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Ten scary online games

Ten scary online games

Wooooooooh. Woooooooooh. Yeah, it is halloween again, and - surprise surprise - we have some scary games for you to play. Well, I say scary but, to be honest, they are nowhere near as frightening as my trick or treaters.

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Published by Tasha on 29th October 2010

I'll be honest here. Halloween absolutely terrifies me. No, it's not the prospect of being inundated by witches, undead and evil spirits that concerns me. I have become very adept at dispatching such gruesome wickedness in games like Left 4 Dead and Silent Hill. No, what fills me full of dread are the feral little kids who play trick or treat on me each year. The first time they came a-knocking at my door, I answered their question of "trick or treat, madam?" with no little nonchalance. "Oh, trick sounds so much more fun," I said, daring them to do their worst. I was not feeling so cocky the next morning when I heard that my granny's house had been burnt down, witnesses reporting four evil-looking urchins cackling to themselves near the scene.

Thankfully, Nana was out at bingo at the time. So no serious damage done. But it meant that the next year I was a lot more careful. No sooner had they started knocking on the door than I was there thrusting a brand-spanking new X-Box games console into their grubby little hands. That should get them on my side, I thought, as I quickly closed the door on them and retired trembling to the tent I had made out of my duvet. It didn't of course. The next day, as I entered into my car for work, I noticed the words 'PS3 rules' etched neatly into the window screen. I don't know what I am going to do this year. Maybe I'll give them a bottle of whiskey in the hope they will get drunk and forget me. Or perhaps I will simply leave the country.

So, I suppose, compared with my scurrilous little trick or treaters, this list of ten scary online games is not that scary at all. Still, the games should give you the odd fright or two.

1Neverending Light

If, like me, you had to change your underwear after watching The Descent - Neil Marshall's terrifying 2005 film about a group of amateur potholers who become trapped underground - then you best get some fresh knickers ready before playing this game, because the plot has many similarities. You are part of a party of tourists on a tour of an underground cave. Suddenly all the lights go out, and you are left to stumble around blindly in pitch darkness. If that was not bad enough, someone or something is killing your fellow party members one by one. You know this from the blood-curdling screams they let out as they die. Neverending Light is one of the slickest Flash games around. It is also one of the scariest. Play the game here.

2Haunt the House

In this unique and brilliant game, you are not the one suffering the heebie-jeebies but the one dishing out the frights. You see, you are a ghost and you have a house full of noisy party guests to terrify. You spook the guests out by possessing objects - such as tables, beds or lights - and making them do odd things. You might make a table move around, for instance, or cause a storage box to pop open with a jack-in-the-box style skeleton. Don't get too carried away, however. Scare the guests a little bit and you become more powerful, but frighten them too much and they might end up doing something unexpected. Haunt the House could almost be described as an RPG for ghosts. If my experience is anything to go by, humans should find it pretty fun too. You can play the game here.

3GraveShift

The thing that scares me most about this game is that it reminds me of how old I am. I remember when isometric adventure games like this were state-of-the-art - think classic titles like Knight Lore and my personal favourite Head over Heels (which can be downloaded for free here). GraveShift is one of the best Flash takes on the classic isometric adventure game genre, featuring wicked puzzles, beautiful graphics and an intriguing and not a little frightening storyline. The land of Fairosel is under siege by evil warlocks and is on the verge of falling. But there is one last hope - you. GraveShift can be played here. An equally fun sequel can be played here.

4Exmortis

This point and click game calls on you to turn the lights down and the sound up before you play but, if the truth be told, there is really no need to do either. The game is spine-chilling enough anyway, without resorting to such gimmicks. Australian game developer Ben Leffler has managed to create one of the scariest Flash games it is your misfortune to encounter, thanks to atmospheric music, dark forbidding graphics and strong story-telling. Play Exmortis here. If you enjoy it, you may want to check out the sequel here. And there is even a third game, which you can play here.

5Doom

What more can I say about this game that has not already been said before. Doom is one of the most famous games ever made. At the time of its launch in the early 1990s, its faux 3d graphics were revolutionary, marking the beginning of the era of 3D first person perspective blockbusters. But it was arguably the game's forbidding atmosphere that impressed the most. The game was absolutely terrifying. Grown men literally quaked in their boots playing the game. And now, you too can partake in the for-then shockingly frightening action, thanks to this Flash port of the game. Play it here.

6The Last Stand 2

If zombies give you the heebie-jeebies, then you will probably want to steer clear of this game, for it is absolutely chock-a-block with them. Not just one type of zombie either. There are fat housewife zombies. There are skinny geek zombies. There are even canine zombies. And each and every one of them is out to get you. Thankfully, you are holed up behind a sturdy barricade and have a small arsenal of weapons at your disposal. Nevertheless, this is one of the most terrifying zombie games ever made, especially on later levels, when you are constantly under threat of being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the zombie onslaught. You can play ConArtist Game's defend-your-base masterpiece here.

7Survive the Outbreak

When it comes to scares, films have generally done them a lot better than games. Certainly, no game has ever come close to frightening me as much as horror flicks like The Descent and Dawn of the Dead. The developers of Survive the Outbreak have taken heed of this, creating an experience that is more interactive movie than a game. The end result - you will be pleased to hear - is downright terrifying. You can play this game-cum-movie here.

8Purgatorium

Another spine-chilling offering from the warped imagination of Ben Leffler, who was also responsible for No 4 on this list. Purgatorium may be the shortest game we've included here - it was created in just a week - but what it lacks in size it more than makes up in scares. As one fan of the game commented, "I've played the game before and I know what is going to happen, but it still scared the hell out of me". You can play this nasty little point-and-click game here.

