9. Puzzling Solving

Puzzling solving probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about great horror games, but it is a staple.

Puzzles force players to interact with the world they are in. These puzzles might give players a must needed break from the deranged creatures after them, or just tick them the heck off (get some Silent Hill 1 piano puzzle flashbacks). There’s also the stress of not knowing if completing the puzzle will thrust you into a hellish monster battle if correctly completed, or impale you to death on some spikes.

This puzzle destroyed lives

Players might also have to backtrack throughout the game to find any items or codes they might have missed to solve a puzzle. Fleeing from room to room won’t do players any good when there’s puzzles to be solved. Puzzles don’t care that you just sprinted from a horde of zombies across the map, missing key items and codes.

Don’t let puzzles stop you from making progress because you’re too anxious to throw yourself back into a realm of horrors.