5 Awesome PC Horror Games

With fall rapidly approaching and a grim chill creeping into the night air, the spooky gaming season is nearly upon us. Halloween is a perfect time to dig into some of the creepiest games around, and there's no lack of demented high-quality offerings on PC. Horror comes in many insidious and eerie forms, and these five killer horror PC game picks have a little something for all tastes. Dim the lights, lock your doors, fire up your PC, and let's get a little freaky.

Outlast 

Many of the best horror experiences play on feelings of helplessness and dread. Outlast's brand of survival horror is exceptional in how dangerous it feels. Venturing through the dark, wrecked corridors of the Mount Massive Asylum, you frequently run into its unhinged inhabitants—who seem all-too-eager to peel your flesh from your bones. Without any weapons or means of defending yourself, the experience is a hyper-intense exercise in pulse-pounding terror. If jump scares and frantic fleeing from deadly lunatics is your jam, Outlast won't disappoint.

Alan Wake

A writing vacation getaway ventures into bizarre territory in Alan Wake, a surreal action-adventure horror romp that follows an ill-fated author trapped in a remote, hard-scrabble town that's encircled by demonic forces. Bright Falls' bucolic setting is an eerie and atmosphere-drenched backdrop for exploration and survival, as the shadows themselves reach out to destroy you from all directions. Fans of Twin Peaks, X-Files, and Stranger Things will feel right at home here.

Layers of Fear 

An extreme twist on the concept of suffering for your art proves a compelling gateway into psychedelic dementia in this horrific first-person scare-fest. Driven past the brink of madness by a nasty bout of creative block, Layers of Fear's painterly protagonist is searching for inspiration to complete his Magnum Opus. Unfortunately, dwindling sanity and a dark past gets in the way of his artistic pursuits as the constantly-shifting Victorian mansion environment melts, slithers, and transforms to reveal a deluge of unsettling secrets.

Fran Bow 

What first comes off as a lighthearted storybook fantasy point-and-click adventure game rapidly takes an immediate turn towards the ultra disturbing in the delightfully macabre Fran Bow. The juxtaposition between the game's beautiful art style and charming heroine and the way everything dramatically shifts into extremely grim territory makes this an unforgettable romp. One minute you're chatting with characters in a cozy office, the next minute the room is covered in gore and severed limbs as their decapitated heads and internal organs drip down from the ceiling. Buckle up, this one is a doosey!

SOMA 

For something a little different but no-less terrifying, SOMA puts a fascinating sci-fi isolationist spin on the first-person survival horror genre. You awaken in a derelict underwater research facility where the line between humanity and circuitry blurs in deadly ways. The station's rusted, broken machines believe they're human, which proves a menacing obstacle as you push deeper into uncovering the mysteries of this chilling atmospheric journey.

Can't wait to dive in? Most of these graphically-intensive horror picks require a sturdy machine to run smoothly, but don't let those system requirements scare you. Upgrading to the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 or the ROG GT51CA should help you keep the thrill and chills coming without any interruptions.

Also, for a more intense experience, strap on the ROG Centurion 7.1 headset, kill the lights, and turn up the audio - if you dare. No tricks here, just lots of creepy treats await!

 

By Nathan Meunier