Exploration is a core part of gameplay in lots of genres, from open-world titles and soulslikes to action-adventures and even survival horror. It’s no shock that horror video games typically characteristic terrifying exploration, with gamers sometimes controlling weak characters unprepared for fight. Nonetheless, some video games from different genres create atmospheric worlds the place exploration feels eerie and unsettling, even while you play as succesful, combat-ready heroes.
Builders obtain this by way of varied methods: making enemies formidable and harmful, designing particular zones with heightened threats, crafting environments that really feel unsafe to navigate, and even altering exploration guidelines based mostly on the time of day, the place nights are sometimes darkish and stuffed with disagreeable surprises.
For this checklist, we’re specializing in scary video games with a robust emphasis on exploration. We’ll largely keep away from survival or horror video games (with a number of exceptions), typical for such standards, prioritizing titles the place non-compulsory exploration is rewarding however all the time feels harmful, tense, and unsettling.
STALKER 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl
The World of the Zone Is Really Unforgiving
After one yr of updates and tweaks, STALKER 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl launches on PS5 on November 20, bringing the distinctive and treacherous open-world of the Zone to the platform. This can be a journey price taking for followers of first-person shooters with a strong focus on exploration, because the world of STALKER 2 is distinctive, breathtaking, and unforgiving.
From roaming bandits and closely armed mercenaries to creepy mutants of all types, darkish and terrifying nights, deadly anomalies scattered each outside and indoors, and lethal emissions that gamers can’t survive with out discovering shelter — exploring the Zone is all the time a tense, unforgettable expertise the place one improper transfer can finish a stalker’s life right away.
Hell is Us
In Hadea, Gamers Can Solely Depend on Themselves
One of the vital ignored new video games of 2025, Hell is Us is considerably paying homage to the STALKER sequence, delivering a singular, devastated world stuffed with intricate mysteries, unfamiliar beings, and lethal anomalies, in addition to valuable and powerful relics and treasures to acquire. Robust visuals and sound contribute drastically to the disturbing environment of the sport, the place gamers can solely depend on their very own consciousness and reminiscence for exploration and puzzle-solving.
Hell is Us closely bets on making exploration difficult and demanding, as there are not any maps or obvious clues that gamers could also be used to in different trendy video games. As an alternative, each step on this harsh world will be the final, particularly through the opening hours, when all the things feels recent and uncharted.
Scorn
The Definition of Unsettling Dread
By design, Scorn is a horror recreation, however one so distinctive it totally deserves its place right here. Set in a haunting universe with unforgettable environmental and creature designs impressed by the artwork of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, the world of Scorn is a sight to behold. Its unforgiving exploration solely deepens the sense of relentless dread and the feeling of being trapped.
Scorn is a brief, comparatively linear recreation, however its exploration facet stays sturdy, with loads of non-compulsory areas to find and complicated puzzles to unravel. Like Hell is Us, gamers shouldn’t anticipate any assist or hints all through their journey and needs to be totally ready to die at any second.
Bloodborne
Survive the Night time in Yharnam
A true gem in FromSoftware’s soulslike collection, Bloodborne’s world is as distinctive and breathtaking as it’s perilous. Gamers begin with nothing, compelled to combat their method by way of the night time in Yharnam, mapping this darkish, gothic metropolis of their minds to seek out paths to new areas and observe down their subsequent prey.
A borderline horror recreation with intricate, deep lore that followers nonetheless debate, Bloodborne could be extremely tense and unsettling. The sport throws terrifying, grotesque monsters and even unthinkable cosmic beings into the combo, shocking gamers at each flip. Due to its interconnected design, the world can be deeply satisfying to discover, with a wealth of well-hidden treasures and full secret areas to uncover.
Chernobylite
Return to the Zone With Totally different Guidelines
One other recreation set within the Chernobyl Zone like STALKER 2, Chernobylite performs its playing cards very in another way. However as a result of shared setting full of dark mysteries and dangers, it’s yet one more instance the place non-compulsory exploration feels equally intriguing and rewarding whereas being creepy and threatening. Not like the seamless open world, every map in Chernobylite is a separate zone, permitting for various and memorable areas that gamers consistently return to.
What makes Chernobylite particularly scary and unsettling, except for the strengths of its post-apocalyptic setting of deserted cities, is the distinctive Black Stalker characteristic. This lethal nemesis can randomly seem in any location, stalking gamers on the most inconvenient instances. Whereas it’s doable to combat the Black Stalker and most different threats like mutants, it’s all the time an uphill battle, as the principle character isn’t a superhero.
Management
The Oldest Home Is a Residence to All Types of Unexplainable
Management might be among the many least historically “scary” video games on this checklist, nevertheless it provides one of the vital intriguing and unsettling exploration experiences. Set entirely within the mysterious Oldest House — a hub of paranormal exercise and artifacts — gamers embark on a singular journey by way of shifting environments, eerie hissing sounds, mentally enslaved or unstable people, and inexplicable anomalies.
Management isn’t designed to be pure horror, as gamers are well-equipped to deal with practically any risk with highly effective weapons and supernatural, nearly superhero-like talents for flashy, dynamic fight. But the sport’s oppressive environments and the fixed sense that issues are going very, very improper create a lingering unease all through.
The Evil Inside 2
Exploring Union Metropolis Is Equally Rewarding and Scary
Drastically completely different from its predecessor, The Evil Inside 2 takes daring steps towards a extra action-oriented method, whereas additionally embracing open zones — nonetheless a rarity within the horror style. A number of instances through the story, gamers can freely discover massive elements of the STEM simulation, together with total metropolis blocks and underground complexes teeming with harmful creatures, lethal traps, and oh-so-needed rewards.
Whereas it’s tempting to pause the principle narrative and go exploring, since gamers can discover beneficial upgrades, highly effective new weapons, and intriguing aspect quests that add depth to the story, it’s always risky and frightening. Straying too removed from the principle path in The Evil Inside 2 can result in losses outweighing beneficial properties, particularly when tackling areas too early or unprepared. Such zones typically harbor terrifying mini-bosses that will not be price combating in any respect.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Night time Exploration Isn’t for the Faint of Coronary heart
At first look, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a typical open-world fantasy RPG, providing huge explorable worlds, companions often called Pawns, and a wealth of abilities and weapons for enjoyable, dynamic fight. And that’s all true, except gamers determine to enterprise out at night time. Virtually each character within the recreation warns in opposition to it, and for good purpose: exploring at night is, most of the time, a nightmarish expertise that’s hardly ever definitely worth the danger.
The nights in Dragon’s Dogma 2 are pitch black and terrifying, with ruthless enemies lurking in abundance. With no fast-travel possibility accessible, gamers can’t simply escape to security if issues go improper — and belief me, they’ll. Exploring the sport’s world at night time needs to be a final resort, particularly till gamers are nicely accustomed to the sport’s guidelines, its enemies, and their weaknesses.
