Get spooky with the best horror games out now for the Switch
- jan
- 11
You probably thought that since Nintendo is such a family-friendly game company, there wouldn't be much in the way of horror for the Switch. However, there are a few solid horror titles available right now, with more iconic horror characters and brand new titles on the way. If you love horror games, these are the best ones available on Nintendo Switch.
★ Featured favorite
Layers of Fear: Legacy
Possibly the best original horror title to come to the Switch so far, Layers of Fear: Legacy traps you in a lonely Victorian-era house with a protagonist whose sanity is slowly deteriorating. As you move between the present and past, you'll see what it is that makes your POV protagonist lose his mind. Are those painting really moving, or are you just losing it? I'd keep the lights on for this one; it's really going to scare you.
Horror in the asylum
Outlast: Bundle of Terror
Nintendo Switch's re-release of this horror adventure game is not going to make things easy for you. As a journalist investigating a murder that took place at an asylum, you're walking down dark hallways, revealing bloody scenes, and being chased by crazed inmates around every corner. The worst part is that you don't have any weapons to protect you — you are just a journalist, after all. When things go completely dark, you have your trusty camcorder to help you see the horror that awaits you. Don't overuse it though. Batteries don't last forever.
The classic
Resident Evil Revelations Collection
Resident Evil was the first horror game I ever played and the first game I played all the way through to the end. Revelations and Revelations 2 are interim games that take place between the main titles. Revelations takes place between Resident Evil 4 and 5 and follows Jill Valentine on an abandoned cruise ship. Revelations 2 takes place between Resident Evil 5 and 6 and follows Claire Redfield on an abandoned prison island. The two games tie up some loose ends from the franchise and give you some more good old-fashioned Resident Evil fun.
A lesson in horror
Detention
Detention takes hints from Asian horror to put you in the front seat of a disturbing chain of events that leads to some seriously dark stuff. Though the gameplay itself isn't particularly difficult, the atmosphere is completely immersive. It feels more like you're watching a horror movie than playing a game.
You control a student trapped at a school that was recently evacuated due to a ... typhoon? Maybe. You were asleep when everyone left. The only thing is that typhoons don't turn people into flesh-eating Lingereds or leave curses on walls written in blood. Will you make it out of school alive? Or are you trapped in detention forever?
Blind terror
Perception
In Perception, you play the role of a blind woman trying to uncover the mystery of a recurring nightmare by exploring a haunted mansion. Through echolocation, you're able to see glimpses of your surroundings. Tapping your cane on the ground as you walk reveals outlines of objects. This creepy mansion also has a horrifying presence that will kill you if you make a sound when it's nearby. What to do?!
I'd recommend playing this game with headphones, or at least with the volume up on your TV set. It's a game meant to invoke fear through sound.
There is nothing quite as fun as a video game that can scare the pants off of you. It's a bit like watching a horror movie but you actually get to become a part of the terror! We'd highly recommend checking out all the games on this list, although we're partial to Layers of Fear: Legacy, which might be the best original title to hit the Switch so far.