Why horror games don’t need to be realistic to be scary

It’s the spookiest month of the year, and as you might expect, online gaming platforms are teeming with new horror games. If you’re a fan of scary games, Halloween is the best time to look out for new indie titles and remakes of old favorites.

There are plenty of photo-realistic horror games out there – too many, some might argue – but if graphics are all you’re looking for in the niche, you’re missing out on some of the best horror games. Here’s a breakdown of why horror games don’t need to be realistic to be scary.

Horror games don’t need realism – they need tension

The best horror games of all time are those that offer a tense atmosphere, memorable monsters, and an interesting story. As a lifelong horror nerd, I’d place these three traits over graphics any day of the week when analyzing scary games.

While there are scores of incredible horror games to play in 2025, some appear to be more focused on style over substance, prioritizing realistic, gory visuals but not offering much else past jump scares and blood.

There’s nothing wrong with realistic horror by any means – for some players, realistic graphics can help with immersion immensely, and these games can still be fun to play through – but I’d argue that horror games should have a lot more to them than just photo-realistic blood splatter.

Just look at the classics as an example. Games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil are lauded for their tension and ability to terrorize players, even to this day, along with slightly more modern examples like Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

They’re somewhat dated in terms of visuals now, but they’ve still got the most important part of horror perfected; they know how to mess with your mind while you’re exploring the game world. Will there be a lurching monster at the edge of the fog? Does that ominous hallway have a swarm of ravenous zombies waiting for you?

The visuals in the original Silent Hill and Resident Evil aren’t anywhere near as realistic as the Silent Hill 2 or Resident Evil 2 remakes, but I’d argue that they offer just as much tension and atmospheric dread as their modern-day counterparts.

Another solid example of horror being much more than its visuals is the RPGMaker horror niche. If you’re unfamiliar, RPGMaker is a game development software series with a generally recognizable, pixelated aesthetic.

RPGMaker games like Ib can be truly unnerving at times, with unsettling stories and grotesque characters, but they’re a far cry from realistic in the visual department. They’re beautifully crafted, but they’re much more simplistic; at times, they can even look cute.

I first picked up Ib after starting to watch a YouTube playthrough as a kid, thinking it’d be a light, mildly eerie RPG – and I was severely mistaken.

The game is dark and twisted, even emotional at times, and there are a few chase scenes and jump scares that made my skin crawl. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite titles, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys playing scary games.

If you’re a newer horror fan, I implore you to spend this spooky season checking out some of the older titles in the subgenre, or at least giving their remakes a go. Some of the best horror games of all time are tucked away on retro platforms.

While games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Penumbra might not look as eye-catching as some of their more modern counterparts, these games still act as a masterclass in building tension and making you hesitant to move forward. Realism in horror can be nice to have, but it’s not a necessity by any means.