Horror games provide a lot of enjoyment for lost of various reasons. Some people bask the spooky or mysterious story while others might desire to immerse themselves into a macabre or foreboding temper. For others though, it's the jump scares. While not every horror game needs to take jump scares to exist creepy, there are some games that implement them in artistic or thrilling ways.While some horror games only rely on jump scares to ratchet upwards the tension and fearfulness factor, it's the games that walk a fine line of environmental tension building blended with moments of in-your-confront terror. Horror games need to take ebbs and flows in social club to build upwardly the fearfulness and then release it so as to not grow dried. The following games and subsequent jump scares are some of the very all-time in the horror genre. Updated past Geoffrey Martin on December 20th, 2021: Jump scares within horror games are quite divisive since sometimes relying on this trope oft means doing away with good tension building and the more psychological aspects of the genre. However, consequence jump scares can actually brand a horror game even better, as long as they aren't done all throughout the game.Due to the staggering number of horror games on the marketplace, there are a plethora of great moments that make you jump out of your seat. From indie games to AAA games, horror is a genre that tin can exist handled well in all areas of gaming. This listing hands needed a couple more entries to provide extra scares should that be your cup of tea.

12 Evil Inside - That Darned Clown

evil inside hallway location

Evil Inside, for all intents and purposes, is a budget version of P.T. For the uninitiated, P.T. was the now canned Silent Hills Playable Teaser that had you playing through a looping corridor of horrors. Evil Within takes this idea and provides a creepy story, an unnerving setting, and of course, enough of jump scares.

Any of the jump scares from the game could easily be placed here, however, it's the clown jump scare that truly takes the cake. Later being greeted by an off-putting clown at the end of the hallway, he rapidly disappears. In one case you get comfy with the thought of him existence gone, you eventually make your manner back downward the corridor in the contrary direction, blocked by some furniture. Information technology'south at this point the clown pops out of nowhere to hunt y'all until he disappears again.

xi Dead Infinite two - Dainty To Meet You Necromorph

Dead Space 2 Isaac Clarke concept art

Dead Infinite 2, along with its predecessor, Dead Space, are two of the best sci-fi survival horror games, full finish. Dead Space 2 ups the ante with larger explorable locations along with a boatload of scares from the downright terrifying Necromorphs. 1 such scare happens right at the kickoff of the game, typically when yous don't expect 1.

At the start of Dead Space 2, Isaac Clarke is in a medical ward wrapped in a directly jacket. Correct before all heck breaks loose, he is greeted by another survivor who seeks to help Isaac escape the situation they find themselves in, namely, being overrun past Necromorphs. Just when you remember y'all are rubber, a Necromorph slices through the other graphic symbol with plenty of bloody particular. This jump scare perfectly sets the stage for the harrowing journey to come.

10 Resident Evil - The Window

Jill from Resident Evil 1 in spencer mansion

The archetype and famous original Resident Evil jump scare absolutely deserves to be mentioned since it's what helped to start this gameplay aspect. For the uninitiated, the first Resident Evil had stock-still camera angles with your character moving through the aforementioned parts of Spencer Mansion over and over once again.

Well, 1 unremarkable hallway featured a few big windows that you had already walked past previously. On a return trip through the hallway, a zombie dog breaks through the window to scare y'all silly. At the time it was completely unexpected and terrifying.

9 Silent Hill 2 - From Nether The Van

Silent Hill 2 on PS2

Not all spring scares need to be big set-piece moments. Sometimes the more subtle the lead-up to the scare is, the more effective it will actually be. One of Silent Loma 2'south earliest scares happens when James is meandering through the eponymous boondocks deep in the fog.

As James wanders through the streets by lamposts and vehicles, the static of the radio clicks in, ratcheting up the tension level. Yet, merely as the radio turns on, a creepy crawler enemy comes out from under a van making an otherworldly dissonance and gear up to ship James to meet his maker.

8 Condemned: Criminal Origins - The Locker

Condemned Criminal origins gameplay mannequin

Condemned: Criminal Origins, and excuse the pun, is criminally underrated as a top survival horror game. This Xbox 360 launch championship was and still is downright terrifying equally you explore abandoned buildings in search of a killer.