9Desolation 2

Not all zombie games are non-stop gory action. Some actually require you think a bit. Desolation 2 is one such game. Find items and solve puzzles in this atmospheric and hair-raising point and click game, and help the hero to track down a remedy to cure a zombie illness that has struck down the local population. You can play Desolation 2 here.

10Cursed Village

This defend-your-base style game is damn scary, especially when a zombie continues to drag itself along the ground towards you after you have shot its legs off. The zombies in this game do not die easily, which is a real shame, because there are lots of them and they are all after you. Cursed Village can be played here.


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Published by erican on 17th August 2014
i love love scary games i m looking the scary game black rose
Published by the diamond miner on 5th July 2014
why is l4d2 scary its just a zombie apaclpse it might happen cut problly not
Published by the diamond miner on 5th July 2014
you should add slender it is scary
Published by mol on 2nd July 2014
Has anyone ever played BeingOne? I found it on NotDoppler and all 4 games in the series are really scary and cool :)
Published by sabrina on 13th June 2014
I loved all your games so much! I played them more than an a hour and had a nightmare.
Published by olivia on 17th April 2014
caerly
Published by John Doe on 22nd February 2014
These games aren't even scary......Number 10 is just a survival game no jump scares! This is bullshit
Published by JENNIFER on 7th December 2013
ARE YALL DUMB ITS SAID "ONLINE GAMES" NOT FUCKING DOWNLOADABLE GAMES DNT BLAME HIM FOR YOUR STUPIDNESS YOU GUYS MAKE ME PUKE
Published by Mars on 1st November 2013
Purgatorium scared me so bad... :O
Published by Mieeeeeek on 15th August 2013
When you mentioned Head Over Heels, I nostalgia'd so hard! I had totally forgotten about that game until you mentioned it. That was my absolute favourite game as a kid. I have trouble remembering sometimes until somebody sets that spark off, and then it all came flooding back like I played it yesterday. Awesome!
Published by Sarah on 5th August 2013
It is a good game but what about slender woods
Published by John on 5th August 2013
Yeah hello hell...o is a good jump scare game add it plz
Published by Lewis on 5th August 2013
Add hello? Hell...o? Please
Published by Emilie on 1st August 2013
Dude these aren't even scary. You call yourself a gamer? What are you like 12? >_<
Published by i'm not gamer, but srsly on 17th July 2013
seriously, ppl down there r already telling u about THE HOUSE 1 and 2, slender, etc... i know it's already blocked, but if you really a "gamer", have u ever tried hotel626? u should see the trailer on youtube. deep sleep is pretty scary too. and the asylum too
Published by vgopal on 10th June 2013
I love scary games Should try playing few
Published by disappointed on 9th June 2013
worst list i've ever seen none of these are scary
Published by Fred on 2nd June 2013
Some were ok :P Others not so much, the number one "scariest" game wasn't really that scary. It just told a good story and said to be continued (maybe it'll be better in the future?)
Published by maria on 20th April 2013
it was funny
Published by that one guy on casualgirlgammer on 11th February 2013
you do relies that the title says "ONLINE" meaning browser based games right?
Published by lins! on 9th February 2013
All of these games sucked!! They're not scary at all. Just watch Pewdiepie and download the games he plays, because they're WHY scarier.
Published by Annonymous on 2nd January 2013
sue is some scary\
Published by jazpop on 16th December 2012
it is a scarey game where you are a detective and you are searching a scearey house and it has heaps of pop ups
Published by Hi, I'm Paul on 12th December 2012
slender, SCP, house 1 and 2! They should all be on the list!
Published by slender man on 3rd December 2012
scary as HELL
Published by Annonymous on 2nd December 2012
WTF where the hell is slender the house1and2 hotel626 WTF
Published by dj swagg on 1st December 2012
this is a very good list but DOOM is a classic and my most favorite game EVER play DOOM u wont regret it ;)
Published by Lizzy Miller on 28th October 2012
SLENDER IS ONE OF THE SCARIEST GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED IT NEEDS TO BE ON THIS LIST!! O.o
Published by tom c-s on 14th October 2012
these games aren't even good it goes the non scariest to the scariest
Published by wassup on 25th August 2012
what about SCP?
Published by Blah on 12th August 2012
Purgatorium...
Published by GrandPierre on 28th July 2012
No Insanity 1 or 2 on it's list? I thought that was the most popular horror on the Internet? Pardon my English
Published by meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee on 27th July 2012
what about slender?????
Published by Broco on 22nd July 2012
You should definitely add The House 2 to the list...here is a link <a href="http://www.gameshed.com/Scary-Games/The-House-2/play.html" title="creepiest online game ever">Horror House</a>
Published by Slakkerz on 9th July 2012
On my website I play The Internet's Most Scariest Game. just Youtube Slakkerz Keep Screaming Guys!!!
Published by stuff on 23rd June 2012
number 8 not scary
Published by Geann123 on 15th May 2012
there's also hotel626 and aslyum626 start of the hotel is 6pm and 6am
Published by ashley on 9th February 2012
i am surprised you didn't include the house one and 2 on here there really creepy flash game that scared the hell out of me. i was playing one with my skull candies in and the sound turned up. and i had to cover my eyes most of the game. i even let out yelp at one point they are totally awesome but totally the scariest games i ever played.
Published by ben on 2nd February 2012
THEYS are hard games
Published by Lita on 4th April 2011
There's also hotel626, it's basically a game you can only play between 6pm & 6am to enhance the spookiness. It's also a point & click series of riddles you have to go through.
Published by Jack on 20th November 2010
Very fascinating games...
Published by Lindsey on 1st November 2010
Along with Exmortis, I'd put its sequel as one of the scariest games online.
Published by Anja on 1st November 2010
You forgot one of the best scary online games: Amnesia - The Dark Descent. Available on Steam for PC and Mac.

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