Don’t play these Switch horror games after dark

When you think of the Nintendo Switch, odds are images of Mario, Zelda, and Kirby come to mind. Family-friendly, bright, and joyful games that are all about fun and adventure. While those do make up the bulk of the system’s library, the system is no stranger to games on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Horror games have been a staple in gaming since Resident Evil and Silent Hill showed us all the new and terrifying ways games could scare us that movies couldn’t. That level of interactivity and immersion, for the right people, is almost addictive in how scary these games can get.

October is a time when even people who are only somewhat interested in horror feel the pull to give themselves a little fright, but horror games can be enjoyed at any time of year. With the Switch, they can also be played anywhere thanks to its portability, meaning you have no excuses for chickening out on playing them. Because horror games on the Switch aren’t talked about as much as they should be, I’ve looked under the bed to pull out the spookiest games you might want to leave a light on while playing.

1 Amnesia: The Dark Descent revived the entire genre

Whatever you do, don’t look at it

The horror genre never died, exactly, but it certainly was in a massive slump from the mid to late 2000s. Silent Hill hadn’t had a good entry in years, and Resident Evil was almost a pure action game at that point, leaving horror fans thirsty for a game that would provide a freshly terrifying experience. Along comes the indie-hit Amnesia: The Dark Descent on PC. Mostly thanks to streamers and YouTubers reacting to the simple but terrifying gameplay, the game became a phenomenon and was ported to consoles. It spawned an entire subgenre of horror games all about running from the horror with no way to defend yourself other than hiding from it. Even if you’ve played a game like it, the mystery, setting, and even slightly clunky controls all make Amnesia a horror game you won’t forget.

2 Alien: Isolation might be the best Alien sequel

On Switch, everyone can hear you scream

We’re starting to see more and more exceptions to the rule that games based on films always turn out bad, but, generally speaking, you’re better off avoiding them. Alien: Isolation takes a huge risk by trying to insert itself into the Alien film canon. Somehow, it not only works but could be the best Alien sequel there is. You play as Ellen Ripley’s daughter trapped on a space station with one very angry Xenomorph. This game takes a ton of cues from Amnesia, such as not being able to ever kill the Alien, though you do have a few tools to temporarily distract or deter it. It smartly uses the technology and retro-future setting to its advantage, like the motion tracker or even how saving requires you to spend a few terrifying seconds out in the open operating a clunky machine. You don’t need to be an Alien fan to enjoy this intense game of cat and mouse.

3 Little Nightmares 2 will give you, well, you know

A bad dream come to life

Dreams, specifically nightmares, have such an ethereal and distinct quality to them that is hard to translate into visuals. Things are always just slightly off from reality in almost indescribable ways, which is the exact vibe Little Nightmares 2 manages to convey. You play as a small child (not just child-small, but miniature-small) in a world of giants that look ripped right out of our childhood nightmares. The game is essentially wordless, leaving you to interpret and make connections as to what terrible things are going on based on the locations and environments. Unlike most other horror games, you won’t find any jump scares here. Instead, Little Nightmares 2 seeks to creep into your mind and plant its seeds of dread that will send a chill down your spine whenever you think you see something move in a dark corner.

4 Emio — The Smiling Man makes point-and-click terrifying

A disturbing investigation story

If you never thought a point-and-click game could petrify you with fear, think again. Most people will have no knowledge of the old Famicom Detective Club series since we haven’t had one prior to this in the last 27 years, but you don’t have to go back to the old games to prepare for this one (although they have been ported to the Switch so it wouldn’t be difficult if you did). This entry focuses on an assistant private investigator digging into the mysterious murder of a junior high student whose death matches the details of an urban legend from 18 years earlier. According to the legend, the killer is named Emio and wears a paper bag with a smiling face drawn on it who offers matching bags to distraught girls in exchange for their lives. Saying any more would spoil the thrill of finding clues, interviewing characters, and piecing together what really happened.

5 Signalis feels like a lost PS1 classic

Old-school survival horror returns

Indie games love to pay homage to retro games that influenced the developers. That’s why we see so many games using 8 and 16-bit graphics, chiptune soundtracks, and a mixture of mechanics from seminal games from that era. As we’ve moved forward in time, retro-inspired games have also jumped up a generation to emulate the blocky, flat style of early 3D games. Signalis could’ve been released alongside the original Silent Hill or Resident Evil on the PS1 and would be as fondly remembered as those classics. You control Elster, an android, who wakes up on a crashed shuttle where almost all the other androids have gone mad. The story is surprisingly touching as you slowly gather scraps of information and scenes from the past, but the gameplay is pure terror. With only six inventory slots, there’s never a moment exploring or solving a puzzle you feel fully prepared.