It’s award season here at Twinfinite! Today, we’re looking back at the best horror games of 2019. Voted on by our editors, these were the best and scariest games that our team felt really scratched that eerie itch this year. Let’s start with some honorable mentions, followed by our two runners-up, and of course, our winner. Best Horror Games of 2019 Honorable Mention: Blair Witch Guides Editor Chris Jecks: Blair Witch was a rather pleasant surprise when it released in August. While it didn’t quite get me scared out of my whits, I did wholly enjoy the atmospheric wander through the ever-changing Black Hills Forest, its camcorder puzzles, and its dark story. It’s the combination of these three elements that helps create an immersive, unnerving experience as you make your way through a forest in search of missing child Peter Shannon. Its forest is a shape-shifting maze that never ceases to have something interesting waiting just around the corner. The camcorder puzzles not only help offer up some much-needed gameplay variety, but also play host to Blair Witch’s biggest jump scare should you not heed a warning. It’s all very clever. Wrap that up in a disconcerting narrative with multiple endings encouraging multiple playthroughs, and this six-hour wander through the woods may be one of the creepiest you’ll take this year, if not outright the scariest.

Best Horror Games of 2019 Honorable Mention: Days Gone Senior Editor Alex Gibson: Judged next to genre-topping open-world games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, it has to be said that Days Gone falls well short of the mark. It’s a fine sandbox experience, but not one that pushes the genre forward in a meaningful way across any particular element of its design. That was a harsh introduction for an award nominee, I know, but it needed to be said; we aren’t huge fans of Days Gone here at Twinfinite. There is, however, one particular aspect of the game’s design that, when it clicks into gear, provides one of the most unique and terrifying experiences of 2019. I’m talking, of course, about the “Freaker” hordes that roam the high desert setting of Days Gone. It’s the game’s showpiece mechanic, which sees small clusters of zombie-like creatures pile together to form a huge, intimidating single wave hellbent on ripping you to shreds. It starts with that foreboding, cold drum beat rumbling in the background, and you know you only have moments to react before three become eight and then eight becomes twenty. Before you know it there’s an army of them grabbing at your back as you flee in terror. A truly thrilling, if not traumatic, experience every time. Sure, the moments in between aren’t so hot, but when Days Gone really turns it on it’s unlike anything else out there, and that’s enough to make it one of the most memorable horror games of 2019.

Best Horror Games of 2019 Second Runner-Up: Control Deputy Guides Editor Tom Hopkins: Although Control doesn’t have the blood and gore you might expect from a traditional horror game, Remedy has created a beautiful and atmospheric world that can be intensely creepy. Whether you’re exploring the abandoned hallways of Oldest House or the strange motel, the lighting effects and music create a world that can be pretty unsettling. Add to that the dangerous and mysterious enemies and Control shares a lot of similarities with other horror games. The gameplay, which makes you feel powerful throughout, is the star of the show, but without the incredibly well-designed setting and an atmosphere that can leave you with goosebumps, it wouldn’t be even nearly the same experience. Control’s story might confuse some players and there are some frustrating moments, but exploring the Oldest Houses’ secrets can be as creepy as the best of the traditional horrors.

Best Horror Games of 2019 First Runner-Up: Layers of Fear 2 Contributor Aaron Greenbaum: Layers of Fear 2 isn’t the scariest of horror games, but it sets out to deliver a fascinating experience that explores the mental strain of being an actor. Plus, it serves as a good litmus test for gamers interested in horror games but are too scared to take the plunge. The game excels at putting players on edge with creepy imagery and binaural audio. Better yet, it utilizes automatonophobia (fear of mannequins), the age-old unreliable narrator trope, and shifting hallways to construct an experience where players can’t trust their eyes or surroundings. Layers of Fear 2 also manages to tell an effective, nonlinear story with endings that completely recontextualize its events – as well as events from the first Layers of Fear game – and beg for multiple playthroughs. There’s a difference between a game filled with disturbing, paranoia-inducing scenarios and one that is actually terrifying, and Layers of Fear 2 sits smack dab in the former category. Plus, the game only features one truly effective jump scare. Nevertheless, Layers of Fear 2 is a good entry point for audiences who want to test the 2019 horror video game waters. The title does enough right to make players feel tense without scaring them too much, but it lacks the challenge that pleases survival horror enthusiasts. You should play Layers of Fear 2 if you want to wind down and feel a twinge of fear, not test your zombie survival skills while sweating buckets, brains, and bullets.