20 Retro Horror Games That Will Still Give You Goosebumps

Often referred to as one of the scariest franchises of all time, Silent Hill games may share a striking resemblance to the Resident Evil series, but while the latter emphasizes fast-paced gameplay and tension, the former is a slower and more atmospheric, focusing on pathological horror rather than tangible zombie opponents.

This thesis was fully realized with Silent Hill 2, giving gamers a masterclass in pure psychological horror. Every path you walk down and ever door you open leads you one step closer to a realization you're too terrified to accept, and really, what more could you ask for in a horror game?

In the same vein as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Nocturne is an often overlooked 3rd-person survival horror game that takes place during the Great Depression, so you know it's going to be grim. Assuming the role as the Stranger, your job is to investigate all the various creatures in the surrounding area. The story is broken into different acts, each its own mini-story that can be chosen from the start.

In addition to featuring sharp graphics, the gameplay is extremely fluid, and when coupled with the engaging (and often creepy) storyline makes for a seriously great horror game. The game received a varied reception during its run, although an official sequel was never made, Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr has been confirmed as a direct crossover.

As if the title wasn't enough to strike a sense of dread deep within your soul, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is cyberpunk horror game from the '90s that channels the insatiable feeling of a coming apocalypse.

Being a point-and-click adventure game, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is based on Harlan Ellison's short story, and features an incredibly rich world with multiple endings.

Inspired by the works of Italian horror director Dario Argento, Clock Tower is an atmospheric point-and-click adventure game focused on a young girl running away from an antagonist named Scissorman who, you guessed it, has a giant pair of scissors. 

Clock Tower became more well-known among modern gaming audiences in the past few years after it appeared on the popular Let's Play show Game Grumps.

Blending RPG, shooting, and horror elements into one terrifying game, System Shock 2 became an instant classic when it was released in 1999, and it launched Ken Levine's career as a famous developer (he would later go on to make Bioshock).

While the game features tons of creepy and cool characters, few can compare to the eerie nature of SHODAN (Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network, an AI unit and the game's central antagonist.

It's impossible to have an old-school horror games list without mentioning the original Resident Evil, and while every classic Resident Evil entry could easily make this list, we decided to go with the original. After all, this was the game that actually created the survival horror genre.

Capcom's first outing in Raccoon City featured two playable characters (Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine), great puzzles, and some of the scariest zombies gamers had ever seen before. There have been tons of enhanced ports released throughout the years, but there's still a certain kind of macabre magic you get when you play the original.