This list does not include games intended to disgust or to make you personally feel evil. The focus is on games where good overcomes evil, or that just make you think. That is what I mean by "white hat" games. Games like Vespers or Cyberqueen are not included.
1. Shade by Andrew Plotkin (2000) Average member rating: (422 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Psychological horror. Your world crumbles.
2. Divis Mortis by Lynnea Glasser (as Lynnea Dally) (2010) Average member rating: (43 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Survival horror. Puzzle-filled zombie game.
3. Anchorhead by Michael Gentry (1998) Average member rating: (404 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Lovecraftian horror. One of the best interactive fiction games of all time.
4. creak, creak by chandler groover (2015) Average member rating: (35 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Ultra-short horror. Part of a Twine competition that involved restrictions on total words used. Makes great use of a small space.
5. With Those We Love Alive by Porpentine and Brenda Neotenomie (2014) Average member rating: (109 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Surreal horror. I don't enjoy the subject matter of most of Porpentine's games, but this one really stuck with me, and avoids the nastiness of some of their other titles.
6. Scary House Amulet!, by Ricardo Dague (2002) Average member rating: (11 ratings) MathBrush says:
Purposely awful horror. This game has a purposely overwrought style and "bad" puzzle solutions, but provided a surprisingly enjoyable and solid playing experience.
7. Eidolon, by A.D. Jansen (2014) Average member rating: (34 ratings) MathBrush says:
Dreamlike horror. This game really affected me. It gets less linear the longer you play. Some of the imagery (like a throne full of eyes or the whole moth motif) is so beautiful. I may have been affected more by this insomnia game because I played it while staying up late one night.
8. Theatre, by Brendon Wyber (1995) Average member rating: (87 ratings) MathBrush says:
Guilty pleasure. I know I shouldn't include another Lovecraftian game, and the writing is less solid and the game seems hurriedly finished. But I couldn't stop playing this game. I loved the atmosphere and the backstory.
Sleepover horror. No gore or quick, very creepy, but in the end very uplifting. Includes great notes by the author and multiple endings.
16. Lime Ergot by Caleb Wilson (as Rust Blight) (2014) Average member rating: (89 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Hallucinatory horror. A speed-IF game written in 3 hours. Explore a bizarre landscape from a single position by examining, then examining, etc.
17. Chemistry and Physics by Caelyn Sandel (as Colin Sandel) and Carolyn VanEseltine (2013) Average member rating: (21 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Puzzly Twine horror. Escape from a psycho who is chasing you through a laboratory. A well-written and very puzzlly Twine game.
18. Mariel by Michael Baltes (2010) Average member rating: (5 ratings)
MathBrush says:
German horror. A brief game about escaping an abandoned castle/hospital.
19. Invasion by Cat Manning (2015) Average member rating: (24 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Identity horror. You fleeing from creatures that take more from you than just flesh and blood.
20. Snatches, by Gregory Weir (2005) Average member rating: (13 ratings) MathBrush says:
Play as almost a dozen different PCS with unique viewpoints as a alien figure stalks you one by one.
21. Transparent by Hanon Ondricek (2014) Average member rating: (19 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Open ended paranormal horror: This mid-to-long game has you wandering around an abandoned mansion as the photographer in a TV crew. There are many possible objectives, and a lot of slow-burn horror.
You can choose to be 'white hat' in this. It's an epically long Choicescript game with tons of options. I loved it! Especially how you can create a 'ghoul' who will help you in every scene from then on.
33. The Weight of a Soul by Chin Kee Yong (2021) Average member rating: (30 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Steampunk gothic horror. Very big, excellently polished game.
34. The Lookout by Paul Michael Winters (2021) Average member rating: (16 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Short creepy game about spending time in a lonely lookout tower, when something starts killing things around you.
35. The Prairie House by Chris Hay (a.k.a. Eldritch Renaissance Cake) (2022) Average member rating: (12 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A well-researched, illustrated Adventuron game set in Manitoba. Deals with Ukrainians in Canada. Has a jumpscare.
36. Carpathian Vampire by Garry Francis (2022) Average member rating: (10 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A well-made tutorial game about fighting Dracula. Meant as a tutorial for newcomers.
