Key things
- Games like
Call of Cthulhu
and
Wanderer
bring iconic horror literature to life with unique stories and options. -
Edge of Nowhere
and
world war z
pay homage to Lovecraft and Brooks with thrilling gameplay and references to lore. - Titles like
Parasite Eve
and
I don't have a mouth
offer immersive adaptations that delve into dark themes from the original books.
From ancient civilizations to contemporary writing groups, history has graced us with a wealth of talented authors who have published incredible novels for more than just a library. Many are rich in imagery, world-building, and interesting characters that create whole new worlds with poetic flourish. The books themselves really lend themselves to the screen, with filmmakers and game developers alike taking the words and bringing them to life.
While we've seen many innocuous books adapted into horror games – take Alice: Madness Returns, inspired by Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, for example — explores this list games of various genres inspired specifically by horror literature. Some have taken creative license to elaborate on the original story, some are reworked with new interpretations, and some faithfully reproduce their written counterparts. Either way, they're worth a look games based on horror books.
10 Call of Cthulhu
HP Lovecraft: Call of Cthulhu (1926)
Call of Cthulhu is a survival horror RPG. As troubled private investigator Edward Pierce, the player is called in to investigate the mysterious death of the Hawkins family. As they delve deeper into Darkwater's strange way of life and interrogate its suspicious inhabitants, they uncover the true forces at play in the battle for sanity.
Based on the short story of the same name by HP Lovecraft, Call of Cthulhu it is shrouded in the same dreaminess, madness and mystery as the original text. However, it relies on its own stories and allows the player to make decisions that affect the development of the game and lead to four different endings. There are also upgradable skills, stealth sections and puzzles that offer something for all kinds of players.
9 The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Creature
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (1818)
- Release: October 30, 2019
- Developer: La Belle Games
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch
- Best Critic Rating: 70
IN The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Monster, the player controls the titular classic horror figure from the moment he wakes up and embarks on a journey across Europe to discover his creator. Although the gameplay is fairly minimal with a lot of walking and the occasional puzzle or mini-game, the stunning art style and phenomenal soundtrack could carry the game by its atmosphere alone.
The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Monster is a retelling of Mary Shelley frankenstein, widely considered to be one of the first science fiction novels ever written. Like the book, this play explores themes of good and evil, good and evil, and marginalization. However, there are five different endings, each depending on the player's actions (or inaction).
8 The Edge of Nowhere
HP Lovecraft: In the Mountains of Madness (1931)
From a beloved developer Spyro franchise, Edge of Nowhere is an action-adventure game published by Oculus for their VR systems. Playing as Victor Howard, whose plane has crashed and left his co-pilot dead, the player must make his way across dangerous mountains and cliffs in search of his missing fiancée, Ava Thorn. Victor is not alone and must survive the creatures lurking at every turn using a combination of platforming, stealth and gunplay.
Edge of Nowhere is inspired by HP Lovecraft's In the mountains of madness which follows an expedition in Antarctica where they explore ancient ruins and discover beings beyond human understanding. The game's VR format really brings Lovecraft's work to life by stripping players of safety and giving them the opportunity to experience the sheer size of the world.
7 world war z
Max Brooks: world war z (2006)
world war z is a third-person shooter set on a zombie-infested Earth. In the co-op campaign, the player with up to four friends must navigate through a series of locations and survive hordes of zombies to escape by completing various objectives. With different weapons and classes to level up and unlock perks, world war z offers very satisfying combat.
While the game differs from the book in terms of characters and certain story points, it retains Max Brooks' depiction of a world in crisis. It also references the language used in the book, such as “zeke”, and operations including the “Battle of Yonkers”, adding to the sense of lore and world-building.
6 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow
Bram Stoker: Dracula (1897)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow follows Gabriel Belmont of the Brotherhood of Light as he must unite heaven and earth and resurrect his wife by claiming the power of the Dark Lords by taking pieces of the God Mask from them. The protagonist is tortured and complicated, and some of the twists and turns are completely unpredictable. The hack-and-slash combat is brutal at times, complementing the puzzle and platforming elements.
