Currently, zombies have confidently taken over the virtual world. And every horror project is inevitably dedicated to fighting the undead. But what about those who are tired of this theme and want to be scared not only by the sight of zombies? For such players, there are many interesting and frightening horrors.

Fatal Frame Series

Fatal Frame is a Japanese project known in Europe as Project Zero. The series was released from 2001 to 2014 on various platforms. Here, simple ghosts were used almost for the first time to scare gamers. And the developers did an excellent job with their task. Some ghosts frightened players so much that continuing the game was sometimes very scary. Add to that a truly frightening atmosphere, and it becomes clear why Fatal Frame is considered one of the scariest horror game series.

The unique feature of the game was that the heroine could only see enemies through a special camera. This added fear when another ghost unexpectedly appeared. It's worth noting that Fatal Frame was one of the best games for the Wii console. All thrill seekers should play the game using the Wii U GamePad controller.

Dino Crisis Series

The series had a short history. Four games were released between 1999 and 2003. However, it was enough for the project to gain a devoted fan base. By the way, they are still waiting for a sequel. Young gamers are unlikely to understand the reasons for the popularity of Dino Crisis, but it was a franchise that competed with Resident Evil. Only in the latter did you have to fight zombies, while here, the player's enemies were various dinosaurs. And they could genuinely scare you by attacking and appearing at the most inappropriate moment.

Unfortunately, the series only worked as a true horror project in the first two parts. Then it turned into a simple action game that couldn't stand out among the many competitors. Now, we can only hope that the developers will listen to the fans' opinions and start working on a sequel. Although many would be happy with a simple remake, just like with Resident Evil.

Silent Hill Series

One of the best horror series that has left a lasting impression on many gamers. Silent Hill games were released from 1999 to 2012. During this period, over 7 million copies were sold, several books were written, and a series of comics were published. Silent Hill became an excellent example of how to scare players without the presence of zombies. Instead, the game featured such terrifying creatures that some of them would continue to haunt players' nightmares for a long time. Any fan of the series will never forget the terrifying nurses and the horrifying Pyramid Head, who became the series' hallmark.

Making Silent Hill such a scary game was achieved through the efforts of the developers who carefully crafted the appearance and behavior of each monster. This led to players feeling uncomfortable as soon as they saw an enemy in the distance. Gamers understood what the monsters were capable of and tried to avoid encounters with them in any way possible. And it's precisely this fear of the enemies that made Silent Hill beloved by many horror enthusiasts.

Observer: System Redux

One of the newest games released in 2020, Observer: System Redux is a psychological cyberpunk horror. Here, the player takes on the role of a detective who follows the trail of a serial killer. To catch the criminal, the player has to penetrate the minds of other people.

The game attracts not only with its excellent visuals but also with the ability to penetrate the minds of other people. In Observer: System Redux, there are no scary monsters or other typical horror elements. However, the thoughts of many characters can frighten more than the scariest zombie. By exploring them all, the detective will uncover the murders, but the terrifying characters will remain in his memory forever. Observer: System Redux is an excellent choice for fans of cyberpunk and psychological horrors. The project combines these genres seamlessly.

Dead Space Series

Dead Space is a sci-fi horror series that tells the story of an ordinary engineer named Isaac Clarke. Throughout three games, the main character has to fight terrifying space creatures. Necromorphs are a combination of living dead, humans, and other strange animals. They look so horrifying that one encounter with them is enough to be remembered forever.

Dead Space managed to diversify the horror genre and showcase its new interesting aspects. Battles with monsters in space appealed to many gamers. Additionally, the third installment introduced cooperative gameplay. However, it was Dead Space 3 that had the most disappointing sales, leading to the project's closure. But recently, there have been pleasant news for fans of the series. Electronic Arts announced the start of work on a remake of the first installment. It will be available to PC and next-generation console owners.

Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia, released in 2018, is a PC-exclusive game. It is an interesting project where players are scared not by zombies but by ghosts. Moreover, they look truly terrifying. In Phasmophobia, the player assumes the role of a ghost hunter. Together with colleagues (yes, the game is multiplayer), they explore an abandoned house and try to find evidence of spirits. Soon enough, players realize that the place is filled with horrifying secrets and inhabited by malevolent beings.

Of course, the plot is not particularly original, but that's not the main focus. Phasmophobia managed to create a frightening atmosphere. All the ghosts behave intelligently and can attack at the most inappropriate moment. One notable feature of the game is the use of speech recognition technology, allowing players to communicate with the ghosts. They can respond or behave aggressively. If the player's voice reveals fear, the ghost immediately attacks.

Little Nightmares Series

The Little Nightmares series includes two multi-platform games and one mobile project. Players have to solve puzzles while trying to overcome their sense of fear. However, they don't have to fear zombies or other familiar enemies from other horror games. Instead, there are other opponents who can frighten in their own way. The developers did an excellent job by making each enemy unique and capable of scaring even the most experienced gamer. The eerie locations and the haunting musical accompaniment complement the game's atmosphere. All of this has made Little Nightmares one of the scariest horrors in recent years.

Alien: Isolation

The Alien franchise encompasses numerous films, books, and comics. With a large fan base, creating a quality game based on the franchise is quite challenging. Most projects have been met with lukewarm reception, but Alien: Isolation, released in 2014, managed to show how a horror game featuring Xenomorphs in the lead role should look like.

The game is considered one of the best choices for those who are tired of zombies and other undead creatures. The creators successfully crafted an atmosphere in which the player feels utterly helpless against the cunning and powerful aliens. As a result, the main character moves through the locations, hiding from every shadow. This is necessary because an encounter with a Xenomorph would quickly result in the character's swift and painful death. It's an interesting approach as the player cannot directly confront the enemy. All they can do is stealthily navigate the locations and complete objectives without being detected by the aliens.

By the way, the game will also appeal to fans of the classic Alien films. The developers based Alien: Isolation on the 1979 movie, and it features many references, presenting the future as it was imagined back then.

This selection of horrors is suitable for those who want to experience a good adrenaline rush in games but are tired of endless zombies on their screens.