The horror genre has become undervalued over time, with fewer and fewer representatives and even less recognition at video game award ceremonies.

Whether due to its slow pace, the imposition of vulnerability, or simply a reluctance to confront fear, it’s an increasingly less prominent interactive approach, but it still delivers gems of all kinds.

Although not with the same frequency as before, there are numerous titles whose ability to terrify you and immerse you in tension is remarkable, both in the realm of the traditional and the unconventional.

I’ll focus on these latter experiences specifically today, so if you’re interested in discovering works that break the mold, I invite you to read this list of the ten best on-budget obscure horror games.

10

INFERNIUM

Dark Souls meets Pac-Man

When a title describes itself as “Dark Souls meets Pac-Man”, the last thing you can do is pass it up, and I’m more than glad I ventured into INFERNIUM.

It’s strange to feel fear simply because blankets with invisible bodies are chasing you, even though you have the ability to teleport like in Dishonored, but the sound and level design work wonders to create an unyielding tension.

Each stage is not only visually stunning but also a narrative and mechanical puzzle, as each one offers information about what’s happening and tools to enable our progression, taking advantage of increasingly complex movement capabilities.

You ascend to the heavens, descend to the depths of hell, escape enemies that move in zigzags due to the salt on the floor, uncover a story of souls trapped in the underworld… INFERNIUM has elements of every kind, and none of them is conventional, which is what makes it so fascinating.

9

I Did Not Buy This Ticket

A Powerful Surrealism

Visual novels aren’t usually my thing because, when it comes to reading, I prefer more traditional methods, although I must admit I Did Not Buy This Ticket has become one of my favorite exceptions.

Thanks to its short length, it becomes a highly digestible story in terms of its scope, despite maintaining its narrative density. It explores the theme of grief as the central focus of a protagonist who makes a living by acting mournful at the funerals of strangers, which is, just by concept, magnetic.

With each new panel, not only is a series of incredibly well-written and thoughtful dialogues crafted, but, more importantly, a series of highly disturbing images and animations is presented, evoking some of the best surrealism I can recall in video games.

It only lasts a couple of hours, and its main appeal is discovering the dozens of endings it offers, yet, in the process, I Did Not Buy This Ticket shows you shots so disturbing yet intriguing that you won’t be able to resist the urge to see them all.

8

Pieces of Me

Between Dark Stories and Fatal Jumpscares

Unlike other games on this list, Pieces of Me is a more conventional title that uses slow, deliberate pacing and sudden jump scares to frighten you, which might seem to contradict the purpose of this list.

Despite this, I’m including it because, like many of EMIKA_GAMES’ works, it tells a story as gruesome as it is plausible, making it impossible not to feel a sense of unease about the possibility that this could easily happen in real life.

Of course, it also incorporates its fair share of fictional elements, a slow but precise narrative, brutal transitions between areas and planes, and the constant feeling of being hopelessly late to your destination, resulting in an hour and a half of pure tension.

Despite its partial traditionalism, Pieces of Me manages to stand apart from its regular counterparts, feeling both different and familiar, largely due to a daring plot that most games wouldn’t dare to tackle.

7

Without a Dawn

The Terror Behind Language

Speaking of visual novels that are an exception to my usual dislike, Without a Dawn was one of my biggest surprises of 2025, given its ability to do so much with so little.

Of course, what immediately grabs your attention is its ASCII-based aesthetic, capable of introducing a sense of uncertainty and unfamiliarity that, right from the start, creeps up your skin, preparing you for what’s to come.

And what’s to come, in particular, is a process of introspection so profound that it faithfully exemplifies what it’s like to go through mental illness, employing metaphors and bizarre circumstances that penetrate your psyche with particular force thanks to a brutal and relentless sound design.

There are no jump scares, no horrific designs, no dark places, but rather the always difficult journey of confronting your inner demons. Without a Dawn is a modest yet powerful marvel, and its ability to inflict anxiety is something most AAA titles should envy.

6

Into the Gloom

Low Pixel Tension

It’s curious that, in an industry where technology has advanced enough to create hyperrealistic video games that make it impossible to distinguish reality from fiction, Into the Gloom is among the games that has scared me the most in the last couple of years.

I ignore whether it’s because of its uncanny, muted yet contrasting color palette, the countless hanged people it features, or the atmospheric sound so hammering that I still hear it even when I’m not playing, but it definitely sends chills down my spine.

The puzzles are incredibly ingenious and varied, and the story departs from the conventional metaphor about depression to delve into a much more unique mythology, though what frames everything is that low-poly representation of an empty city where it’s just you and an entity that relentlessly pursues you.

