In the majority of horror games, you must survive a threat in order to escape the horrifying situation in which you find yourself. In this case, the horror game has only one “good” ending, with failing to achieve this predetermined scenario resulting in a game over. However, some horror titles subvert this expectation by allowing you to achieve multiple alternative endings.
In some horror experiences, multiple endings are used as a device to explore what would happen if you were to make different choices. Some endings are played for comedic effect, while others give a new perspective and add to the game’s lore.
Beware of spoilers about all these games' endings!
10/10 Can Ray Forgive Herself? – Detention
The point-and-click game Detention takes place in 1960s Taiwan during the White Terror. It incorporates many of the atrocities that happened in this time period into its story, alongside references to Taiwanese culture and mythology.
Detention has two endings that you can achieve – a “good” ending where Fang Ray Shin accepts the events of her past and moves on, and a “bad” ending where Ray is unable to do so. Each of the endings is impactful in its own right, but the good ending is definitely more fitting, as it wraps up Ray’s character arc succinctly.
9/10 Painting A Masterpiece – Layers Of Fear
In Layers of Fear, you play as a tormented artist who is struggling to complete a painting. You'll unravel the mysteries behind the painter’s troubled past, as you explore the mansion where the game takes place. Layers of Fear has three possible endings that can be achieved depending on how you play the game.
Each of these endings explores the painter’s psyche, with the outcome of his painting being determined by the choices you make. In the “Loop” ending, the painter completes the artwork, but the finished piece is more sinister than he may have intended.
8/10 Confront Your Dark Past – Amnesia: The Dark Descent
In Amnesia: The Dark Descent, you explore the Brennenburg Castle, discovering more about Daniel’s past and his lost memories as you navigate its dark hallways and rooms. With no weapon to use to defend yourself against the game’s monsters, you must use stealth to avoid them, using furniture to hide.
The game has three endings you can receive depending on the actions you take during a pivotal moment in the title’s final area. It also has a secret fourth ending that requires you to wait in the cell after being imprisoned, where Daniel succumbs to the Shadow, hearing the voices of those he sacrificed.
7/10 Will James Move On? – Silent Hill 2
The second entry in the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill 2 moved away from the occultist storyline of the original Silent Hill, instead emphasizing the series’ psychological elements. This game has three main endings that you can obtain, as well as three more alternative endings.
Silent Hill 2’s endings are some of the most impactful, as each of its main endings focuses on James Sunderland’s reaction to what he did to his wife Mary. For example, by acting more recklessly throughout your playthrough, you’re more likely to get the In Water ending. Whereas, by acting as though James wants to survive, you would most likely receive the Leave ending. Silent Hill 2 doesn’t have a canon ending, making whichever one you receive the “true” ending in regard to your playthrough.
6/10 Boarding School From Hell – Nun Massacre
As the title implies, Nun Massacre is a survival horror game, where, after receiving a letter that says your daughter has become ill at boarding school, you go to pick her up, only to be hunted down by a murderous nun. The game has five main endings that determine the fate of Mrs. McDonnell.
While campy on the surface, the game also has some dark undertones, which the endings explore. For example, in Ending A, Mrs. McDonnell feels intense guilt for sending her daughter to the boarding school and digs herself a grave. Whether Mrs. McDonnell forgives herself or not is up to the ending you get.
5/10 Short, But Lots To Unpack – Mundaun
Mundaun’s hand-drawn aesthetic provides a haunting backdrop to this folk horror game, where you navigate the game’s unnerving titular town. Mundaun has five possible endings, making replaying it a must if you want to see all this unique game has to offer.
Mundaun’s relatively short playtime makes achieving each of its endings worthwhile, and as the game avoids pushing you towards a “canon” outcome, you can decide which one you prefer for yourself. It’s your decision whether you change the past or face the present.
4/10 Make Sure To Protect Them – Resident Evil
The start of the Resident Evil series, the original game allowed you to play as Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine as you explore a disused mansion that is filled with zombies. Aside from the decision to play as Chris or Jill, Resident Evil requires you to make other decisions that determine which ending you obtain.
Lots of these endings are determined by whether you succeed in keeping the characters alive, with the best possible ending in both Chris’ and Jill’s routes requiring you to save your partner and a team member trapped in the lab.
3/10 Their Lives Are In Your Hands – Until Dawn
The interactive horror game Until Dawn prioritizes your choices as you make decisions that determine which of the characters survive the night on Blackwood Mountain. The game's endings don’t differ significantly in terms of the narrative; however, to obtain the good one, you must ensure that everyone survives – a feat that may prove difficult on a first playthrough, as you need to make perfect choices.
Other than the good ending, Until Dawn has a “worst” ending where no characters survive – though this probably won’t happen unless you act especially recklessly.
2/10 Change The Future And The Past – Oxenfree
Oxenfree is a supernatural horror game about a group of teenagers, who, after visiting Edwards Island, are subjected to anomalies from the island’s past. The game has multiple endings depending on the dialogue options you choose and the actions you take throughout. These different endings can be as simple as ruining your friendship with another character; however, some of them directly correlate to the characters’ fates.
Oxenfree’s different endings add to its replayability, as you must play through the game multiple times to obtain them all and discover all the mysteries surrounding Edwards Island.
1/10 Escape The Scissorman – Clock Tower: The First Fear
Inspired by the films of Dario Argento, Clock Tower: The First Fear has a whopping total of nine different endings that can be achieved, requiring you to play the game multiple times to discover all that it has to offer.
Many of these endings are vastly different from each other, with the worst ending featuring Jennifer fleeing the mansion in a car, only to discover the villain, Bobby Barrows, is in the backseat, raring his gigantic scissors. Jennifer only survives in endings S, A, B, and C, making these the best possible endings to achieve.
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