Narcosis

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Honor Code, Inc.

Narcosis seems like a perfect game for me. I like horror games. I like underwater scenery. I get both in one package here. And for the most part, I did enjoy this game, but I can also definitely see why some folks may not like it. First, if you hate “walking simulators,” much of the game could fit into that category. Likewise if you want a lot of action and blowing stuff up, you also won’t find any of that here. Narcosis is all about atmosphere and story, with gameplay kind of taking a back seat. Like I mentioned before, it’s not for everyone, but if you’re okay with a slower-paced game with a dark, underwater world to explore, then you’ll probably like it like I did. If you’re hoping for a survival horror game with an option to shoot your way out of hairy situations, then you may wind up disappointed here.  

Review added: 10/08/2021

NASCAR Racing

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Papyrus

NASCAR Racing, for its time, was a pretty amazing game for fans of the sport. Heck, I wasn’t even a fan of the sport and I still really enjoyed it. I didn’t necessarily like the control-scheme (Up arrow to hit the gas…bleh), but once I got used to it, it wasn’t too bad. The real fun of the game, for me anyway, was the replays. Was there a wreck during the race? Well, pause the game and get a replay of the action. This option is standard for most sports games today, but back in 1994, it was a neat novelty. Another neat novelty was the number of cars on the track at once. Compared to other racing games of the time, NASCAR or otherwise, this game packs a lot of vehicles on the track with you. Toss in a large assortment of drivers and tracks, and races  and you’ve got a game that I’m pretty sure most NASCAR fans will love. NASCAR RAcing didn’t get a bunch of sequels for nothing, afterall.

Review added: 10/18/2019

Neverending Nightmares

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Infinitap Games

I like Neverending Nightmares a lot. More than my score of the game would suggest. I love the unique visual style and the way that the game successfully manages to create an uneasy feeling with the player despite the fact that the visuals are basically a 2D, black and white cartoon. Unfortunately, part of creating that uneasy atmosphere is having a whole lot of nothing happening in the game but walking around, observing the environment, and listening to all the noises around you. As a result, I think that the “walking simulator” aspects of the game will turn off some players. I, personally, have no problems with long periods of just walking around in games, but even I uttered at one point, “Man, they weren’t kidding about never ending.” It made me a little anxious to simply wrap up the game. I still really liked Neverending Nightmares as a whole, and I’ll likely play through it again at some point, but I think I may split it up into playing a little at a time next time – one, long playthrough felt a little too repetitive.  

Review added: 10/08/2021

Night at the Gates of Hell

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Black Eyed Priest

I genuinely enjoy the small group of developers that go out of their way to create cheesy horror games. The end result isn't always what I'd personally like, but I generally enjoy them all the same. Night at the Gates of Hell is one of those games that I enjoyed, but I likely would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't a first-person shooter. Let's start with what I like, though. The characters and parts of the story are absolutely absurd. From the hokey opening chapter to the creepy might-be-a-child Charles that still breast feeds, there's so many bizarre, absurd parts of the game that I can't help but enjoy it. I also like how many different environments that there are here - many of these Playstation One-era horror inspired games don't have this many different areas to play in, so it's a little bit of a novelty. The downside, in my opinion, and like I mentioned, is the first-person shooter gameplay. Like one would imagine in a game full of zombies, you can only kill zombies with headshots. The problem is that even when it appears that I've aimed the gun perfectly at their head, it doesn't guarantee that you'll land the shot. I think the developers realized this, so they created a system where you can pick up knives as you explore. If a zombie grabs you, and you have a knife, then you stab the zombie in the ear, they die, and you survive. So if you fire a few rounds and fail to dispose of the zombie coming at you, as long as you have a knife in your inventory, you're still safe. Because of the awkward firing mechanics, the final chapter, which is surviving a few waves of zombies flooding in, was a bit of a groaner. Complaints aside, the positives outweighed the negatives for me. There are plenty of other, similar games that I like better, but Night at the Gates of Hell was still charming enough to me to enjoy it all the same.

