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A few survival horror games you need in your collection.
While Nintendo is typically associated with family-friendly values, the Nintendo Switch has seen the company branch out much more in regards to 3rd party support. The horror genre in particular is one that has flourished on the Switch, with both new an old titles surfacing in stores and on the E-Shop. It goes without saying that horror, particularly survival horror, is one of the most captivating genres in the industry and is seeing a second-wind in recent years. Here are 15 of the best Nintendo Switch survival horror games you can play today.
The second spin-off game and eighth overall entry in the immensely popular Five Nights at Freddy’s series, Ultimate Custom Night is a point-and-click survival horror game featuring over 50 characters from previous games. Players can customize AI difficulty levels, their office layout, and partake in various challenges. Ultimate Custom Night primarily serves as a sort of celebration of the franchise, allowing fans to mix and match animatronics from every game in the series. One interesting note about Ultimate Custom Night is that it was originally intended to be DLC for 2017’s Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator, but grew in size to the point where it warranted its own release. There’s a lot to dive into here, and any fan of FNaF‘s gameplay and characters would be missing out if they don’t pick this one up.
Initially touted as the final chapter of the FNaF series, Five Nights at Freddy’s four is a fan favourite entry in the franchise for its unsettling atmosphere, unique gameplay loop, and lore implications. Instead of taking place in the typical security room of previous games, FNaF 4 takes place in a child’s bedroom, where the player has to defend against numerous hostile animatronics with only a flashlight. Most of the gameplay centres around checking areas of the bedroom to make sure they’re clear, but the intimate and haunting setting amps the horror and tension up tenfold. There’s also more emphasis on auditory clues, with stray sounds informing the player of the whereabouts of the animatronics hunting them. The end result is a game that’s arguably the scariest in the franchise, and is sure to please anyone hooked on FNaF’s intricate lore and storytelling.
It’s not often we see the likes of top-down survival horror, as this is a genre dominated by 3rd and 1st person titles. Darkwood is one such title seeking to blur the definition of what a horror game is, employing typical survival horror systems and melding them with a unique player perspective. The game runs on a day/night cycle, where the player is incentivised to explore and scavenge for supplies during the day scattered around each biome. These supplies can be used in crafting and to reinforce your very own hideout, which must be defended throughout the night against potential intruders. This is all punctuated by a robust trading system, and the ability to make hallucinogens to obtain beneficial skills, which must also be accompanied by a detrimental one. There’s a lot of strategy and forethought associated with Darkwood’s core gameplay loop which makes a must buy for any fan of the resource management of survival horror games.
One of the forefathers of asymmetrical multiplayer horror games, Dead by Daylight has captured many through its unique and addictive gameplay loop, extensive roster of characters, and encapsulating the very essence of the genre through its systems and mechanics. Players take control of either survivors or the killer, with the main goal being pretty self-explanatory for each side. The survivors must work together to try and escape, while the killer hunts them down one by one to ensure they can’t get away. It’s a simple premise that’s endlessly replayed by people around the world, and is made even better with friends. What’s perhaps most exciting about Dead by Daylight is the absurd number of crossovers it has with other IP, from horror icons like Freddy Kreuger to outlandish inclusions such as Albert Wesker from Resident Evil. Dead by Daylight is as much a celebration of horror as it is an embodiment of its glory days.
While survival horror is a term that loosely applies to the Outlast series, there’s no doubt that it definitely falls into the territory of horror. Players step into the shoes of Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist looking into a remote psychiatric hospital deep in the mountains of Colorado after receiving an anonymous tip that things aren’t as they should be. What follows is an absolutely wild ride where the player has to stealth their way slowly and methodically through the hauntingly occupied halls of the asylum. It has endless amounts of tension, an engaging plot, and terrifying yet interesting characters that’ll drive you to see the terror through right up until the credits roll.
After the rampant success of the first game, Outlast 2 became an exciting inevitability for fans of horror, as many games had try to emulate its success with little to no avail. Much like the first game, Outlast 2 plays from a first-person perspective and has an emphasis on stealth tactics to circumvent terrifying enemies and stay safe. Players play as a camera man called Blake Langermann, who’s joined his wife Lynn, an investigative journalist, to investigate the mysterious murder of a pregnant woman. After crashing a helicopter on the Colorado Plateau, Blake is separated from his wife and sets out to find her in a dilapidated village occupied by a cult who believes the end of days is coming. Blake is much more mobile than Miles before him, but the afforded mobility places an emphasis on stamina management. While Outlast 2 is a much less claustrophobic game than its predecessor, it’s just as terrifying being chased by members of the cult.
Originally released on the Wii U in 2014, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is the fifth game in the popular Fatal Frame series. The core allure of Fatal Frame is moving between rooms haunted with otherworldly spirits that are combated with a camera called the Camera Obscura. This means the game is constantly shifting between a 3rd and 1st-person perspective, keeping players on their toes and always ready to fight on a whim. Taking place on the fictional Hikami Mountain, following three protagonists as they explore the mountain for their own reasons and motivations. There still hasn’t been anything released like the Fatal Frame series, and anyone who wants something a little different from their survival horror gameplay should look into Maiden of Black Water.
