Horror Franchises With The Most Games

Sequels are an inevitable part of a successful franchise, especially in the horror genre. In the movie world, popular horror franchises such as Saw, Friday the 13th, and Paranormal Activity can continue with a new movie released every couple of years. In video games, horror sequels often build upon the original release, bringing better mechanics, graphics, and storylines. Depite all this extra funding and feedback, some series peak with their first entry.

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Horror continues to be one of the most popular gaming genres in the world, with immersive titles that dare their fans to press play. Many of the games on this list represent the core of the horror genre, with numerous releases becoming benchmarks for other developers to follow. These franchises have found continued success, forging die-hard communities of fans that eagerly await the next release.

8 Fatal Frame

Franchise Entries: 5+

• Series Highlight:Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly

This long-running series helped to define the survival horror genre and is widely considered to be one of the best horror franchises of all time. The first Fatal Frame was released in Japan in 2001 and received strong critical praise, most notably for its use of a camera obscura. The game was influenced by the Silent Hill series, as well as popular Japanese horror movies of the era, such as Ringu and The Grudge.

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The series truly came into its own with the second installment, Crimson Butterfly, where two sisters explore a haunted town, using their camera obscura to defeat various spirits. Fatal Frame 2 is often considered one of the scariest games ever made, with its dark and foreboding atmosphere. The Fatal Frame franchise never became a huge financial success like other famous series, but it still continued with three more entries, as well as two spin-off games.

7 House Of The Dead

Franchise Entries: 6+

• Series Highlight:House of The Dead 2

This influential zombie game series was first released in 1996 as a light-gun arcade game. Each entry features a simple storyline, where an agent prepares to take on hordes of undead with their trusty gun. The story isn’t the focus here though, as players dispatch wave after wave of zombies.

House of the Dead 2 greatly improved on the first game, with better graphics and gameplay. In addition to the six mainline game entries, there have been numerous spin-off games, as well as two film adaptations. House of the Dead was a key part of reviving the zombie genre in both gaming and movies. It has been credited with introducing the fast-running zombie into popular culture, later made famous in films such as 28 Days Later.

6 Alone In the Dark

Franchises Entries: 7+

• Series Highlight: Alone in the Dark

Alone in the Dark is credited as one of the originators of the survival horror genre. First released in 1992, Alone in the Dark revolves around a haunted mansion in Louisiana. Players are tasked with escaping the mansion while solving puzzles and banishing ghosts. The game was highly praised for its groundbreaking gameplay and atmosphere.

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While the first game is still considered one of the most influential titles in horror, the series would move away from its roots in the sequels, bringing more action to its gameplay. There are currently 7 Alone in the Dark games, as well as a small promotional game named Jack in The Dark. The most recent game was released in March 2024 and is a remake of the classic original entry.

5 Five Nights At Freddy’s

Franchise Entries: 9+

• Series Highlight:Five Nights at Freddy’s

Starting in 2014, Five Nights At Freddy’s has quickly established itself as one of the top horror franchises in modern gaming. With 9 mainline entries and numerous spin-off games, the series has firmly entered into modern popular culture, with a movie series consisting of 3 films to add to its library.

The games revolve around Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant, where the player takes on the role of nighttime security guard. The player uses cameras, door controls, and lights to protect themselves from the animatronic mascots that are trying to kill them. While the series hasn’t been the most critically acclaimed throughout its history, the first entry is considered a point-and-click indie classic, with its iconic enemies and unnerving atmosphere, and the first feature-length film adaptation from last year was also positively received.

4 Silent Hill

Franchise Entries: 9+

• Series Highlight:Silent Hill 2

The survival horror seriesSilent Hill is one of the most famous franchises in gaming. Although its critical praise would diminish with subsequent releases, the original three entries in the series are still hailed as classics of the genre. There are over a dozen games in the series, including several mobile games and upcoming remakes. The franchise even spawned a movie series consisting of three films.

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Silent Hill revolves around a mysterious town of the same name, where the central characters find themselves lost in the eerie mists. Various monstrous enemies inhabit the town, most notably the iconic Pyramid Head. The games lean heavily into psychological horror and have been praised for their haunting atmosphere, strong narratives, and unique design. The series has been very influential on horror gaming, especially Silent Hill 2, which is widely considered one of the best games ever made.

3 SCP Foundation

Franchise Entires: 20+

• Series Highlight: SCP – Containment Breach

This unofficial series of cult indie games is based on a large-scale collaborative writing project known as SCP Foundation, created by the SCP Wiki. This shared fictional universe revolves around an organization tasked with capturing, studying, and containing various paranormal phenomena, known as SCPs. Much of the project is made up of reports and articles about particular anomalies that now number over 7000.

There are now numerous SCP games, often created by different indie developers who are fans of the writing project. The series revolves around the player becoming trapped in a facility where there has been an SCP breach. Each enemy featured in the games has a different mechanic that the player needs to work around. Notable SCPs like SCP-173, also known as “Peanut,” will only move when the player looks away. This cult franchise continues to grow and become more well-known in the mainstream, with high-profile games like Control being heavily influenced by the project.

2 Castlevania

Franchise Entries: 30+

• Series Highlight:Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

This gothic horror action-adventure series is one of the most influential franchises in video game history. The series revolves mainly around Dracula and the Belmont family of vampire hunters. Its influence on modern gaming can not be overstated, with the Metroidvania genre half-named after the series. With over 30 entries, Castlevania is a long-running staple of the video game landscape.

There have been several highly praised entries in the series, most notably Symphony of the Night. Its blend of open exploration, tough boss encounters, and roleplaying elements made it a classic of the genre. In addition to the game, there have been several comics published, as well as a successful animated TV series. Castlevania remains an important part of the gaming market, with fans eagerly awaiting news of the next installment.

1 Resident Evil

Franchise Entries 30+

• Series Highlight:Resident Evil 2

The most successful horror franchise in video game history, Resident Evil defined the survival horror genre for many. The mainline series currently has 10 entries, with the first four games also enjoying full remakes in recent years. There have been numerous spin-offs and mobile games, as well as several film series, animations, and TV series.

The Resident Evil franchise generally revolves around a mass viral outbreak, where people are turned into undead zombies or mutated monsters. From the T-Virus in the original game to the Las Plagas parasite in the fourth entry, the player must always survive against tough enemies looking to rip them apart. The games will often blend action and horror, and feature numerous puzzles for players to solve. Resident Evil remains a major name in the video game industry, with several classic installments. The series reinvents itself every few years, staying relevant to new generations and ensuring its continued success.

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