Survival horror

Game genre concept

A sub-genre of video games inspired by horror fiction that focuses on survival of the character as the game tries to frighten players.

341
games
47
platforms
Related:
* Limited capacity - can't carry those 400 bullets, now can you?
* Limited supplies - how else to make it a survival horror?
* Survival - you're trying to save your ass, not everyone else's.
* Anxietty
* Defenseless / overpowered
* Psychological horror
Has several notable differences to other horror games.
* Fragile protagonist — can't survive much beating, also often has much more adverse effects from damage than just numeric loss to health (e.g. limping).
* Limited munitions — weapons tend to be ineffective and ammunition is hard to come by. You can't even carry very many of them or much ammo even if you do find them.

Players accustomed to other types of games may not realize that they're meant to run away from the enemies more often than to shoot every single one of them to death.

The first Survival horror video game was released in 1975.

Capcom, Konami and Sega published most of these games.

Parent group

Action-Adventure

Platforms

Windows 68
Linux 65
PS2 26
X360 21
Mac OS X 17
PS 17
PS3 16
PS4 12
Wii 12
Xbox 8
Xbox One 8
Dreamcast 7
GameCube 6
MS-DOS 4
Mac OS Classic 4
Switch 4
Nintendo DS 4
PSP 3
PS Vita 3
Saturn 3
Atari 2600 3
3DO 2
3DS 2
Wii U 2
NEC PC9801 2
N64 1
Android 1
TRS-80 1
C64 1
GBC 1

By year

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Popular tags

hordegame interactivefiction lootemup metroidvania openworldsurvivalcrafting pacifisthorror stealthgame survivalsimulation