The Best Escape Room Horror Games

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Key Takeaways

  • Hag
    offers a horror-filled Escape Room experience with jumpscares & high stakes.
  • The Past Within
    requires co-op players to solve mysteries & connect clues to uncover dark family secrets.
  • Escape The Backrooms
    is a co-op game with Backroom-themed levels & hostile mobs, emphasizing teamwork.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that the current crop of horror games is truly a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of modern developers. Among the plethora of offerings, three games stand out as particularly intriguing: The Room, The Tartarus Key, and Anglerfish.

Escape rooms may sound thrilling, but they’re not always the most practical or suitable experiences due to their intensity. Even though some escape rooms might not be horror-themed, they can still be quite intense for many people. They tend to be unsettling, eerie, mentally taxing, and high-pressure situations, which can be overwhelming when experienced in reality.

Instead of traditional escape rooms, video game adaptations of escape rooms offer a less stressful yet equally engaging alternative. For those who enjoy a touch of horror, these games provide an optimally eerie experience that challenges players to think critically while ensuring they emerge unscathed.

8 HAG

Plays Out Like A B-Rated Horror Movie With Blatant Jump Scares And Near-Death Situations

  • Released: Oct 5, 2023
  • Developer(s): jason silver
  • Publisher(s): jason silver
  • Platform: PC

As a horror enthusiast, I can’t help but be captivated by the immersive first-person experience offered by HAG. This game is designed for those who crave a genuinely chilling escape room adventure, complete with unexpected jump scares and visual horrors that surpass the ordinary ‘casual’ fright factors. Despite being developed by a small indie studio, HAG carries an air of professionalism typically associated with higher-budget releases. The game’s atmospheric graphics and terrifying mechanics create an experience that is as immersive as it is bone-chilling.

In a dilapidated home, players become ensnared by a sinister old woman, often referred to as the ‘Hag’, and her equally ominous offspring, who are notorious for their involvement in dark arts and illicit dealings. The objective is for players to stealthily evade the Hag and her brood while simultaneously searching the grim dwelling for hints and potential exits. Danger lurks in every nook and cranny of this haunting residence.

7 The Past Within

Rusty Lake’s Co-Op Only Game That Focuses On Albert Vanderbloom’s Maliciousness

The Inner Past is a cooperative point-and-click puzzle game developed by Rusty Lake, which focuses on the Vanderbloom family, specifically the third-generation scion, Albert Vanderbloom, who is infamous for his questionable antics towards his kin.

In essence, “The Past Within” is designed as a cooperative game, meaning it isn’t meant for solo play. This structure mirrors an actual escape room experience. Two players will find themselves immersed in the game, but their experiences may vary. They’ll need to piece together clues from both the past and future to unravel the mysteries presented to them. Their collective efforts will guide them through the two detailed chapters of the game, ultimately leading them to a resolution about Albert Vanderbloom’s plot, which affects not only his family but also the world.

6 Escape The Backrooms

A Co-Op Backroom-Themed Escape Room With Multiple Hostile Mobs

Titled “Escape the Backrooms“, this cooperative game, as its name implies, is inspired by the Backrooms lore and operates like an escape room, albeit in an endless setting. In this game, four players are plunged into various levels based on the Backrooms theme, filled with menacing creatures. The objective? To find multiple routes of escape using a variety of methods provided.

In this game, what sets it apart as an authentic escape room experience is the fundamental rule: for everyone to progress safely to the next level, every player must successfully escape together. Teamwork is crucial, and although I didn’t mean it literally, you could say the key here is cooperation – no pun intended. The in-game proximity chat enhances realism, while the numerous levels filled with dangerous enemies amplifies the tension even further.

5 The Inheritance Of Crimson Manor

Players Get To Explore And Solve The Mystery Behind A Railroad Mogul’s Death In His Massive Manor

  • Released: May 6, 2022
  • Developer(s): MediaCity Games
  • Publisher(s): MediaCity Games
  • Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X and Series S

Crimson Manor’s Legacy” is a captivating, single-player game, presented from the protagonist’s perspective, immersed in the atmospheric Victorian era. The entire experience takes place within an ominous, gloomy mansion, where players are tasked with thorough exploration to uncover the mansion owner’s disturbing truths that lie hidden. Unlike conventional cooperative escape room games, this title offers a unique narrative, featuring non-linear advancement and intricate puzzles that transcend mere ‘escaping rooms,’ instead crafting an engaging, larger enigma that players must unravel.

