6 Hardest Nintendo Switch Horror Games, Ranked

The Nintendo Switch has been Nintendo’s prime focus as a console for almost seven years now, giving a lot of time to build up an incredible library of games. The Switch has seen a wide variety of platformers, action-adventures, RPGs, and strategy games, but one genre remains a diamond in the rough: horror games, or alternatively, survival horror games.

Although every horror game challenges players by offering real scares, the six horror games available to play on Nintendo Switch are difficult for more reasons than that. From legendary franchises to one-off Nintendo eShop exclusives, the Nintendo Switch may not be the premier console for the horror genre, but these games are worth checking out.

6 Among The Sleep

Staying Up Past Your Bedtime Is No Easy Feat

Among the Sleep was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019. This first-person horror game finds players controlling a toddler accompanied by a sentient teddy bear, exploring their home, and outrunning dangerous and mysterious creatures. Getting put into the role of a small child is more than enough to make this one of the scariest games on the Switch.

However, the cutesy graphics of Among the Sleep shouldn’t fool you. Its linear story and lack of many options for players to escape make it an incredibly hard game to complete. As with many survival horror games, perseverance is key. However, no gamer would be blamed for putting it down if the frights become too much to handle.

5 Resident Evil: Revelations

From 3DS To Switch, Resident Evil Fans Are Shown No Mercy

Resident Evil is notably one of the most famous horror game franchises in the history of video gaming. One of the most difficult entries in the series is Resident Evil: Revelations, which originated on the Nintendo 3DS in 2012 but received a port on Switch in 2017, alongside its sequel Resident Evil: Revelations 2.

Although both games are great horror experiences, the first Resident Evil: Revelations benefits from the Switch upgrade, ramping up the difficulty with motion controls and truly terrible frights. It may not be the most difficult the franchise has gotten, but for the Nintendo Switch, Revelations can be frustrating for some hardcore Nintendo fans.

4 MADiSON

The Struggle With MADiSON Comes From True Terror

MADiSON finally made its way onto the Nintendo Switch in 2022, offering a truly unique horror experience. Upon its initial release, many reviewers commended MADiSON for being one of the most genuinely terrifying horror games out there, and studies were even done to prove that players’ heart rates increased dramatically when trying to complete it.

As a result, many players, especially hardcore horror game fans, may find MADiSON too difficult to handle. While many horror games survive on dim lighting to set the atmosphere, in MADiSON the lack of vision for much of the game can even turn out to be a bit tiresome. Nevertheless, it’s worth it for the terrifying horrors beneath the game’s surface. (1 link)

3 Outlast: Bundle Of Terror

Impossible To Outrun These Horrors In Pitch Darkness

By 2023, Outlast has become one of the most iconic horror games of the modern era, despite being released a decade ago for PC. It didn’t see a release on the Nintendo Switch until 2018, under the tagline Outlast: Bundle of Terror. Players control an investigative reporter exploring an isolated psychiatric hospital filled with homicidal patients running amok.

The game is filled with unpredictable jump scares and contains a traumatic backstory that is sure to frighten players of every age. Players can do a lot to escape the maniacs chasing after them, but once they’re caught, they’ll sadly have to surrender to the horrors. If players manage to make it through, there’s also a sequel on the Switch waiting for them.

2 Darkwood

Survival Horror Meets Tower Defense

This survival horror game was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, two years after its original release on Mac and PC. It’s a rare experiment of placing a horror game in an open-world setting, allowing players to scavenge a forest and surrounding areas for supplies so that they can survive the night when intruders will attempt to break into their hideout.

Darkwood incorporates aspects from many games, such as an RPG-esque skill system, as well as the strategic survival of tower defense games. Many reviewers also credited the game for relying on frights outside of standard jump scares, creating an atmosphere that’s more likely to make players feel like they’re actually barely surviving each night in the game.

1 Amnesia: Collection

The Iconic Survival Horror Series Remains Highly Challenging On The Switch

Amnesia is widely known to be one of the most difficult horror games out there, and that fact is no different in its Nintendo Switch version. Originally released as Amnesia: The Dark Descent in 2010, its Switch version also includes the expansions Amnesia: Justine and A Machine For Pigs, but thankfully, its difficulty can be changed for more amateur players.

Although reviewers had fewer kind things to say about the expansion packs, the original game The Dark Descent could be one of the hardest horror experiences on the Switch if players are bold enough. Its puzzles can be quite confusing for inexperienced players, while its frights are enough to deter some from continuing to play past early levels. Moreover, managing Daniel’s fear of darkness and overall sanity, as well as lantern oil, adds extra pressure on the player.

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