hospital and limited to exploring a specific hallway. A few patients inhabit the halls freely or behind locked doors. Your mission is to hunt down and report anomalies. If you report correctly, you move on to the next level. If not, you have to start over. If you get 13 consecutive correct answers, you can leave the hospital.
Project 13 contains some disturbing and grotesque anomalies. These include changing pictures and a mysterious open door, but there is also a patient sandwiched in a bed, a bloody skeleton hanging from the ceiling, head bashing, a giant spider, and more.
The grotesque and disturbing anomalies make Project 13 stand out from other anomaly video games.
SHIFT 87
Explore chilling environments ripe with horror. The graphics are easy on the eyes, the audio haunts your ears, and there are plenty of anomalies to uncover. Shift 87 is a first-person observation game that requires you to report anomalies when they exist or move on if they don’t.
Locations are built on a loop. You enter through a door to look for anomalies and then exit through a door to reset the loop. Progression is determined by whether or not anomalies are reported correctly. If you get five right, you move on to the next location. If you get one wrong, the loop resets and you must start over.
The horror elements are grand. The atmosphere has creepy lighting, particles, and environmental effects that enhance the experience. Some of the horror sequences are downright terrifying.
Shift 87 is not a very hard game compared to other anomaly video games and does a good job of increasing difficulty as you progress. Shift 87 may be a good entry point for gamers new to anomaly video games. Don’t get me wrong though. The final area can be tough, but fair.
SHINKANSEN 0
You are stuck on a haunted bullet train in Japan. Some people are on board but something does not seem right with them. Find anomalies to advance on the train and reach the conductor’s room. However, you will return to where you started if you make the wrong choice.
Shinkansen 0 is a psychological anomaly horror video game and I love it. The concept is simple. Walk through a train car and look for an anomaly. You enter one door if you find an anomaly or you enter another door if you don’t find an anomaly. You’ll move on to the next train car if you are correct. You will be sent back to the start if you are wrong.
The difficulty in finding anomalies feels on par with the difficulty level I like. I did not cruise through the game. I was wrong often but not wrong often enough to become frustrated. It felt like a good balance here.
Shinkansen 0 is creepy. The game does a great job of creating a psychological horror environment and atmosphere. The people on board are mysterious, and the anomalies can be scary. There are not many jump scares here, but there is a lot of dread. Walking up and down the tight aisle can feel uneasy.
TEN BELLS
Ten Bells takes you to an old English Pub. The bar is shaped like a horseshoe with a center shelf that separates each side. Immediately upon entering the pub, there is an ominous presence. The bartender has the face of menace. The barmaid paces back and forth opposite the bartender’s side. She is in tears. Disaster is bound to happen.
What makes Ten Bells unique from other anomaly video games is its story. Most of the anomalies contribute to the story behind Ten Bells. The story itself is brutal and horrifying. The dread never lets up. You are left feeling desolate, enhancing the horror experience.
Ten Bells is also a lot of fun. Finding anomalies can be challenging but rewarding, and some are downright terrifying. The environment is beautiful, and the atmosphere is heavy. There is a lot to experience with Ten Bells.
THE CABIN FACTORY
The first time I walked into a cabin and saw what was around the corner made me pause. I didn’t know what to make of it. It’s the first time an anomaly game made me question what was happening from the start. I pushed through that moment and everything else just fell into place.
You are an employee starting a new job where you inspect cabins and determine if they are haunted. Haunted cabins will have something that moves. If there is no movement, the cabin is not haunted. If something moves, the cabin is haunted. Most anomalies are easy to find and report. However, there are a few challenging anomalies to find and navigate.
The Cabin Factory’s storyline is incredible. Horror, dread, and sorrow come to mind. I left the game feeling anxious and depressed, but to me, these are side effects of a horror story done well.
THE EXIT 8
The Exit 8 takes place in an underground passageway. Similar to games like P.T., the underground repeats but each passthrough can be different. You are on the hunt for anomalies. They can be as simple as a poster with moving eyes or as subtle as a shadow face on the ceiling.
You continue through the underground passage if no anomaly is found or turn around if you spot one. That is the basic principle of the video game. The concept is simple, but finding the anomalies can be difficult early on. There are about 20 anomalies, so eventually, you will know what to look for.
I think The Exit 8 is okay. The gameplay is simple; spotting anomalies can become simple as you memorize them. For those reasons, I’d pick The Exit 8 up when on sale. Otherwise, check out my playthrough; that should satisfy your curiosity.
MORE ANOMALY VIDEO GAMES
We don’t want the list of anomaly video games to go stale. Games will eventually have to be archived to make room. The decision to archive a game is hard. We are not always excited about retiring a game but we want you to come back and discover more anomaly video games so the work must be done.
ARCHIVED ENTRIES
These games used to be on the list above. For one reason or another, they are now archived. Sometimes we have to make room for newer games. Regardless, they were once featured in our list of anomaly video games and here they are:
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Ties That Bind Gaming played the following anomaly video games, too. For various reasons, they have never been featured in this article. They deserve an honorable mention because we did play the game and they are part of the genre. Here they are:
ANOMALY HORROR GAMES DEEP DIVE
Anomaly horror games continue to gain traction. The boundaries that define them continue to fluctuate as they evolve. Let’s explore the genre and discover what makes these games so amazing. This is a deep dive into the terror.
PLAYLIST
SCREENSHOTS
AS I SEE IT
Anomaly video games are quickly becoming one of my favorite types of video games. I love searching for anomalies and getting scared in the process. The tension never lets up and something is bound to happen at any second. Some stories unfold as you explore and discover anomalies and I tend to like these best. However, I enjoyed every game featured on this list.
Check out the article on Analog Video Games and Limanal Space Games for more haunting experiences.
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CHANGELOG
- 05/24/2024 – Original Post
- 07/08/2024 – Added Platform 8
- 07/19/2024 – Added The Exit 8
- 08/05/2024 – Added The Dark Mind
- 09/13/2024 – Added Shift 87
- 09/23/2024 – Added Project 13
- 09/30/2024 – Added Captured
- 10/16/2024 – Removed Seeing Things / Edited Captured
- 11/03/2024 – Edited The Dark Mind and The Devil is in the Details and added Honorable Mentions
- 11/08/2024 – Added Ten Bells
- 12/9/2024 – Added Dollmare, moved some content, and fixed grammar errors
- 01/13/2025 – Added The Cabin Factory and featured articles
- 01/27/2025 – Moved Dark Mind to Honorable Mention and Added Hangar 8
- 02/05/2025 – Added Deep Dive into Anomaly Horror Games
- 02/20/2025 – Added Lost in Anomaly, Poltergeist Watcher, The Devil is in the Details, and VHScape to the Honorable Mentions section
