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Criteria for Inclusion in the Horror Quest

As mentioned on the About page, I realized early into this Quest that it would be impossible to play every horror game ever created. This page describes my criteria for including games in the Quest.

Defining Survival Horror
"Survival Horror" is a loaded term. It was famously coined by Resident Evil, and to this day many people associate it with fixed camera angles, huge Victorian mansions, and doors that unlock once a statue has been moved into a particular place. Others parse the term literally: games that put a hardcore emphasis on both surviving and on horror (thus excluding games like Clock Tower). I like the term because it roughly describes the type of game I am looking for, but in practice it is too vague for my purposes. Thus, I have created the following criteria for Horror Quest games. A game must satisfy each of the following requirements to be included in the Quest:

Content Requirements:
  1. Horror Themes. A survival horror game is constructed around horrific situations and events. Simply including zombies or gothic settings does not make a game "horror."
  2. Intent to Scare. To be included in the Quest, a game must have been explicitly designed to scare the player. Furthermore, the intention to scare the player must be one of the primary characteristics of the game.
System Requirements:
  1. Console games only. PC games are not included in the quest. Games available on both PC and a console are acceptable.
  2. No handheld games.
  3. No light gun games.
  4. No text adventure or visual novel games.

Close Call Games
Sometimes a game comes along that fans of the survival horror genre may enjoy even though it fails one or more of the inclusion for the Quest. This includes games that use horrific themes but do not attempt to be scary (Luigi's Mansion, for example). While my interest in such games is lower than those included in the Quest, I've decided to keep track of them on this site anyway. The Close Call list contains games that fail my Quest requirements but might still be of interest to horror gamers.

Hey! Why Don't You Include ________??
Here is a list of some titles that I've chosen to omit, and my reasoning behind each omission. If you don't agree with me, feel free to drop me a line.
  • Devil May Cry - Fails Content Requirement 1 and 2. Gothic settings don't make a game horror, and this game makes no attempt to scare the player.
  • Fear Effect - Fails Content Requirement 1 and 2. This is a tough call, as Fear Effect does include several horror elements (zombies, going to hell, etc). However, I think that the main theme of this game is science fiction, so I've decided against including it per Content Requirement 2.
  • House of the Dead - Fails System Requirement 3. Just say no to light gun games.
  • Nocturne - Fails System Requirement 1, as it isn't available on a console.
  • Vampire Night - Fails System Requirement 3. Sorry, no light guns.


I've found defining this genre very difficult, and the requirements I have come up with are certainly not set in stone. The definition I have is serviceable, but I am sure that legitimate horror games may still fall through the cracks. If you notice an omission that doesn't make sense, contact me.
  
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