Although it doesn't strictly follow Brom Stoker's storyline Draculaand unlike other games in Castlevania franchise, Lord of Shadows it reinterprets the universe tremendously, feels like a sort of prequel to Dracula's existence, and takes place in his own in-game timeline. Along with the iconic vampire figure, the game also references Le Fanu's Carmilla and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
5 The world of horror
Junji Ito: Various
The world of horror is a turn-based RPG. As one of 14 playable characters, the player must explore a pixelated world and fight cosmic horror creatures to prevent the impending apocalypse. The world of horror it's impressively entirely hand-drawn in Microsoft Paint, its 1-bit art style lending itself to the game's mystery.
The game combines Lovecraftian and Junji Ito inspirations to create a unique aesthetic and gameplay. For example, “Cadaver Theater” is a reference to Ito's doll house and the name “Tomie” can be seen on one of the tombstones in the cemetery. as such The world of horror is a fantastic experience for horror manga fans.
4 Parasite Eve
Hideaki Sean: Parasite Eve (1995)
Parasite Eve begins with NYPD detective Aya going on a blind date to the opera played by Melissa Pearce. However, the romance is cut short when everyone but Aya, her date, and Melissa spontaneously combust. Melissa is revealed to be 'Eve' – a mutated monster. The player must explore to get to the bottom of this supernatural event and stop Eve from destroying the rest of the human race.
Parasite Eve was launched as a sequel to Sean's novel of the same name, which asked the question: What if mitochondria were conscious? The game is as scary as the book in parts, with monsters and scientific abominations. Different weapon types and customizations, exploration elements and puzzles Parasite Eve a great nostalgic experience for all fans of the original Resident Evil games.
3 Telltale is The Walking Dead
Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead (2003)
IN Telltale's The Walking Dead, the player takes control of the criminal Lee Everett, who escapes from prison when the police transport car carrying him crashes. They quickly discover that the world is on the brink of a zombie apocalypse. He heads to the suburbs of Georgia where he finds a girl named Clementine and vows to reunite her with her parents.
Based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series of the same name, the game honors its source material with its graphic style and parallel stories. The narrative trajectory is determined by player choices. Telltale is The Walking Dead it makes players invest in complex characters and then forces difficult moral decisions on them, making it one of the most emotionally affecting zombie games out there.
2 I have no mouth and I have to scream
Harlan Ellison: I have no mouth and I have to scream (1967)
I have no mouth and I have to scream is a sci-fi slash psychological horror point-and-click game. It revolves around “Mastercomputer” AM (an American supercomputer built for global warfare) who has gained sentience and developed an extreme hatred for the human race. Taking turns as the last five people on Earth, kept alive by AM to be tortured, the player must navigate customized scenarios to redeem each character for their transgressions.
The game is based on the book of the same name and largely follows the same plot until the end, with the author himself involved in the project. Like a book, I don't have a mouth deals with extremely dark and disturbing real-world themes that will leave the player feeling uncomfortable and upset. Both the play and the novel offer an introspective, dystopian commentary on human error and artificial intelligence.
1 Dagon: By HP Lovecraft
HP Lovecraft: Dagon (1919)
Dagon: By HP Lovecraft sees the player thrust into the shoes of the narrator of a Lovecraftian short story, Dagon. In this walking simulator-style game, players can explore a marine wasteland – discovered while out to sea in a lifeboat – and the horrors that inhabit it. There are also point-and-click elements with hidden secrets to find that reveal factual information about the author's life and the story itself.
The experience is accompanied by a verbatim narration Dagonwhich flawlessly accompanies the character of the game. The game's visuals are also stylized and visceral; you can almost smell the fishy saltiness of the ocean across the screen. Overall, Dagon: By HP Lovecraft is an educational, immersive experience that embodies the original story very well.
