Since the days of the NES, Nintendo has always been known for its emphasis on family-friendly titles. This was exemplified in November 2006 with the release of the Nintendo Wii, which lived up to its marketing of appealing to every generation of a family. Moreover, the company has always thrived off of its mascot characters, like Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong, who most parents recognize assuitable gaming options for their children.
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Despite this, Nintendo’s latest console, theNintendo Switch, has a plethora of excellent horror games for players to tentatively engross themselves in. The system doesn’t have a plethora of new horror games, though there are numerous classics available on the console that are bundled for value.
10Little Nightmares II
Little Nightmares IIis a prequel to its predecessor,Little Nightmares, which is also available on the Nintendo Switch. The original game instantly intrigued players with its unique combination of horror andpuzzle-platformer genres, which offered an unsettling undertone and constant feel of foreboding to the puzzle-solving, akin to the originalPortal.
Little Nightmares IIstays true to its roots and again offers a collection of horrifying visuals that will stick with players long after they’re put the game down.
9Layers of Fear: Legacy
Layers of Fearis a psychological horror that was originally released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2016, before coming to the Nintendo Switch two years later with the DLC included. The Switch release was well received by critics, exemplified by its80 Metascore, the highest mark across the game’s multiple releases.
Layers of Fearwas developed by Bloober Team, the studio behind the recently releasedThe Medium, which is one of the most technically impressive releases of the ninth generation of home consoles thus far.
8Outlast: Bundle of Terror
Outlast: Bundle of Terrorwas released on the Nintendo Switch in February 2018 and contains bothOutlastandOutlast: Whistleblower DLC.The game instantly engrossed horror fans with its unsettlingly immersive first-person perspective and worrying lack of weaponry similar toAmnesia: The Dark Descent.
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Furthermore, the gameshocked players with numerous jumpscaresin its first couple of hours, which made the game a popular choice among streamers.
7Alien: Isolation
WhenAlien: Isolationwas announced, many players thought that the game would be another underwhelming licensed game cashing in on its IP. Moreover, Sega’s choice of Creative Assembly for the game’s development surprised players, as the team is best known for theirTotal Warstrategy games.
However,Alien: Isolationsmashed expectations by providing one of the best and most terrifying horror experiences of 2014. This is predominantly due to the Alien, which constantly stalks the player, leading to unpredictable jump scares and deaths.
6Observer
Observeris the second game on this list that was developed by Bloober Team. LikeLayers of Fear,Observeris a psychological horror game, a genre that Bloober Team has frequently populated their story-driven games with, that often feature convoluted narratives.
Another similarity thatObserverhas with other Bloober Team releases is its lack of gameplay mechanics, slotting the game into the so-called “walking simulator” genre. The lack of gameplay variety may put some players off, but it does allow the story to progress and unfold at the developer’s intended pace.
5Five Nights At Freddy’s Series
WhenFive Nights At Freddy’swas first released, there weren’t many people who predicted that the IP would be as popular as it is today. This popularity can be attributed to the series' simple yet engaging gameplay, along with lore and fan theories about the series that has kept players invested in the franchise.
There are multipleFive Night’s of Freddy’sgames available on the Nintendo Switch, so it’s worth starting with the first game,Five Nights at Freddy’s, and progressing through the series chronologically.
4Resident Evil Origins Collection
As the name suggests,Resident EvilOrigins Collectioncontains the first twoResident Evilgames chronologically,Resident EvilandResident Evil 0.Both games offer the series' classic fixed-perspective and a plethora of puzzles to solve, a feature of survival horror games that the originalResident Evilhelped pioneer.
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The fixed perspective may put off some of theResident Evilseries' newer fans, though the remastered visuals of both games do a great job of modernizing the classic adventures.
3Darkwood
Darkwoodwas originally released in 2017 on PC, before coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch just under two years later. The horror game features a top-down perspective, which is unique for the genre as it’s inherently less immersive than the common first-person perspective that puts players in the heart of the horror.
Despite the top-down perspective,Darkwoodstill manages to frighten its players. This is predominantly due to its meticulously crafted, unsettling environments that players often have to explore with a restrictive flashlight that often makes them feel there could be something lurking in the surrounding darkness.
2Amnesia: Collection
Amnesia: Collectionwas released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019 and containsThe Dark Descent,A Machine For Pigs, andJustine.The Dark Descentis the game that most players associate theAmnesiaseries with, as it received huge acclaim in the 2010s for itsinfluence on the survival horror genre.
At a time when horror games were becoming less about horror and more about action,Amnesia: The Dark Descentwent against the grain by offering a pure horror experience that removed excessive weaponry and cheap jumpscares, replacing them with a truly unsettling atmosphere that dared players to continue exploring. The sequels didn’t reach the heights ofThe Dark Descent,but they’re certainly worth playing for anyone who enjoyed the modern classic first game.
1Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4is guilty of inspiring the horror genre’s aforementioned transition into action, though it found a fantastic balance between the genres that has ensured the game is still considered to be one of the greatest horror games of all time.
The game’s deceivingly long campaign constantly stays engaging with its huge range of weapons, environments, and enemy types that give the gameplay good combat and strategic depth. Furthermore, completing the game unlocks a plethora of additional content, such as the two Ada Wong campaigns, that would likely cost a hefty DLC fee today.
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