Summary
Stalking is a very real fear, not only because the very idea of being watched is creepy, but also because of concerns regarding the lengths the stalker will go to. Most horror gamers will be familiar with the “stalker” enemy - antagonists that relentlessly hunt the player down throughout the course of the game. Some popular examples include the Xenomorph fromAlien: Isolation,Mr. X fromResident Evil 2,and Slenderman.
Some games, however, rather than featuring stalker enemies as an obstacle to the player’s objective, focus on the actual experience of being followed, incorporating disturbing cat-and-mouse plots. While it is not a crime to be taken lightly in the real world, it proves to be an extremely effective premise for horror games. Being hunted through dark alleyways, being left obsessive notes, and being threatenedall contribute to the chilling experiences in thesehorror games about being stalked.
9The Night Ripper
A PS1 Style Stealth Horror With A Relentless Serial Killer
The Night Ripperfollows Rachel, a waitress who decides to walk home from her shift, despite warnings thatthe serial killer, “the Night Ripper,“has already killed three girls that week. When she finds her house locked, she must find change to call her roommate on the payphone. However, she garners the attention of the killer, who is determined not to let her get home safely.
As the player is relentlessly hunted by car and on foot by the Night Ripper, turning each corner feels increasingly dangerous. The low poly and VHS style graphics also offer uncanny environments, with dingy alleys and interiors to match the grimness of the story. The game resembles very real instances of serial killer stalkers, with Puppet Combo crediting the New York Ripper as inspiration.
8Welcome To The Game
Searching The Deep Web And Facing Dangerous Consequences
Welcome to the Gameisa puzzle-based horror gamerevolving around the deep web. The player’s objective is to find the “Red Room,” a deep web page that livestreams torture, by navigating the different websites to find keys. However, the deeper they search, the more dangerous the hunt becomes.
The player’s guide, Adam, warns of “The Breather,” a serial killer who finds his victims by picking up hitchhikers or browsing the deep web. Upon getting the hang of how the game operates,Welcome to the Gamebecomes extremely immersive and effectively plays on fears of being stalked and tracked down via the internet.
7The Closing Shift
The Dark Side Of Being A Barista
The Closing Shiftis one of Chilla’s Art’s many games.Set in the suburbs of Japan, the player takes on the job of a barista at “Chilla’s Coffee,” where they must take orders to make and serve drinks. However, as different customers stop by with unnerving stories and rumors, they will begin to realize something - or someone - dangerous is afoot.
As the protagonist starts receiving obsessive notes at home and at work, nowhere seems safe.The Closing Shiftdoes a good job of making the player feel unnerved and watched, even while in the presence of others. With unique characters and three different endings, this game proves to be much more than a cashier simulator.
6Fears To Fathom - Norwood Hitchhike
Unnerving Graphics & An Even More Disturbing Story
Norwood Hitchhikeis the second installment of the episodic game seriesFears to Fathom.The player takes on the role of 19-year-old Holly, whose car breaks down on a 12-hour drive home from a gaming convention. Things get worse and worse once she hitches a ride to the Rodeway Inn motel.
On the first playthrough, certain moments and revelations might go under the radar, givingNorthwood Hitchikesignificant replay value when piecing together the plot. Both the story and the VHS-style visuals makeNorwood Hitchhiketruly disturbing, emphasizing the dangers of traveling alone and reinforcing the timeless proverb: stranger danger.
5Train Depart
A Short Traveling Simulator That Takes A Heavy Turn
Train Departis a shorter PS1-style horror game inspired by theFears to Fathomseries, and it follows a 16-year-old boy traveling alone on a train. Things take a turn when he falls asleep after drinking an open can of soda, finding himself the subject of a much larger operation.
The events ofTrain Departprove that not all stalking is a result of obsession, encouraging players to beware strangers who might make them the target for unsavory individuals. The texting and game-within-a-game mechanics and the range of interesting, interactive characters is certain to keep the player engaged as the story unfolds.
4Fears To Fathom - Carson House
House Sitting Gone Wrong
Carson Houseis another game in theFears to Fathomfranchise. The player, as 18-year-old Noah, is house-sitting for his father’s friend and media personality Roy Carson. When the power goes out, things get much more sinister, and Noah soon finds himself in a life and death scenario at the hands of an armed intruder.
While much of this game involves walking and exploration, it employs some engaging mechanics like mic activity detection, which alerts the stalker to the player’s location in-game, andsecurity cameras to monitor the rooms.Carson Housealso requires a degree of strategy and stealth. This combination makes for very tense gameplay that demonstrates the lengths some stalkers will go to.
3The Stalked
Nowhere Is Safe, And No-One Can Be Trusted
InThe Stalked,the player takes on the role of Kate. After her ex-boyfriend Liam breaks into her home, she escapes to her Grandpa’s mansion an hour from the city. But the paranoia follows her when she starts to receive unusual notes about being watched by the previous mansion owner, and everyone at the local convenience store seems to be acting strange.
The Stalkedhas multiple unfolding plots that all wind up interlinking. It does a great job of evoking paranoia and making the player question who they can trust within theeerie, isolated, and oversized confines of the mansion. This game will certainly leave players checking that their doors are locked.
2Parasocial
A Creepy And Cautionary Tale About Cyber Safety
Another Chilla’s Art game,Parasocialfollows rising streamer Nina, whose face is revealed after installing a horror game at the request of one of her followers. As she starts receiving disturbing notes and texts, the player must decide who to trust and who to be wary of.
Despitethe game being largely a walking simulator,Parasocialdoes a great job of making even the most innocuous places feel unsafe and should serve as a cautionary tale on too much information being revealed online and the risks of being a public figure. This game also features two endings for gamers to uncover.
1Crimson Snow
The Gruesome Outcome Of Combining Christmas, Gore, And Obsession
Crimson Snowis a survival horror game set on Christmas day. The player takes on the role of Mark, who is planning to propose to his girlfriend. However, he finds himself in a precarious position as increasingly obsessive notes start appearing,and a vampiric woman shows up. The player must find a way to defeat her while avoiding the wrath of her superhuman violence.
Crimson Snowis about the jealousy, obsession, and possessiveness that leads to stalking. Despite the subject matter, there are also some fun elements to enjoy without the game being too challenging, such as the firework combat, optional puzzles, and multiple over-the-phonedialogue options that lead to four different endings.
