Best 2D Horror Games: Spooky Fun

Despite the rise of powerful hardware and developers pushing the boundaries of 3D gaming, 2D games continue to thrive, showcasing beautiful stories that rival even the most elaborate triple-A titles.

The flourishing indie market allows for diverse genre-based titles to emerge, particularly in the realm of 2D horror games. Recent years have seen a surge in successful 2D horror games, and here is a compilation of some of the best.

Five Nights at Freddy's, known for its 3D horror gameplay with cameras, takes a different approach in Into the Pit, opting for a 2D pixel art style. The horror and suspense remain, amplified by the side-scrolling and point-and-click gameplay. This installment is based on the first volume of the same name in the Frazbear Frights book series.

In this FNAF game, you play as a young boy named Oswald who travels back in time to the original Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, confronting the familiar terrors of the establishment's deadly animatronics, which still appear creepy and formidable in pixel form. The stakes are high, as Oswald's family and friends are also involved.

Edge of Sanity is a 2D survival horror game infused with Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. The stealth aspect, requiring you to hide from eldritch creatures and infected employees of the PRISM Organization, combined with the intense sound design, creates a terrifying and suspenseful experience that keeps you constantly on edge.

Edge of Sanity takes place in Alaska during the 1960s, where an experiment conducted by the PRISM Organization went awry, unleashing otherworldly beings into the wild. Your character, Carter, begins experiencing Lovecraftian monsters in his dreams and slowly loses his grip on reality with each new trauma. The game features complete voice acting, and Carter is a somewhat humorous character.

Oxenfree and Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals are story-driven horror games with a 2.5D look and unique stories, concepts, and visuals. The gameplay features a branching dialogue system, influenced by Telltale Games' style, giving it a distinct feel.

The first game is like a 2D Until Dawn, with ghosts, portals to other worlds, and time loops. Both games have well-developed characters, especially Alex and Riley, who are considered among the best female characters in video games. There's plenty of mystery and lore to explore about Edwards Island and the supernatural forces involved.

If you're scared of the ocean, avoid Reveal The Deep. This game involves exploring a sunken ship with only your helmet's light for guidance. An unseen entity lurks within the wreckage, creating a constant sense of unease as you navigate the ship.

Reveal The Deep focuses on the fear of the unknown. While there aren't constant jump scares or ghostly chases, it keeps you on edge. Being deep underwater is inherently unsettling, and the possibility of something evil swimming nearby intensifies the fear.

Lone Survivor is a pixelated, Silent Hill-inspired game where you play as 'the man' who wakes up in an apartment complex. You must search for weapons to defend yourself against flesh-eating monsters.

Despite its pixel art style, the game's visuals are effective and create sinister environments. The pixelated style actually enhances the fear of the monsters, as their vague details make you question what they are. This combination of style and fear makes Lone Survivor a great 2D horror game.

Carrion is like a video game version of The Blob. You play as a mutated, destructive creature that escapes its cage at the beginning of the game. You take control of the beast and go on a killing spree.

Carrion is a successful horror game that lets you play as the monster. You can move through vents or use your tentacles to grab enemies, ripping them apart or consuming them. You need to kill all the scientists and businessmen in the factory where you were created.

Limbo is a 2D black-and-white game with a simple story. This is actually what makes the game scary. It may not be as scary as other games, but Limbo's art style is the main reason it's frightening. Everything about the game is unique, from its design to the disturbing world you have to explore.

The game has no dialogue and limited colors, relying on shadows and silhouettes. This makes the game feel dark and dirty. You might find it hard to know what to do because danger is hard to see. There's almost no story, but you still get drawn in.

Detention is an excellent horror game, one of the best in the genre. Set in 1960s Taiwan, you play as Wei and Ray, the only two students left after everyone else mysteriously leaves the school. As you explore the school, you discover what happened and how you missed the evacuation.

The subtle but scary images in the background are very effective. The story is emotional and doesn't shy away from making you cry, while also making you hold your breath when you walk past the frightening demons in the game and hear their screams.

Inside is probably the most famous game on this list. It drops you into a dystopian world without any explanation. This is what makes Inside so great. As the story unfolds, you find yourself in one difficult situation after another.

The game starts with you sliding down a cliff and running away immediately. The game never lets you relax, creating a unique 2D gaming experience. From the beginning to the end, Inside forces you to move and stay hidden. The lack of detail about the world creates a lot of mystery.

You're eager to understand the mysterious, disease-ridden world you're in. It may not be the most terrifying game here, but it's definitely unsettling at times. Plus, it has an amazing storyline.