Video games create such a unique feel that cannot be replicated by any other source of media. Unlike a movie where you watch the story unfold, or a book where you follow along with the words, you are the character when playing a game.
You'll feel joy, sadness, fear, relief, and just about any other emotion you can think of when playing a game. Undeniably, one of the feelings that gets the adrenaline pumping is when you must escape something. Whether running from a sinister ghost, or cowboys with firepower that could take you out in seconds, these games will keep you on your toes.
7 Sir, You Are Being Hunted
Sir, You Are Being Hunted is a game with a primitive concept: find and collect the items you need to escape the island's grip, before being hunted down and killed by the cultivated robots that roam its lands. It's a lightweight concept, but nonetheless fun to play through at least once, and fighting uncanny robots dressed in people's clothing and holding guns as if they were in the marines is a spine-chilling image.
The game's minimal detail, while at first glance could be considered lazy, actually works in the game's favor. The blurriness of the textures on houses and trees gives the player a feeling of doubt — causing them to do a double-take at the tree across the path, to affirm that it is in fact a tree and not a robot aiming down sights.
6 We Happy Few
We Happy Few is an amalgamation of color, humor, and absolute trepidation. Set in 1960s England, inside a town that indulges in a drug called Joy. It's a pill that's mandatory for all civilians to take, and one that constantly keeps you happy — or so they say.
As the story begins, your character is aware of the falsity of the drug. He refuses to consume it, and is immediately forced to go on the run. You spend your time sneaking your way through the story, staying in the shadows away from the delusional citizens of the town. The game gives you little to defend yourself with, and in most confrontations you get yourself into, the best option is often to run and hide. We Happy Few is a stealth game telling the story of the kid in high school that didn't want to partake in drugs at prom.
5 Friday The 13th: The Game
How does a game manage to put you in a social setting and still manage to strike fear in you? Well, Friday The 13th does just that. The game is strictly online, randomly making you either a camp counselor or Jason. As there is only one Jason and up to seven camp counselors, you will mostly be the one being hunted.
When loading into the match, you are arbitrarily placed somewhere near a shack or house. The goal is to swiftly loot what you can and attempt to escape either by boat, car, or having the police show up. What makes this game so scary is the constant feeling of being unsafe. There are few weapons to defend yourself, and they each have limited swings or bullets before they become useless. So, the best option is to run from Jason — run, and hope he doesn't catch up to you. It sounds easy, but Jason is one durable and relentless foe, especially if played by an experienced player.
4 Little Nightmares
A beautiful and adorable game inside an eerie world, Little Nightmares and its sequel are two games that master the feeling of being on the run, as you seek to escape the Maw. Not only do they have you play as a little kid, but this sidescroller also contains some truly idiosyncratic villains.
Little Nightmares uses its sidescrolling style to perfection. It reinvents the way the camera moves within the side view, allowing the player to move farther from the screen, and closer. It could be considered more of a hybrid sidescroller — one that requires perfection, as you ever-so-slightly escape each foe by sliding, jumping, or opening a barrier just before being snatched up.
3 Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a series that essentially created its own sub-genre. Sure, there were survival horror games before it, but the traditional cooperative horror survival experience was perfected with Left 4 Dead, and it's a game that has encouraged many others since.
As one of four playable characters, you have to traverse each stage in an attempt to make it to the safe house at the end of your path. Unfortunately for you, there's a zombie horde standing in your way. Shoot or slash your way through the plague, but don't stand around for too long — the slower you take to get to your destination, the more undead that swarms you. Not to mention specialty zombies such as the Witch and the Tank that make your journey a nightmare to get through.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
The immensely successful Red Dead Redemption 2 follows Arthur, who is on the run after a bank robbery goes poorly. Wanted by agents and bounty hunters, Arthur and his gang attempt to flee across America.
While not the most petrifying game on this list, Red Dead Redemption 2 brings an exciting and fresh story to the open-world genre. Typically with vast open worlds, the player is given locations to go and things to explore — a journey to follow. While this game has those things, Red Dead Redemption 2's story is more about a man fleeing than casually strolling.
1 Inside
Inside is a clear and irrefutable masterpiece that hands you nothing to go off at first. You slide down a hillside as the game opens, and are immediately placed into the most intense gaming experience you may ever have.
Inside is a game that never stops. You are constantly on the move for the entirety of the playthrough, and there is little time to breathe. As you slip under the crevices and climb your way up buildings, you do so in one weary but continual motion. Move too far in a room, and you may be spotted and taken out instantly. It's a clever game, with puzzles that must be solved to progress. Some of these are as easy as waiting for an enemy to leave the room, while others will take patience. However, due to the design of the non-stop story, you can't help but feel like you need to hurry through each barrier in your way.