When people think of horror games, they often picture dark, realistic settings, terrifying monsters, and mature storylines. But in recent years, there’s been a rise in the popularity of ‘cute horror’ games.
Cute horror games can still be scary and include those elements, but they give horror a new twist. They might have a cute visual style or explore horror themes from a child’s perspective. Players are drawn to this unique approach to horror.
If you’re interested in exploring this genre, here are some of the best horror games that are also incredibly cute.
6. Among The Sleep
Among the Sleep is a game that’s very centered around children, since the main character is a toddler. But don’t let that fool you. Among The Sleep is quite scary, with a very dark story at its core.
It’s unique because you’re playing a horror game from a baby’s perspective. There are cute aspects to the game besides just the main character. The places you go to in the game look nice, even though they’re a bit scary sometimes. Plus, you have a teddy bear with you for the whole game. Some people think the bear is the scariest part!
5. Doki Doki Literature Club!
Like Spooky’s, Doki Doki is a game that people often use to trick others into playing a horror game. At first, it looks like a completely different type of game. Doki Doki starts as a cute visual novel and dating simulator set in a school literature club.
As the game goes on, the story gets more and more disturbing, dealing with very serious and mature topics. Even though it looks harmless at first, Doki Doki is not a game for people who get scared easily.
4. Fran Bow
Another game with a very unique look and gameplay style is Fran Bow, a charming point-and-click adventure. However, it quickly reveals a dark side. Fran Bow is a young girl who ends up in an asylum after witnessing her parents’ murder. In the asylum, she’s given medicine that transforms her surroundings into a terrifying nightmare.
Players must switch between the drugged-up world and the normal world to solve puzzles and progress through this strange story. The story is satisfying, and unlike most games, it becomes more whimsical and fantastical as players push through the horror. For a similar experience, you might want to try its spiritual successor, Little Misfortune.
3. Inside
The top three games share a similar idea and are well-made, but Inside was one of the first to create this style. Inside is a puzzle platformer game where you play as a young boy trying to survive in a harsh and dark world. It has a simple yet wonderful idea.
The art style mixes dark and creepy with cute very well. Inside tells a great story without using any words. It’s beautiful, but it’s also very scary because the boy can die in many horrible ways. It’s like a follow-up to Limbo, which is similar in style.
2. Bramble: The Mountain King
From an old game to a new one, Bramble is an indie game loved for its beautiful story and visuals, despite its gory deaths. It’s based on Swedish folklore and follows Olle, a boy trying to save his sister, Lillemor, from the woods.
This dark fantasy horror game is reminiscent of Grimm’s Fairy Tales but has a strong Swedish cultural influence. It’s undeniably cute with its striking enemy designs, but its theme of destroying innocence and brutal deaths firmly places it in the cute horror genre.
1. Little Nightmares
The Little Nightmares series perfectly fits the cute horror genre. Despite its adorable protagonists, both Little Nightmares games are genuinely terrifying. The series aims to make players feel the nightmares of children, and it succeeds chillingly. It uses perspective cleverly, making players feel tiny in a huge and harsh world.
Like Inside and Limbo, it tells a complex story without using any words and is a masterpiece of cute horror. If players haven’t tried this series yet, now is the best time to do so because the third game is coming out in 2024.
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