Developed by the relatively-unknown Phobia Game Studio, Carrion is a recently-released 2D destruction sandbox that gives players a rare chance to step into the role of a The Thing-esque creature and terrorize a research facility. Described as a “reverse horror game,” it definitely feels like a breath of fresh air in the genre, but the concept isn’t totally unique.
Though it’s rarely seen in gaming, a few titles have dared to put players in the shoes of an antagonist. From the murderous psychopaths seen in games like Hatred and Manhunt to the madness of shooters like The Darkness and The Last of Us, here are a few horror games in which players assume the role of the villain.
12 Carrion
We’ve seen thousands of pixel art indie platformers and puzzlers over the years, but, while it may share a visual style with a litany of other games, Carrion feels utterly unique. Players control some sort of amorphous, eldritch abomination and are tasked with causing as much havoc as possible. It’s a simple premise, but it’s undeniably effective.
Though ripping doors off their hinges and sending scientists flying can be fun, Carrion is best approached as a sort of fast-paced puzzle game. Similar to Mark of the Ninja, players will have to map out their routes ahead of time and make quick decisions.
11 Manhunt
Often touted as one of the most grizzly video games of all time, Rockstar’s Manhunt was so controversial when it originally debuted that it was banned in several countries. Players assume the role of a death row inmate conscripted to take part in the filming of a snuff film at the behest of an unknown party referred to as “The Director.”
Though he’s not a villain in the strictest sense, Manhunt’s player character is certainly no cherub. Known for executing innocents and opponents alike in an utterly brutal and downright sadistic fashion, Manhunt is about as warped as it gets.
10 Dead By Daylight
Initially released on PC in 2016, Dead By Daylight has since taken the multiplayer world by storm and been released on all major consoles, including the Nintendo Switch. An asymmetrical survival horror experience in which four survivors quest to complete a series of tasks and escape from a compound while pursued by one of a number of player-controlled slasher-film horrors, Dead By Daylight plays like the most nerve-wracking game of hide-and-seek imaginable.
Subsequent updates and DLC releases have introduced new and unique locations and monsters, some of the most notable being from established horror series like Silent Hill and Saw. For horror aficionados, it doesn’t get much better than this!
9 Prototype
Originally released in 2009 for the seventh generation of consoles, Prototype is a superhero story gone wrong. Players take the role of Alex Mercer, the subject of some sort of experiment which granted him Venom-esque superpowers. Yet, rather than fight for peace and justice, Mercer razes his city to the ground in a quest to exact revenge against whoever inflicted him with these powers.
A power fantasy in its most pure form, players will have tons of fun terrorizing the city’s inhabitants, battling military forces, and using a wide and varied array of abilities to destroy those who dare oppose them.
8 Evolve
One of the first games to be bogged down by what we know refer to as the “live service” video game monetization model, 2K and Turtle Rock’s Evolve featured an excellent concept that was, unfortunately, doomed by some shoddy business decisions.
One of the first games to truly embrace asymmetrical multiplayer, teams of four were tasked with hunting down one of a number of player-controlled monsters that bore definite influence from Lovecraftian lore. Though the game’s early stages could be tedious, engagements were always frenetic and thrilling, and the game could have been revitalized had the publisher not chosen to pull the plug on it.
7 Lucius
Slightly ahead of the viral indie horror game curve, Shiver Games’ Lucius debuted in 2012 and captivated many with its one-of-a-kind premise and gripping gameplay loop.
Players take control of a young child named Lucius. Secretly the son of the Devil himself, Lucius is hellbent on ending the lives of everyone with whom he lives. The end result is a Hitman-esque game with a satanic twist, and eliminating every family member requires careful planning and astute observation. Though it’s fraught with low-budget jank, it remains a worthwhile title that actually went on to spawn a trilogy.
6 Sea Salt
Developed by unsung indie studio YCJY games, Sea Salt borrows directly from Lovecraft lore, putting players in the role of the strange eldritch horror Dagon and tasking them with commanding a swarm of nightmare spawn to overrun a downtrodden port town.
Similar to Carrion in its reversal of horror tropes, Sea Salt is a fantastic trip for fans of Lovecraft’s work, and the pixel art aesthetic and puzzle/combat-oriented gameplay hearken back to retro titles like Lemmings or Cannon Fodder. It’s a bit short, but it’s definitely a trip worth taking.
5 Hunt: Showdown
We’re bending the rules a bit for this entry, as, though it’s an excellent multiplayer game with a gritty southern-gothic setting, players don’t technically control any true villains. Hare us out, though!
Hunt: Showdown tasks teams of up to three players with tracking down a monster hiding somewhere in the Louisiana Bayou, and this is done by finding clues and through the use of paranatural senses. However, other groups of players will be pursuing the same goal, and only one team can collect the bounty. Every moment of gameplay is fraught with peril and tension, as firefights between players could interrupt at any moment, and, though not technically villains, these hunters certainly aren’t out to help their fellow man.
4 The Darkness
Forgotten by many because it was never ported to Steam or modern consoles, The Darkness is a video game adaptation of a graphic novel series of the same name which tells the tale of a young mobster on a quest for revenge after nearly being killed.
The mobster is only kept alive after being possessed by the game’s titular monster, and this grants him access to some otherworldly abilities. An innovative shooter in the vein of something like FEAR or Condemned: Criminal Origins, it may be worth dusting off the PS3 or Xbox 360 to give this one a look.
3 The Last Of Us: Part II
The most recent entry on this list by far, most horror fans will likely already have made up their minds as to whether they love or hate Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us Part II. A controversial conclusion to the epic saga originally introduced on the PS3 in 2013, The Last Of Us Part II is a tale split in two; one segment featuring Ellie, one of the primary characters from the previous game, and the other featuring Abby, an all-new character.
Both of these characters could be construed as the women thanks to all of the vile and thoughtless misdeeds they commit throughout the course of the lengthy campaign.
2 Spec Ops: The Line
At the outset, Spec Ops: The Line doesn’t seem like a horror game, and, in many ways, it isn’t. However, it weaves a narrative of dread much in the same vein of something like Heart of Darkness. There are no terrifying monsters or malicious ghouls; instead, the monster is very clearly man himself.
A military shooter that makes clear its destain for the popularity of the genre, Spec Ops: The Line forces players to question their decisions and determine if indulging in such violence, even if simulated, is morally correct. In a way, it’s one of the scariest games ever made.
1 Resident Evil: Resistance
Launched in 2020 alongside the semi-controversial Resident Evil 3 remake, Resident Evil: Resistance is an asymmetrical horror title that, similar to Dead By Daylight, tasks a band of survivors with thwarting a mastermind and escaping from an Umbrella research facility. With recognizable Resident Evil monsters and iconic creatures like William Birkin and Mr. X stalking the game’s corridors, Resistance is as perilous as it is entertaining.
Though many players found it to be a tacked-on experience that wasn’t worth the price of admission, continued content updates and support have morphed it into an engaging—albeit still relatively incomplete—title.
NEXT: 10 Short (But Scary) Horror Games Worth Playing
