10 Best Horror Games on Nintendo Switch (2025)

Fret not about not having any good horror games on your Switch. The console has it pretty well covered across all gaming genres. And while horror games may be more popular on PlayStation or Xbox, Nintendo also comes in pretty close with some worthwhile experiences.

Whether you prefer horror games with a compelling story, exploring haunted mansions, or ones with frightening creatures and environments, you’re in the right place. Here are the best horror games on Nintendo Switch you ought to try out.

What is a Horror Game?

Firstly, though, a horror game has the sole purpose of inducing fear in the player or delivering an unsettling experience, whether it’s through jump scares, grotesque character designs, eerie atmospheres and environments, and so on. For an extra touch, horror games may include survival gameplay as well, featuring limited resources and ammo needed at the most desperate times.

Top Horror Games on Nintendo Switch

And now, a compilation of the best horror games on Nintendo Switch you must check out.

10. Layers of Fear: Legacy

Horror games like Layers of Fear: Legacy require that you pay attention to the smallest details, even when it’s a walk down a painter’s worst nightmare. You journey through the painter’s past life in connection to their present, all masterfully created in a house full of supernatural phenomena.

And as you explore the constantly changing personal items in the house, moving the camera angles in unexpected ways, you discover new information that informs you on the true motive of the painter.

9. Detention

Another mind-boggling horror adventure is Detention, featuring a unique atmosphere inspired by Taiwanese culture. Its story mixes in religious and mythological elements, following events from the 1960s Taiwan’s martial law. In the game, you enter a school with supernatural elements, investigating the haunted place for clues about its past.

8. Little Nightmares II

Recently released Little Nightmares III follows the eerie atmosphere and platforming gameplay set by its predecessors. This time, childhood friends Low and Alone venture on a new, terrifying adventure, diving deep into their worst nightmares.

They visit the Nowhere place, helping each other find a way out in single-player or co-op mode, or risk death. While not sharing the same novelty as the first game, it does stick to the guns of the disturbing graphics and uneasy environments of the franchise that fans have come to love.

7. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD

The Mario franchise did well when it branched out into Luigi’s Mansion. A horror spin-off, featuring Mario’s brother, who’s trapped in a haunted place. While you still use platforming gameplay to maneuver around, the rooms in the mansion are rigged with traps that can be pretty good jump scares, as well as eerie environments and terrifying ghouls to contend with. 

6. Oxenfree

You and your friends are having a good time on an old military island when you accidentally open a ghostly rift. And with it come ominous creatures, as well as unraveling the island’s dark past.

Unlike other horror games, Oxenfree adds character development to the mix by providing you with choices that have an impact on the story’s outcome. You even build complex relationships with your companions that help create a more engaging and fulfilling experience. 

5. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

In fifth place of the best horror games on Nintendo Switch is Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. Its story is pretty interesting, taking place on Mt. Hikami, where a religious group lived, and many gruesome events are said to have taken place. Naturally, protagonists Yuri, Miu, and Ren are curious about the mountain’s history and thus, go out exploring its secrets.

They, however, run into vengeful ghosts, whom they must take photos of to curb their power. And with every accurate snap taken, they discover hidden items in the environment they otherwise wouldn’t see, alongside discovering many secrets about the mountain’s dark past.

4. Amnesia: Collection

Amnesia: Collection has all three games: The Dark Descent, A Machine for Pigs, and Justine. Each is a living nightmare that follows a different protagonist and story. Across the board, though, are characters who’ve lost their memory and move around terrifying environments, evading monsters.

Across the series are some intense scenes of psychological horror. You’re always in constant fear and anxiety of what’s lurking in the shadows while dealing with intricate environmental and narrative puzzles. 

3. Observer

Observer takes a different course, following a detective in a cyberpunk world, investigating various cases in the futuristic year 2084. In the future, several governments have fallen and caused opportunistic corporations to seize power.

As the Observer working for the powers that be, you have the power to hack into the minds of NPCs, thus discovering their memories and secrets that they hide. And as a result, make sense of the puzzles of your investigations, including solving the disappearance of your son, all packaged in a mind-melting experience.

2.  Resident Evil 4 Remake

Resident Evil has been a pioneering force among the best horror games on Nintendo Switch. And Resident Evil 4 Remake ranks among the best playthroughs you can hope for. It’s a storied journey following the fall of the Umbrella Corporation.

Through the new third-person perspective, you enjoy more immersive action sequences and exploration. You play as Leon S. Kennedy as he searches for the president’s daughter in a cold village in Europe, where mutated creatures await.

1. Signalis

At the top spot is Signalis, taking place in a retro-futuristic setting. A cosmic mystery lies at the heart of the game, alongside searching for your lost partner and dreams. You’ll solve brain teasers, unravel terrifying secrets, and encounter frightening creatures, all in a complex and engaging psychological survival horror playthrough.

For gamers looking for deep lore, you’ll find lots of it here, from the humanoid androids to the totalitarian regime ruling over space. By managing limited resources, you’ll explore the cold and distant parts of the world via dynamic lighting and shadows, and enjoy cinematic sci-fi anime storytelling.