My son loves the adrenaline rush of getting scared, particularly with jump scares, however, I have a lot of difficulty finding a game or show which is appropriate for him. He is prone to nightmares, and more adult-oriented “kid horror” is too much (Poppy’s Playtime, Cartoon Cat?) And others like Siren Head. His peers exposed him to those things and made my own nights pretty sleepless for a while.
It’s a tough plate to fill, but surely there’s gotta be something. He’s played Luigi’s Mansion and got a kick out of that. That game would be a good example I suppose.
are there any good scooby doo games out there? i remember playing one on the PS2 as a kid, good balance of “creepy” stuff like zombies and just goofball humor
I would give My Friendly Neighborhood a try - it’s very much in the vein of Resident Evil 4 with just-different-enough Sesame Street puppets that give you a jumpscare and damage when they make contact. Put together by John and Evan Szymanski (brothers to and collaborators with David Szymanski, of several New Blood titles fame,) it’s made explicitly to be horrifying without relying on gore and excessive violence.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a good game about ghosts that’s not actually that scary. The school DLC for it can get a bit creepy though. Also, Subnautica is one of the scariest non-horror games out there.
I think bugsnax might fit, it takes until near the end of the game for the horror aspect to begin, and then it hits hard. Look up the ending so you can screen it for him and make sure it’s appropriate.
If Super Metroid is on the Nintendo Switch emulator, that’s a good spooky game, including an explicitly horror-themed level, the Wrecked Ship. There’s a layer of removal since it’s 2D and zoomed out. Not all of the game is all that spooky, I think it’s mainly Wrecked Ship and the end of the game.
Metroid Fusion is much spookier, including sequences where you’re being hunted by a Samus clone. Very creepy vibes throughout too. Other M has a lot of thrills as well. And Metroid Dread is, of course, dread-inducing. Actually it was the first Metroid game I couldn’t play because the stealth sequences were too much for me, lol.
Majora’s Mask is mostly more eerie, but there are some good high tension moments as well.
Maybe add the old LucasArts adventure game Grim Fandango to the list, it’s more comical than ‘scary’. It has a relatively recent remaster with modern controls. Some would say the original tank controls are a horror into themselves. Though looking at the ESRB rating it is T for teen.
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are there any good scooby doo games out there? i remember playing one on the PS2 as a kid, good balance of “creepy” stuff like zombies and just goofball humor
I would give My Friendly Neighborhood a try - it’s very much in the vein of Resident Evil 4 with just-different-enough Sesame Street puppets that give you a jumpscare and damage when they make contact. Put together by John and Evan Szymanski (brothers to and collaborators with David Szymanski, of several New Blood titles fame,) it’s made explicitly to be horrifying without relying on gore and excessive violence.
Is Amanda the Explorer too much?
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a good game about ghosts that’s not actually that scary. The school DLC for it can get a bit creepy though. Also, Subnautica is one of the scariest non-horror games out there.
That’s how you get your kid to never go to the beach with you
I think bugsnax might fit, it takes until near the end of the game for the horror aspect to begin, and then it hits hard. Look up the ending so you can screen it for him and make sure it’s appropriate.
Maybe the Costume Quest games? They’re not scary at all, but Halloween themed.
If you’re cool with emulation, the PS2 had a game called Gregory Horror Show.
If Super Metroid is on the Nintendo Switch emulator, that’s a good spooky game, including an explicitly horror-themed level, the Wrecked Ship. There’s a layer of removal since it’s 2D and zoomed out. Not all of the game is all that spooky, I think it’s mainly Wrecked Ship and the end of the game.
Metroid Fusion is much spookier, including sequences where you’re being hunted by a Samus clone. Very creepy vibes throughout too. Other M has a lot of thrills as well. And Metroid Dread is, of course, dread-inducing. Actually it was the first Metroid game I couldn’t play because the stealth sequences were too much for me, lol.
Majora’s Mask is mostly more eerie, but there are some good high tension moments as well.
My 10 and 6-year-old play some horror experiences on Roblox. You’d be surprised how well-made some of them are.
Lego rock raiders.
Not horror, but can be scary and when monsters arrive it sometimes gave me a jumpscare.
More specifically, Manic Miners, the unofficially endorsed and completely free remake/remaster of Lego Rock Raiders 😉
Plants vs zombies maybe?
FNaF is a classic, there’s no gore or anything like that and a lot of jump scares
That game is deep into the uncanny valley, it will be TERRIFYING for a child.
that kid would never ever look at a corner of the wall. what if fredy faz bear is there
I think the animatronics look way to scary for a kid
Yeah but after that he will be immune to a lot of petty jumpscares
Maybe add the old LucasArts adventure game Grim Fandango to the list, it’s more comical than ‘scary’. It has a relatively recent remaster with modern controls. Some would say the original tank controls are a horror into themselves. Though looking at the ESRB rating it is T for teen.
My Friendly Neighbor hood is mascot horror, but played entirely straight. It’s resident evil 4, but with all of the zombies replaced with puppets.
Limbo and the other one by the same devs
Inside