Cartoons andhorrorat first sound like an unlikely pairing. Cartoon art is often associated with younger audiences or children’s television, while horror often encompasses much more mature content. Despite this, the fusion of cartoon aesthetics and horror elements has become a popular combination in the gaming world.
The following games are some ofthe best cartoon horror games, representative of why the subgenre has made its way to the forefront.Different from mascot horror and visual novels, these games are notable for their illustrative art and animation style, and the way that the nature of cartoons deceives players' expectations.
Bendy and the Ink Machinefollows animator Henry Stein, who has returned by invitation of his former partner to their old studio. Upon arriving, he finds that the place is covered in ink. The player must solve puzzles and fight deformed illustrations that have been brought to life to progress and discover what’s really going on.
The aesthetic and environmental design setsBendy and the Ink Machineapart from other horror games. Developer Mike Mood states that he took a lot of visual inspiration fromBioshock, although it exceeds its precursor in creepiness with the uncanny 1930s-esque cartoon characters.
Hello Neighboris a stealth horror game. After witnessing his neighbor locking a child in the basement, the player must find a way into the house, figure out what is going on, and escape. With a combination of strategy, stealth, and puzzle elements, thisis an equally fun and challenging game.
Hello Neighboralso uses AIto help the neighbor predict the players' route based on their strategies, and lay down traps to catch them, making it harder to enter and escape the house. The exaggerated cartoon architecture and character design give a freaky spin to the mystery horror genre.
The Walking Deadis an episodic adventure-horror game, based on Robert Kirkman’s comic book series of the same name. The player takes on the role of Lee Everett, a criminal who is freed when the police car transporting him crashes.Navigating a zombie-ridden world, he finds and vows to reunite a girl, Clementine, with her parents.
The course of this game is determined by the choices that the player makes, exploring relationships and morality in a variety of complex scenarios. Each character is unique, driven by their own goals and fears, and despite the comic-style graphics,The Walking Deadis both a gory and touching experience.
There are four seasons ofThe Walking Dead,each with five episodes, and a bonus DLC episode for the first season.
Little Nightmaresis a platform horror, following a little girl named Six as she tries to escape the Maw, an underwater vessel inhabited by giant grotesque and hungry guests and captured children. The player explores a variety of different disturbing areas as they progress through the game to piece together the world they have been thrust into.
The atmosphere ofLittle Nightmaresis gloomy and at times repulsive, but the plot is engaging with an abundance of secrets. The puzzle elements and the various threats will keep players on their toes.
Inspired by the likes ofA Clockwork OrangeandBrave New World,We Happy Fewtakes place in “Wellington Wells,“a dystopian citybased on an alternate timeline version of 1960s Britain. Inhabitants are forcefully provided with “Joy,” a hallucinogen that makes them forget “The Very Bad Thing.”
Players can take control of three different characters, each with their own backstory and skill set, as they attempt to escape the city. The game uses both stealth and survival elements, with crafting and hunger/thirst meters that need sustaining. While not a horror in the conventional sense, the game does feature horror elements. The changing state-dependent environments, dark plot, and unnerving character design make for an extremely uncomfortable experience.
Book and film buffs alike are likely familiar with Lewis Caroll’sAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland.Garnering animated and live action film adaptations, thisclassic story has also made its way to the horror gaming world.Alice: Madness Returnstakes all the original quirky elements and transforms them into a darker, twisted version of the story.
Playing as Alice, who has been released from Rutledge Asylum, the player must navigate their way through both wonderland and reality in an attempt to resolve Alice’s childhood trauma. With freaky enemies, familiar characters, and puzzle elements, this game has something for all horror fans.
BioShockis afirst-person shooteraction game with an Art Deco-inspired, graphic novel art style. The player takes on the role of Jack, whose plane crash-lands in the sea. After being transported to “Rapture”, an off-grid underwater city free from the shackles of post-World War II society, he must embark on a quest to rescue the family of his guide, Atlas.
While not explicitly horror in terms of jumpscares or supernatural events, the plot that unfolds is extremely disturbing, and the player will discover that darker things are at play. Not everything (or everyone) is as it seems.Bioshocktackles issues such as wealth divide, prohibition, trafficking and revolution in highly atmospheric ways.
3Baldi’s Basics
An Educational Game That Gets Increasingly Sinister
Baldi’s Basicsis a survival horror disguised as an educational game. The player must navigate a school to find seven notebooks and complete math questions while avoiding the ruler-wielding Baldi. The catch is, some of the equations are impossible, and incorrect answers make Baldi more aggressive.
Conceptually, this game is simple and absurdist, but it still proves a terrifying experience. The variety of characters that roam the hallways to hinder the player’s progress and the tension of being constantly chased down makesBaldi’s Basicsa difficult, albeit humorous, horror game.
2Error #53
A Fun But Not-So-Innocent Adventure Game
Due to the unsuspecting art style of cartoons, some cartoonhorror games seem wholesomeat first.Error #53is one of these games. Set in a medieval-style village, the player must speak to the King. He then tasks them with defeating Jack and his henchmen, who have been repeatedly sneaking into the castle to steal his gold.
While at firstError #53seems like a fun hack and slash game, the gameplay gets darker as it glitches and onslaughts the player with unexpected jumpscares. Overall, this is an unsettling game that throws the player off their guard.
Omoriis a horror RPG, following Sunny and his alter-ego, Omori. The player begins in “the white space,” a blank landscape with a single room containing a journal, a laptop, and tissues. Once leaving, they can explore the sleeping “headspace” and the waking “faraway town,” followed by Omori’s friends.
Events get more distressing as the truth about the group’s past is gradually revealed. Each character has unlockable skills for battles in thisPokemon-meets-Stardew Valley-meets-Undertalegame. Overall,Omoriis a beautiful game that explores themes such as grief and guilt through surreal landscapes, andhas multiple endings.
