Found footage in movies and video games reduces the distance between the audience and scary experiences.
It’s a rare technique, but these five horror titles provide a peek into this unique style!
In movies like The Blair Witch Project and Rec, found footage lets the audience witness the actions of someone who documented scary experiences on camera only to eventually lose the recording (most likely due to sudden death).
Viewers can relive these events and see what happened, which feels spooky because the stuttering nature of classic VHS recordings makes the whole experience even more believable and unpredictable. If that sounds fun, these five games deliver a similarly terrifying vibe!
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Final Take | 2016-06-16 | Adventure | HUSH Interactive |
 | Slender The Arrival | 2013-10-28 | Adventure | Blue Isle Studios |
 | Simulacra | 2017-10-26 | Immersive Sim | Kaigan Games |
 | Simulacra 2 | 2020-01-30 | Immersive Sim | Kaigan Games |
 | Outlast | 2013-09-04 | Adventure | Red Barrels |
 | Outlast 2 | 2017-04-25 | Adventure | Red Barrels |
 | Her Story | 2015-06-24 | Adventure | Sam Barlow |
 | Blair Witch | 2019-08-30 | Adventure | Bloober Team |
 | Escape The Backrooms | 2022-08-11 | Horror | Fancy Games |
 | The Complex | 2020-03-31 | Horror | Wales Interactive |
 | Dont Scream | 2023-10-27 | Horror | Digital Cybercherries |
 | The Mortuary Assistant | 2022-08-02 | Horror | DarkStone Digital |
 | Madison | 2022-07-08 | Horror | Bloodious Games |
 | Ghost Watchers | 2022-07-28 | Horror | Renderise |
The Mortuary Assistant
| Release date: | 2022-08-02 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | DarkStone Digital |
This combination of simulation and horror lets you play as a mortuary assistant, performing tasks involving embalming corpses and encountering supernatural beings.
The Mortuary Assistant is a single-player horror adventure featuring occult rituals, mysteries, puzzles, disturbing phenomena, and a pervasive sense of uncertainty. Due to the non-linear storyline, each playthrough feels different, so it’s ideal for players craving terrifying replayability.
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MADiSON
| Release date: | 2022-07-08 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Bloodious Games |
Play as Luca, a man who wakes up in a dark mansion only to find himself completing an ancient ritual involving the terrifying presence of a demon, MADiSON.
MADiSON is a first-person horror game focusing on investigating a mysterious mansion, solving puzzles, and scaring away the demon with the snap of a camera. It’s a captivating and replayable recommendation, perfect for those seeking endless fear.
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Ghost Watchers
| Release date: | 2022-07-28 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Renderise |
If you dream of a video game like Phasmophobia, know that Ghost Watchers provides a similar but more terrifying experience!
Your job is to investigate twenty types of unique ghosts and then catch them. You can achieve this goal using over sixty tools in seven dark locations filled with secrets. The only question is – are you ready to face the most terrifying supernatural beings in this world?
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Fears to Fathom
| Release date: | 2024-09-12 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Rayll Studios |
This episodic psychological horror game follows stories of various characters encountering terrifying phenomena. It feels incredibly immersive due to its VHS-like aesthetic!
Play four unique episodes focusing on independent characters going through blood-curdling experiences. Only your choices can help them survive – but the building up of suspense and a sense of uncertainty can prevent you from achieving this goal.
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Mundaun
| Release date: | 2021-03-16 |
| Genre: | Survival Horror |
| Developer: | Hidden Fields |
It’s a hand-drawn survival horror game following a hero returning to an alpine valley to solve the mystery of his grandfather’s death.
Mundaun is a first-person game focusing on exploration, solving puzzles, chatting with quirky locals, and uncovering bits of a mysterious story. The more scared you are, the slower you move, so prepare for a spine-chilling experience!
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People love documentary-style horror and creepypastas because of their immersive nature, making each story more believable.
Unlike classic scary movies, they don’t rely on jumpscares or disgusting scenes, convincing us the plot depicts an actual person’s experience. It’s a frightening thought, but consuming such content in a safe environment makes such a story equally creepy and fun!