The last fifteen years have seen the emergence of a new golden age of horror games. The popularity of the genre can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the ability of game developers to create and capitalize on horrifying new experiences. Crafting a claustrophobic and terrifying setting is one of the most important ways a developer can immerse a player in a game, and no setting is perhaps more oppressive and foreboding than a forest.
While horror games are made to scare players and offer them terrifying experiences, many games go above and beyond, turning the forest into nothing short of a harrowing, hellish assault.
Today, we are going to list some of the best horror games that have turned the forest into a living, breathing nightmare.
Silent Breath
Not a very well-known title, but Silent Breath was released just last year by EXODIAC STUDIOS. The title detects the mic activity of the players and restarts the game when players get too loud. The number one rule in this game is not to make any noise.
The game starts at a crime scene, where the player must find five people who went missing in the forest before sunrise. Not only is making no sound and surviving the night the problem, but human-like monsters are also roaming around, making things even worse for you.
Silent Breath offers a great experience in the forest, and the mystery element takes it to the next level for the players. The title is only available on Windows, but it’s a must-try for PC gamers.
Don’t Scream
Don’t Scream is another amazing title from indie designer Joe Henson that makes you afraid of the forest. Where most horror games allow players to react and get scared, this title, as the name suggests, won’t let you do that.
The game’s concept is simple: the player is dropped into the woods with a video camera, and all they have to do is survive the forest for 18 minutes. However, there’s a twist: you mustn’t make any sound.
Though it sounds easy to survive a place without making any sound for only 18 minutes, the creepy landmarks and weird creatures will make it nearly impossible to do so. And just when you make a sound, the game will restart automatically.
Alan Wake Remastered
How can we talk about forest horror games without mentioning Alan Wake Remastered? The title offers a thrilling experience in the forest of Bright Falls, a fictional town in the game. A significant portion of the game takes place in the town’s dark forest.
Although the game offers a compelling story where Alan Wake, an author, and his wife, Alice, go to a small town for a vacation, things take an unexpected turn upon their arrival, as Alice mysteriously goes missing.
The threatening atmosphere of the forest and the terrifying creatures lurking within make the experience a nightmare for players.
The Forest
The Forest is a decade-old franchise of survival horror games. While the franchise has seen multiple entries, the first remains the top-rated.
The games offer a mysterious experience, providing the story of a plane crash survivor. The protagonist, who’s the only survivor of the crash, lands in an unknown forest.
To escape, he must explore the forest, which is full of dark secrets and disturbing elements. Things get even scarier when the protagonist discovers that the forest is connected to the disappearance of his son.
Through the Woods
Last but not least, another fantastic game with a woodland setting is Through the Woods. The story is straightforward: players control the character of Ellen, a mother searching for her son Isaac, who has gone missing.
As she wanders through the forest, Ellen encounters much trouble, including mythological creatures and dark secrets about her past. The title offers a thrilling yet nightmarish experience for players set in the forest.
Horror games that take place in the forest are some of the most alarming games, offering a dark atmosphere, fog, quietness, and much more, making the experience even scarier for players.
Though the list mentioned above isn’t ranked, and we didn’t try to compare them, as all of the titles offer their own distinctive experiences, there’s no point in ranking or comparing them.
