The 26 BEST Horror Moments of Each Year (2000-2025)

26 Best Horror Moments of Each Year (2000-2025)

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for the very best horror moments for each year from 2000 through 2025. Beware some spoilers ahead.

2000 - Alfred Ashford’s Twisted Psyche

“Resident Evil Code: Veronica” (2000)

By the year 2000, we’d gotten our fair share of some of the best horror games our medium has ever seen, even to this day. Resident Evil Code: Veronica is a testament to this, and even now one of its biggest reveals is one of the series’ best moments. For much of the game’s opening hours, you’re led to believe that the main antagonists are twins Alfred and Alexia Ashford. Little does the player know that Alfred is actually Alexia this whole time, in a twisted case of split personality disorder. He took on both roles as she was part of Project Code: Veronica, and Claire and Steve were fighting one person the whole time.

2001 - Pyramid Head’s Introduction“Silent Hill 2” (2001)

2024’s Silent Hill 2 remake may have done the iconic Pyramid Head modern-day justice, but even back in 2001 it was a terrifying, awesome reveal. We first encounter the giant sword-wielding weirdo early on in the game, where he’s seen in a struggle with some of the mannequin enemies. If you’re familiar with this game, you know how disturbing this scene truly is. Since his introduction, Pyramid Head has become the de facto face (head?) of the series, appearing in all of the movies and even inspiring some impressive cosplay over the years.

2002 - Mind-Bending Sanity Effects

“Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem” (2002)

This moment broke our minds. At the time, meta interactions like this were definitely not commonplace in video games, so you can imagine our surprise when we thought the game actually stopped working. If you’re unfamiliar, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem for the Nintendo GameCube does a great job of including meta ways to mess with its players’ heads. These Sanity Effects, as they’re called, will make you believe your game has crashed, your video output has stopped working, your TV was muted, and so on and so forth. It’s a known mechanic now, but back when it was released it really broke the mold on what a psychological horror game could be.

2003 - Meeting Sae

“Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly” (2003)

Fatal Frame 2 is getting a modern remake in early 2026, but the original still holds up as one of the scariest video games ever made. Thanks to its unique mechanics and genuinely terrifying Japanese horror themes, this game lives rent free in our heads, offering endless nightmares. The scene where we meet Sae for the first time is memorable for its gruesome imagery, and we can’t wait to see how the remake tackles this scene.

2004 - Ocean House Hotel

“Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines” (2004)

The first-person vampire action-RPG game finally got its long-awaited sequel in October of 2025, but the original is where we all fell in love. The Ocean House Hotel level is one of the original game’s most iconic locations, since it’s filled with a tense and eerie atmosphere and creepy sound design that’ll make your skin crawl. This area isn’t over-reliant on jump scares, instead using disembodied whispers and dark lighting to make your traversal one for the books.

2005 - The Ladder Scare

“F.E.A.R.” (2005)

F.E.A.R. introduced a new benchmark for sci-fi horror games, and many of the titles we see today are inspired by it. If you’ve played it before, you know exactly which moment this entry is about. For the uninitiated, there’s a quick moment during the game where you must climb down a ladder, something you’ve done countless times here and in other first-person games. But at the last moment, Alma appears out of nowhere with a creepy laugh. If that’s not enough, once you get down the ladder another apparition of another character appears right in your face. It seems a bit tame by today’s standards, but believe us when we say that in 2005, this scene ruined many an underpant.

2006 - First Stepping Foot Into Willamette Mall

“Dead Rising” (2006)

Dead Rising is an action-horror game that prefers to carry a much sillier tone than most other titles on this list, but we can’t deny its icon status in the grand scheme of things. One of the most memorable moments from the first game is when you arrive at Willamette Mall and come face-to-face with a literal horde of zombies. In 2006, the sheer size and scale of groups of enemies like this was relatively unheard of, and can quickly be overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re doing.

2007 - World War I Hellscape

“The Darkness” (2007)

The Darkness follows Jackie Estacado and his ties to the New York mafia, who have put a hit on him. Through a complicated string of bad luck and great writing, he and the Darkness, the malevolent spirit that’s attached itself to him, find themselves in the Otherworld, a World War I-like realm with evil spirits locked in battle. It’s an iconic location, and a part of the game that helped The Darkness gain popularity over the years.

2008 - Meeting the Necromorphs

“Dead Space” (2008)

The first time we see a Necromorph in both the original and remake of Dead Space is one of the most memorable moments in all of survival horror games. We’re first introduced to the grotesque alien in a shadowy confrontation with the rest of your crew, then not long after you’re ambushed by one and have to fight for your life. It’s a great start to the game and sets the tone for what players would expect throughout the game until they rolled credits.

