Survival Horror is a beloved video game genre, but it's not for everyone. While some people like the thrill of being afraid, others don't. However, even if that latter group avoids horror games at all costs, they might not completely bypass scares. After all, there are plenty of titles from other genres that include the odd terrifying moment.

Perhaps it's a random jump scare, a quest set in a frightening place, or a character experiencing a particularly creepy nightmare. Regardless of how it's done, the shift in tone usually creates a memorable moment. These are some of the best examples.

Updated September 30, 2023 By Ben Jessey: Halloween is coming up, meaning it's the perfect time for a discussion surrounding scary moments in video games. Naturally, most of them feature in horror titles, as that is what that genre is all about.

However, there have been some spooky moments in other games, too. So many of them, in fact, that we created a list about it. And now that it's the spooky season, we thought we'd return to the piece to add a few more scary moments from non-horror games.

13 Ravenholm - Half-Life 2

Ravenholm is one of the most memorable locations in the Half-Life series. This is because when you travel there in the second game, the tone of the title changes completely. In fact, it feels like you've just been dropped into a horror game.

Ravenholm is a town devoid of human life. You aren't lonely when you're there, though, as there are plenty of zombies and headcrabs to keep you company and threaten your life. The whole experience is made more unsettling by the fact there isn't much background music. So, it's often eerily silent while you're roaming around. This is fine for other levels, but when in a place like Ravenholm, silence is scary.

12 Side Effects Stash - Far Cry 5

There are plenty of stashes for you to find and loot in Far Cry 5. Most aren't scary, nor are they trying to be. The Side Effects one is a little different. You enter a seemingly abandoned mine filled with a substance called Bliss.

Bliss is a hallucinogenic drug that can screw with your mind. So, when you begin going through the mine, your senses begin to be messed with. You hear a creepy voice in your head, and you see the occasional shadow person running around. It is spooky.

11 Nightmare Sequence - Life Is Strange

Life Is Strange is a game where the narrative effectively becomes a horror story partway through. It's a different sort of horror tale than the genre usually provides, but it's certainly horrific. The most unsettling scene during this part of the game is the nightmare sequence.

It contains blood-splatted windows, dead birds, strange visuals, and creepy dialog. It isn't the scariest thing you will ever see in a game, but it's an unsettling sequence.

10 New Hope Research Facility - Gears Of War 2

The New Hope Facility from Gears of War 2 would be a suitable setting for any horror game. It's a run-down building, has a dark past, and houses plenty of monsters in glass tubes. All of these attributes help create a creepy atmosphere.

Yet, as this is a third-person shooter, you don't walk into this place with just a pistol and possibly a melee weapon. You bring an arsenal of weaponry and an equally well-armed buddy. Unfortunately, these things don't stop the mission from being scary.

9 The Museum Of Witchcraft - Fallout 4

It's understandable if you're a little fearful while roaming around the wastelands in Fallout 4, as there are plenty of dangerous enemies around. However, The Devil's Due quest is one of the few times the game intentionally tries to scare you.

During the mission, you enter the very creepy Museum Of Witchcraft. While making your way through the run-down building, you can hear growls and stops from a beast upstairs. The sounds of the monster would be unsettling enough on its own, but there are also bodies dropping from the ceiling to make matters even worse.

8 Overlord - Mass Effect 2

In Mass Effect 2's Overlord DLC, you have to stop a rogue human-AI hybrid. As you go through the several stations under its control, there's always a feeling that you're being watched. And the minimal dialogue and lack of music make this section feel very eerie.

It doesn't help that, occasionally, the AI suddenly appears on a screen and screams loudly, creating a terrifying jump scare. The tone of the whole sequence is very different from the rest of the game.

7 The Von Everec's Estate - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

For a game that's definitely not in the horror genre, there are plenty of scary moments in The Witcher 3. For instance, during the Hearts Of Stone DLC, you have to explore the creepy Von Everec Estate.

Before you even enter the abandoned house, you meet one of the scariest monsters in RPG, aka the Caretaker. He is a creature who looks after the place, and his defining feature is that he doesn't have a face. After dealing with that monster, you go inside the mansion and find a wraith. Unfortunately, meeting the ghost-like figure isn't the only spooky thing that happens in the house.

6 Saint Denis Vampire - Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a somewhat realistic depiction of living in the old west. Yet, when you get to the city of Saint Denis, it's possible to locate a vampire.

As you'd expect from a being of this type, you find him sucking on some poor guy's blood. It's a disturbing sight to behold, and your conversation with the monster makes the scene even more unnerving. It's not the sort of moment you expect to have in a game like Red Dead.

5 Facing The Sorrow - Metal Gear Solid 3

The Metal Gear Series contains a litany of boss fights - some of which are very difficult. But the one against the Sorrow is significantly different from all of the others.

First of all, it's debatable if you can even call it a fight as it includes no combat. Instead, the spiritual being forces you to stroll down a dark river, walking past the ghosts of the people you killed. Yes, the game actually tracks the enemies you've murdered up to that point and has you face them. So, the sequence is equal parts creepy and creative.

4 Bunker - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

The main problem with treasure hunting is that someday you might stumble on a cursed prize, which happens to Nathan Drake in the first Uncharted. Late in the game, he discovers that the El Dorado sarcophagus he's been chasing turns people into monsters.

He finds this out while roaming around a dark bunker, being chased by many of the creatures. It's a scary moment in the game, especially as the beasts aren't just freaky - they're durable, too. The whole thing presents a huge tone shift in what was a relatively light-hearted adventure.

3 Joker's Nightmare - Batman: Arkham Knight

Each entry in the Arkham series flirts with the horror genre. Asylum's Scarecrow sections and Man-Bat's jump scare in Knight immediately come to mind. Arkham Knight also includes another incredibly frightening sequence. It occurs when Scarecrow injects his toxin into Batman, and you take control of The Joker.

In a first-person perspective, you travel around this strange world that Batman has seemingly created for the villain. It's full of dimly lit hallways and people forgetting about Joker. It's supposed to scare the Clown Prince of Crime, but it also terrifies the person controlling him, especially when Batman statues start appearing behind them.

2 The Flood's First Appearance - Halo: Combat Evolved

Play enough of the early Halo games, and you'll get used to the Flood. However, the creatures' first appearance is chilling. In what might be the best mission in Halo: CE, Master Chief watches a video from a dead marine's helmet. The footage documents a soldier and his crew getting ambushed by the Flood.

It's a spooky vid, yet things get even more terrifying when you realize that you're now in a place filled with these dangerous zombie-like monsters. And, of course, the Chief progresses forward, meaning you have to contend with countless groups of them.

1 Exploring Caves - Minecraft

For the most part, Minecraft is a wholesome game that doesn't seem scary at all, but then you head underground. Exploring the caves provides a very different experience than building a house. It doesn't matter how cute the textures and character models are; hearing the groans of dangerous mobs and not knowing where they're coming from is frightening.

Plus, while down in the caves, there's always a chance that a creeper can sneak up behind you and blow up. Not only does the explosion kill you - meaning your items might be lost - but it also provides you with an incredibly terrifying jump scare.

NEXT: Horror Games For Non-Horror People