Review added: 10/31/2023

Night Delivery

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Chilla's Art

I like games from Chilla's Art, but Night Delivery exceeded what I was expecting. Partially, it's because I'm always a sucker for games that have stuff for me to find hidden within the world - in this game, it's 36 cans scattered around. The neat thing about those cans is that they make a rattling noise when you're near them. The noise serves as a double purpose - it lets you know when you're near one, but the noise is also a bit unsettling to hear, so it also adds to the spooky atmosphere of the game. It's just a really well-done way to do a collection gimmick in a horror game. Aside from that aspect, Night Delivery provides a simple, but interesting game with some quirky characters to encounter. My only real complaint about the game is that I wish it was a little big bigger and a little bit longer so I could have learned more about all of the people that you encounter in this game. All and all, though, this is a very solid game and one that I'll gladly be playing again down the road. Night Delivery very well could be my favorite game that Chilla's Art has put out so far.

Review added: 10/31/2024

The Night of the Scissors

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Tomas Esconjaureguy

I want to start by saying that I like The Night of the Scissors…but I can't justify giving it a score much higher than a 5 out of 10. First, somehow the game doesn't work on my laptop…by that, I mean the keyboard controls for movement don't function. All other controls work…but not the movement. For me to play this, I actually had to hold a controller in one hand to use the left analog stick, and use the mouse to click on stuff in the other hand….because, yes, while the movements worked on the controller, nothing else did. It may have been a "me" problem, but since I've never had this issue with any other game before, it makes me question that. Anyway, odd control setup aside, the game played fine for the most part…though it's not really scary in any regard. Any uneasiness that you may feel about having the scissor fellow stalking around the same area that you're exploring will likely go away after you're caught the first time…when you realize that you'll continue on at a checkpoint with any items that you happened to pick up before dying….and you've got infinite lives. If you're attempting a run without ever even seeing the murderer, there still isn't much need to feel uneasy due to the fact that you have multiple areas to hide in…and when you don't, I've noticed that simply moving to the corner of a room, turning off the flashlight, and sitting still for 10-20 seconds has the exact same effect as hiding…so unless you just happen to walk into a doorway as the killer is walking towards it, it's pretty hard to get caught. My first playthrough of this game, I literally made it to the very last step of the game without ever being killed. The only reason I died at the end was that the killer just happened to be walking towards a doorway that I was heading into. A few steps after that doorway, and I would have had a killer-free game….on my first attempt. Anyway, The Night of the Scissors isn't an awful game, but I also wouldn't call it passable. But, if you're looking for a quick, very simple horror game of hide and seek that might take you 20-30 minutes to complete, then you may be able to find some enjoyment in The Night of the Scissors.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Nightmare Kart

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: LWMedia

I honestly didn't expect much from this game when I downloaded it. It's free on Steam, so I just assumed that I was getting myself a game that I could toss at the bottom of the list and post a scarcastic, bad review for…and I was wrong. I wouldn't put Nightmare Kart in the upper echelon of kart games, mind you, but it's a decent little racer all the same. The story mode has you doing a combination of kart-style racing, including weapons that can drop you from first place to last, like in most kart games, and the other mode you'll be playing is car combat, similar to Twisted Metal. Nightmare Kart does neither of these gameplay styles great, but does both of them decent enough where you'll likely continue to play through. The game has a nice, retro presentation…but the audio, which nice and all, doesn't generally fit the horror theme that this game has going for itself. All in all, though, even if this game wasn't free, and I had paid $5-10 for it, I still would have felt like I got my money's worth here. If you're a fan of kart-style racing games and would like to see one with horror aspects thrown in, then give Nightmare Kart a try - it won't cost you a dime to give it a chance.