2009 - Startling a Witch

“Left 4 Dead 2” (2009)Left 4 Dead 2 built on its predecessor’s formula and cemented itself as one of the most iconic cooperative survival-horror experiences of its era. Of the many enemy types in Left 4 Dead 2, the Witch is easily the scariest and hardest to kill. When you encounter one of these relentless enemies, she’ll be crying and unassuming. But once you startle her, you’ll wish you were never born - she’ll attack you nonstop, soaking any and all damage you deal her way.

2010 - Don’t Fall Into the Water

“Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010)

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is one of the games that kicked off the horror game streamer phenomenon in the early 2010s. Its water-flooded cellar section is one of the scariest in the game, and has seared itself into our brains as one of the tensest moments in all of horror games. There’s a creepy monster that you can’t see pursuing you, and all you have are a few floating boxes to jump to and from to avoid it. Try your best not to splash.

2011 - Brain Surgery for Dummies

“Dead Space 2” (2011)

Even if you’re not a fan of the survival horror genre, chances are you’re familiar with this iconic scene from Dead Space 2. Isaac Clarke returns to battle the Necromorphs, this time unmasked. So naturally that means the developers just had to do something awful to his face. Que the needle scene. In it, Isaac has to sit still and allow a needle to penetrate his eye in order for it to give him access to information regarding the Markers. It’s a simple succeed or fail situation, and either option is a tough one to watch.

2012 - St. John Family’s Gruesome Secret

“The Walking Dead: A Telltale Game Series” (2012)

What’s worse than a post-apocalyptic zombie-filled wasteland? A post-apocalyptic zombie-filled wasteland with cannibals. TellTale’s The Walking Dead was a masterclass of tension and storytelling at the time, offering the same “humans are the real monsters” trope we’ve seen from the comics and TV show. The most disturbing part of the early days of the games are with the St. John family, who we quickly find out have a lot in common with the undead. They’re cannibals, and are looking for their next meal in Lee and the gang.

2013 - First Encounter With Chris Walker“Outlast” (2013)

We can all agree that Outlast was one of the best horror games ever made up until 2013, and even now 12 years later. Its dark lighting, terrifying sound design, and setting make our hairs stand on end every playthrough. But meeting Chris Walker for the first time, the massive brute who relentlessly pursues you throughout the game, sets the tone for how the rest of the game will play out. The idea of being chased the entire game by an unkillable enemy is now a bit of trope by today’s horror standards, but Outlast’s Chris Walker is one of the scariest around.

2014 - Hello, Lisa

“P.T.” (2014)

Even though we never got to see the full vision come to fruition, Hideo Kojima’s P.T., or Playable Teaser, is at the top of many fans’ favorite horror games list. It’s peak psychological horror, and the jump scares in PT are some of the most startling we’ve seen in any game. The first time you encounter Lisa, the horrifying apparition tormenting you throughout the entire playthrough, she’s standing menacingly in the hallway, daring you to walk past her. Sadly, we have no real way of experiencing PT again since it was removed from digital storefronts, but it lives on in our memories as one of the greatest survival horror experiences of all time.

2015 - Wendigos in the Lodge

“Until Dawn” (2015)

Supermassive Games’ first choose your own adventure game Until Dawn is still one of the best in their vast library of similar titles, now dubbed The Dark Pictures Anthology. You’re led to believe it’s a run-of-the-mill murder mystery, but deep into the game you learn the threat is more mythical. The real monsters of Until Dawn are the Native American folklore beasts, the Wendigo, and the climax of the game is a super tense moment where multiple of your survivors face the real possibility of dying.

2016 - Nothing Is as It Seems

“Layers of Fear” (2016)

Layers of the Fear is easily one of the shortest games on this list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t incredible. Similar to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, Layers of Fear does a great job of messing with the player’s senses and expectations. The painter’s mansion is filled to the brim with changing hallways, disappearing doors, and plenty of twists and turns to make sure you’re stuck in its mazelike structure forever. Nothing is as it seems in this game, and this fact makes it one of the most tense games around.

2017 - You’re Invited for Dinner

“Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” (2017)

“Welcome to the family, son” is one of many iconic lines from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The Baker family are the antagonists this time around, and their introductory scene at the kitchen table is the perfect way to jumpstart this soft-reboot of the franchise. We learn about Jack, Marguerite, Lucas, and Evelyn while they enjoy their tasty meal of entrails and organs. This scene set the tone for what else the game had in store, and was the perfect way to set a new benchmark for the series going forward.

