Summary
For any number of reasons, be they physical disabilities or unforeseen injuries, some gamers may be forced to play with only one hand, either permanently or temporarily. While this hindrance does limit certain types of gameplay, some titles operate with a simple point-and-click progression. Others even offer more accessible alternatives in the Settings menu to make the typically challenging aspects of gameplay less strenuous. While some companies sell ergonomic controllers to support one-handed gaming, it isn’t always necessary to spend extra money to enjoy certain horror games, even if they aren’t all as fast-paced asSilent HillorResident Evil.
Disabilities or injuries shouldn’t deter gamers from doing what they love, even if the game catalog is a little thinned out for players who are forced to play without the advantage of two hands. Regardless, many innovative and intriguing horror games present an immersive, accessible experience for gamers of all ages, abilities, and impairments.Here are a few horror games that are suited to one-handed gamers.
Doki Doki Literature Club!isn’t suitable for young children or the easily disturbed.Dan Salvato’s psychological horror game, disguised as a harmless dating simulator,allows one-handed gameplay even without modifications.Doki Doki Literature Club!is a visual novel that has a low level of interaction and prioritizes its engaging storyline before overly complicated controls. The player controls an MCwho joins a new literature club at their high schoolunder the encouragement of their friend, Sayori. There, the MC meets three other girls; Monika, Yuri, and Natsuki.Doki Doki Literature Club!uses a minigame to determine which of the three girls (excluding Monika for storyline purposes) to romance by composing a poem of certain keywords appealing to each girl’s nature.
Depending on the outcome of the minigame, the MC will experience scenes with their chosen love interest and have the opportunity to engage with them one-on-one.Doki Doki Literature Club!is played from a first-person perspective and requires no physical exertion beyond clicking dialogue responses or selecting keywords during the minigame portion. Before startingDoki Doki Literature Club!, it is recommended to go in blind and refrain from searching spoilers beforehand for the most authentic and impactful playthrough.
On the surface, since it falls into the category of more action-packed horror games,Until Dawndoesn’t seem suitable for one-handed players. However, Supermassive Games madeUntil Dawnmore accessible for not only gamers with physical limitations, but also anyone who enjoys a less stressful experience and wants to focus on narrative.Until Dawnfollows eight young adults who revisit Blackwood Mountain for a winter getaway exactly one year after the supposed death of their two friends. As the night progresses and clues arise relating to the disappearance of Hannah and Beth Washington, they find themselves fighting for their lives against the spirit of a mythological, cannibalistic creature. Every choice has a consequence, asUntil Dawnemploys the butterfly effect mechanic.
Until Dawnoffers the option to choose between traditional and motion controls.To make the QTEs more manageable, there are options in the Settings menu pertaining to how fast the QTE prompts time out. For one-handed gamers, it might be worthwhile switching the QTEs to an unlimited timeframe. This will allow players to take their time instead of frantically mashing buttons. Supermassive Games' other titles, such asThe Dark Pictures AnthologyandThe Quarry, also offer these QTE adjustments.
At Dead of Nightis another point-and-click horror experience, and an impressive one at that. Players control Maya, a student who finds herself hunted by Jimmy Hall, a psychotic manwho kidnaps and murders residents of the Sea View Hotel. Jimmy has imprisoned Maya’s friends in their hotel rooms, forcing Maya to undertake the dangerous task of freeing them alone. In order to convince Jimmy to release her captive friends, Maya must communicate with the ghosts of Jimmy’s past to uncover his deepest, darkest secret. Although a strictly point-and-click approach might sound repetitive,At Dead of Nightmanages to keep the formula interesting and inventive.
At Dead of Nighthas a compelling story and an unsettling atmosphere for building tension.The simple point-and-click interface makes the game easy to get to grips with. Described as a “part horror film, part horror game and part ghost hunt,“At Dead of Nightutilizes nostalgic live-action cutscenes that were popularized in the late ’90s and early 2000s to expertly craft an immersive, terrifying cat-and-mouse game between Maya and Jimmy. All the while, it incorporates atmospheric elements reminiscent ofinfluential horror games such asAmnesia: The Dark Descent.
From Polish developer Paweł Koźmiński,World of Horroris a 1-bit role-playing game. It follows a traditional dungeon crawling formatin a pixel art stylewith lore inspired by the works of horror legends H.P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito. The game revolves around solving five distinct mysteries, each one unfolding in self-contained playthroughs. After solving a mystery, the player is awarded a key. Obtaining all five keys unlocks a lighthouse, where the player confronts one of several Cthulhu Mythos deities.World of Horroruses a “DOOM” meter to determine how soon the entity will be summoned. If the “DOOM” meter reaches 100% before the Old God is defeated, everyone and everything will cease to exist.
World of Horrorhas a turn-based combat system where counterattacks are pre-selected in battle to use against enemies. There are 14 unique playable characters with 20 different paths to take. Many mysteries have multiple endings, giving the game a longer lifespan and huge replay value.AsWorld of Horroris a choice-based game, it requires nothing more than a computer mouse to enjoy.
5Alice is Dead
A Noir Mystery Based On A Children’s Book
Set in a reimagined version of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland,Alice is Deadis a point-and-click noir mystery where the amnesiac player character finds Alice deceased. They must identify Alice’s murderer while working towards rediscovering their own identity in the process. Not long after arriving in Wonderland, the player character is revealed to be the White Rabbit, and someone in Wonderland has a bounty on his head.Alice is Deadbuilds the story around interactive elements of the environment, such as inventory items, NPC interactions, and changes in scenery.
Alice is Deadspawned two sequels,Alice is Dead 2andAlice is Dead 3.While the originalAlice is Deadwas a Flash game playable on every major web browser prior to 2020, the plug-in has since been disabled. Technically,Alice is Deadis still playable via non-profit loophole software such as Flashpoint. However, a remake of the series titledAliceisDead: Hearts and Diamondsis scheduled for release in 2025, including all new art, added puzzles, and expanded loreloosely based on Carroll’s 1865 novelAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Inscryptionis an amalgamation of multiple genres, all wrapped up in one enthralling deck-building game. In this turn-based, roguelike, puzzle-solving adventure, the player finds themselves trapped in a cabin, where an elusive gamemaster forces them to partake in a series of tabletop games.Inscryptionunfolds as three separate acts documented in a found-footage horror style. An internet content creator named Luke finds himself in aJumanji-esque scenario and forced to continue a game ofInscryption, found on an in-game floppy disk. to oppose Leshy, the gamemaster, players must gather a deck of animal-themed cards by means of drafting, self-mutilation, and surgery. With each game, the player gets closer to unlocking the secrets lurking inside Leshy’s cabin.
Lauded by Steam reviewers as one of the best indie games of the last decade,Inscryptionfeatures no hard boss fights or complicated combo moves. Instead, it encourages players to rely on their instincts and intuition to outsmart Leshy. WhileInscryptiondoes play like a simplistic point-and-click game, it demangs know-how and strategic thinking.It would be easy to playInscryptionone-handed so long as the player has their wits about them. Leshy doesn’t discriminate based on physicality, but he will punish players who aren’t on top of their game.
