The 10 SCARIEST Video Game Demakes

The 10 Scariest Video Game Demakes

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are doing something a bit different. We’re ignoring the remakes and checking out the demakes. Whether they’re fan-made or developed on weaker systems by the original developers, these are the 10 Scariest Video Game Demakes. You don’t always need the beefiest system to play the best games. Let’s go!

“Bio Evil 4” (2018)

Resident Evil 4 has been released on multiple platforms in its original iteration and on multiple platforms with its remake, but if you want to play it on your $100 Facebook Marketplace laptop running on a watch battery, check out Bio Evil 4. Unlike other entries on our list, it probably deviates the most from the original, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a really solid game! It’s tough as nails, but that’s clearly the point. The visuals are gorgeous, the music is a treat for the ears, and the controls feel buttery smooth. Frustrating? Sure. But in the kind of way that makes you yell at the screen and applaud it at the same time. It feels like a classically difficult Resident Evil entry, if it were released on the SNES.

“Slender: The Eight Pages GBC” (2021)

Slender: The Eight Pages is the game that proved you don’t need fancy graphics to cause a heart attack, just tall guys in suits who hate personal space. You wander a dark forest collecting papers while Slenderman hunts you. Basically, it’s hide-and-seek, except you’re the only one doing the hiding. But if you can’t run the original (and you’d truly have to be playing on a cabbage with a screen not to), there is a Game Boy Color version, and the ROM can actually run on a real Game Boy Color. Aside from the 3D first-person perspective being swapped for a 2D top-down view, you’ve basically got a faithful demake of the original, and it’s still damn terrifying when Slender comes flying out of the side of the screen at you.

“Alone in Pico” (2016)

Would you be surprised to find out you could take Alone in the Dark for MS-DOS and make it even MORE average-looking? Well, take a look at Alone in Pico. Pico-8 is a virtual console made to emulate 8-bit systems of the '80s. And Alone in the Dark fits perfectly on the Pico-8, since the original only needs two buttons besides the directional keys. One button opens your inventory, letting you pick a stance like “search,” “push,” or “fight,” or check your items. The other button performs that stance—basically, your all-purpose “do stuff” key. It’s a nice way to see how Alone in the Dark would have looked if it were even MORE stripped-back.

“Resident Evil GB” (2022)

Resident Evil on the Game Boy? Yep, portable panic in your pocket! Resident Evil 1 originally released on the PS1, and by today’s standards, it feels pretty damn outdated, but surprisingly, this Game Boy version feels timeless. This demake lets you relive Jill Valentine’s mansion misadventure in glorious 8-bit terror. Explore the Spencer Mansion, manage your two-pixel inventory, and try not to scream when a zombie the size of a postage stamp appears. It’s also playable in-browser or as a real Game Boy ROM, because who doesn’t want nightmares on the go? Catch me screaming on the train.

“PSX Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2025)

Now, admittedly this one also departs a bit from the style of the original, replacing stationary security room gameplay with on-the-move 3D tank controls, but it doesn’t change how fun it is to see what Five Nights would have looked like if it were made in 1999, on the PS1, and probably published by Konami. Explore the haunted pizzeria, restore power, and survive with fixed cameras and tank controls. The sound design is fun, and the jumpscares are GENUINELY scary.

“Lucius: Demake” (2016)

Released in 2012, Lucius is a stealthy horror puzzle game where you play as a six-year-old boy who discovers he’s literally the devil’s kid. Instead of crayons, Lucius uses telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and mind control to “handle” family matters—subtly, of course. In 2016, in a first for this list, original developer Shiver Games unleashed Lucius Demake, an 8-bit, Commodore 64-style throwback that somehow makes the game even creepier. Turns out pixelated murder is still murder, just with fewer polygons and more nostalgia. I still think a pixelated Lara Croft could get it... f*** polygons.

“Clock Tower: The First Fear” WonderSwan Release (1999)

Oh my God! Clock Tower had a release on the WonderSwan!? Honey, blow the dust off the WonderSwan, it’s go time! If you didn’t love handheld gaming and didn’t live in Japan, you probably missed this console, which means you DEFINITELY missed the stripped-back port of Clock Tower that defined the console. Though not specifically a demake, the port did strip back a lot from the SNES release, including color, just to get it onto the system. Luckily for Japanese players in 1999, it spared them from watching Jennifer take 30 business days to climb stairs. Hell yes.

“Bloodborne PSX” (2022)

Bloodborne is often hailed as the crown jewel of the PS4, so naturally, PC players have been begging for a port like they’re praying at a Hunter’s Lamp. While Sony snoozes, modders delivered Bloodborne PSX, a glorious demake that reimagines the nightmare through chunky polygons and crunchy 1990s charm. The UI, controls, and visuals all scream “PlayStation 1 fever dream,” complete with ten weapons and customization options that make your Hunter look like a Lego Dracula. Sure, it’s not the full game—no secret endings here—but it’s still a perfect excuse to die horribly to Father Gascoigne again… this time in beautiful 240p. You will have to jump through a couple of extra hoops to download it (as it’s been taken down by the powers that be), but it is still accessible, just don't tell anyone I told you.

“Dead Space Demake” (2023)

Dead Space in PS1 pixel form sounds like it should be less scary. How terrifying can a blocky necromorph really be? Turns out, very. This demake somehow crams all the terror of the USG Ishimura into a crunchy, lo-fi nightmare. The pixelated corridors feel more claustrophobic than your inbox on a Monday morning, and every flickering shadow dares you to turn around (don’t). Strategic dismemberment still works beautifully—just with fewer pixels and more panic—and the lo-fi sound design will make you paranoid about every beep and buzz. Who needs fancy graphics when 8-bit horror can still make you scream like it’s 2008 all over again?

“Silent Hill 2 20th Anniversary Demake” (2023)

Easily the most extensive demake on our list, this is the only one that survived my ADHD and kept me hooked for more than a few hours. Playable from beginning to end, this is a complete demake of Silent Hill 2 in the style of the Game Boy Color, and guys, it just WORKS! From the eerie vibe of the town to the odd puzzles and cutscenes, nothing is left on the chopping-room floor. Not only is the original dremade, but the Born From a Wish DLC is too, as are all six endings, INCLUDING THE DOG ENDING! It’s a masterpiece of fan art.