2018 - First Encountering the Cannibals

“The Forest” (2018)

The Forest puts the “survival” in survival horror. In this 2018 game, you’re stranded on a seemingly deserted island after a deadly plane crash and have to live off the land to survive. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. The island isn’t quite deserted - it’s home to tribes of cannibals who will attack your settlement at night, so make sure you build your defenses accordingly. The first time you come across one is random, but is terrifying nonetheless, as they’re extremely fast moving and unpredictable.

2019 - Being Chased by Mr. X

“Resident Evil 2” (2019)

The first time you meet the massive Mr. X is 2019’s amazing remake of RE2 is one of the game’s most iconic moments. The big guy surprises you by singlehandedly lifting up a downed helicopter, then spends the majority of the game pursuing you, offering endless jump scares and making you question every route you take to survive. The original’s iteration of this relentless enemy is scary in its own right, but its modernized version is one of the most memorable in any horror game.

2020 - Lucy’s Chapter

“Visage” (2020)

2020’s Visage is a modern psychological horror game masterpiece, sharing much of its DNA with the aforementioned P.T., with doors slamming shut on their own and lights mysteriously going out. One of the game’s earlier chapters involving Lucy’s imaginary friend is generally agreed upon as the game’s strongest (and most terrifying) section. You’re unable to save your game during this chapter, adding even more pressure and turning the tension up to 11. If you’re not a horror game veteran, fair warning: this chapter will keep you up at night.

2021 - House Beneviento

“Resident Evil Village” (2021)

Despite the marketing heavily showcasing Lady Dimitrescu as a main villain, in reality she was just the first boss of the game and didn’t have a lot of screen time. Instead, the most horrifying part of Resident Evil Village is in the unassuming mountain residence of one Donna Benviento, one of Mother Miranda’s four lords and certified creepy ventriloquist. You’ll quickly be put under the influence of a hallucinogen, and be chased by, wait for it, a giant baby monster. You also lose all of your weapons, meaning you only have your wits at your disposal as you solve puzzles and make it out of the house alive. Oh, and the end of this section sees you fight against a terrifying flying ventriloquist dummy.

2022 - Surprise Supernatural Encounters

“The Mortuary Assistant” (2022)

The Mortuary Assistant is another horror streamer’s delight. It offers a good mix of body horror and supernatural elements, with randomized scares that’ll make every playthrough feel fresh. The first time you encounter one of the terrifying demons is unpredictable, offering an even deeper sense of dread and tension. The core gameplay involves performing autopsies on recently deceased individuals, but of course nothing is ever as it seems in a horror game. The Mortuary Assistant has some of the best recent jump scares in any game, and is a masterclass in tension.

2023 - The Well Segment

“Alan Wake 2” (2023)

While the We Sing section of Alan Wake 2 is an unhinged masterpiece, our pick for this game’s best moment is the well segment from the Return 3 chapter, which has you playing as FBI Agent Saga Anderson. This area is a jump scare-heavy section with scary atmospheric sound design and impressive level design that’ll be seared into your brain long after you roll credits. It features eerie FMV cutscenes projected throughout the level as you descend down seemingly endless wells in the Overlap, culminating in a tough boss fight against Mulligan and Thornton.

2024 - The Final Birthday Party

“Mouthwashing” (2024)

Mouthwashing is a surprise indie horror hit that quickly became a favorite among fans of the genre. It sports a retro PS1 art style and great atmospheric sound design, with no combat and spooky vibes. The birthday party moment towards the end of the game is one of its most memorable. The bodies of your dead crewmates are arranged around a table with birthday hats, with Curly laying across the table. It’s a powerful image that works as a great way to send off these characters, and captures the tense tone of the overall game well once you get here.

2025 - Scarecrow Puzzle

“Silent Hill f” (2025)

2025 was filled to the brim with great horror games, and in turn great horror moments. But the one that sticks out like a sore thumb is the scarecrow field section in Silent Hill f. It’s equal parts terrifying, hard, confusing, and extremely annoying all in one package. To make it out alive, you have to weave your way through a foggy field of disturbing looking scarecrows to find the correct one that will point you in the right direction… literally. If you choose wrong, they’ll wake up and do their darndest to filet you into a thousand tiny pieces. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

What are some of the best horror moments that you have experienced over the last 25 years? Be sure to let us know in the comments.