The Nintendo Switch is often regarded as the “family-friendly” console, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of horror games with screams and scares. The Switch has a strong library of horror games you can play in the living room or on the go. There is a wealth of creepy options, so we put together a list of our top 12 best horror games you can find on the surprisingly not-so-innocent Switch.
The best horror games you can find on the Nintendo Switch
10. Observer
Bloober Team had begun drawing the attention of horror aficionados even before it released the cyberpunk-themed Observer in 2017. But while Layers of Fear is also available on the Switch, it’s overshadowed by its dystopian successor. Set in 2084, Poland, Observer followed the titular Daniel Lazarski, played by the late Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner). A high-tech noir detective, you guide Lazarski in a search for his missing son. Hacking into the minds of the living and dead alike, you unravel his son’s whereabouts within the twisting confines of diseased, tech-addled minds. Observer is dark, stylish, and often scary, with Hauer delivering a memorable and haunting performance.
9. Darkwood
Do not sleep on Darkwood. That is, even if you can sleep once you begin probing its terrifying depths. Darkwood takes horror and turns the camera above it, providing an overhead view of the awful world around you. A survival game at its heart, Darkwood tasks you with collecting materials, exploring mysteries, and searching for shelter during the day. But once the sun goes down, monstrosities begin their hunt. If you didn’t find a base before getting enveloped by the black, it may be too late. Darkwood is the kind of game that demands you pay attention to every small movement and sound of a snapping twig. Play it with headphones. And maybe with a plush animal for some meager comfort.
8. Resident Evil (2019)
When players think “survival horror,” there’s often one franchise that immediately leaps to mind: Resident Evil. Capcom’s premier horror series has been around since 1996 and marches ever onward today. Sure, there have been some… bumps in the road, but there’s not much to criticize about the remake of the original game. Resident Evil (2002) has seen its share of ports, finally arriving on the Nintendo Switch in 2019. With lovable corniness, the game is a masterclass, blending exploration, deft puzzle solving, and creeping fear to the tiny handheld. If you’re curious about the franchise or the horror genre in general, there are few better ways to start than with the very first Resident Evil, enhanced and remade for the modern audience.
7. Alan Wake Remastered
Among all its celebrated releases, it sometimes feels there is no other franchise developer Remedy Entertainment loves more than Alan Wake. And possibly for good reason. Alan Wake, first launched in 2009, is one of the finer examples of narrative-driven action horror. Starring the eponymous Alan Wake, a clear homage to writer Stephen King, you explore the troubling town of Bright Falls in the Pacific Northwest. With chapters dressed like a television series, the game shifts from uneasy exploration to gripping action with unnerving quickness. Alan defends himself by using a flashlight to burn away the shadows wrapping around foes before crudely dropping them with a gun. Alan Wake is dripping with atmosphere and intrigue, making it one of the best and most engaging horror games you can find on the Switch.
6. Outlast: Bundle of Terror
It can be argued which Outlast game is better than the other. Honestly, we couldn’t come up with a solid answer and decided that “yes, both are good” (though many give the edge to the original). Outlast may not have invented the “recording your experience through traumatic, first-person horror,” but it certainly seemed to popularize it. Soon enough, horror games had players running to find batteries to recharge cameras while monsters nipped at their heels. Both Outlast games are unpredictable and terrifying, and stealth is your only real ally. If you can only go with one on the Switch, we suggest picking up Outlast: Bundle of Terror, which includes the base game along with its DLC, Whistleblower.
5. Little Nightmares I & II Bundle
Thankfully, we don’t need to toss a coin for this next addition. Little Nightmares I & II Bundle includes both highly praised horror/platformer games along with the first game’s DLC. Personally, the Little Nightmares games are among my favorite short-form horror adventures. You play as kids no taller than a shin, hunted in a twisted, dying world inhabited by grotesque mutant “humans” who immediately give chase the moment you’re spotted. There are puzzles to solve, platform challenges to overcome, and moments of true terror as you watch your tiny protagonist barely escape the desperate clutches of a gnarled hand. Don’t forget to breathe.
4. Limbo
Coming from the team that later brought us Inside, Limbo is a horror-puzzle classic that first launched for Xbox Live Arcade way back in 2010. It has since been ported to just about all devices. And we know why. Despite the almost too-cute look of its tiny protagonist, Limbo will send shivers up your spine. Few can forget their first interaction with that giant spider. Limbo is all about trial and error, where you watch its poor hero die and die again. It’s a learning process, and learning can be quite painful. The game includes a host of horrible monsters and clever puzzles but never overstays its welcome. Limbo is one of the best horror games you can find on the Switch, and its short runtime means you can get freaked out while on the move.
3. Alien: Isolation
The Alien franchise started with horror; it’s only fitting that one of its best games celebrates the genre. Alien: Isolation borrows Amnesia‘s playbook by having you sneak through hallways and hide in closets, with a tireless xenomorph always close by. And you know this every time the motion tracker begins to blare, causing your blood to freeze. It’s one of the finest examples of stealth horror, pitting emotionless androids in your way as a vicious alien threatens to drop from behind and pierce you with its tail. You really feel the desperation felt by the protagonist and daughter of Ellen Ripley, Amanda.
2. Amnesia: Collection
In a time of doubt, Amnesia: The Dark Descent proved that the video game horror genre was alive and well in 2010, thriving on the Steam indie marketplace. And now, you can own the game, its DLC, and its sequel, A Machine for Pigs, in one package. Amnesia laid the foundation for the stealth horror subgenre that so many games like Alien: Isolation and Outlast have championed. It makes sense why we’d put it so high up on our list. But of course, it also belongs here because it’s an excellent horror game followed up by some solid successors. These are the kinds of games that deserve to be played in the dark, but you might not want to after an hour.
1. Resident Evil 4
What more can be said about Resident Evil 4 that hasn’t been said a million times in a million ways? First launched on the Nintendo GameCube in 2004, the horror masterpiece is now ranked among the best games on the Switch. Starring Leon S. Kennedy, still struggling with the shock over the zombie-fueled destruction of Raccoon City, you set out to find the kidnapped daughter of the US president. What follows is one of the greatest horror games of all time, ported again and again, finding itself both HD-enhanced and remade. Is there really anything else I can say? Oh, yes! Go play it.
