What is the Scariest Game You've Ever Played?

[MoonMetropolis]

For me, it would have to be Eversion and Yume Nikki. The former starts off as a cute Mario-style platformer, then starts to get a little unsettling before finally becoming a demonic hellscape. It's like Creepypasta: The Game, and it's also very well-made and fun to play. The latter is an extremely disturbing art game that involves exploring a little girl's twisted dreams and looking for objects, all of which have bizarre effects (like turning you into a faceless ghost). Both are free and definitely worth checking out.  The haunting and upsetting imagery in these games is very memorable, and they never resort to cheap gore or shock tactics to disturb.

I have not played Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but I've heard it's generally considered to be the most frightening game ever made.

How about you?  Has a game ever scared you or gotten under your skin?

[Greisha1]

Never heard of those, but Friday the 13th for the NES used to scare me as a kid. Must have been something about that life bar when you entered a random house and he was sitting in there ...

[Blueguy1]

Super Mario 64

No I kid you not. This game REALLY scared me as a kid, and it still does for several reasons.

1. The Eel: Back in the day, playing in Jolly Rodger Bay was never a priority of mine. The eel from the sunken ship freaked me out because of how it looked. I was always so worried about getting in its way that I swam to the top hoping that it wouldn't get me (never does, but still, scary thought). Sometimes I'd wine for my brother to beat it for me!

2. Giant Fish: Think about it. The fish from the big small land scared me because it could eat you in one bite and you'd automatically lose a life. The first time. saw this, I freaked!

3. The Piano: Every kids nightmare hid one of the red coins in the Boo's Mansion. If you tried to get it, the piano would come alive and SWALLOW YOUR SOUL!!! Haunting me as a kid, I never really attempted to try and beat this mission until years later.

4. Eternal Stairs: If you didn't have enough stars to activate to door leading to the Final fight with Bowser, you would still be allowed in, with a staircase leading on forever and ever with creepy music. Only when you turn back do you realize that you really didn't go anywhere at all...

5. Falling: Falling scared me the most in this game. The Backgrounds in the Bowser stages were creepy enough, but Imagine falling off a platform and into the abyss. Yeah, that scared me. Same goes for the Rainbow level.

6. The Cave Dinosaur: For God's sake, this loch ness monster was friendly, but gong up in front of it always scared me. I mean, what if it tried to eat me?!

Yeah, call me a wuss, call me whatever. I know of it to be true! This game freaked me out as a child and it still does! And I'm an Adult!

[N64Dude1]

Continuously speaking,I'd say Resident Evil 4.

At first though,Tomb Raider between the creeper henchamn in Natla's Mines who says "Ain't nothin' personal",the T-Rex popping up out of nowhere and eating your carcass with a false move, and that shrieking sound those Atlanteans/mummies make

I hear ya' about the piano Blueguy,and the Cheep Cheep. But what about how Bowser looked? I mean he's kinda cute looking now,but damn he was creepy with that growl and angry face,the organ music certainly doesn't help either

[Burk1]

 I am not huge into the horror genre,but I remember playing The Suffering for the first time,and being truely creeped out. The monsters are scary,and his visions are disturbing,but I think the creepiest part was checking the monitors and seeing a glimpse of some creature, and realizing it is very close by.

[Calysma1]

The "343 Guilty Spark" level from the original Halo. When I encountered the Flood for the first time, I was scared out of my wits; my heart was pounding all the way through my escape from the base.

[CoyT]

Valid points from everyone, but...man, if you want scary, play either Manhunt game on the highest difficulty. No radar screen. That brings stealth to a whole other level...forcing you to sneak through each stage with extreme caution, having no idea who or what is waiting just around the corner.

 

And the infamous "Piggsy" stage? Well, that could bring even the most hardcore, jaded dude to his knees. Nothing screams "nightmare fuel" like a morbidly obese, naked pig-man wielding a chainsaw.

 

*shudders*

[Luke]

It didn't really "scare" me. But Fatal Frame on PS2 really gave me the chills the first time I rented it.

[Leo1]

Sadly, I'm not sure I've ever really been scared by a videogame.

But I've certainly felt nervous from time to time. Usually if I'm being chased by something with no time to glance backwards. Unfortunely, I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head but I suspect I've encountered such situations many times in the Fatal Frame series, the Silent Hill series, and elsewhere.

I can't imagine being scared by Super Mario 64.

[Fingers dripping ink]

Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill 1 & 2, Fatal Frame 1 & 2

Play them in the dark.