Review added: 10/31/2024

No One Lives Under the Lighthouse

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Marevo Vollective

No One Lives Under the Lighthouse is both a game that I see some nice positives in, but it's also a game with seemingly an equal number of negatives. I like the Playstation One-era graphics and the art style. I like some of the storytelling. I don’t like that it feels like a glorified tower defense game at times...a genre that I really don’t like at all. Basically, your goal is to get the light tower working each night. Between each successful time of turning the light tower on, you wake up and have to figure out what will be needed for when night falls and you have to get it working again. The tower defense feeling comes from feeling like I need to keep the light tower running while avoiding the deadly creatures that the light is supposed to repel. Ultimately, I stopped playing this after about an hour and haven’t bothered to go back to finish it. Maybe one day I’ll go back and try to make it all the way through again, and if my thoughts and feelings on the game change, I will adjust its placement accordingly on this list, if needed. But for now, I think it’s a so-so game that some may like, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

Review added: 10/28/2021

No, I'm Not a Human

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Trioskaz

I was talking to an acquaintance of mine the other day about playing horror games this Halloween season. I had told her that I try to find obscure horror games to play each year and she told me that she had been hearing a lot of good things about this game from her friends. So, I looked into it, and it looked like something I'd enjoy. I plopped down the money for the game, and I am so, so glad that I did. No, I'm Not a Human is a very simple game, one that I think casual gamers will enjoy, but it's also deep enough and has enough little secrets to discover, that more experienced players will probably find something to enjoy here, too. As I write this review, I've seen three of the endings so far, and I've put about 5 hours into the game so far...with many more hours planned. On average, you'll probably spend roughly 90 minutes per playthrough. The concept of the game is that a disaster has made it deadly to be outside during the day, and during the night, creatures known as "The Visitors" appear, in the shape of humans, and kill people. One particular Visitor, the Pale Man, only kills people who are alone. While all this is going on, FEMA is kidnapping people and evacuating buildings, so at night you'll have a variety of folks knocking at your door, looking for a place to rest. Your goal is to only allow humans in, and to keep out the Visitors. If you don't let anyone inside, the Pale Man will get you. If you let too many people in, you're guaranteed to bring a Visitor into your home. And FEMA will knock on your door and abduct folks that you let in, forcing you to continuously allow more people in your home to survive…so, you'll be testing your refugees to verify that they're human and testing yourself to see if you exhibit any signs of being a Visitor. It's a pretty simple game, honestly, but I absolutely fell in love with it. If anything I described sounds interesting to you, then I highly recommend giving No, I'm Not a Human a try…I bet you'll find yourself getting hooked like I did.

Review added: 10/31/2025

Number Munchers

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: MECC

Like many folks my age, when we were kids, our schools had a few computers and those computers were primarily used to play educational video games. Oregon Trail seems to be the most widely remembered of those games, but you can often get a grin to appear on someone face when you bring up this game as well. Number Munchers makes solving math problems fun by making you frantically find matches to the statement shown at the top of the screen, like multiples of 5, for example. Move too slow or hang around the corners of the screen for too long, and the Troggles appear to make things more difficult. I had not played this game since grade school and half expected my fond memories of this game to be from nostalgia, but it’s actually a very well-designed game that has aged surprisingly well. If you’re looking for an educational game that may improve your math skills while you maneuver past cannibalistic enemies (seriously, the Troggles will eat each other…and parents were worried about us playing Mortal Kombat) then Number Munchers still does a good job today.

Review added: 10/16/2019

Nun Massacre

Also known as:  Night of the Nun (Re-release name)

Developer: puppet combo

Nun Massacre is another Puppet Combo horror game, and while it’s not a technical masterpiece in terms of gameplay, it definitely does its job in terms of horror. The premise of Nun Massacre is that after finding a road blocked, you climb up and find your way into a boarding school…where you get locked in. Your goal is to slowly sneak through the school…but stalking the hallways is a bloodthirsty nun wielding a kitchen knife. The use of sound really makes you uneasy…static is an indication that she’s nearby, and if she spots you, you’ll have plenty of unpleasant noise to deal with until you lose her or meet your end. When attempting to avoid the nun, you can hide under beds or in vents…but if she sees you hide, she’ll flip the bed over and start stabbing away. If she sees you enter a vent, she’ll follow you in. Heck, sometimes she’ll go into hiding herself, just waiting for you to come nearby so she can strike. Nun Massacre isn’t a perfect game by any means, but it succeeds in terms of creating an uneasy, creepy atmosphere. If you like horror games, you’ll likely find plenty to like here, flaws and all.

Review added: 10/31/2020