Virtual reality is the perfect vehicle for horror stories, and with more cutting edge horror games being developed for VR headsets every day, it’s easier than ever to go on spine-tingling immersive adventures. Not for you, though. Here’s ten horror games you might get through the opening title sequence of, before panicking and switching back to Beat Saber, you sorry excuse for a gamer.
A Chair in a Room: Greenwater
A great introduction to the genre of VR horror, this game has you stand in white room for about 30 seconds before the sound of an intercom gives you your first piece of exposition, startling you so much that you have to play Beat Saber for the next three hours to calm down.
5 Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted
The first jumpscare in this installment of the FNaF saga will have you running back to the neon arms of your Maroon 5 music expansion pack faster than you can say “I was lying to myself when I bought this game. I just want to dance.”
The Moonlight Circus
Enjoy the intro music composed by Fabjén Rauch until you get so creeped out that you back into your coffee table and break your tailbone. You may have the constitution of a particularly skittery meerkat, and a large hospital bill, but your hair-trigger startle response actually translates to great reflexes! That should come in handy playing Beat Saber from now on.
Escape the Backrooms
This indie horror game is based on a creepypasta and begins with you lost in a maze of identical rooms. Is there anything in the rooms? You won’t find out. The intro narration was in a kind of spooky voice and that was enough for you to bail. Why be immersed in a liminal space when you can be immersed in neon lights and pop music?
Blair Witch
This immersive, atmospheric addition to the Blair Witch franchise is the closest you’ll ever come to being in a forest. If you can’t handle the sound of a twig snapping in a video game you’re playing in the comfort of your own home, why the fuck would you ever go camping? Not that anyone’s going to invite you camping. Your friends stopped coming over for game night since you’re only interested in a single-player rhythm game that both drowns out conversation and makes you look silly. Nope, looks like it’s going to be another evening alone for you — and we all know what’s on the agenda.
Resident Evil 7
This one’s a favorite among people who bullied you in high school! You’re not any better with confrontation now than you were back then, but the good news is your rhythm has improved by almost 7% since you closed Resident Evil 7 in the first minute and never reopened it.
Phasmophobia
Don’t worry: Phasmophobia is a co-op game. You’ll never even have to sweat through the loading screen because no one would ever ask a coward to play with them. Enjoy your new Greatest Showman soundtrack pack with peace of mind.
Choleric Vision
Choleric Vision uses your heartbeat as a game mechanic. At least, it would if you had the heart of a human being, but while setting up this game you’ll find that your pulse registers as belonging to a hummingbird. Anyway, why use your headset to elevate storytelling when you can use it to cut colorful boxes in half with a glowing sword? You’re like a Jedi! Except that Jedis spend years training to conquer their fears, so you’re nothing like a Jedi.
Spider Simulator
This game recreates the actual room around you with just one catch: There is a photorealistic tarantula somewhere in the room and you have to find it before it finds you. Just kidding! This isn’t a real game. Can you imagine? You once called 911 to kill a house spider for you. If only you had a glowing sword to kill spiders with. Then they’d see. They’d all see.
VR Chat
No game designer in the world can ever match the heart pounding, sweat inducing, self-loathing triggering horror of an actual social interaction. The sound of a real person saying “hi” behind you will startle you so much you rip your headset off and throw it across the room. There goes $600 of gaming equipment and any chance of connecting with another human being! Yet somehow, you can still hear the music. The beat sabers on.
