We played a lot of fun video games throughout 2025 and I wanted to stop and share some of my favorites that might be a little more off the main road.
Let’s continue with the highlights of my video game journey. There were just too many good games that I was able to play last year that I want to talk about (however briefly). And even the ones left were all a bit of a mish-mash, but you can definitely tell when we reached October. Some of the games on this list definitely fall into the “scary” category.
Here is the second half of my video game journey.
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Invisible Inc. is a tactics game. But it is also a game about stealth and placement, which, yes, normally apply to tactics games, but this felt different. I think what made it feel special was that the game valued stealth just as much as it valued tactics. A perfect level might not have you interact with any enemy.
But being able to ransack and steal valuable information is such a fun thrill. The music and ambiance really add to the experience. I was also enamored with the idea that you must find the exit. It’s not a go-and-return type situation. This just adds to the intensity of the mission.
Homebody (2023)
Homebody was a pleasant surprise. When we started playing the game, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. There is clearly something sinister happening just based on the cover of the game. But what? And from where? That’s the mystery to be discovered. The only thing I wish I knew before was take time to talk to people. I felt like I missed a little character development by focusing on finding the mysteries rather than enjoying the changes.
Silent Hill 4 (2004)
We played Silent Hill 1, 2, 3, and 4 in sequence without a break. It was intense. There are some fears that I feel a little more courageous about. But I wanted to take a moment to give props to Silent Hill 4. I have been told it is the least liked Silent Hill game. I can see how it is different from the others but the similarities feel close enough for me.
I think there was an emotional development in Silent Hill 4 that hit me somewhat harder than the others. Maybe that’s not the right implication. I felt the emotions faster in this game than in the others. It managed to reflect fear as you knew what was going to happen, but the how was not explained. And you didn’t know how much you could interfere.
Withering Rooms (2024)
What is this game. Withering Rooms is a game of survival, finding useful items, and exploring the area. I feel like the designer of this game was channeling Dark Souls when they made Withering Rooms. There is a very interesting monster and character design. I was always excited to find new areas and see how the game changes.
But the most amazing thing about this game is the design team. It’s one person. When the credits rolled, one name came up, and that was it. It left a deep impact on me. This game is amazing in length, design, and inspiration, and we haven’t even played a major portion of the story. While yes, we reached the credits, I know there is still more to explore.
Outlast (2013)
Outlast is not a small game by any means. It has its notoriety, and I think it deserves its accolades. But being an older game, it is hard to fight against a thing called time. Newer games are being developed everyday and I am excited for them as well, but returning to some classics can bring joy.
Or terror. With Outlast, it was mostly terror. This was the first game I played in the first-person, psychological horror genre. And I hid under the blankets multiple times because I was absolutely terrified.
Little Nightmares (2017)
And the scary games continue with Little Nightmares. This game recently got a re-release, which I think drew our attention. The character, being child-like while also fully shrouded by a bright yellow cloak, feels mysterious and whimsical at the same time. It was giving some major Coraline vibes.
Yoku’s Island Express (2018
Yoku’s Island Express is a game genre I did not know existed. The core of the game is two systems: exploration and pinball. While many games have exploration at their core, pinball was a genre I didn’t really know existed. I think the whimsical nature and minimal consequences kept this game quite delightful.
Other Great Games
There are too many good games in the world, and I don’t have enough time to talk about them. Here are some others that I wanted to talk about:
Hyperbolica (2022) – A whimsical non-Euclidean world of puzzles and mazes
Hitman: World of Assassination (2023) – Become the ultimate spy using many tricks and tools to take out your targets
Riven (2024) – A remake of the 1997 original with full traversable space and puzzles throughout
Myst III: Exile (2001) – Solve puzzles and traverse through several worlds to help find what was stolen.
Resident Evil HD (2014) – The remake of the original Resident Evil, with puzzles and enemies in the way of discovering the origin of the story.
Silksong (2025) – The game that broke the internet. Actually, since there were no pre-order sales, several sites went down due to the number of people purchasing it. This is a metroidvania sequel to Hollow Knight.
Silent Hill (1999) – A psychological survival horror game of town traversal, trying to find a missing person but accidentally unraveling some secrets as well.
Silent Hill 2 (2001) – A psychological survival horror game dealing with internal emotions as a man explores the town trying to find the source of the letter that drew him there.
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