If slasher movies are your go-tohorrorsub-genre, then why wouldn’t you want to take it a step further and escape the killers for yourself? Despite not being as popular as the cinematic niche, slasher video games have the potential to scare you senseless, and it’s normally wise not to play them alone.
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The most recent slasher horror that fans will be familiar with isThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre, from Sumo Nottingham and Gun Interactive. But before we dive headfirst into this modern nightmare, let’s revisit some classics. Here are 10 of the best slasher horror video games.
10Murder House
The 2020 slasher-inspired horror game Murder House was developed by Puppet Combo and released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The premise followed a news crew preparing to film a documentary on a serial killer who was thought to be dead, but surprise, the Easter Ripper is not gone yet.
Despite being a modern title, Murder House uses low poly graphics to set the style and tone of vintage horror games and supplies disturbing, low-quality images to great effect. This game is a bloody good time with a creepy villain and deserves a mention on this list.
9Clock Tower
If you may tolerate PS1 graphics in 2023 then the 1996 point-and-click survival horror Clock Tower is a classic but often forgotten-about slasher game that pits a number of characters against the return of Scissorman, with much of the action taking place in Norway.
This direct sequel to First Fear doesn’t let one jumpscare go to waste, as players dread the appearance of Scissorman as much as they fear the animatronics’ arrival inFive Nights at Freddy’s. Paving the way for hits likeUntil Dawn(an entry we’ll mention later), Clock Tower is a notable slasher with a place in the low ranks.
8Friday the 13th: The Game
Similar to Leatherface’s transition into video games, fellow cinematic killer Jason Voorhees had his own survival horror release in 2017 by IllFonic and Gun Media. The asymmetrical multiplayer title pits seven players piloting Camp Crystal Lake counselors against another player manning Jason.
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Boasting a similar design toDead by Daylight, this semi-open world, third-person horror not only gave fans the chance to flee from an iconic villain, but it also let them kill victims in creative ways as Jason, and it’s a decent homage to the hitFriday the 13thfranchise.
7Splatterhouse
Paving the way forManhuntand putting the gore inMortal Kombatto shame was the controversialSplatterhousegame published as a beat ‘em-up arcade title by Namco. Controlling Rick Taylor, a former college student who is resurrected by the Terror Mask, the player must slaughter a number of creatures in their way to save Rick’s girlfriend.
Spawning a number of sequels, Splatterhouse isn’t a traditional slasher where you escape the killer. You are the killer in this title and nothing stands a chance against your hockey-masked brute. Simply for a fun experience, this title deserves a mention.
6Slender: The Eight Pages
2012’s first-person survival horror game Slender: The Eight Pages proves you don’t need a big budget to give players the chills. Based on the infamous Slender Man creepypasta and developed by Mark J. Hadley with Unity, this indie title left a lasting impression.
Equipped with only a flashlight, players must collect the titular pages while avoiding Slender Man and it’s a harrowing experience. This game stayed simple and used the player’s predetermined fear of the suited boogeyman to set the frightening tone, and it’s an impressive indie game to close the low ranks.
Kicking off the top five is arguably one of the scariest games to exist.Outlastwas first released in 2013 as a first-person survival horror by Red Barrels, which saw journalist Mike Upshur attempt to survive Mount Massive Asylum and the terrors inside.
Slashers are all about the victims being chased by a higher power, and the homicidal patients chasing you in the asylum had players developing keen stealth skills in seconds. The heart-racing experience of hiding from the variants is unforgettable and a worthy fifth-place entry.
4Until Dawn
The classic 2015 interactive horror from Supermassive Games, Until Dawn, stands the test of time as an exhilarating slasher, where eight characters have to survive the Wendigos of Blackwood Mountain through a series of choices supporting a story told through cutscenes and third-person investigation.
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It’s a no-brainer to include Until Dawn in the top five, it even deserves to be in the running for best horror game, and it set a precedent for Supermassive’s future games withinThe Dark Pictures Anthology.
3Alien: Isolation
Released in 2014 by Creative Assembly and Sega, the survival horrorAlien: Isolationis set 15 years after the events of Ridley Scott’s first Alien movie from 1979 and follows Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, while she attempts to find her missing mother on board the Sevastopol.
The Alien franchise prioritizes an immaculate building of tension and thick atmosphere over relentless, gory deaths, but Alien: Isolation still operates like a slasher by hiding from an overpowered enemy, the Xenomorphs, which translated well into the video game medium and makes a great third-place entry in the list.
2The Quarry
In second place is what’s considered to be the spiritual successor to Until Dawn.The Quarryis another interactive horror released in 2022 by Supermassive Games and follows nine camp counselors who have to survive supernatural creatures at Hackett’s Quarry.
With improved graphics and a host of talented actors (including Insidious star Lin Shaye), The Quarry was a highly entertaining story with a number of twists and turns and characters with real charisma you could champion. We gave it an 8.5 scorein our reviewand it’s deserving of second place.
Taking first place is the ongoing asymmetric multiplayer survival horror Dead by Daylight, developed by Behaviour Interactive. In this thrilling online title, five players control four Survivors and one Killer with the goal of either surviving the Killer to the end or catching every Survivor on the map.
Designed to pay tribute to the countless slasher icons of cinema, Dead by Daylight is constantly updating its Killer roster with villains fromSilent Hill,Stranger Things, Scream, and more.Nicolas Cageeven recently joined in on the action as a Survivor, and the game’s growing fanbase is a testament to its thrilling gameplay mechanics to soak up alongside fellow horror fans.
