Scariest Horror Game Ever? No Challengers in 2022.

Have you ever played a terrifying video game that made you quit playing? The type of game where you decide you’re going to go ahead and sleep with the lights on? We’re not checking behind the shower curtain after this game…we’re swinging through it with a baseball bat!

The psychologic horror game “Visage,” in my opinion, is the single greatest genuinely horrifying video game ever created.

Set aside nostalgia and bias for your favorite characters in a video game. This isn’t a “Top Horror Game Franchise” designation. This article is written entirely on FACTS(in my opinion)

Visage personifies horror while not relying on cheap scripted jump scares or traditional lazy tactics to create a “scary environment.” The designers delved deep into the darkest psychology of the human mind, swam past Freud’s analysis, and tapped into what truly makes us afraid.

Indie developer SadSquare Studio admittedly draws inspiration from the infamous canceled Silent Hills Playable Teaser for PS4, demo “PT,”; as many creators have. However, Visage was released for Early Access on Steam in October 2018. The game was refined and contained hours of content and two playable chapters, “Lucy” and “Dolores.”

The Visage story takes place in the same “PT” like setting, a house. You explore the house, and items found allow you to start different chapters in the game. In total, as of now, 4 Chapters have been released. 

No spoilers here. Let’s jump in.

Straightaway the first scene sets the tone for what will be the start of a game that will never be forgotten. You’ll get to explore different house sections while learning in-game mechanics, thanks to the SUPER HELPFUL TOOLTIPS provided. There are lots of items the player can interact with and investigate.

The chapter you start first will entirely depend on which item you encounter and pickup. I have been told I played the game backward, and some things you receive can help in other chapters. Don’t be discouraged. I was still able to complete all chapters. Lucy, Delores, Rakan, and the unlockable “Mirror Mask” chapters will take the player through the complete game. Each chapter will consist of unique challenges and puzzles that have to be completed to progress.

Visage gameplay does very well with pacing. Few moments of respite keep the player mentally exhausted and ever distressed. Light is your ally, but light in-game is ever fleeting and can become extremely rare at points. Common to Western Civilization, you can take copious pills to quell your psychosis, if only momentarily. The frantic pacing can make solving puzzles or moving about in-game very suspenseful.

Unlike most horror games, Visage offers no physical weapons to defend yourself. Fighting the supernatural is not an option. You can only try and run away.

The developers rely heavily on sounds to keep pushing the player towards the brink of sanity. Creepy music, the closing of a door, or even the sound of a light switch turning off, very quickly begins to take its toll as you learn it quickly leads to your undoing.

The player will get the opportunity to explore different areas that have their own ambiance and unsettling details. The realistic nature of the story being told in each chapter adds to the true horror of Visage. While the “supernatural” occurrences might be inconceivable to some players, the game’s ability to unfold a relatable tale makes it more disturbing. A proper form of horror game Stockholm syndrome.

After a chapter, you learn the “why, what, and how.” A momentary relief before you make the terrible decision of picking up the next item that begins the next chapter in Visage’s terrifying tale.

So… What Makes it the SCARIEST GAME EVER MADE?

Look. True horror can’t be put into words. It needs a visual and auditory medium that SadSquare Studios used to create a game. They found The Lament Configuration, read aloud from the Necronomicon, and made Visage! It’s a game that doesn’t offer relief after completion. This game induces a fear that stays with you after you play it. You might be done with it; it’s not done with you! Like 1408 when Mike Enslin thought he was out of the room.

I have over 40 hours logged in Visage. I will NEVER replay the game. It does use a few minor jump scares. But, Visage tapped into what being scared is at the evolutionary and physiological level. The fear of the unknown. The fear of what might be.

This is why until proven otherwise it is: Banging Horrors #1 RANKED HORROR GAME OF ALL TIME!

Summary.

Buy the game if you haven’t, and play it right now. It’s the only game I couldn’t play alone. It’s also awesome that SadSquare Studio is an indie developer and conquered all other challengers.

The game also puts in some of the most unexpected and creative easter eggs for the player to stumble across. They are worth seeking out!

If you agree or disagree with me, let me know! Maybe I’ll play your favorite game, and it can dethrone Visage? Probably not.