A cult classic that has grown exponentially in recent years, Deadly Premonition: Origins is an enhanced version of the 2010 original. The game follows FBI special agent Francis York Morgan, as he investigates the American town of Greenvale after the mysterious murder of an 18 year-old woman that’s eerily similar to other murders across the country. It’s often been described as the Twin Peaks of gaming, and it’s easy to see why, with an enthralling main mystery, quirky cast of characters and unorthodox gameplay systems that simply can’t be found anywhere else. There’s a stark commitment to simulator-like realism where the game follows a schedule, and Francis must sleep, eat, heal, use gas for cars and more. There are also combat sequences spread throughout the experience, but Deadly Premonition: Origins is all about delivering unsettling atmosphere and an intriguing narrative.
Despite not succeeding commercially, Deadly Premonition garnered enough fans and sales to warrant a sequel in July of 2020, launching exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Taking place a decade after the events of the first game, an aging and sickly Francis Zach Morgan is being interrogated by FBI agent Aaliyah Davis and her partner Simon Jones, as they investigate his involvement in the murder of a 16-year old girl. Split between two sections where you play as Aaliyah and a younger Francis in the fictional town of Le Carré, Louisiana. While it plays pretty similarly to the first game, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise sports a smaller and more intimate cast of characters with an engaging mystery that fans of the original are sure to get hooked on. While it might not quite reach the same heights of the original, it’s still a must-play for fans of its predecessor.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent took the world by storm when it released in 2010 at a time when horror games were slowly falling out of the limelight. This was mostly thanks to YouTube let’s play series, but it was clear that Amnesia was set for more entries in due time. Amnesia: Collection is a collection of The Dark Descent, its DLC, Justine, and its sequel, A Machine for Pigs. The game has a stark focus on stealth as you move through environments stalked by inhuman beings, as you try to work out why you woke up there in the first place, and what exactly takes place within these dungeons. Players will have to make smart use of their environments and limited tools to circumvent threats, and uncover the truth of both games.
Dying Light reinvigorated the horror genre when it released in 2015 thanks to its seamless meld of hack n’ slash combat, survival horror, and parkour elements. It features Techland’s signature melee combat and addicting melee weapon system where you’re constantly improving and levelling up your suite of tools. The game follows protagonist Kyle Crane in the cut-off city of Harran, who shortly after arriving is bitten and has to find a way to escape the city and his own infection. Dying Light is at its most terrifying when it goes dark, when the Volatiles come out of their hiding spots and ruthlessly chase Kyle down once detected. It results in many chases that are as invigorating and thrilling as they are horrifying, incentivizing smart use of your environment and familiarity with the layout of Harran and its buildings.
While mainline Resident Evil is some eight entries strong at this point, that doesn’t mean players should look past what the Resident Evil: Revelations games have to offer. While starkly different in gameplay, the Revelations games are a two part story following numerous protagonists from previous games as they uncover government experiments and explore a decrepit island. The first game is pretty in line with what you’d expect from a mainline 3rd-person Resident Evil game, where Revelations 2 has a focus on a co-op experience delivered in an episodic format. The collection offers to distinct experiences and one story that leads into the other that’ll have you hooked until the credits have been rolled on both titles.
Much like the Resident Evil: Revelations Collection, the Resident Evil Origins Collection is a collection of the original Resident Evil remake coupled with the remake of Resident Evil 0. These are two of the most formative games in the survival horror genre, with the first game in particular being a fantastic remake that expands on the design philosophy of the original, alongside its world and story. With an emphasis of resource management and puzzle solving, these two games are must-plays for any survival horror fans. Resident Evil 0 in particular is quite interesting, with players having two protagonists to take control of and manage as they experience the events that catalyze the original game’s narrative. Two timeless games that have had an irreversible impact on the genre and industry at large, this collection is a no-brainer for those looking for some scares.
A game that is available on every video-game console released after the GameCube, Resident Evil 4 was not only seminal for survival horror, but also for 3rd-person shooters. Leaning more into the action side of the series in comparison to its predecessors, Resident Evil 4 follows government agent Leon S. Kennedy as he sets out to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. president’s daughter. What follows is a breakneck-paced adventure as Leon goes up against humans infected by a new virus known as Las Plagas. It’s a relatively simple and straightforward plot that fans are sure to enjoy, but what keeps players coming back after all these years is a tight combination of resource management, horror, and action that anyone can enjoy, even those who aren’t as keen on horror.
It’s no secret that movie tie-in or movie inspired games mostly had it rough for a long while, but tides started to change for most IP in the mid-2010s. Alien Isolation was one such game when it originally released in 2014, providing players with the fantasy they’ve always wanted to play in the Alien universe. You play as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, 15 years after the events of the original film. After Amanda finds out the flight recorder of the Nostromo was located, she’s placed on a retrieval team so that she can finally have some closure over her mother’s fate. If you took the original Alien film and translated it into video-game format, Alien Isolation is what you would get. The Xenomorph relentlessly hunts Amanda down across the Sevastopol space station, scurrying through vents and down hallways. Largely cited as some of the best AI in gaming, the Xenomorph is an ever-present and tension generating force that you can never quite escape from. There’s also rogue androids to combat with as you manage resources and stealth your way across the station. Alien and horror fans alike should look to playthrough this gem at some point, it’s terrifying in all the best ways, and will really keep you on your toes.
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