In this game, players assume the part of an aid to Hadley Strange, a prominent businessman known for his immense fortune and opulent estate. Although he appears ordinary aside from his wealth, Hadley Strange’s life takes a dramatic turn when he and his family meet an untimely and mysterious end, leaving their manor in the hands of the player character. The task now falls upon players to delve into the enigmatic manor’s 24 distinct rooms to uncover clues that reveal a much more sinister side to Hadley Strange and the manor itself.

4 Homebody

A Slasher Movie Set In An Escape Room All Happening In A Video Game

  • Released: Jun 1, 2023
  • Developer(s): Game Grumps
  • Publisher(s): Rogue Games, Inc.
  • Platform: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X and Series S

Gently paced escape room-style games, where players have ample time and patience to solve puzzles methodically, are truly valuable gems. They offer a stimulating and thought-provoking experience ideal for those who prefer a leisurely yet challenging playthrough. However, there’s an undeniable excitement in video game dynamics when they introduce high-stakes elements like a hostile mob or two. Homebody, a psychological horror puzzle game, skillfully incorporates this thrill by doing just that.

In Homebody, the players find themselves under constant pressure from a serial killer, which necessitates swift decision-making and problem-solving skills. The protagonist, Emily, is a college student with a somber past that propels her to rebuild relationships with her alienated friends. To achieve this, they decide on a getaway to an isolated cabin in the wilderness. Regrettably, their efforts to reconcile are cut short when the lights in the vacation home flicker out, leaving them no choice but to flee from a tenacious serial killer who’s determined to eliminate them one by one.

3 The Room

A Unique Escape Room Combining Futuristic And Antique Themes

The game titled “The Room” is primarily a point-and-click adventure, delivering an authentic escape room experience through subtle hints and visual clues instead of a linear narrative. The narrative isn’t particularly defined, but the depth of exploration and number of puzzles solved by players significantly impacts their journey to uncover the game’s intriguing mystery.

In this scenario, participants find themselves in a dimly lit attic space, centered around an old-fashioned safe. Their task involves cracking the code with the aid of cryptic messages left by another player, who had previously attempted to solve the puzzle-filled chamber. As they progress, seemingly harmless activities take on a sinister edge as the messages grow increasingly disturbed, suggesting that the previous participant encountered considerable difficulty and distress in solving the room’s enigmas.

2 The Tartarus Key

An Eerily Disturbing Game That Constantly Makes You Feel Like You’re Being Watched — Perhaps You Are

  • Released: 2022
  • Developer(s): Vertical Reach
  • Publisher(s): Armor Games Studios
  • Platform: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X and Series S

The Tartarus Key is a chilling horror puzzle game with an emphasis on exploration, subtly evoking the feeling of being pursued without directly thrusting players into a chase scenario. The game’s ambiance instills an unnerving sense that the protagonist is perpetually watched and trailed, immersing gamers in a tense atmosphere of growing paranoia and discomfort.

The story begins as the protagonist, Alex Young, finds herself stirring in a gloomy manor that sends shivers down her spine. Upon exploration, she learns that the manor is securely sealed, leaving no simple escape route. To complicate things further, she comes to understand that she isn’t the only individual held captive by these enigmatic abductors. In a challenging moral dilemma, Alex must decide whether to prioritize her own survival or bravely attempt to aid the other trapped individuals she can faintly hear.

1 Anglerfish

2D Horror With The Most Surreal Looking Characters

  • Released: June 6, 2022
  • Developer(s): Professional Villains
  • Publisher(s): Professional Villains
  • Platform: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC

The Anglerfish game is a distinctive 2D horror escape room experience, standing out among others for its bizarre (some might say peculiar) visuals and ever-evolving map layouts. Its narrative, which matches the weirdness of its aesthetics and gameplay, is downright strange.

In the game titled Anglerfish, players assume the persona of a masked individual armed with a shotgun, tasked with enduring a chilling night inside a tumultuous bar known as Anglerfish. This establishment is notorious for its unsettling and uncomfortable ambiance, attracting some of the most disturbed characters in the vicinity. The player’s objective is to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding the bar, uncovering what makes it so eerie, and unearth its hidden secrets…or perish in the attempt, an engaging twist that adds excitement to the gameplay. In Anglerfish, death serves as a means of progression, with each respawn resulting in new alterations to the game, ensuring that every checkpoint feels like a fresh adventure.

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2024-11-04 06:05