There are many reasons developers might choose to use pixel graphics. They bring a sense of nostalgia to the player of games played decades ago where pixel graphics were used due to the limitation of the hardware. It also lets players use their imagination to fill in the gaps between the characters and the world surrounding them. Finally, it also allows hobbyists and indie developers to focus on the prose of their game instead of worrying about significant development costs.

RELATED: Horror Games Based On Books

When pixel art in a game is done right, it is one of the most beautiful graphical styles you can encounter. Pixel art in the horror genre is no exception. There is something about seeing monsters, blood, and gore in pixelated chunks that terrifies more than its realistic counterparts.

Updated June 26, 2023, by Daniel Martinez: When it comes to horror games, not all of them need to have the most modern graphics to get the player invested. Sure graphics can help immerse you into the game, but there are plenty of games with excellent writing that don’t rely on their graphics. In fact, these pixel games delve into the horror genre while delivering psychological and bone-chilling stories. You can call pixel art a true art form and when done right they bring different elements and mechanics to the game. Whether you’re playing these games year-round or especially during the Halloween season, you’ll definitely be on edge playing any of these pixel horror games.

20 Corpse Party

Character standing around piles of bones in Corpse Party

Horror games that feature kids will give off a very twisted and uneasy feeling especially if you’ve been transported to another realm where elementary-aged children are haunting that realm. This is the setting of the game known as Corpse Party.

The main character moves to a new school and makes new friends in which to help the main character adapt her friend performs a charm to bind their friendship. However, it goes wrong, and they end up in another realm where vengeful child spirits haunt them. In this retro-style horror game, you try to escape this realm while uncovering dark and gruesome mysteries.

19 Viviette

Character holding lamp in front of table - Viviette Gameplay Screenshot via Steam

Puzzle and horror games mix together very well and games like Viviette prove why. This game lets you explore a mansion and learn of its many secrets. However, you are not the only one in there as you discover a monster is roaming around.

There are many puzzles you will need to solve but will need to look for clues and use the environment for the answers. Players have a nicely designed inventory which is used to store many items that help you on your adventure. There are also multiple endings to the game which allows for different playthroughs.

18 Yume Nikki

Screenshot of a girl and a deformed pixelated creature sitting together in a darkened room.

Yume Nikki allows players to explore various dream worlds in this indie Japanese pixel horror game. This unique RPG lets players roam around dark and atmospheric worlds with no real goals or story attached.

RELATED: Games That Feel Like They Have A Secret Ending No One’s Found Yet

Played more like a walking simulator there are a few things to interact with. These are known as Effects which can change the main character's appearance. You can obtain a number of effects by also interacting with certain characters inside the dream worlds. While there is no real story, there is a secret ending to this enchanting game.

17 Mad Father

Character scene featuring ghosts in a hallway

Mad Father is a game about love in some of the most twisted ways. In this puzzle horror game, you play as a young girl whose father is doing some very dark research. After her mother passes away, her spirit curses her father, and the subjects he experimented on capture him.

The goal of the game is to save the father while exploring his laboratory and uncovering some truly gruesome and horrifying secrets. There are three versions of this game: the original, Steam exclusive, and Nintendo remake. The Steam exclusive updates the graphics, adds new scenes, and allows for an altered second playthrough. The remake for Nintendo features more content like multiple endings and a true ending.

16 The Last Door

Main character standing in a cemetery The Last Door

The Last Door is an excellent example of a well-crafted pixel horror game. In this psychological point-and-click horror adventure, you play as a character who was summoned to investigate supernatural forces by his childhood friend.

There are eight episodes of the story where you look around different locations, find items, and solve puzzles. As you progress through the game, both the graphics and storyline really build up suspense. The Collector’s Edition of the game lets you play both installments of the story which delves into the occult and bone-chilling stories.

15 Faith: The Unholy Trinity

a demonic possession and exorcism in Faith The Unholy Trinity

Faith: The Unholy Trinity is another perfect example of a game that uses simple graphics to really add to the eeriness of the game. Set in the '80s, two priests explore a rural area to investigate reports of demonic possession.

As the priests, you get to fight against possessed occultists, perform exorcisms using a crucifix, and cleanse objects that are haunted. There are three chapters to the game and each one is just as terrifying as the other. The pixel graphics and animations along with a retro soundtrack really help pack a punch for this horror game.

14 Sweet Home

All five playable characters in one room from Sweet Home.

If you haven't heard of Sweet Home there’s a good reason why. The 1989 NES game wasn’t released outside of Japan but had a profound impact on the horror genre. This horror RPG revolves around five people who go to a mansion for work, but get locked in and are haunted by the lady of the mansion and other creatures.

There are randomly encountered battles that you can decide to fight or run away from. If one of the characters dies, it has an effect on the story. The game has five different endings depending on how many characters survive after the final boss fight. Sweet Home was a very large inspiration for Resident Evil and was a precursor to the survival horror genre.

13 Lucius Demake

Promotional Art For Lucius Demake

Lucius becomes the spawn of hell on his sixth birthday. This is when you take control of him and begin killing people in unique ways that make the deaths all look like accidents. Hell has provided you with different supernatural powers by hell, making it fun to figure out how to orchestrate these accidents.

Lucius Demake is the original game from 2012 but all in pixel graphics. If you’ve played the original game, you will know the story with this one. This is an excellent entry to the Lucius series if you haven't played the original 2012 version.

12 Lily’s Well

Lily From Lily's Well

Lily’s Well is a point-and-click horror game set on a rainy evening in 2005. You take on the role of Lily, who is home alone when you hear cries for help from the well on your property. Your goal is to explore your property to find enough rope to rescue whoever is in the well.

