Halloween is approaching soon and this means it’s the season for scary games. October 2022 already sees the release of Resident Evil Village Cloud, but if you don’t want to wait then there are already plenty of horror games available on the Switch. We’ve picked the best scary Nintendo Switch horror games to take with you wherever you’re going this Halloween.
The top 10 scary Nintendo Switch horror games
10. MADiSON
Cameras seem to be the “weapon” of choice in several survival horror games and MADiSON is just the first of those. Locked in a dark room and covered in blood, the camera is the only thing that doesn’t render Luca completely helpless as the ghost of an evil murderer pushes him to complete a gory ritual started decades ago. The only exit is to connect the human world to the beyond, but that’s easier said than done.
9. Outlast: Bundle of Terror
In this more traditional survival horror game, journalist Miles Upshur breaks into Mount Massive Asylum. Officially it was reopened for secret research but rumors seem to suggest something far more abominable… and they were right. When this game finally arrived on Switch, it brought the Whistleblower DLC with it where players get to see the events that led up to Upshur’s break-in. And you guessed it… Upshur only has a night-vision camera to help him.
8. Dying Light: Platinum Edition
While not a traditional survival horror game, this action survival game will keep players occupied for hours. Undercover agent Kyle Crane is sent to Harran, a zombie-infested city, to find a political figure that could potentially have the cure for the virus that caused the outbreak. The good news is he has parkour, weapons, and traps to help. Another game that benefitted from a delay when porting to the Switch, the Platinum Edition comes with the game and all major DLC expansions and skin packs to add even more bang for your buck.
7. Detention
This 2D atmospheric horror side-scroller is set in 1960s Taiwan where martial law can be just as terrifying as the supernatural events and evil creatures that haunt Greenwood High School. Many dark secrets unfold throughout the game as students Wei and Ray fight for their survival. At just $12.99, it’s one of the cheapest of the bunch if you’re looking for a quick horror fix.
6. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
Mt. Hikami was revered as a spiritual place where water was worshipped as a deity. Now it’s a place where people seemingly go to die. Yuri, Miu, and Ren must use the Camera Obscura to reveal secrets and repel the ghosts threatening their lives as they explore the mysterious location. Originally released on Wii U, the Switch version has better graphics and controls, new items and ghosts, and a Snap photo mode.
5. Resident Evil 4
After Raccoon City fell victim to a massive biological disaster, the perpetrators, the Umbrella Corporation, have been dissolved. Leon S. Kennedy managed to survive the disaster and is now a US special agent. After the president’s daughter is kidnapped, he heads to a remote European village to find her. This game is a perfect introduction to the Resident Evil franchise for those looking to get RE Village cloud edition later.
4. Little Nightmares II
Pale City is at the mercy of mysterious transmission from the Signal Tower. Horribly distorted by their addiction to the signal, the repulsive creatures who still live in the city are a constant danger to Mono in this stealth platformer. The disgusting world hides frequent chances for instant death, but the almost defenseless tiny figure must find a way to escape with his life and take his silent companion with him.
3. Limbo
After waking up on the edge of a hellish forest, a nameless boy is forced to face its dangers as he tries to find his way home in this platformer. The black-and-white art style uses minimalism to hide traps and dangers in plain sight and there are plenty of gruesome deaths in store for those that don’t notice them or react quickly enough. And there are giant spiders for those with arachnophobia.
2. Alien: Isolation
Beep. Beep. Beep. This will become an extremely familiar sound when using the motion detector to locate and hide from the powerful Alien trying to rip Amanda Ripley apart. 15 years after her first encounter with the creature, Amanda’s mother Ellen has disappeared, but will her defenseless daughter manage to find her before she meets her own horrific fate?
1. Luigi’s Mansion 3
Yes there are scarier games on this list, but if you want a Halloween-themed game to play with all the family then you can’t go wrong with Luigi’s latest adventure. Up to two players can team up to save Mario and his friends from the paintings in a haunted hotel. The problem is there are lots of mischievous ghosts under the control of King Boo who are trying to stop you.
