10 Horror Games Where Every Bullet Actually Counts

Survival horror games center around carefully managing limited resources, especially ammunition, to stay alive. Some games give you plenty of ammo, but the best ones really put you on edge by making it feel constantly scarce. When ammo is truly limited, it creates incredibly tense and frightening experiences.

When ammunition is limited, combat becomes more strategic – you can’t just shoot at everything. This scarcity also motivates players to thoroughly explore the environment, because finding extra ammo can be the key to survival. Every container, drawer, and hidden area becomes important in the search for the next ammo pack.

These 10 games demand precision – every bullet counts. Success means carefully aiming each shot, and often, targeting headshots to quickly defeat enemies. Miss your shots, and you’ll likely face defeat or be forced to retreat and find cover.

10. The Evil Within 2

The Lack of Ammo is the True Evil

The first Evil Within game wasn’t exactly overflowing with ammunition, but The Evil Within 2 made resource scarcity even more pronounced. This design choice pushes players to be strategic with every shot, as finding more ammo can be a real challenge. The unpredictable nature of the enemies – with their unusual movements and attacks – makes it easy to miss and waste precious bullets.

The Evil Within 2 encourages players to think carefully and plan their actions instead of rushing into fights. Because ammo is scarce, you’ll need to explore each area completely to find supplies and increase your chances of surviving.

It really hurts to waste ammunition in this game, so focus on making every shot count. Make sure you only fire when necessary and aim carefully to hit your target.

9. Tormented Souls

This Nod to the Classics Emphasizes Ammo Management

As a huge fan of Tormented Souls and the new sequel, I can tell you one thing: ammo is seriously limited! It’s a classic survival horror vibe, meaning you’re going to be dodging and running from enemies way more than you’re actually shooting them. Every single bullet feels precious, and you really have to make them count!

Even on the easiest setting, you’ll often find yourself with very little ammo, hoping you don’t run into an enemy before you can find more. It’s especially frustrating because you might need a specific item you haven’t discovered yet just to break objects that contain ammo.

Tormented Souls’ old-school controls and camera angles make aiming difficult, and missing a shot feels incredibly stressful. Each bullet feels precious, as you might be low on ammo, and a miss often forces you to retreat. This is frustrating because enemies typically guard the path forward, blocking your way to the next challenging puzzle.

8. Resident Evil

Surviving By The Skin of Your Teeth

The first Resident Evil game is famous for creating the survival horror genre, and it’s particularly remembered for how stressful it was to manage limited ammunition. Like the newer game Tormented Souls, it uses fixed camera angles and ‘tank controls’ – a control scheme that makes aiming difficult. This combination often leads to wasted bullets, and because enemies can take a lot of damage, every missed shot feels critical.

In this game, you’ll spend most of your time exploring the map, desperately looking for ammo and supplies to stay alive. Discovering even a small amount of ammo feels like a lucky break, but it usually means danger is close by, and you’ll likely need to use it right away.

You’re constantly searching for ammunition, and while you might find a good amount in one area, the game consistently keeps you feeling a little short on supplies. This is similar to classic games like Resident Evil, which emphasize careful, strategic combat – sometimes it’s better to avoid a fight altogether.

7. Dead Space Remake

Space Doesn’t Have Much Ammo

Any list of games where conserving ammunition is crucial would be incomplete without Dead Space. This popular survival horror title is famous for giving players limited ammo while throwing numerous enemies their way.

Many fights involve groups of enemies, so it’s crucial to conserve ammunition for each weapon beforehand. Running out of ammo is a real possibility, and because each type of ammunition is scarce, you’ll need to search every enemy and container to keep yourself supplied.

Dead Space feels similar to Resident Evil 4 in how quickly the action moves, but it manages resources more like the original Resident Evil 2. The game emphasizes fast-paced combat, but doesn’t give you a lot of ammo, forcing you to make every shot count. A key to survival is using the dismemberment system – strategically shooting off enemies’ limbs to slow them down or stop them completely.

6. Alan Wake 2

This Writer Has Issues With Ammo

Alan Wake 2, the highly anticipated sequel to a beloved game, features action-packed combat, but resources like ammunition can be scarce. This is particularly noticeable when playing as Alan; Saga, another playable character, generally has more ammo available. When you control Alan, you’ll find limited sources of ammunition and will primarily need to use his flashlight to fight the supernatural enemies.

