Horror in Video Games: Fear, Immersion, and the Psychological Thrill

Contributor Cassandra Gray, an HSWG content creator, DNID major at the University of Pittsburgh, and lover of horror, explores the genre's psychological effects on video games and how these immersive experiences evoke fear through mechanics, narrative, and atmosphere. She also explores the growing trend of VR horror experiences and examines how these technologies reshape the genre and influence players on deeper levels.

It's no secret that video games have long been a primary way for people to escape reality, allowing players to immerse themselves in fantastical worlds where they can fight monsters, solve mysteries, or explore digital landscapes. When it comes to the horror genre, games have the unique ability not only to transport players to another world but also to make them feel the fear and tension of that world. From how a game’s mechanics build this tension to how the game's story unfolds, horror in video games has evolved into an art form that taps into our deep-rooted fears. Immersion and player interaction play a key role in this evolution, making horror games particularly powerful in their ability to evoke emotions. At the center of this evolution lies the rapidly growing use of virtual reality (VR), which has taken video games as a whole to new heights. While traditional horror video games create a sense of unease through ambiance, visuals, and narrative, VR adds a whole new dimension, completely immersing players in worlds that feel real.

Horror game designers know that fear isn't just about what players can see; it’s about what they can’t. The absence of information, or the players' inability to control the environment they’re in, can be more terrifying than any monster on their screen. As game designer Jade Jackson points out, "The key component to creating a good horror game is keeping things fresh. The moment you expect things to happen is the moment you stop being immersed” (Jacson, 2024). A well-known example is Silent Hill 2 (Konami, 2001), where the protagonist, James Sunderland, is forced to navigate the town with a flashlight that barely illuminates his surroundings. This restriction heightens tension and intensifies the sense of isolation, an emotion that has played a key role in horror media. In these games, it’s not always the monsters that players fear the most but the unknown lurking just outside the beam of their flashlight. A particularly haunting moment occurs when James first enters the town and is swallowed by the dense fog, leaving players unsure of what might be hiding in the mist.

Just as important as a game's mechanics are its story and atmosphere, which help build an emotional connection to the fear experienced. In contrast to passive horror media like films,
video games allow players to actually live through every part of the narrative, raising the stakes and making the experience feel more personal. Take Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games, 2010), for example. The game’s story centers around Daniel, who is trying to uncover the mysteries of his past while exploring a dark, decaying castle. The story, along with the gloomy atmosphere, keeps players on edge. The environment, with creaking doors, distant sounds, and flickering lights, creates a sense of unease that isn’t just about what you see but what you feel. One of those moments occurs when Daniel must hide inside a closet as an unseen entity roams the room, its guttural breathing growing louder, leaving players unsure of when it will leave.

The Outlast Trials (Red Barrels, 2023) has gained attention not only for its terrifying co-op horror experience but also for its unofficial VR adaptation through mods. While the game was not originally designed for virtual reality, players have used mods, most notably the Praydog mod, to bring The Outlast Trials into a VR environment. This mod, developed for Unreal Engine games, allows players to experience the game with a VR headset. Even without native VR support, the game’s immersive sound design and intense stealth mechanics make it a terrifying experience in virtual reality. The player at one point, unarmed and vulnerable, must hide inside a pitch-black locker while an enemy searches the room. The binaural audio amplifies every detail, distant screams, approaching footsteps, the guttural breaths of enemies, creating an overwhelming sense of being hunted. The lack of combat forces the player to rely entirely on their surroundings, using sound cues to navigate and avoid detection. This sense of powerlessness, heightened in VR, transforms The Outlast Trials into an even more immersive and terrifying experience for those brave enough to attempt it. This trend of modding non-VR games for virtual reality highlights the demand for more immersive horror experiences, a demand that native VR titles are designed to satisfy.

Resident Evil VII Biohazard (Capcom, 2017) and Phasmophobia (Kinetic Games, 2020), have become popular for their ability to fully immerse players in haunted houses, dark forests, and other mysterious environments. These games use VR’s 360-degree perspective to add more pressure to every moment. The player doesn’t just move through a world, they exist in it. In Resident Evil VII Biohazard, the player is trapped inside a decrepit plantation house, with every creak of the wooden floorboards and distant rustling making them hesitate before taking their next step. Phasmophobia goes even further by requiring players to use voice recognition, meaning the in-game ghosts can "hear" players speaking in real life, adding a new layer of immersion and terror.

Researchers and game designers are aware of VR horror's significant psychological effect. In many ways, VR games are designed to exploit our brain's natural fight-or-flight response, forcing players to confront their fears in ways they can’t in traditional games. As researchers have noted, "Highly immersive technological systems such as VR lead to a strong sense of situational presence, which can trigger emotional reactions identical to those experienced in similar real-life situations" (Alghamdi et al. 2017). Reinforcing the idea that psychological horror thrives on the player's imagination and anticipation rather than direct scares. This notion applies even more intensely in VR, where the realism of the environment heightens the emotional impact.

Studies show that VR horror can trigger real-world responses, such as increased heart rates and feelings of panic, similar to those experienced in dangerous situations (Lin, 2023). These reactions are more profound because the player feels as though they are physically in the environment, not simply controlling a character from a distance. "In VR, players not only actively decide to engage in game content but also directly encounter monsters and threats as if they are facing them in the real environment" (Slater, 2009). Game designers leverage these emotions and reactions to continue creating realistic environments that tap into the brain's fight-or-flight response, pushing players out of their comfort zones while in these worlds.

​As technology continues to grow, the future of horror video games will undoubtedly push the boundaries of fear and immersion even further. With the rise of VR and augmented reality, the potential for bigger and better psychological horror experiences will only expand, offering players new ways to engage with their fears. For horror game designers, the main challenge will be to balance fear with emotional resonance, ensuring that the stories they tell, paired with their game mechanics, don’t just scare but also leave a lasting impact. After all, true horror in video games doesn't come from the monsters that chase us, but from the emotions that linger long after we’ve turned the game off.