Best Workplace Horror Games

Highlights

Mundane locations in horror games can provide a sense of normalcy before revealing hidden darkness.
The best survival horror games blend supernatural elements with ordinary settings for grounded experiences.
Workplace horror games, set in locations like gas stations or pizza parlors, offer unique and unsettling experiences.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I find myself drawn to the intriguing collection of horror games you’ve curated here. Each title offers a unique blend of fear and fun that appeals to different aspects of my gaming palette.

In many horror games, common places are often given a chilling makeover by adding an unexpected, eerie element. This helps create an illusion of safety for the players, only to later unveil the shadows hiding in plain sight.

Horror video games skillfully combine grotesque monsters, eerie environments, and otherworldly visuals with everyday settings, creating a more relatable and immersive experience compared to sci-fi horror games like Dead Space. This isn’t meant as criticism of Dead Space; instead, it highlights the power of the ordinary in evoking fear. As a result, common locales such as offices, corner stores, and even pizzerias have proven to be versatile settings for numerous horror games.

7 The Shadow Over Route 80

Bite-Sized Horror At A Gas Station

Platform: PC
Released: November 23, 2022
Developer: the ito project
Genre: Horror

Despite being quite compact, The Shadow Over Route 80 delivers a wealth of chilling excitement through its minimalist style and gradual build-up of apprehension. In this game, players find themselves assuming the role of a gas station clerk during the wee hours of the night.

In this straightforward office setting, a tense vibe permeates, and events escalate steadily as the story unfolds. I’d advise minimal discussion about “The Shadow Over Route 80“, given its brevity can quickly lead to spoilers. However, it’s an enjoyable suggestion for enthusiasts of budget-friendly horror games.

6 Happy’s Humble Burger Farm

A Twisted & Atmospheric Low-Budget Horror With Cooking Mechanics

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Released: December 3, 2021
Developer: Scythe Dev Team
Genre: Horror

At Happy’s Humble Burger Farm, you get a chilling, suspenseful horror adventure that blends remarkably with first-person cooking gameplay. This unique blend offers an experience that’s often unsettling and surprisingly captivating. Despite the game’s budget-like visuals, the meticulous detail in its settings truly stands out.

The ambiance at “Happy’s Humble Burger Farm” often gives one a chilling feeling, even if it doesn’t top the list of scariest horror games. Yet, its peculiar storyline, disquieting character depictions, and scattered audio logs create an environment of workplace horror that is particularly unnerving.

5 No Delivery

A Pixel-Art Horror Set In A Rundown Pizza Parlor

Platform: PC
Released: September 26, 2019
Developer: Oates
Genre: Horror

As a gamer, I’d rephrase that as: “Experiencing a one-of-a-kind, underestimated terror, I found myself immersed in ‘No Delivery’, a game seamlessly blending RPG, survival-horror, procedural generation, and rogue-like aspects. This chilling adventure casts me as an employee working the graveyard shift at a shabby pizza parlor – a seemingly ordinary job with an extraordinary twist.”

“No Delivery” offers a classic, turn-based combat system reminiscent of old-school RPGs, complemented by resource gathering and management. While this combination might appear unusual for a horror game, “No Delivery” effectively integrates it with its consistently unsettling pixel-art graphics. It may not be the most terrifying game out there, but it stands out uniquely, and its office-based setting is convincingly portrayed.

4 Rewind Or Die

An Unsettling Horror In A Nostalgic VHS Store

Platform: PC
Released: April 14, 2023
Developer: Comp-3 Interactive
Genre: Horror

In this indie horror game reminiscent of PlayStation Xperience, you’ll find a low-poly aesthetic set in a 90s video rental store – named “Rewind Or Die”. The story offers various character viewpoints, including one who works at the vintage video store, which significantly contributes to the plot. This workplace setting not only advances the game’s narrative but also creates a nostalgic atmosphere for the eerie vibes that the game delivers.

If you’re into workplace horror, you’ll especially appreciate the beginning segments of “Rewind Or Die”. For fans of modern indie horror games with a retro feel, “Rewind Or Die” is definitely worth giving a try.

3 Employee Of The Month

A Retro-Styled Horror Comedy Set In A Convenience Store

Platform: PC
Released: September 21, 2022
Developer: Projeckt Skeleton
Genre: Horror

As a seasoned horror game enthusiast who grew up playing PlayStation classics like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I found myself immediately drawn to Employee Of The Month. With its throwback aesthetic and eerie atmosphere, it harkened back to the golden age of survival-horror games. The developers have clearly poured their heart and soul into creating a dense and unsettling world, using sound design, writing, and attention to detail to provide players with an immersive experience that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

Title character, “Employee of the Month,” places players in the role of an unlucky convenience store worker. The game unfolds during a mysterious night shift, requiring players to accomplish a range of ordinary tasks. This title uniquely combines its low-poly horror elements with a delightful dash of humor, setting it apart from similar games.

2 Still Wakes The Deep

A Narrative-Focused Horror Set On An Oil Rig

In the realm of storytelling and cinematic horror video games, “Still Wakes The Deep” is set on an oil rig far out at sea. If you prefer gameplay-centric experiences like survival-horror games, this title might not quite meet your expectations. However, for those who appreciate narrative horror games with stunning visuals, a closer look at “Still Wakes The Deep” is definitely recommended.

Still Awakens the Depths: This story unfolds around a regular oil rig, which encounters terrifying eldritch threats. Despite its ordinary work environment, the chilling horror aspects and skillfully constructed plot make full use of the captivating surroundings to create an immersive experience.

1 F.E.A.R.

High-Octane Action And Unsettling Interludes In Office Spaces

The first-person shooter game F.E.A.R., renowned for its intelligent and challenging AI opponents and intense firearm battles, leans more towards action than outright terror, yet intersperses horror moments to deliver an occasional jolt of fear.

In F.E.A.R., these frightening moments typically occur during pauses between the game’s intense action scenes, serving as chilling interludes between battles. This strategy maintains an engaging rhythm, ensuring a harmonious blend of thrill and terror that prevents the gameplay from feeling repetitive. Contrary to its high-octane action sequences, F.E.A.R.’s settings are largely office environments filled with corridors and rooms.

2024-08-04 09:04