Lily’s Well is meant to be played repeatedly, as you can only uncover certain secrets by accessing different parts of the well. There are over 13 different endings, lots of puzzles, and a story slowly makes you realize things aren’t what they seem.

11 Eronoctosis: Put Yourself Together

In-Game Screenshot From Eronoctosis Put Yourself Together

Eronoctosis is one of the more bizarre entries on this list, but it doesn’t take away from what it does right. The game deals with mental illness and anxiety by delving into the deepest depths of your mind.

This is a two-player, online co-op game with asymmetrical tools, which means both players operate the tools needed to progress the game and must work together closely. One player uses a flashlight, and the other will banish enemies. There is a content warning provided, so player discretion is advised.

10 Don’t Escape: 4 Days To Survive

Player Inventory From Don't Escape 4 Days to Survive

Don’t Escape is an award-winning point-and-click thriller game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Take on the role of David as you fortify your base from deadly threats as you learn the truth about what almost ended humanity as we know it.

The game is broken down into chapters, and your choices will impact your gameplay and the story, providing you with replay value. Don’t Escape features pixel graphics, an original soundtrack, and a unique time system mechanic, all of which add a sense of impending dread to the game.

9 If On A Winter’s Night, Four Travelers

In-Game Screenshot From If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers

If On A Winter’s Night is a point-and-click adventure game set during the 1920s. The game contains four different stories that all come together to form one very dark and creepy tale. It is loosely based on Italo Calvino’s novel If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler, with the game referencing one story from the book.

RELATED: Best Free To Play Horror Games On Steam

The pixel graphics, sprites, and soundtrack set this game apart from other entries on this list. The best thing, though, is that the game is free! The total game takes about three hours to complete, with puzzles and cutscenes spread throughout.

8 Lakeview Cabin Collection

In-Game Screenshot From Lakeview Cabin Collection

Lakeview Cabin’s entire goal is to ask: “What would you do if you ended up in a slasher film?” The game plays homage to cult horror movies from the 1970s and 1980s. Over four different episodes, you play as four unique characters in slasher scenarios where your entire goal is to survive.

You have a certain amount of time to prepare before the slasher rampages. Lakeview owns up to its cheese by using a movie theater menu, soundtrack, and special effects to make you feel like you really are in a classic slasher.

7 House

Little Girl From House

In House, you take on the role of a girl whose family lives in a house. Not just any house, however. This house is actively trying to kill you and your family. Your goal is to survive the house while uncovering the house’s secrets.

The house reacts to your choices in real time, making each playthrough different and challenging. If you die, you must start over until you get it right, with each restart leading to the eventual end. The game features multiple endings, non-linear gameplay, and a fun art style.

6 The Rewinder

In-Game Screenshot From The Rewinder

The Rewinder is an adventure game that uses elements from Chinese folklore. Spirit Wardens send you to a small village to investigate why spirits have taken over it and where the townsfolk have gone. You have the power to enter people’s memories and the ability to sway their intentions.

The developers use pixel art to replicate Chinese ink paintings and make you feel you are a part of Chinese culture. The base game is free, and there is a DLC that adds additional content for only $0.99.

5 Tales Of The Black Forest

In-Game Screenshot From Tales Of The Black Forest

Tales of the Black Forest is a historical fiction adventure game set in Japan. You play as a trapped high schooler, Kihara Kashin, who must travel back to the past to unravel the mystery taking place in Kuromori-cho. The story is told over three chapters with a good amount of puzzle-solving mixed in.

The pixel graphics in the game are really what you expect Japan to look like. It has incredibly bright colors and over-the-top items like kitties. A two-person team out of Japan created Tales of The Black Forest. Still, it has been meticulously translated into English subtitles to prevent the narration from being lost in translation.

4 Needy Streamer Overload

Ame From Needy Streamer Overload

In Needy Streamer Overload, you play Ame, who tries to become the internet’s number one internet angel. Ame’s alter-streaming ego is called OMGkawaiiAngel, and it is your goal to navigate her through the difficulties of the streaming world. The game borders on psychological horror and uses hyperbole to show what someone will do to become famous.

RELATED: Best Horror Games That Utilize Found Footage

Ame often breaks the fourth wall to talk to you, which adds even more to the unsettling story. The developers give no sexual content warning, but we should warn you that this game has a decent amount, so player discretion is advised.

3 Omori

In-Game Screenshot From Omori

Omori is a psychological horror RPG game where you take on the role of a boy named Sunny and his alter-ego Omori. Together, you explore real life and a dream world to discover secrets and overcome their greatest fears.

Your actions in-game will determine your interactions with both worlds and which ending you receive. Omori uses a traditional RPG system where you control a four-person team in turn-based combat. What sets it apart is the status effect system that reacts based on the characters’ emotions in your group.

2 Vampire Survivors

Pasqualina From Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is a minimalist 2D bullet hell game with roguelike elements. Your entire goal is to survive the night by destroying the massive number of monsters thrown at you. There are 24 characters to choose from (each unlocked in different ways), lots of weapons, powerups, and levels for you to play on.

After your death, you will use the gold to improve your character for the next run. While the gameplay may seem simple, it is highly addicting because there is actually a lot to it. The game provides a ton of fun for a small price.

1 The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth

Isaac From The Binding Of Isaac Rebirth

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is an RPG shooter game with roguelike elements that express the dangers of religious fanaticism through five hundred hours of gameplay. The game is loosely based on Moses’s Binding of Isaac story in the Book of Genesis from the Bible, where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son.

You take on the role of Isaac, who escapes from his mother before his mother sacrifices him to God. During your journey, you will find treasures that change the form of Isaac that allows you to fight mysterious creatures.

NEXT: Best Perma Death Horror Games