GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.
Horror games are the obsession of many people, but that’s not necessarily how you feel about them. For some, horror is a genre they dare not venture into for fear of, well, fear. But not every horror game is meant to keep you awake at night or sleeping with the lights on. Some games are merely horror-ish. They’re scary, but not too scary–spooky-coded, perfect for Halloween season, a chilly night, or just as an introduction to a genre you may want to sample before you dive in too deep.
With that desire in mind, we’ve assembled our list of the best gateway horror games. Don’t confuse this with our list of the best horror games overall, which is more intended for genre veterans who very much want to be terrified.
On this list, you’ll find well over a dozen video games that have scary elements to them, but nothing that will likely haunt your dreams. They’re arranged in no particular order, but as you’ll see, a few are especially wise choices for the youngest horror fans or horror-curious gamers in your life.
If you just can’t get enough horror content, first of all, same. But secondly, don’t miss our abundant coverage elsewhere on site, including the best zombie games, the best horror movies, the best horror movie prequels, more specifically, and the worst horror remakes.
