Fans ofSilent Hilllove the series not just for its horror setting, but the sheer level of worldbuilding from folks atKonami. Unlike Capcom’sResident Evil, Team Silent’s brainchild focused on psychological horror and suburban mysteries. Essentially,Silent Hillexplores the notion of a person’s nightmares coming back to haunt them - literally. Interestingly,Silent Hill’s success proved that gamers appreciate titles with captivating narratives.
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Thankfully,Silent Hilldidn’t remain alone after its success. Moreover, more developers have begun creating more story-intensive games while exemplifying their genre’s staple tropes. Essentially, horror or no,Silent Hillhelped pave the way for titles with more powerful narratives. However, which games are those?
10The Last Of Us
As withSilent Hill,The Last of Usplays exactly like a survival horror game with action-adventure twists. In the game’s universe, 2013 marked a horrific Cordyceps fungus outbreak that ravaged the United States. Decades later, this outbreak brought civilization to the brink of destruction. Players need to fight former humans infected with the Cordyceps, now transformed into horrific creatures. In the story, smuggler Joel forms a fatherly bond with young Ellie as they traverse the larger part of the United States.
Unlike other survival horror titles,The Last of Usfocuses more on the personal lives of Joel and Ellie instead of the world around them. In turn,its core narrativesparks a deep exploration of the human condition, and how people can retain their humanity in the midst of crises like the Cordyceps outbreak.
9Outlast
Horror fans will delight inOutlastfor its unique take on creatinga game out of the found footage genre. Essentially,Outlasttakes place from the perspective of a journalist. Moreover, the gameplay focuses on the protagonists using their camcorder to investigate odd events in the areas they visit. The games so far take place in a psychiatric facility and a suburban village, each with its own stories.
However, perhaps whereOutlastshines is its take on bringing players deep into the horrors of found footage. InOutlast, players need to unravel the true nature of their settings and the horrific “enemies” they have to run from. Moreover,Outlastgrounds these horrors into believable stories, making the series a must-play forSilent Hillfans.
8Disco Elysium
Horror fans might argue thatSilent Hillwithout the enemies would still make for an impressive game, albeit focusing this time on exploration and horror via the environment. Interestingly,Disco Elysiumdoes exactly that. However,Disco Elysiummakes a mark on fansby being an RPG without a combat element. Instead, skills focus on social interactions and observations.
Interestingly, this take on mechanics reflects the nature ofDisco Elysium, being a mystery RPG. In the game, players take on the role of an amnesiac detective who will soon rediscover his true identity while solving various cases around town. Players will appreciateDisco Elysiumfor its lore’s depth, as creator Robert Kurvitz actually created 6,000 years' worth of backstory to flesh out the setting.
7Firewatch
Players looking for a storyas immersive asSilent Hillwithout horror might appreciateFirewatch. This adventure game follows Henry, a fire lookout assigned to the Shoshone National Forest just after 1988’s Yellowstone fires. However, Henry embarks on a life-changing adventure of his own when strange events happen between him and Delilah, his supervisor. Eventually, the game resolves a mystery that plagued the National Forest years back.
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Unlike other adventure games,Firewatchheavily focuses on dialogue. Henry talks to Delilah via a walkie-talkie, with their various dialogue interactions changing the course of the game. Players also have the ability to walk around the forest, allowing them to discover clues that will uncover Shoshone National Forest’s secrets.
6Her Story
Fans ofSilent Hill’sgripping narrativemight appreciate the unique take ofHer Storyin terms of gameplay. Created by Sam Barlow,Her Storyswitches up the mystery genre by being an interactive film instead of a full-fledge video game. Essentially, the game sets players as an investigator working on a missing person’s case involving Simon Smith. However, players can only find Simon by combing through police interviews with Hannah Smith, Simon’s wife.
Essentially, players need to solve Simon’s disappearance by weaving clues depending on what they’ve seen on the footage. Unfortunately, players can only view short clips of interviews, meaning the game forces them to figure out the context of the questions Hannah tries to answer.
5Until Dawn
Horror fans looking for a more confined experience will appreciateUntil Dawn. Seeminglya love letter to slasher films,Until Dawnfollows the story of eight young adults as they have to survive being trapped on Blackwood Mountain for an entire night. The game itself features multilinear narratives with various options, allowing players to never have the same playthrough. Moreover, player decisions affect which characters survive until the end of the game.
Interestingly,Until Dawn’s rather small setting allows it to create quite an immersive story, especially when it comes to the dynamics of every character. Moreover, players will soon realize how these characters relate to a tragic incident that happened among them that they tried to forget.
4Man Of Medan
Fans ofUntil Dawn’s multilinear setting will appreciateMan of Medan. In this interactive drama survival horror game, players need to “complete” the unfinished story of the Curator. Essentially, one player or multiple players can control five characters aboard a ghost ship. Moreover, players slowly uncover the mystery of the ship as they explore it - forming or breaking relationships andmaking hard decisionsalong the way.
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In terms of story,Man of Medanexplores the mystery of an abandoned American warship. Apparently, the ship’s crew mysterious disappeared after stopping in a Chinese port. On the present day, a group of adventurers hoping to find some sort of wreckage in the same site the warship has been in, hoping to find treasure. Unfortunately, they find something horrifying instead.
3Heavy Rain
Players who want a more narrative take on a horror title will appreciateHeavy Rain. In this action-adventure slash interactive drama, players take on the role of four protagonists as they get involved with the Origami Killer. Essentially, the Origami Killer is a serial killer who uses rainfall to drown its victims. The game’s main protagonist, Ethan Mars, gets wrapped up with the Origami Killer after his son Shaun gets kidnapped by the serial killer, just months after Ethan’s first son Jason had died in a car accident.
Essentially, the game gives a captivating and compelling exploration of the human persona, especially for someone like Ethan who has to face a crisis when he himself has yet to come to terms with a previous traumatic experience.
2Life Is Strange
Interestingly, fans looking for a more sci-fi adventure might want to try outLife is Strange. This 2015 graphic adventure title essentially plays like a choose-your-own-adventure game. However, this time, protagonist Max Caulfield soon discovers she has the ability to go back in time and redo most of her decisions. As a result,Life is Strangeexplores the consequences of time travel in a captivating story.
Narrative fans looking for an interesting take on interactive stories will enjoyLife is Strange. Its rewind mechanic is something novel for a 2015 game, and its butterfly effect greatly demonstrate the grave consequences of small actions.
1Gone Home
Fans ofstory-focused gamesmight appreciateGone Homefor its down-to-earth and immense focus on narration. However, instead of being an interactive drama title,Gone Homeactually presents itself as an FPS exploration title. Essentially, the game takes in 1995 as Katie Greenbriar returns to Oregon to visit her family. Unfortunately, her home is empty, devoid of her entire family.
Interestingly, the game doesn’t feature a lot of interactive elements. Rather, players have to explore the house to determine for themselves what had happened to her family and the rest of the home. As a result,Gone Homeplays exactly like a non-linear title.
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