The game had more subtle bound scares with the crazed criminals jumping out from the shadows, all the same, it'south the infamous locked scare that stands the test of fourth dimension. During an otherwise routine investigative gameplay section, you lot open up a locker and out jumps a very much nevertheless alive person who was thought to be dead.

vii Outlast - Open The Door

Outlast Chris Walker with a grimace on his face. Night vision with camera overlay on the screen.

There is a reason that Outlive is consistently talked about equally one of the scariest games of all time. Outlast features some truly harrowing gameplay moments with enough blood and gore to last yous a lifetime. The game's scares are fabricated even worse through the awful villains of the game.

Very early on in the game when Miles Upshur showtime enters Mount Massive Asylum, he walks downwardly a hallway and opens a door to explore. Well, he should accept left that door closed because a bloodied hanging man swings back and forth shouting as you run away terrified.

6 The Evil Within 2 - Through The Drinking glass

The Evil Within 2. Sculpture of a woman in a white dress with blood over her.

Some other horror game that isn't talked about enough in the survival horror genre is The Evil Within 2. This game one time once more stars the troubled Sebastian Castellanos, this time seeking his married woman and child through some of the series' most disturbing environments and set-pieces.

1 of the very best spring scares in this follow-up to the original game happens when the multi-headed Guardian monster smashes through the glass to start a chase sequence with Sebastian. This freaky monster is fabricated upwardly of homo torsos, heads, and limbs. Say hello to plenty of nightmares after this scene.

5 The Park - The Abandoned Booth

haunted funhouse in the park game

The Park, from programmer Funcom, is a short, spooky amusement park-themed horror game where a distraught mother must rails down her son, Callum who ran off into the park during the cover of night. This isn't a recipe for a scary time, correct?

The Park is mostly a walking simulator horror game taking identify in first-person. One time yous first enter the entertainment park at the start of the game you lot finish up exploring some abandoned booths. Well, one of these booths isn't empty since once yous press your confront to it to wait inside, you lot are greeted past a monstrous surprise.

4 Layers Of Fear - Book Monster

A Screenshot From The Layers of fear Menu Screen Featuring An Easel And Dolls

Okay, yes, a volume monster might non sound all that scary for a jump scare, however, to think this would exist wrong. Layers of Fear is a horror game known for its mind-bending and surreal ecology shifts and twists as you lot explore the labyrinthian mansion.

At nearly the halfway signal in the game, yous encounter a room with a large oval painting above the fireplace mantel. Upon looking at it closer you notice an arm reaching out. When yous happen to turn around in fright, a sentient monster made up of books stands right in front end of you lot before vanishing.

3 Fatal Frame - Your First Ghost

ghost captured in picture from fatal frame

Fatal Frame, even 20 years later, is still 1 of the very best horror games of all fourth dimension. The reason this series is so honey by the horror community is down to the Camera Obscura. This supernatural photographic camera is able to take ghost photos in society to bewitch the evil entities amongst them.

The spring scare in question hither is the very first time you see a ghost when looking through the Photographic camera Obscura in first-person. Even though you lot know it's coming, when it appears right before you, prepare to crusade you impairment, information technology makes your hairs stand on cease with a common cold arctic running downwards your spine.

2 Slender: The Inflow - The Scream

A promotional image for the game, featuring Slender Man

Slenderman probably needs no introduction at this betoken, nonetheless, Slender: The Arrival does. This smaller horror championship features the titular monster along with plenty of other spooky aberrations to proceed you lot up in the wee hours of the night.

1 of the all-time, yet most subtle bound scares happens equally you lot explore the house in the woods near the very kickoff of the game. Y'all are exploring this recently abandoned home searching for signs of a young girl that's been taken by Slenderman. Every bit you enter her room, a loud, blood-curdling scream happens as you motion to the window to look out into the vast darkness.

one Infliction: Extended Cut - The Darkness

infliction dark hospital hallway

Infliction: Extended Cut is one of the greatest survival horror games of all time, full stop. You lot play as a man who has brutally murdered his wife and family unit via some very evil and possibly demonic influence. This game features some of the all-time audio design in horror which ratchets up the scares every single time.

At 1 point in the game, yous are in the basement looking for items from your wife. Just every bit you are about to head out, the lights shut out and you hear a faint moan. As you inch closer to run away, the ghost of your very vengeful wife pops out at you to say how-do-you-do in the scariest way possible.

Next: Horror Games Ready In A Hospital