Seriously Scary Video GamesGrab your flashlight, dim the lights, and twiddle your thumbs in terror as we rank the scariest video games and series in history. Wait...did you hear that?
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Scariest Games on the Switch
Latest additions: Yomawari: Lost in the Dark, Saint Kotar, Beacon Pines
Most divisive: A Plague Tale: Innocence
Nintendo isn't typically known for churning out horror titles, as it's the company that favors family-friendly adventure games involving adorable cartoon characters. At least that's how it used to be, but as the company has embraced more powerful technology like what's powering the Switch, more and more titles have been introduced to Nintendo's ever-growing library.
Sure, the Switch still rocks out with the occasional Mario game, but serious gamers are finding plenty of scary Nintendo Switch horror games to frighten them into going back for Tetris every so often to keep their nerves in check. Luigi's Mansion might be an enjoyable little scare affair, but we're ranking all the horror games on the Switch that are so scary you'll want to drop the Joy-Cons and boot up Mario Kart instead.
Whether it's a title freely available on another console or is exclusive to Nintendo, you can bet there are plenty of scary Switch games you can play on the go. From survival horror Switch games like Alien Isolation to indie horror episodic installments like The Last Door, vote up all the best horror games for Nintendo Switch to see which is considered the fear-inducing of them all.
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Amnesia: The Dark Descent was first released back in 2010 for the PC and Mac. It later found life on the consoles but took a bit before coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2018. By the time that happened, it was packaged into a collection containing Amnesia: The Dark Descent, that game's expansion, Amnesia: Justine, and the game's sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.
In the game, players take control of Daniel, as he explored a large, dark, and foreboding castle. While this is happening, Daniel is trying to retain the tenuous grasp he has on his sanity while trying to keep from ending up inside the jaws of monsters. This is one of those games that truly messes with your head while delivering a great storyline and environments, which work as well as any fleshed-out character, as they truly take the prize as some of the most frightening places to wind up in a video game.
Set within the same universe as the first movie, Alien: Isolation is simultaneously nostalgic and new. (It's also really, really scary.) The game centers on Amanda, Ellen Ripley's daughter, who boards the Sevastopol space station 15 years after the events of the first movie only to come face to face with a huge Xenomorph that's been squatting aboard the station.
A survival horror game at heart, you're constantly trying to stay one step ahead (literally) of your foe. It's an extremely tense affair that's elevated to even higher levels with impeccable gameplay mechanics and stunning graphics. Fortunately, it looks every bit as great on the Switch as it does on other consoles.
The first Outlast game came out nearly a decade ago, and since then, a sequel was released with another on the way. The first two are combined in the Outlast: Bundle Of Terror for the Switch, and they look amazing on the portable system. As players take control of an investigative journalist, they're tasked with investigating a run down and macabre psychiatric hospital in small-town Colorado. Naturally, the hospital is overrun by monsters, and what seemed like another day on the job quickly turns into a fight to survive.
Unlike traditional horror games, Outlast doesn't feature a standard health bar; in fact, the game doesn't really focus all that much on combat. Instead of just blasting your way out, you need to hide and sleuth your way to safety, which makes for a more tense gameplay experience. The added content of the DLC Whistleblower only adds to the terror, making this one of the most adventurous and exciting horror titles available on the Switch.
Don't be fooled by this game's cartoonish nature; it's downright disturbing. Little Nightmares definitely looks at home on the Switch, but this chilling game is all about building tension, no matter how adorable some of the characters may look. At its heart, it's a platforming puzzle game, but below the surface, it definitely gives us some great scary vibes.
The game does a great job of immersing players into a nightmarishly interactive gameplay experience. And while jump scares are few and far between, it's the game's overall theme and style that really grabs your attention. Little Nightmares is a perfect addition to the Switch library, and while it isn't a traditional horror game like some of the others on this list, it's guaranteed to get your heart racing soon after you start playing.
Released: 2017
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Genres (Video game): puzzle-platformer horror adventure game
