Let’s face it: we’ve seen Resident Evil and Silent Hill done to death on the big and small screens. But what about the hidden gems of horror gaming that are just begging to be adapted? Some games wouldn’t make for good TV (*looking at you, Counter Strike: Global Offensive – the world has enough gunplay already). However, these five horror games are ready to break out of the screen and into your living room. And trust me, they’re ready to leave an impression.
1. The Evil Within – Mind-Bending Horror
If you like your horror with a side of psychological madness, The Evil Within would be a perfect binge-watch. Sebastian Castellanos faces off against grotesque monsters and a twisted reality that bends space and time. This makes every step he takes a mind-bending nightmare. The storytelling is rich enough to fuel multiple seasons. And the villains – Ruvik, in particular – are the kind of iconic horror figures you want in your nightmares. With Shinji Mikami (the genius behind Resident Evil) as the creator, there’s no shortage of thrills and plot twists.
The show’s visual potential alone is enough to make you wonder, why hasn’t this happened yet?
2. Until Dawn – Teen Horror with a Dark Twist
You know the story: a group of teens heads to a remote cabin, things go wrong, and everything descends into chaos. It’s Until Dawn in a nutshell, but there’s a reason this game would make for a perfect TV series. The interactive storytelling, where every decision affects the outcome, would add a unique spin to the horror tropes. Picture it as a mix of Scream and Black Mirror with a choose-your-own-disaster element thrown in.
The best part? You wouldn’t even need to stick to just one season. Each season could follow different characters or timelines, keeping things fresh and frightening.
3. Alan Wake – Psychological Horror with a Dose of Noir
Alan Wake is basically a TV show trapped in a game, and if the rumours are true, we won’t have to wait too long for it to hit our screens. It follows the titular novelist as he battles darkness – both literal and metaphorical – in the eerie town of Bright Falls, where reality and fiction blur. It’s got the makings of a solid psychological thriller with a heavy dose of supernatural horror.
And if you’re excited about this one, hold tight—there are whispers that both Alan Wake and Control (set in the same universe) are heading to TV. With deep narratives and otherworldly intrigue, these games could be the next Stranger Things. But darker, weirder, and with more writer’s block.
4. Dead Space – Space Horror Done Right
If you haven’t yet boarded the Dead Space hype train, it’s time. With two feature-length animated movies already set in its universe, Dead Space is just waiting for a full-blown TV adaptation. Engineer Isaac Clarke finds himself aboard a derelict space station where alien creatures (and his own sanity) are out to kill him. It’s sci-fi horror at its finest—claustrophobic, terrifying, and with just enough body horror to make you squirm.
The success of shows like The Expanse has proven that space drama works on TV. Dead Space could take that formula, ramp up the horror, and become a massive hit. And if done right, it could even outshine Alien in terms of pure nightmare fuel.
5. Outlast – Found Footage Meets Torture Horror
Want to push your horror threshold to the limit? Enter Outlast. This game throws you into an abandoned asylum where inmates have taken over, and the only thing you have to protect yourself? A night-vision camera. Yep, Outlast is pure, unfiltered terror, and the found-footage aesthetic would translate flawlessly to TV.
Think of it as American Horror Story meets The Blair Witch Project. Each episode could ramp up the tension, with your protagonist constantly on the run from horrifying creatures and sadistic villains. The “helpless hero” narrative can get old, but in Outlast, it’s so well done, that it’d have you glued to the edge of your couch. Assuming you haven’t thrown your remote at the screen by then.
Not every video game needs to be a TV show. But when it comes to deep narratives, atmospheric horror, and characters you can root for, these five games are just waiting for their close-up. Especially after the success of The Last Of Us.
So, which game are you dying to see on screen? Or did we miss a hidden horror gem that’s just begging to be the next big thing in streaming? Let us know what’s on your watchlist—or nightmare fuel list.
