Zen and Zombies - 6 relaxing horror games
The words ‘relaxing’ and ‘horror’ may seem like oxymorons, unable to fit into the same experience, but there’s a few games out there that have managed to walk that fine line.
Cosy games have become quite a thing over the last few years, from classics like Stardew Valley, to the recent (and ridiculously satisfying) A Little To The Left, so it was inevitable that it would spill into other genres. I am a fan of both genres, but horror was the one genre that I didn’t think cosiness would touch.
Clearly, I was underestimating the limitless creativity of the indie horror community. It's not an easy feat to make someone feel creeped-out-but-cosy, but the following 6 games managed it.
Pacific Drive
The inspiration for this article, Pacific Drive perfectly captures the feeling of a tranquil road trip along the quiet roads of the apocalypse. The genius of its design is that it immerses you at every turn by having you do absolutely everything manually. The number of times I left my car to pick something up outside, then turned back around to see my car halfway down the hill because I forgot to put the handbrake on is embarrassing.
Your car can gain a myriad of faults that you must diagnose and remedy. During my playthrough, my car picked up a fault that every time I used the brakes, the passenger door would swing open, allowing harmful radiation to seep in. This all adds to the notion that your car is precious. Sitting in the driver's seat listening to a bit of outrun as UFO’s fly overhead gives you that serene sense of safety often found in the safe rooms of Resident Evil or Left 4 Dead.
World Of Horror
World Of Horror is an incredibly unique game. It puts you in the driver's seat of a Junji-Ito-esque mystery, as its twisted figures are presented in a quirky and pixelated graphical style. That doesn’t sound relaxing at all, but the chill atmosphere comes in the form of its gameplay. You aren’t rushing about the city of Shiokawa in real-time, you’re essentially playing a choose-your-own-adventure, albeit a pretty messed up one.
The decisions are by no means chill, so the tension can ramp up pretty effectively, but taking it at your own pace is a welcome addition to a horror game. Making choices in your own time though is a double edge sword - much like Inscryption, having as much time as you need to make a difficult decision can become paralysing; sometimes you beg for the game to put you out of your misery and make that decision for you.
Mundaun
I don’t see enough people talking about Mundaun, and that saddens me. It’s such a unique indie game in so many ways - from the scratchy, black and white, hand drawn aesthetic (that I so clearly love), to the folk-horror story that it drip feeds you, you won’t have played anything quite like it.
The main pull for me, however, was just how beautiful and relaxing it is. You arrive at your grandfather's home in the alps after his sudden mysterious demise in a barn fire, which sends you on a journey to the top of the mountain to uncover the truth.
The landscape is beautifully melancholic, which adds to the subtle surreality of it all, and makes you want to wander around this lonely mountain for hours. The peak of cosiness is upgrading your fear resistance, which requires you to find coffee beans and a stove, and sit down in a frosty wooden shack sipping a nice hot cup of joe.
Death Stranding
This one is far from the indies mentioned before, and it’s also not strictly a horror, but they’ve got floating ghost zombies so I think it’s fair to say it dabbles in horror. Death Stranding was a game that I was unsure of on launch - Hideo Kojima is a wacky guy with wacky ideas, and having free reign to do what he wants could have gone a little too off the rails for my liking (the trailer for Death Stranding 2 looks like he’s crossed the line a bit for me with guitar solo fights).
Death Stranding 1 had a bonkers story with some wild characters, but the actual gameplay was simple - walk over uneven terrain to deliver some mail. Not exactly thrilling, but the zen-like experience of plotting out the best route, trekking up and over mountains, dealing with mini hazards like rain, streams or steep hills along the way kept me glued. This one really is the game to stick a podcast on and lose yourself… Until the next 30 minute cutscene about giant tar whales in the sky and protecting jar babies from acid rain.
Killer Frequency
I mentioned Killer Frequency in another article about 6 genius game mechanics in indie horrors, and honestly, this game needs more love. You’re DJ Forrest Nash, having the worst night of his life as he tries to save the residents of Gallows Creek from a serial killer. You do this entirely from the radio station, finding items to help you aid callers trying to escape from the clutches of The Whistling Man.
The tension is high as you help these terrified citizens. One wrong move could mean their death, and you don’t get a game-over screen - the story just carries on without them. But the radio station is just so damn cosy! In between these heart-pounding experiences, you’ll be spinning 80s records, talking to the local pizzeria, and strategizing with your producer on how to make it through this terrible night.
Dredge
When I was homebound with COVID for the second time, I thought I deserved a treat to get me through a week of isolation. Dredge had just dropped to some cracking reviews, and it looked nice and calm - perfect for someone laid on a sofa feeling sorry for themself. So I went for it.
You are a fisherman, catching sea life to sell to the various ports and harbours over the 5 regions of the map. You talk to the locals about mysterious creatures in the depths below, upgrade your humble boat, and get back to the open sea. But as night falls, monstrous beings raise their ugly heads and come for you.
I couldn’t put it down, and once I’d completed it, I started it all over again. I just couldn’t get enough of the peaceful tranquillity the daytime fishing provided. Just don’t get too comfortable as the sun sets…
I’m dying to find more chill horrors, if you know of any more, please drop a comment below to help me out!
For more articles on horror gaming subgenres, check out this article on the revival of low poly horror!