Have you ever wondered what some of our favorite horror game locations are? Some of the most spine-tingling and suspenseful games are set in places with eerie and memorable atmospheres, such as those found in popular series like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and The Evil Within.
Read on to find out our top picks in no particular order and see if you can spot some of your familiar favorites. If you enjoy this list, you can also check out some of our others.
- Silent Hill – Silent Hill
It’s no surprise that Silent Hill is one of the most iconic horror locations in gaming, known for its dense atmosphere and psychological horror. The titular town, shrouded in thick fog and hosting a gloomy, melancholic worldview serves as a reflection of the player character’s inner fears and anxieties, twisting reality into surreal and terrifying manifestations.
Its ability to transition between the “normal” world and the nightmarish Otherworld adds unpredictability and tension. Iconic locations like Alchemilla Hospital and Midwich Elementary School contribute to its sense of dread. Whether your protagonist of choice is Harry Mason, James Sunderland, or others, Silent Hill remains a masterclass in atmospheric horror, drawing players into its unsettling world and leaving a lasting impact.
- Raccoon City Police Department – Resident Evil 2
The Raccoon City Police Department (R.P.D.) in Resident Evil 2 serves as a claustrophobic and intense setting, embodying the undead horrors unleashed by the infamous T-virus outbreak. As Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield navigate its labyrinthine corridors, they encounter blood-soaked walls, dimly lit hallways, and abandoned offices.
The R.P.D. is infested with zombies, mutated creatures such as Lickers, and deadly traps, making every step a fight for survival. Puzzles spread throughout the building add to the tension, requiring players to use their wits to progress while also evading Mr. X, who stalks your every move. Despite its status as a supposed haven, the R.P.D. is a harrowing environment that captures the desperate struggle for survival in the face of an unstoppable viral apocalypse.
- Mount Massive Asylum – Outlast
Mount Massive Asylum from Outlast is a foreboding setting, portraying the depths of human depravity and insanity. You play as investigative journalist Miles Upshur, confronted with everything from flickering lights, bloodstained walls, and echoing screams. The asylum is overrun by deranged patients, grotesque experiments, and a pervasive sense of dread, all overseen by the enigmatic Murkoff Corporation.
With no means of defense, you must rely on stealth and cunning to survive, hiding from the horrors that lurk around every corner. Mount Massive Asylum’s twisted corridors and dark secrets serve as a testament to the darkness that dwells within the human soul, one of the most warped horror locations among its peers.
- Yharnam – Bloodborne
One of my personal favorites, Yharnam, the setting of Bloodborne, is a gothic and nightmarish city steeped in mystery and dread. The towering spires of the city pierce the sky above cobblestone streets soaked in blood. The inhabitants are plagued by a mysterious blood-borne disease that transforms them into grotesque beasts and drives many to madness.
As the protagonist, the Hunter explores its labyrinthine alleys and aged architecture, they encounter a surreal and surrealistic world filled with eldritch horrors and cosmic terrors inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. Yharnam’s rich lore and intricate level design combine to create an immersive horror experience, where every corner holds the promise of discovery or death.
- Mansion – Silent Hill P.T.
Despite the cancellation of Hideo Kojima’s Silent Hills project, the game’s “Playable Teaser” (P.T.) has left an indelible mark on modern horror games. This is largely due to the unforgettable mansion that serves as the setting for the demo, which is a surreal environment that traps players in a looping hallway of psychological horror. As players explore its dimly lit corridors, they encounter a series of disturbing and unsettling events that become increasingly unnerving.
The mansion’s atmosphere is thick with tension and dread, with whispers echoing through the halls and shadows lurking in every corner. In this place, time and space warp, blurring reality and nightmare, forcing players to confront their deepest fears. It’s very reminiscent of the original Silent Hill titles. The mansion’s looping structure creates a sense of disorientation and helplessness, heightening the terror as players struggle to unravel its mysteries and escape its confines.
- Beacon Mental Hospital – The Evil Within
As someone who has struggled with neurodivergence, The Evil Within’s setting, Beacon Mental Hospital, is one of the most vividly memorable horror locations on this list. As lead character Sebastian Castellanos explores the hospital, he encounters horrifying sights such as blood-soaked corridors, mutilated bodies, and grotesque experiments.
The sinister Mobius organization has conducted experiments, leading to the hospital being overrun by deranged patients and nightmarish creatures. As Sebastian delves deeper into the hospital’s depths, he uncovers the dark secrets and hidden horrors lurking within its walls, all while struggling to maintain his sanity in the face of unimaginable terror. Beacon Mental Hospital stands as a chilling symbol of the fragility of the mind.
- Rapture – BioShock
Rapture, the underwater city in BioShock, was created as an underwater utopia for society’s elite by the visionary Andrew Ryan but has since become a ruined and chaotic dystopia. The city’s Art Deco architecture, submerged in the ocean’s depths, creates a beautiful yet eerie atmosphere. As protagonist Jack explores its crumbling halls and leaking corridors, he encounters a once-thriving society now overrun by genetically mutated citizens known as splicers.
Rapture’s decaying infrastructure, combined with its dark and twisted history of scientific experimentation and social decay, serves as a commentary on the consequences of playing god. The city’s retro-futuristic aesthetic and immersive storytelling make Rapture one of the most unforgettable horror locations in the world of horror gaming.
- The Forest – Alan Wake
The forest location of Alan Wake serves as a dark and foreboding backdrop to the psychological thriller’s unfolding narrative, reminiscent of Twin Peaks. Dense and mysterious, the forest envelops protagonist Alan Wake in a shroud of uncertainty as he searches for his missing wife, Alice. Its towering trees and twisting pathways create a sense of isolation and claustrophobia, while the ever-present darkness conceals unseen dangers lurking just around the corner.
Alan navigates through the forest where he encounters supernatural forces and creatures, known as the Taken, drawn from the pages of his own Alex Casey thriller novels. The forest becomes a character of its own, shaping the narrative and heightening the tension as Alan battles the demons of his mind.
- Sevastopol Station – Alien: Isolation
Sevastopol Station in Alien: Isolation embodies the terror and isolation of deep space. As protagonist Amanda Ripley explores the dimly lit corridors of the space station, she is stalked by a single, relentless xenomorph, which heightens the tension and paranoia with each step. The result of the station’s decaying infrastructure creates an acute sense of despair, while its labyrinthine layout makes navigation difficult.
Sevastopol is a derelict of humanity’s hubris, overrun by rogue androids and desperate survivors, each fighting to survive in the face of cosmic horror. The station becomes a crucible of fear and survival, where every noise could be the harbinger of death, and every encounter could spell doom for Amanda and her quest for answers about her mother’s disappearance.
- Derceto Manor – Alone in the Dark
The Derceto Manor in Alone in the Dark is the centerpiece of the game’s horror narrative. As soon as the players step into the shadowy halls and dimly lit rooms, a feeling of dread and unease envelops them. The manor’s gothic architecture and eerie ambiance set the stage for a series of supernatural encounters and puzzles that challenge the player’s wits and their courage. With its secrets buried deep within its walls, the Derceto Manor’s dark history and evil presence drive the unfolding horror.
As players delve deeper into its mysteries, they uncover the truth behind the manor’s haunted past and confront the horrific forces that lurk within its depths while struggling to survive the nightmares that await around every corner. It’s certainly a setting that makes you feel alone.
That’s it for our list of the top 10 horror locations in gaming. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below which places really got under your skin.
