Oldest horror game franchises

Key takeaways

• Frictional Games’ Amnesia franchise has been running for 13 years and focuses on disempowerment and atmosphere.

• The 15-year Dead Space franchise offers a blend of Carpenter and Cronenberg influences in intense, atmospheric horror action.

• The 25-year-long Silent Hill franchise embodies J-horror’s mastery of tone and atmosphere, inspiring legions of fans with its horror.

As one of the most popular and enduring video game genres, horror has created a powerful repertoire of fantasy game franchises that continue to define the latest trends. While most things started in Japan, US-based studios have also founded some long-lasting franchises, leading to some healthy competition.

For this list, the criteria is simply how long these franchises have been in business. Although these franchises have some brilliant games, they are not ranked by quality, only longevity. Additionally, each franchise must have at least three games released to be considered a full-fledged franchise on this list.

6

Amnesia

2010-2023 (13 years)

• Amnesia: The Dark Descent launched in 2010.

• He was soon followed by Amnesia: a machine for pigs and Amnesia: rebirth.

• The most recent entry is Amnesia: The Bunkerwhich came out in 2023.

Although it hardly seems like there has been any time since then. Amnesia: The Dark Descent It arrived in 2010. It’s hard to deny that the franchise has matured into a fearsome force in the world of horror games, making Frictional Games one of the best horror studios in the industry.

Single-handedly changing the direction of horror games to focus on disempowerment and the immense popularity horror titles could have through the “Let’s Play” format on YouTube, Amnesia: The Dark Descent He used his humble means to his advantage, focusing on atmosphere above all else and creating an unforgettable experience that has driven strongly through a host of interesting historical settings ever since.

5

dead space

2008-2023 (15 years)

• the original dead space launched in 2008.

• Several games soon followed, among which stands out dead space 2 and dead space 3in quick succession.

• The most recent entry was dead space remake, released in 2023.

With the release of the remake of the original. dead spaceThis franchise, surprisingly, has become one of the longest lasting in the world of video games. Taking advantage of the new graphics hardware of the Xbox 360/PS3 generation, dead space wore his Carpenter and Cronenberg influences on his chest and delivered an atmospheric horror action adventure for Isaac to open with a collection of brutal and ferocious weapons.

While the franchise would go on hiatus following regular sales and reaction to dead space 3The extended universe materials, rabid fan base, and critically praised remake ensure that the dead space The franchise will likely be around for a long time.

4

silent hill

1999-2024 (25 years)

• The franchise began with the release of silent hill in 1999 on the PS1.

• Many sequels soon followed, including silent hill 2, silent hill 3, Silent Hill 4: The room.

• The franchise returned in 2024 with Silent Hill: The short message and the next silent hill 2 redo.

The 1990s were a golden era for J-horror, and silent hill might be the purest manifestation of J-horror’s mastery of tone, atmosphere, and surreal imagery, creating a series of games whose utterly gruesome tone has inspired legions of fans (even if its sometimes grueling difficulty can lead to frustration).

Starting with the humble 1999 PS1 game silent hill, The series has experienced a sequence of ups and downs with a long hiatus in the 2010s. However, with the silent hill 2 remake set to be released this year, many fans are eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of one of the scariest worlds in video games.

3

resident Evil

1996-2023 (27 years)

• the original resident Evil released for PS1 in 1996.

• Many sequels followed, including Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil 4and a soft restart in 2017 with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.

• The most recent release was Resident Evil 4 new version in 2023.

Although it is not the oldest horror franchise in existence, the resident Evil The games are perhaps the most famous horror games ever released. Starting with the haunted mansion from the original. Resident Evil, The franchise has spawned books, movies, and hordes of subsequent games on almost every console that has been released since.

Without a doubt, the franchise has also had its ups and downs. While regarded for its high quality, critical appeal fell in the 2010s with the lowest point of Resident Evil 6 in 2012. The franchise took a gentle break and returned with the impressive Resident Evil 7: Biohazardwhich has revitalized the series and renewed its reputation for incredible quality and terrifying scares.

2

castlevania

1986-2014 (28 years)

• The first castlevania Game released in 1986 on the Famicom.

• It enjoyed many sequels over the years, reaching its peak popularity during the 1990s.

• Unfortunately, the franchise lost popularity and has yet to be revived after its final major release in 2014 with Castlevania: Lords of Shadows 2.

For many fans of old school games, castlevania It’s the granddaddy of all horror game franchises. Not only did he define the basic principles of the Metroidvania subgenre, but he is also one of the first examples of horror ever used in games. It has rightly earned a stellar reputation, even if its main timeline is extraordinarily confusing.

Peaking with the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the NightOften considered one of the best games of all time, the castlevania Sadly, the franchise has declined and fans haven’t received a new entry for a decade. However, if there’s one thing players know about vampires, it’s that they’re pretty good at coming back from the dead.

1

alone in the dark

1992-2024 (32 years)

• the original alone in the dark released in 1992 for PC.

• It had constant but distant consequences since then, including Alone in the dark 2, alone in the dark 3and the 2008 reboot alone in the dark.

• Somewhat confusingly, the franchise enjoyed a further revitalization in 2024 with the release of alone in the dark (Yes, that means there are three games called alone in the dark in this franchise).

A surprising but worthy victor, alone in the dark It’s been around for over 30 years and has become known for constantly pioneering technology, even if the quality of its games has been a bit shaky. The original 1992 release was the first game to use polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds, single-handedly earning its place in video game history.

However, its consistent, if not sparse, release schedule has ensured that it is also the oldest horror game franchisealso. With a reboot in 2024 starring big-name actors like Jodie Comer and David Harbour, the little franchise that could continues to persevere, carving an indelible place in video game history and becoming emblematic of how much the industry has grown since its inception.