Top 10 Scariest Places in Video Games!

“Bloodborne” (2015) Expectations were high for “Bloodborne,” another FromSoftware and Miyazaki creation, and the game and setting did not disappoint in the slightest. The city of Yharnam takes great influence from Victorian and Gothic architecture, and like most horror stories which inhabit that setting, it is full of werewolves, otherworldly creatures, and bloodthirsty mobs out for your face. The city is dreadfully grim, and you can’t help but feel pessimistic as you wander its winding and haunted streets, hoping that a massive creature isn’t hanging on the side of a building and watching your every move. Oh wait, there is.

#9: UAC Facility

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“Doom 3” (2004) While 2016’s “Doom” brought the series back to its fast-paced roots, “Doom 3” experimented more with the horror genre, and while some may argue about the merits of its gameplay, the scariness of the game and its environment are irrefutable. “Doom 3” takes place in the UAC research facility on Mars after it has been infested with demons, and, yes, it’s just as scary as it sounds. The passages are dark, and the blood-soaked hallways warn of impending danger and unspeakable monsters. The graphics and lighting of this game were incredible for its time, and they helped bring the nightmarish UAC facility to horrifying life.

#8: The Zone

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“S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl” (2007) OK, let’s be serious, Chernobyl is a terrifying location. It’s abandoned, filled with dead vegetation, it’s eerily silent, and its buildings are littered with remnants of a once-normal life. It’s not exactly a place to go for a vacation, and “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” captures that foreboding atmosphere perfectly. Only, you know, with weird electrical anomalies and humanoid mutants that want you for dinner. Chernobyl - oh, excuse us - “The Zone” is bleak, but in a way that makes for a fantastically scary and sinister post-apocalyptic setting. Chernobyl has become a bit of a mythological location in pop culture recently, and games like this are certainly adding to its chilling aura.

“Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010) In a similar vein to Yharnam, Brennenburg Castle takes its influence from 19th century Europe; and like most castles from that period, it is pretty damn dreary. The hallways are dark, only sporadically lit by candles, and eerie portraits hang from the walls. As if the castle itself wasn’t creepy enough, you’re also constantly hounded by the Shadow and the gatherers, which makes every pitch-black hallway especially horrifying. It’s definitely a stressful environment, but isn’t that the sign of great and effective horror?

“Fatal Frame” (2001) The Japanese certainly know how to do the supernatural right. Their horror films and video games are always pants-wetting levels of scary, and the original “Fatal Frame” is certainly no exception. In it, you must explore the abandoned Himuro Mansion. The mansion is old and dark, illuminated only by your flashlight. Oh, and it’s absolutely riddled with ghosts who could appear at any time. The amount of tension that the game creates throughout is unbearable, and you’ll be poking your head around corners desperately hoping that a ghost isn’t waiting to pop up. It’s dreadfully scary, but also highly entertaining.

#5: The Von Braun

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“System Shock 2” (1999) “System Shock 2” may be nearly twenty years old, but it can still scare the bejesus out of you. The game takes place on the starship Von Braun, and this claustrophobic setting makes you feel like you will never escape the horrors. The game does away with cliché horror tropes like jump scares and instead relies on mounting tension, unbelievable sound design, and a thick atmosphere to play tricks with your mind. That said, there are still some nightmare-inducing monsters in the game, like those damn midwives and, of course, SHODAN, the ship’s malicious AI who makes HAL 9000 look friendly.

“BioShock” (2007) Widely considered to be a spiritual successor to “System Shock,” “BioShock” is equally as disturbing and unbearably tense, and perhaps even more so due to its modern graphics and engine. Rapture was meant to be a city without government or religious meddling, but now it’s just a creepy underwater nightmare full of drug-addicted psychopaths, genetically-altered little girls, and humans who have had their skin and organs grafted into diving suits. While the music and 50s aesthetics may be pleasant, Rapture is anything but, as it is dirty, run-down, dark, and dangerous.

“Alien: Isolation” (2014) If there’s one video game that manages to nail a perfect sense of isolation and confinement, it’s this. In the game, you traverse the dark and winding Sevastopol Station while trying to avoid aggressive androids who are incredibly difficult to kill and a giant freaking Xenomorph, which is impossible to kill. Literally. It could appear at any moment, and when it does, you better not let it see you. This game is nothing but unbearable tension, and we mean that in the best possible way.

#2: The Spencer Mansion

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“Resident Evil” (1996) There are a few locations in gaming that have become ingrained in the minds of players everywhere, and Spencer Mansion is most definitely one of them. “Resident Evil” has always been a great source for scary locations - Raccoon City from “Resident Evil 2” being another example - and while the Spencer Mansion and its inhabitants may seem tame by today’s standards, it scared the pants off everyone in back in 1996. Its winding hallways and secret passages are terribly ominous, and its monstrous occupants are even worse, especially when you’re out of ammo. This game became a pop culture phenomenon, in large part because of its stellar and memorable environment. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2014) Mount Massive Asylum “Outlast” (2013) The Village “Resident Evil 4” (2005)

#1: Silent Hill

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“Silent Hill” series (1999-2012) Was there ever really any competition? The town of Silent Hill has been scaring the pants off gamers for nearly twenty years, and the series has earned its reputation as one of the scariest of all time due to its truly foreboding setting. Heck, even the name itself is scary. This town has a little bit of everything: grotesque monsters, dark buildings, a terror-inducing atmosphere, and perhaps the creepiest damn sirens we’ve ever heard. No series can scare you quite like “Silent Hill,” and its setting will be remembered for a long, long time… especially in our nightmares.