Summary
These days, games are often pushed tobe bigger and longer, and horror games are no exception. Bigger maps, more content, and plenty of other methods help keep players' attention. This can distract the gaming community from the wealth of smaller games that lie just below the surface.
Some of the best games out there can be completed during a lunch break instead of over the course of a month. Horror games especially adhere well to this idea, as a short timeframe allows the scares to stay fresh and suspenseful without overstaying their welcome. Some have even been lauded by the greater horror community as fantastic examples of the genre. Many brilliant horror games are short, simple experiences that deserve to be seen by the public at large.
Updated June 11, 2025, by Alexandra O’Leary:When it comes to video games, challenging form is part of the culture. The medium allows for boundary-breaking, expectation-shattering choices that culminate in a truly unique experience. Although most gamers want good value for money, not all games with a big play-time are the best of the best. Sometimes, a short, succinct, and well-executed game will prove to be the best of the bunch. Additionally, some games are supposed to provide a fun, quick hour or so of enjoyment that will leave gamers feeling satisfied - if not a little spooked. Often, it’s the short moments of terror that stay with players the longest.*A video version of the article was also added, showcasing ten horror games from this list.
17The Closing Shift
The Terror Of A Night Shift
The Closing Shiftisa Japanese horror gamethat took the influencer world by storm, with many playthroughs emerging from popular content creators. It’s part barista-simulator and part stalker-horror, making for an unassuming and chilling experience.
It has VHS-style aesthetics, which create a jarring and unsettling environment, and the game doesn’t actually appear to be a horror until more sinister events begin to take place. Its creepy art and petrifying people are sure to spook any player as they discover the events unfolding. Overall, the game takes about an hour or slightly more to play, depending on the player and their barista skills.
16Paratopic
Feverish Narratives Of Intertwined People
Paratopicis a first-person, narrative-based video game that focuses heavily on narrative and atmosphere to frighten players. It follows three separate people with different goals, and players must discover why their stories intersect in this surreal world.
The low-poly game utilizes its art style and music to unsettle players and consistently keep them on edge. It skirts the territory of the uncanny and uses its dated appearance to verify the experience is as uncomfortable and foreboding as possible. The game takes around an hour to complete, slightly under or over depending on the player.
Iron Lungis a popular cult-hit indie game that places players in the role of a convict exploring a submarine that’s submerged in a sea of blood. It was developed by David Szymanski, who was already well-known thanks to his other indie title,DUSK.Iron Lungtoys with the fear of the unknown and the abject horror of being alone at the bottom of the sea.
Submarines are already a terrifying concept, andIron Lungdoes a phenomenal job ofemphasizing the terror and dreadof the scenario. Many gamers will associateIron Lungwith massive YouTuber Markiplier, who openly champions the game and is producing and starring in an upcoming movie adaptation.
14Bonbon
Discovering The Truth From Bonbon
Bonbonis easily one ofthe most unique horror gameson this list. The game is intended to be finished in around half an hour, with the lack of checkpoints meaning that players need to complete it in one sitting.
Players assume the role of a child, which the gameplay heavily emulates. Throughout the experience, they’re visited by a particularly creepy rat named Bonbon, with the truth of the narrative coming out as players slowly go through this chilling experience.
13Ao Oni
Escaping The Haunted Mansion
Ao Oniis a legendary horror game that took off during the early years of YouTube Let’s-Plays. The game traps players in a huge house, where a blue monster hounds them while they attempt to solve puzzles and escape.
The game can be completed in less than an hour, but most players might be too scared out of their wits to do so. But if players can manage to remain calm and give some thought to solving puzzles, they should be able to get throughAo Onipretty quickly.
A good playthrough ofthe firstFive Nights at Freddy’sgame will easily take players under an hour to complete. Unfortunately, the looming threat of the haunted animatronics makes this pretty challenging, and there’s no guarantee that all gamers will be able to survive each night on the first try.
These terrifying animatronics will come careening down hallways, clambering through the vents, and creeping towards the doors all to put an end to the player. Players will need to keep their ears open and their eyes on the cameras at all times to ensure that they can get through all five nights unscathed. This is easier said than done, with the list of tasks that players need to perform getting harder with each passing night.
11Erie
Exploring An Abandoned Facility
The idea of exploring an abandoned research facility is enough to suggest trouble. This is the case withErie, which is easily one of the most terrifying games on this list.
It’s a relatively short experience as long as the player isn’t caught by the monster over and over again. It’s worth noting that this monster is relentless and absolutely spine-chilling, so gamers may have a hard time finishing the game on the first try.
10From The Darkness
Escaping With The Family Album
There is an inherent creepiness that emanates from places belonging to the old Soviet era. It’s that very associationFrom the Darknessutilizes to keep players on edge throughout. The objective is simple: get the player’s family album out of their deceased grandfather’s decrepit apartment.
The hard part comes when leaving that apartment, as players find themselves being stalked by a malicious spirit that hides in the dark. The player will need to explore the small area and solve puzzles in order to make it out alive.From the Darknesscan be completed with approximately one hour of playtime or slightly more.
9SCP-087
Creeping Down Endless Stairs Into The Darkness
A dark pathway can be one of the most subtly unnerving things a person can encounter, especially if they find themselves having to go down it. That is the fear thatSCP-087draws from. The player must descend a seemingly bottomless, dark-infested stairwell as stranger and stranger things start to happen. No one knows what force inhabits the area or why it manifests in the way that it does. All they know is that no one comes back out.
The PS1-style graphicsblend wonderfully with the player’s low vision and almost nonexistent lighting. Gamers will find themselves struggling to descend further, especially when they hear the cries of an infant down below. This indie title can be completed within fifteen minutes of gameplay.
That which tries to mimic the familiar but just barely fails to do so falls into the uncanny valley and deeply unsettles audiences. In this playable teaser,P.T., that familiar environment is a hallway in a suburban home. By all means, the hallway is completely normal, at first. The player must traverse it over and over again, while the environment becomes more and more unsettling each time.
The world descends further into chaos until the player is racing through an endless iteration of the hallway, frantically running from a force they don’t understand. The only downside is that this game was canceled and taken off stores before it could become the next game intheSilent Hillfranchise.P.T.can take an hour to complete, but those who wish to enjoy the experience at their own pace are likely to spend slightly longer in-game.