It can be very frustrating, especially as it makes zero effort to make the progression digestible, but that’s what’s so captivating about Into the Gloom: it treats you as badly as the world it presents treats the protagonist.

5

A.I.L.A

AI is Definitely Scary

Given it’s a recent topic that has become increasingly prominent in the last year, there aren’t many titles that address generative AI as a central part of their theme as A.I.L.A does.

The game presents a fascinating premise where, in the role of a game tester trying out a new technology that will revolutionize the video game industry, you create a metanarrative that not only critiques our current state but exaggerates it to state its view.

In the process, the title constantly shifts its setting, historical period, gameplay approach, antagonist, puzzles, and more, manifesting the AI’s attempt to use the protagonist’s psyche as a data source to generate “new” experiences, providing a dystopian, intriguing, and even proactive vision.

Although not all levels are of the same quality, each one contributes its own unique gimmick, making the terror take the form of unpredictability, a constant presence throughout. That also breaks the tension, though for the concept and its execution alone, trying A.I.L.A is practically indispensable.

4

s.p.l.i.t

Mike Klubnika Did It Again

Ever since I played Unsorted Horror, I’ve become a die-hard fan of Mike Klubnika, whose work on s.p.l.i.t. is, in my opinion, some of the most wonderful things to have happened in the indie scene in 2025.

No one handles diegetics like him, but with this hacking adventure set in a dystopian, oppressive world, he truly puts you in situations where paranoia takes control of your feelings and movements like few others I’ve seen in the medium.

Everything takes place in a single room, where all you can do is move the camera in predetermined directions and use your computer, though everything that happens within it is both grotesquely unsettling in its plot and deliciously immersive in its gameplay.

By the time you reach the end, you’ll be as grateful you played it as you are that lobotomy is no longer an accepted medical procedure, which I think explains s.p.l.i.t’s value​​​better than any argument I could make in favor of how special it is.

3

TELEFORUM

Eternal Suspense

Ignoring the fact that it’s a free-to-play video game, I can easily say playing TELEFORUM has been one of the main reasons I’ve rekindled my interest in the horror genre.

Despite its short length, it’s a game whose handling of dialogue, visuals, lighting, animations, voice acting, and everything else is spectacular, worthy of a high-quality production that knows exactly what it’s doing.

Using real, everyday footage shot by a film crew investigating the dark history behind a family, it keeps you on the edge of your seat every second, presenting a brutal plot with cinematography that makes you feel like you’re inside a movie.

Thanks to its branching yet magnificently woven structure, replaying it to see the evolution of its unsettling nature is brutal, and almost makes you forget its strange way of narrating events. TELEFORUM is as astonishing as it is atypical, so much so that I still find it difficult to believe it doesn’t cost a penny.

2

Luto

The Grief is Terrifying

I never stopped to think what would happen if you combined the technical, rhythmic, and scenic marvel that is P.T. with the narrator and fourth-wall breaks of The Stanley Parable, but now I know the result of that fusion is called Luto.

Its use of camera and perspective to play with visual and scenic transitions is impressive, giving a sense of fluidity that would be entirely pleasurable were it not for how it enables a seamless unease.

The game only reveals itself as a game when it suits its extradiegetic narrative, magnificently blurring the lines that separate the video game from the plot to tell a painful story with so many layers and metaphors that it will take you more than a couple of playthroughs to understand everything.

Although, mechanically, it’s a walking simulator where you have to solve puzzles, explore, and interact with the environment, Luto stands out with an audiovisual and narrative power that transcends the standard of its kind, which more than compensates for its reserved gameplay.

1

Tormented Souls

A Cult Dedicated to Gods and Resident Evil

We’re all fully aware of the impact Resident Evil has had on the horror genre, but unfortunately, few know about one of its most outstanding offspring: Tormented Souls.

Taking the level design and gunplay of Capcom’s masterpiece and combining it with Silent Hill’s narrative and puzzles, the teams at Dual Effect and Abstract Digital have managed to create a modern classic that works fantastically.

The inventiveness of its cognitive challenges, the interconnectedness of its vast map, and the audacity of its monstrous story form the pillars of a remarkably solid structure, accompanied by an amazing soundtrack and gameplay gimmicks that are as strange as they are interesting.

Tormented Souls’ influences are undeniable and even conservative, but their application is so full of soul and identity that it’s tough not to appreciate the feat of taking two such renowned franchises and applying the lessons they themselves have forgotten.

It may not be the darkest game on the list, but it is the most outstanding and the one that best achieves its purpose, and I think it is the one that most adequately represents the idea that, even with a limited budget, you can make a work that appeals to everyone.