There is currently a resurgence of 2D games thriving in an era full of hardware and developers that help push the boundaries of gaming. With that being said, there are many 2D games with beautiful stories that hold up against even the most grandiose of triple-A 3D titles.
Therefore, with developers launching so many new games in two dimensions, it allows for significant genre-based titles to surge in the new, Indie friendly market. 2D horror games have had their fair share of successful games released in the last few years. Here is a list of the best ones.
7 Reveal The Deep
If you suffer from Thalassophobia, stay far away from Reveal The Deep. Throughout the adventure, you explore a sunken ship. You are given only the light from your helmet, which also acts as the only light in the game. Living within the wreckage is an unrevealed entity so prepare to traverse the ship with constant uncanny suspicion.
Reveal The Deep takes the concept of the fear of the unknown and splatters it all across the game's core concepts. While there is not a jump scare behind every turn, or a ghost chasing you down each corridor, Reveal The Deep succeeds in keeping you tense. Chances are your palms with sweat as your grip your controller or mouse in anticipation of what is to come. Being hundreds of feet below sea level is a paradox alone, adding the idea of something evil swimming near you intensifies your fear twofold.
6 Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor is a heavily pixilated and stylized game. In it, you play as 'the man', who wakes in an apartment complex. You are tasked with searching the empty rooms to find weapons to defend yourself. Be hesitant though, as there are flesh-eating monsters that you will certainly encounter.
Although its particular use of pixel art, the art pops through and allows for a plethora of sinister locations. In fact, rhis style somewhat enhances the game when it comes to the monsters. Due to the vagueness of detail, you will catch yourself asking, "what is that?" time and time again. The mix of style and fear makes Lone Survivor one of the best 2D horror games you can find.
5 Carrion
If the film The Blob was turned into a video game, it would be called Carrion. In Carrion, you play as a large, mutated ball of rage and destruction that breaks out of its cage at the very beginning of the game. It is after the outbreak that you control the beast and essentially go on a full killing rampage.
You find yourself anywhere from rolling through vents for cover to spreading your tentacles to grab nearby enemies, ripping them to shreds or consuming them. As you travel across the factory that birthed you, your goal is simple: expire every scientist and businessman associated with the place. Carrion is a fairly successful horror game where you play as the monster, adding a nice twist to a genre that welcomes it wholeheartedly.
4 Limbo
Limbo is a 2D black and white game that manages to tell so much with very little put into its story. This is actually what makes the game scary. While not as petrifying or intense as any other game on this list, Limbo's art style is the sole factor that puts fear into you. There is no dialogue and the colors are limited - the game relies on heavy shadows and silhouettes. Due to this choice, it feels dark and dirty. You find yourself questioning how to progress as the indication of danger is so vague.
The story is nearly nonexistent, but you can't help but be invested. It's a game truly idiosyncratic in everything from its design to the disturbing realm you're attempting to get through.
3 Detention
Set in 1960s Taiwan, you play as Wei and Ray, the only two remaining students after the rest have mysteriously evacuated the building. As you explore the school, you uncover more regarding what exactly happened and how you seemingly missed the call for evacuation.
The subtle yet chilling imagery that hides in the background is greatly effective. The story is emotional and does not apologize for causing tears to trickle down your face while simultaneously remaining composed in case the screech you just heard from down the hall is in fact dangerous. It causes you to hold your breath while forcing you to walk directly passed the frightening demons that wonder about the game. Detention is a master class of horror. It is not only one of the best 2D horror games, but one of the best in all of the genre.
2 Inside
Perhaps the best-known title on this list, Inside is a game that simply drops you into its dystopian world with no context at all. This fact alone is what makes Inside so brilliant. As the story unfolds, you find yourself in sticky situation after sticky situation.
The game opens as you slide down a cliff where you are immediately on the run. The game's perfect attempt at never allowing you to breathe creates a truly unique experience in 2D gaming. From the opening, until the very last shot, Inside forces you to move and remain hidden. With little detail about the world you are in, it creates so much intrigue. You want to unravel the infectious world you find yourself in. While not the scariest game on this list, it is undeniably eerie at times and contains one of the greatest stories throughout.
1 Little Nightmares 2
In the prequel to Little Nightmares, you play as Mono, a boy whose face remains hidden. As you awaken inside a deep forest, you find yourself progressing through its trails until you discover a house. As you enter the house, you find Six - the girl you play as in the first game - locked in the basement. After freeing her, you and Six journey across the deranged land ahead of you in hopes of finding an escape from the terrifying nightmare you currently reside in.
Little Nightmares 2 is everything you could possibly want from a 2D horror game. It breaks boundaries with the movement allowed in its sidescrolling limitations and contains scares equal to a top-tier first or third-person horror game. Its story is horrifying but charming with twists and turns that will leave you stunned as the credits roll.