Highlights
- Horror and puzzle genres often combine in games, as puzzles can enhance the spooky atmosphere, while scares add intensity to the puzzle-solving.
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Silent Hill 2, and Tormented Souls are standout titles that successfully blend horror and puzzles.
- These games offer unique experiences, with elements like physics-based puzzling, complex narratives, and creepy monsters, making them must-plays for fans of both genres.
Something that both the horror and puzzle genres have in common is that they often make their way into other types of games. For example, there are plenty of scary moments in non-horror titles, and you often find puzzles in your typical action adventure games and RPGs.
So, it's no surprise that the two popular genres also combine with each other frequently. They often make for good combinations, too, as puzzles don't generally detract from a spooky atmosphere. In fact, they can sometimes enhance it. After all, having to do a puzzle while a monster stalks you makes the situation even more intense. The following titles are the best combinations of the two genres.
Updated August 10, 2023 By Ben Jessey: The horror and puzzle genres go together perfectly. After all, putting puzzles in a horror game means you don't have to rely on too many action sequences that can take the tension out of the adventure.
This is why they're so many games in the genre that contain puzzles of some kind. We put the best ones on the list. However, the piece didn't contain all the good horror puzzle games on the market. So, we've now returned to the list to add some more.
10 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Games don't much scarier than Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's a contemporary horror game classic that has you direct the protagonist around a dark and spooky castle.
The main character doesn't handle this too well, as the darkness and any unsettling events he witnesses mess with his sanity. But you have to fight through this and avoid any monsters nearby while trying to solve puzzles and advance in the game. Fearing for your life does add extra intensity to the physics-based puzzling.
9 Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is one of the greatest psychological horror games of all time. It's mostly praised for its deep and complex story that has the ability to surprise you on multiple occasions. In fact, it's one of the best narratives the genre has ever seen.
As you're making your way through the town of Silent Hill, you will need to solve various puzzles. Many of them involve finding a written note that gives you a hint about the solution. But even with the notes, the puzzles typically take some time to figure out.
8 A Rose In The Twilight
In A Rose In The Twilight, you play as both a girl and a giant that you can switch between. Not only are you given the freedom to do that, but you have to do that at certain points to get past obstacles. This is the main puzzle-solving aspect of the game.
The horror, on the other hand, comes from the creepy world the game is set in. The place looks pretty great, as the game has a nice art style. But that art style is also a little unsettling, particularly when it comes to the monsters you face.
7 Tormented Souls
Clearly, Tormented Souls was influenced by the classic Resident Evil games, as it plays a lot like them - even down to the fixed camera angles. The puzzles are also similar in style, as you have to find all sorts of different items and occasionally combine them to progress in the game.
Halting your progression is a slew of freaky monsters. They don't look out of place, though, as the game is set in a creepy abandoned mansion. The protagonist is there to find two missing twins. But while looking for them, you'll question if it's worth it as you deal with a bunch of scares.
6 Layers of Fear
Layers of Fear is essentially a walking simulator and a very scary one at that. In it, you creep around a very unusual victorian house. Or at least, it seems unusual because you and your character are seeing things.
This is the game's way of terrifying you, as it messes with your mind through the use of various visual tricks. There's also an abundance of jump scares if pure psychological terror isn't enough. Sometimes the visual tricks play a part in the puzzles, too. But they aren't the only puzzles in the game, as there are a bunch of other creative ones.
5 Catherine
Catherine has a horror aesthetic, more so than being an outright horror game. As such, the title isn't very scary. That being said, there are some pretty freaky visuals in the game that may at least creep you out. The story reloves around a guy named Vincent, who cheats on his girlfriend with an unconventional woman.
In the aftermath, he begins to have nightmares, which is where the puzzle aspect of the game comes in. Each stage contains a tower of blocks, and your goal is to reach the top. To do so, you need to arrange the blocks to craft yourself a makeshift staircase.
4 Resident Evil 2
The Resident Evil games aren't generally thought of as puzzle titles. However, puzzles play a big part in the early instalments, or in this case, the remake of one. After all, much of what drives the narrative forward involves solving different types of challenges.
Some are simple, where you have to place a gem into an open slot, while others are a little more complicated. The RE2 remake has some of the most enjoyable puzzles in the series' history. And it is certainly scary, too, particularly when the dangerous Mr. X is stalking you.
3 Limbo
The thing that immediately stands out about Limbo is its visuals and unique color palette. But there is substance to go with that style. The game is a creepy and atmospheric puzzle platformer. In premise, the gameplay is simple, as you can only run, jump, climb, pull things, and push things. Plus, there are only two directions to go, so you're not going to get lost.
However, even with minimalistic gameplay, the developers manage to create a slew of interesting puzzles for you to solve that usually involve plenty of pushing and pulling. And if you don't solve them, you almost always die immediately. The horror aspects are less prevalent, but they're certainly there in the form of a few spooky creatures, most notably a giant spider.
2 The Little Nightmares Series
Either Little Nightmares games are good options for anyone looking to be creeped out while completing some puzzles. The creepiness comes from the bizarre and often grotesque creatures you pass on your adventure. They're not just spooky to look at - they're also dangerous.
Throughout the games, many of them will attempt to grab you, which forces you into plenty of high-risk games of hide-and-seek. Finding ways to avoid their gaze and grasps is part of what makes the game a puzzle title. You also sometimes have to figure out how to proceed to the next area. Yet, you probably don't want to see what monstrosity is waiting on the other side.
1 Inside
Inside isn't the scariest game you will ever play, but it is a little spooky. Much of its spookiness comes from its atmosphere and the constant threat of death. Plus, fear of the unknown is a common feeling, and there is plenty of unknown aspects to this game. After all, the whole experience is very mysterious, as the game doesn't really tell you anything about who you are or where you are. You have to piece things together yourself.
This isn't why it's considered a puzzle game. There are actually puzzles within the gameplay. For most of them, you have to push, pull, or jump your way to a solution, which often lets you progress to the next area. They're enjoyable to complete, and everything else in the title is equally great.