The 7 Scariest Kids in Horror Games

Ever wonder why kids in horror are always so scary? It’s a classic trope for a reason. Simply take something that’s supposed to be innocent and wholesome, then flip it on its head. Take the childhood wonder and innocence that kid characters are supposed to have, load them up with malice instead, and voila. The dissonance between the two opposing concepts being forced together leaves the audience unsettled. Add some eerie sound effects and the right setting, and just about anything can be made scary.

Horror games, in particular, know how to use the scary kid trope to perfection. Nothing sends a shiver down a gamer’s spine during a survival horror game like hearing a giggle and spotting a creepy kid in a hallway. Here are some of the best examples.

7 Amanda (Amanda the Adventurer)

She’s Out There, Somewhere

• Platform(s): Steam
• Released: April 25, 2023
• Publisher(s): DreadXP
• Genre(s): Survival horror

All throughout Amanda the Adventurer, players gradually realize there’s something sinister going on behind the scenes of this Dora the Explorer rip-off. When the kid’s show protagonist addresses the viewer, it’s usually just a way to pad out the airtime. But it’s clear that this little girl knows someone is watching, and she desperately needs their help.

Poor Amanda. Not even she knows what’s wrong with her. Between her morbid interests and increasing aggression towards her best friend, it’s clear she’s only partially aware of whatever demonic influence has attached itself to her. All she knows is that it’s too late to do anything about whatever she’s become.

6 Six (Little Nightmares)

Not So Innocent After All

Little Nightmares is one of those games that doesn’t explain its own lore, leaving players to speculate on its characters and greater meaning. As such, its itty-bitty leading lady, Six, isn’t given much backstory, if at all. All players know is she wants to escape the Maw, and that she’s very, very hungry.

Usually, that’s all gamers need to sympathize with their main character. However, as the game progresses, it becomes uncomfortably clear that Six isn’t as sweet and innocent as her yellow raincoat makes her appear. She’s way too apathetic toward other victims of the Maw, mostly focusing on her own survival. And when her hunger pains kick in, not even her friends are safe.

5 Joshua Shepherd (Silent Hill: Homecoming)

A Favorite Child, A Manifestation Of Guilt, A Victim Of Circumstance

• Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
• Released: September 30, 2008
• Publisher(s): Konami
• Genre(s): Survival horror

Like so many apparitions in the Silent Hill franchise, Joshua’s behavior is barely explained, deeply symbolic, and weird as can be. He appears to his brother Alex throughout the game, speaking in riddles before running away before his brother can enjoy a proper reunion. Seeing the boy coloring in the darkened hallway of a hospital has got to be a good sign, right?

Unfortunately, because this is a Silent Hill game, everything is laden with sad, sad meaning. Joshua’s random appearances, cryptic guidance, and his propensity to stay just out of his brother’s reach are all clues. The little brother Alex wanted so desperately to save was already long gone.

4 Akane and Azami Kiryu (Fatal Frame 2)

Twin Sisters Separated By Tradition, Reunited In Death

Separating twins is always a sad tale, especially when it involves murderous rituals. In Fatal Frame 2, Akane and Azami Kiryu were unlucky enough to be born in a town where such things were necessary to keep the peace. The end result was an identical pair of tortured, murderous spirits. Oh, and with a creepy doll thrown in, just to keep things interesting.

With their pale white skin and inky hair covering their eyes, these sinister kimono-clad sisters fit the perfect onryō vibe. Add to that their preference to appear together in hallways while speaking in unison (aiming to sandwich the player between them in a pincer-style attack), and their twin act could put the Grady sisters to shame.

3 The Sink Baby (P.T.)

Somehow Even Worse Than The Ghost Lady With The Broken Neck Floating Around

Unlike most entries here, this little tyke doesn’t have an official name. It’s not even completely confirmed whether or not he’s even real. As players wander the endlessly looping hallway of this infamously scary demo, they’ll occasionally hear cries and giggles. They eventually discover the apparent source of these noises when the bathroom door finally opens, revealing…this.

As if his misshapen face and stubby useless limbs didn’t make him scary enough, the Sink Baby talks. Not only in full sentences but in an eerie deep baritone at that. His chilling monologue alludes to the ghost Lisa’s backstory, first mentioned on the radio as the game starts. No baby should be that familiar with his parents’ lives.

2 Eveline (Resident Evil 7)

Accept Her Gift, Join Her Family

In her defense, it’s not Eveline’s fault she turned out to be such a nightmare. She was literally designed in a lab to be one scary kid. Eveline is an incredibly powerful bioweapon disguised as an innocent child, using her mould to bend others to her will. When she’s accidentally unleashed on an unsuspecting Louisiana family, she is single-handedly responsible for one of the scariest video game experiences of 2017.

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Her ingrained desire to be part of a “family” also adds an air of tragedy to her character. Even though she’s ordered the Bakers and Ethan’s own wife to kill him, what she really wants is for Ethan to join them. She alternates between giggling in delight over the terror she inflicts and sadly wondering why no one loves her. Still, that much power in a reckless child’s hands is never good.

1 Alma Wade (F.E.A.R.)

The Girl In The Red Dress Wants The Player To Kill Them All

Alma Wade is the undisputed queen of scary kids in video games. Inspired by the likes of Sadako from The Ring and Kayako from The Grudge, Alma is a creepy little girl with stringy black hair, bare bloody feet, and immense psychic energy. Experimented on for all her life by the Armachan Technology Corporation, this kid has become an all-powerful spirit of vengeance.

Throughout the first F.E.A.R. installment, everyone runs when they spot this little girl slo-mo walking into view. Her psychic powers can cause massive destruction, drive people insane, and so much more. Even her appearance is just a spectral projection of her consciousness. The real Alma’s body is still trapped deep within the facility. Her creepy little girl persona is fashioned after her lost innocence. Or maybe she just knows how scary it is and likes it that way?

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