Walking Simulator Horror Games
Walking Simulator Horror Games are not for everyone who enjoys horror games. Reviews on Steam tend to reflect a divided community. In most cases I’ve seen, you either enjoy the game or it’s a piece of shit. There is no in-between. The quality of the game is indeed a factor but I’ve played some poorly reviewed games and wound up enjoying them. We like what we like, am I right?
Table of Contents
ABOUT WALKING SIMULATOR HORROR GAMES
Walking simulator horror games are a subgenre of horror games that prioritize atmosphere, storytelling, and exploration over combat. Unlike traditional horror games where players fight off monsters or solve puzzles, walking simulator horror games immerse players in eerie environments, often focusing on psychological horror.
These games often feature slow-paced gameplay, emphasizing the player’s isolation and vulnerability. Players may explore haunted houses, abandoned institutions, or other unsettling locations, encountering unsettling sights, sounds, and events along the way. The goal is to create a sense of dread and unease, rather than relying on jump scares or intense combat.
Walking simulator horror games often employ subtle storytelling techniques, such as environmental storytelling and audio cues, to build tension and suspense. The player’s immersion techniques play a significant role in creating the horror experience.
LIST OF WALKING SIMULATOR HORROR GAMES
The following list contains walking simulator horror games played by Ties That Bind Gaming. Each listing contains a brief description of, and experience with, the video game. Keep in mind that this article is not meant to convince you how to feel about walking simulator horror games. The article is meant to highlight favorable experiences by Ties That Bind Gaming.
HAZING: NIGHT SHIFT
The first half of Hazing: Night Shift is chilling. Atmosphere, environment, and audio work together to create tension and eerie vibes that reverberate through your body. It’s all you need when done well to instill fear in a walking simulator.
There is a point about halfway through where the chilling effect wears off a bit. The AI voice and specific encounters are what did it for me. It’s not enough to ruin the rest of the game though. Hazing: Night Shift is still creepy and worth a look.
NEGLECTED
Neglected is a short experience that chills to the bone. Analog horror games often have an aesthetic that immerses and feels real even when the unimaginable happens. The visual and audio queues are spot on. A walking simulator spanning a couple of rooms presents a nightmare one girl has when she wakes up in the middle of the night to a TV blaring cartoons.
PRECIPICE
I can’t remember how I came across Precipice but a quick Google search says you can find it here. This one is very much a walking simulator. You will walk around a house, sometimes in a loop, and take in the experience. The house and environment will change. Creepy mannequins will make you question whether or not you want to move any further. A great experience in horror.
P.T. or PLAYABLE TEASER
Even though P.T. is a demo, it is hailed as one of the most horrifying walking simulators of all time. The concept is simple. You loop through a hallway over and over but something changes each time the loop resets. An entity haunts you that is the most terrifying entity ever. Lisa will always be a highlight in my book.
P.T. is a demo for Silent Hills which would have been a collaboration between Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, and Norman Reedus. However, Konami dropped the ball on this one and canceled the project not long after P.T. was released in 2014. The demo was pulled from the PlayStation store and you can no longer play the demo unless you are lucky enough to have a copy on your PlayStation 4. There are clones and I’ve played one or two but they never felt quite the same.
MEDIA
SCREENSHOTS
AS I SEE IT
Several factors draw me to walking simulators. The first is immersion. I feel like I can place myself and walk in the shoes of the character I control and that is terrifying.
Another factor is the lack or absence of jump scares. I hate jump scares. I feel like they are cheap scares and can be annoyingly overdone but I do believe that they can be well placed when used sparingly (I’m thinking of you Lisa from P.T.). Sorry for the jump scare rant and back to my point. Psychological horror, dread, and eerie scenarios simply get under my skin and truly horrify me.
SUGGEST A GAME
Indie video game developers should visit our free content marketing services for qualifying video game.