Summary
As one of the most popular and long lasting genres in video games,horrorhas built up a mighty repertoire of fantastic game franchises that continue to define the latest trends. While things mostly began in Japan, the US based studios have founded some long lasting franchises, too, leading to healthy competition.
For this list, the criteria is simply how long these franchises have been running. Though these franchises have some brilliant games in them, they’re not ranked on quality, just longevity. Additionally, each franchise needs to have at least three games released to be considered a fully fledged franchise on this list.
6Amnesia
2010-2023 (13 Years)
Though it barely feels like any time at all sinceAmnesia: The Dark Descentarrived in 2010, It’s hard to deny that the franchise has matured into a fearsome force in the horror game world, makingFrictional Games one of the best horror studios in the industry.
Single-handedly changing the direction of horror games to focus on disempowerment and the immense popularity that horror titles could have via the “Let’s Play” format on YouTube,Amnesia: The Dark Descentused its humble means to its advantage, focusing on atmosphere over all else and crafting an unforgettable experience that has powered strongly through a wholehost of interesting historical settingsever since.
2008-2023 (15 Years)
With the release of the remake of the originalDead Space, this franchise, surprisingly, has become one of the longest lasting in the video game world. Taking advantage of the new graphical hardware on the Xbox 360/PS3 generation,Dead Spacewore its Carpenter and Cronenberg influences on its chest and delivered a tight atmospheric horror-action adventure for Isaac to carve through witha menagerie of vicious and brutal weapons.
While the franchise would go into a hiatus following the so-so sales and reaction toDead Space 3, the extended universe materials, rabid fanbase, and the critically lauded remake ensure that theDead Spacefranchise will likely be around for a long time to come.
4Silent Hill
1999-2024 (25 Years)
The 1990s was a golden age for J-horror, andSilent Hillmight be the purest manifestation of J-horror’s mastery of tone, atmosphere, and surreal imagery, crafting a series of games whose wholly dreadful tone has inspired legions of fans (even iftheir sometimes grueling difficulty can provoke frustration).
Starting with the humble 1999 PS1 gameSilent Hill,the series has experienced a sequence of highs and lows with a long hiatus in the 2010s. However, with theSilent Hill 2remake releasing this year, many fans are eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of one of gaming’s most terrifying worlds.
3Resident Evil
1996-2023 (27 Years)
Though it’s not the oldest horror franchise around, theResident Evilgames are maybe the most famous horror games ever released. Beginning with the haunted mansion setting of the originalResident Evil,the franchise has spawned books, movies,and hordes of follow-up gameson almost every console that’s released since.
The franchise has certainly had its ups and downs, too. While regarded for its high-quality, critical appeal slipped into the 2010s with the lowest point ofResident Evil 6in 2012. The franchise took a soft break, and it came back with the stunningResident Evil 7: Biohazard, which has reinvigorated the series and renewed its reputation for incredible quality and terrifying scares.
2Castlevania
1986-2014 (28 Years)
For many old-school gaming fans,Castlevaniais the grandfather of all horror game franchises. Not only did it define the core tenets of the Metroidvania subgenre, but it is also one of the earliest examples of horror ever being used in games. Justifiably, it has earned a stellar reputation, even ifits mainline timeline is extraordinarily confusing.
Peaking with the release ofCastlevania: Symphony of the Night, often considered one of the greatest games of all time, theCastlevaniafranchise has sadly declined, and fans have not received a new entry for a decade. However, if there’s one thing gamers know about vampires, it’s that they’re pretty good at coming back from the dead.
1Alone In The Dark
1992-2024 (32 Years)
A surprising but worthy victor,Alone in the Darkhas been around for over 30 years and has become known for constantly pioneering technology, even if the quality of its games has been a little shaky. The original 1992 release was the first game to ever use polygonal characters over pre-rendered backgrounds, single-handedly earning its place in gaming history.
However, its steady if not sparse release schedule has ensured that it’s also thelongest running horror game franchise, too. With a 2024 reboot that stars big name actors like Jodie Comer and David Harbour, the little franchise that could continues to persevere, indelibly carving itself into video game history and becomingemblematic of how much the industry has grown since its early days.
