Don’t Judge a Game by Its Prologue
In this age of information, people are so well-informed about the games they play that it’s hard to be taken by surprise. Between crowdfunding updates, early access demos, and content roadmaps, there’s a transparency to releases that wasn’t present decades ago. While not necessarily a bad thing, it does take away the charm of discovering something entirely by yourself.
Thankfully, there are games that can still shock and surprise us. They often do so by hiding their true nature—either with cute, colorful characters or subtle gameplay misdirection. Then, suddenly… boom! All hell breaks loose.
Without further introduction, here’s a list of secret horror games disguised as innocent, charming, and cute experiences. Get ready for some traumatic and bloody plot twists! (Spoilers ahead!)
Pony Island
Ponies! What could be scary about those cute looking creatures? On paper, nothing. And that’s why Pony Island does such a good job of hiding its true nature.
The game starts with players getting their hands on an old arcade machine. You control a cute pony through a colorful, seemingly tranquil 2D side-scroller. But this creates a false sense of security. Soon, you find yourself messing with the game files, trying to find code for missing elements of the game. Once you do this, you’re already past the point of no return.
The music gets creepy, and the game’s colors become dark and saturated. You start fighting demons, meeting your doom in gruesome ways. Slowly, you realize there’s a high chance your soul might remain trapped forever in the arcade game, as many others before you. So, you have to break the cycle and escape it.
Pony Island might not be the scariest game you’ll find on this list. But it has moments that’ll creep you out as the plot thickens—and twists that’ll haunt you for a good while.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Exploring your family history shouldn’t be scary at all, right? Especially if your search brings you to a beautiful, remote house in the middle of the forest… On second thought, there has to be something really dreadful about it. And, of course, there is. But What Remains of Edith Finch hides it well under the camouflage of an intimate narrative adventure game.
Players control Edith Finch, who has returned to her family home in search of answers. The more you explore the house, the more you learn about your deceased relatives. It’s surprising how alive a house can feel, even when none of its inhabitants are alive.
At first, you’re tasked with finding objects and exploring the environment. You explore secret passages within the labyrinthine mansion, learning the story of Edith’s family in the process. The game weaves all these elements together beautifully. But in doing so, it tricks you into thinking it’s a serene adventure game, when in fact it’s anything but.
Eventually, you relive each family member’s death in vivid detail. These vignettes serve as allegories for Edith’s journey, and are equal parts spooky and heartrending. The game has made a considerable mark in the indie horror world, so if you’d like to check it out, make sure you stock up on PSN gift cards!
Tattletail
We all remember the cute little critters called Furbies, don’t we? They were a blast during the early 2000s, and having one was a must back then. Well, they’re returned in a knock-off form called Tattletails, and they’re cuter than ever.
In Tattletail, you explore a house around Christmas time, carrying one such creature and a flashlight. Everything appears sweet and saccharine until the evil Mama-Tattletail starts chasing you from the shadows. Once the party starts, prepare for demonic rituals, deciphering mysteries, and a lot of jump-scares while trying to banish the annoying, evil little creatures.
The game’s events take place over five nights. Depending on how many collectables you discover, there are different endings, which gives the game great replayability. And all this atmospheric, psychological horror is concealed behind the cuteness of these little ones.
“Me Tattletail. Me love you!” (Yeah, right…)
Among the Sleep
Picture the scene: A boy is celebrating his second birthday, complete with a cake, presents, and even singing by his mom. This is probably the most adorable thing that you can think of, right? But even a moment like this can quickly turn into a horror scene.
In Among the Sleep, you journey into the dreams of this toddler. Accompanied by your teddy bear, you must find your mom, who has suddenly disappeared. The game mixes horror elements, like nightmarish monsters and moody environments, with mature themes, like alcoholism.
Among the Sleep also features great visuals, a haunting atmosphere, and plenty of horrifying moments to keep you at the edge of your seat. In addition, the Enhanced Edition of the game features an alternate ending that is even more dreadful than the original one.
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion
Don’t let the fluffy title fool you: Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion offers some legitimate thrills. The game tasks you with escaping a sprawling mansion, with frequent jump-scares in the form of cute-looking smiling cardboards. Rooms are randomly generated, so you have to be quick on your way out. The game has the appearance of a fun little arcade game… but wait.
After the first 50 rooms, things will start to creep you out. The rooms get darker and grittier, and if you look back, you’ll be shocked to see you’re being chased by hostile “specimens,” each of which has a unique way of killing you. No longer a cute arcade game, huh?
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion truly gives players the feeling of running for their life. Players will also be awarded with extra content if they manage to pass its 1000 levels (whoa!), in the form of global leaderboards.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Keyser Söze once paraphrased philosopher Charles Baudelaire by saying, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Doki Doki Literature Club! pulled the exact same trick—to great success.
If you’re familiar with Doki Doki Literature Club!, you probably had zero doubt it’d make this list. On the flip side, if you’ve never heard of it you might ask, “What’s so scary about a Japanese dating sim?”
There’s no question that Doki Doki Literature Club! looks like a web-based manga game. For the first few hours, it appears to be anything but dark and scary. But, after a certain point, things take a turn for the wicked. From its visual glitches to its unsettling, fourth-wall-breaking dialogue, DDLC! messes with your psyche and pushes your nerves to the limit.
With great replayability and three different endings to explore, Doki Doki Literature Club! is a must-play for any horror fan. Just make sure you have a tolerance for graphic imagery, and aren’t someone who gets easily disturbed.
Thanks for reading! What are you favorite secret horror games? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Sarah is a junior content outreach writer for OffGamers. She fosters relationships between gaming enthusiasts and gaming developers to create relevant content for gamers worldwide. She also happens to be a passionate writer and a certified night owl.