While Saga doesn’t have unlimited ammunition, she generally manages better than some characters. Ultimately, Alan Wake 2 emphasizes accurate shooting, especially aiming for headshots to maximize damage. Throughout my experience, I often faced groups of enemies with limited ammo, forcing me to frantically search the environment for more during combat.

5. Amnesia: The Bunker

A Monster Lurks in the Shadows

Amnesia: The Bunker is a truly tense game where you need to carefully consider every shot. Limited ammunition, combined with a relentless monster, creates a terrifying experience for even the most courageous players. Running out of bullets isn’t just about poor aim; it’s about making smart choices about when to use your weapons. You might need to shoot locks to open doors, blow up obstacles, or even try to scare the monster away with a well-timed shot.

It might seem smart to use ammo on everything, but you’ll quickly find yourself running out when you really need it. Instead, use bricks to break padlocks and Molotov cocktails or explosive barrels to deal with enemies – save your bullets! Otherwise, you could spend a long time – even up to an hour – feeling helpless and without the means to defend yourself. Amnesia: The Bunker encourages careful resource management, and if you don’t play strategically, you’ll likely fail.

4. Bioshock

Too Many Enemies and Not Enough Ammo

While some debate whether Bioshock is truly a horror game, it genuinely frightened me when I first played it. The game features unsettling enemies, a creepy setting, and a disturbing story, all made worse by a constant shortage of ammunition. Though you have different ways to fight, you’ll spend most of the game carefully managing what little ammo you have. This scarcity, present in both Bioshock and Bioshock 2, makes every shot crucial and leaves you feeling vulnerable.

In this game, finding ammunition is often just a temporary relief. You’ll quickly use it up facing tough enemies like Big Daddies or large groups, leaving you with nothing. Though many don’t label it a traditional survival horror game, it truly feels like one – a constant struggle where you barely make it through. Expect to waste bullets, lament missed shots, and often find yourself frustrated with your performance.

3. Alien: Isolation

The Xenomorph Will Hear You

Alien: Isolation encourages players to be stealthy and conserve ammunition. This is particularly important on the Nightmare difficulty setting, where firing your weapon should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Interestingly, the game’s primary enemy, the Xenomorph, is resistant to most weapons. Firing your gun doesn’t harm it – it actually attracts the Xenomorph, drawing it towards your position.

In Alien: Isolation, every shot you take is crucial. Firing your weapon could attract the deadly Xenomorph, putting you in immediate danger. You’ll constantly have to decide whether to use ammo on human enemies – potentially revealing your location – or rely on stealth to stay hidden from the alien. This difficult choice is at the heart of the gameplay experience.

2. Cronos: The New Dawn

Don’t Let Them Merge

Bloober Team has been consistently delivering high-quality survival horror games. Their recent successes, including a fantastic remake of Silent Hill 2 and the new game Cronos: The New Dawn, prove they excel at building suspenseful and frightening experiences.

Cronos: The New Dawn creates a really stressful experience because ammunition is extremely limited. Every shot matters, and a missed attack can feel devastating. You might even find yourself reloading older saves just to backtrack and find more bullets.

The game strikes a good balance with its limited ammo – it’s challenging without feeling frustrating. You’ll need to work for every bullet, but it’s manageable. There’s a crafting system to help, letting you create ammo and resources, though finding the materials isn’t easy. To survive, you’ll have to thoroughly explore every area for supplies – otherwise, you won’t last long against the enemies.

1. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

A Haunted House With Minimal Resources

Resident Evil 7, compared to recent games in the series, is known for having very limited ammunition, especially during the first half of the game. Exploring the Baker family’s estate means facing scary enemies that require several bullets to defeat, but finding ammo is a constant struggle. This forces players to either aim carefully with every shot or try to escape and search for more supplies.

To make the most of limited ammo in Resident Evil 7, focus on headshots – they do the most damage. Shooting for anything else wastes precious bullets and can lead to trouble later. While the game’s ammo scarcity is extreme, it’s also a key reason why Resident Evil 7 is such a tense and frightening survival horror experience.

2025-10-27 01:11