10 Best Horror Games on Nintendo Switch (2024)

Sure, the Nintendo Switch is the place to hunt for cute and adorable adventure games. However, it can also be your stop-over for horror games, too. Over the years, the console has expanded its catalog to add more horror games. As a result, you’ll be spoilt for choice on which games offer the most terrifying gaming experiences. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled the best horror games on Nintendo Switch that are worth your time.

What is a Horror Game?

A horror game is a genre of video game designed to evoke fear, tension, and suspense in players. Horror games can vary widely in style, from psychological thrillers that focus on atmosphere and narrative to action-oriented titles with intense combat scenarios.

Best Horror Games on Nintendo Switch

Check out the best horror games on Nintendo Switch.

10. Layers of Fear: Legacy

Artists have arguably the most disturbing thoughts, and Layers of Fear: Legacy is determined to prove that fact. It channels the mind of a painter who wanders the halls of a Victorian mission, hoping to find the inspiration to finish his work. However, venturing deeper into the mission only reveals more haunting revelations about his own past. Like most human beings, you’ll have no choice but to face the very horrifying things that you thought you had put behind you.

9. World of Horror

World of Horror is among the many horror works that draw inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft. However, rather than use modern graphics, it makes the unconventional choice of using 1-bit visuals. The result is a distinct and creepy experience that spells out cosmic horror. Set sometime in the 80s, the story takes you to fictional Shiokawa, Japan, and tasks you with exploring different locations. While exploring, you’ll encounter horrifying creatures but still trudge forward in the hope of stopping a potential apocalypse.

8. Little Nightmares II

When a strange and evil transmission distorts the world, Mono, a young boy, must set out to find the source and stop it. Little Nightmares II takes you along on a puzzle adventure, unleashing dark secrets and horrific creatures on you. Luckily, you’ll have Six from the predecessor to accompany you on your quest. Besides puzzle-solving, you’ll also run into platforming sections. Moreover, you may need to rely on stealth to make it past larger enemies.

7. Luigi’s Mansion

If you’re looking to play a horror game on training wheels, you can start your journey with Luigi’s Mansion. The whole game is about exploring a haunted mansion. When you run into ghosts, you can trap them using a flashlight and vacuum cleaner. Meanwhile, you’ll also be looking for Mario, who has gone missing. There are also combat sections where you fight a boss at the end of the four explorable rooms on offer.

6. Dreadout 2

Dreadout 2 draws inspiration from Indonesian folklore, bringing you a story of a high school student who can see ghosts. You only have a smartphone to help you survive the ghosts. Alternatively, you’ll unlock melee weapons and projectiles you can launch at physical ghosts. Through it all, you’ll work your way through a spooky building to banish all the ghosts and save all of mankind.

5. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is especially bone-chilling, thanks to its captivating storytelling. It takes you to the fictional Hikami Mountain, where three characters stumble onto paranormal activity.

If you’ve played any Fatal Frame games, you’ll know how the story and gameplay play out. Each character experiences the story from a unique perspective, adding replayability. Moreover, you still banish ghosts using the Camera Obscura feature. Simply taking photographs of ghosts to banish them makes you feel helpless against supernatural spirits, which only makes the game perfect for a truly terrifying gaming experience.

4. Amnesia: Collection

Be sure to pick up Amnesia: Collection, which includes Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Justine DLC, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Playing as Daniel, you’ll explore a creepy castle, running into horrifying monsters and unsettling events. Still, you have to watch out for your sanity meter. You can track your sanity by avoiding staying in the dark for too long, looking directly at monsters, or witnessing scary events. If your sanity levels drop too low, it can cause you to hallucinate and experience more horrific events. When it runs out, well, you either lose mobility or die. But don’t worry. You can restore your sanity using light sources, keeping in mind that light sources will be limited.

3. Observer

The Observer is simply a detective who investigates crimes. However, he has a special power that allows him to hack into people’s minds. As you can imagine, reading people’s minds comes in handy when interrogating suspects. However, the more minds you read, the more messed up your own mind gets. Still, you can employ other investigative methods, like examining objects in the crime scenes. You can interact with patient records and radios and access computer terminals to mine as much intel as you can.

2. Resident Evil Revelations Collection

Resident Evil Revelations Collection is another steal that nets you Resident Evil Revelations and Resident Evil Revelations 2. You explore the events that take place after Resident Evil 4, where the T-Abyss virus is on the verge of infecting the oceans. Aboard the Queen Zenobia cruise ship, lots of horrific creatures run amok. Still, you have to make it to dry land in one piece. Once you get to the city of Terragrigia, it’s more survival mode as you strive to make use of limited weapons and ammunition.

1. Limbo

Limbo is a mind-bender that makes use of physics to destabilize the environment and the protagonist. Your job is to guide a boy through terrifying environments filled with traps and conniving puzzles. You’ll often try and fail, with each death ending in the most gruesome ways. This serves as motivation to find the solution and steer the boy on a safe path. Thanks to the game’s black-and-white aesthetic, you’re forced to navigate a dark world lurking with danger and a heavy sense of dread throughout your playthrough.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our best horror games on Nintendo Switch? Are there more horror games we should know about? Let us know over on our socials here.