If you haven’t watched your close and loved ones scream and cry with Vive or Oculus headset strapped on, you missed on loads of fun.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are best Rift and Vive jumpscare experiences to demonstrate VR horror to your friends and family
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion: HD Renovation
You enter the cutesy scare house. It starts off innocently, but rapidly escalates into full-blown terror. As you’re wandering through the rooms (there’s 1000 of them!) you will start getting attacked and chased by the most unspeakable stuff of nightmares.
A remake of original Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion, it was developed in Unity engine with proper 3D graphics and models, as well as some new additions along the way.
It’s playable both on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, but you will need the controller and keyboard for command input.
Make sure you never EVER find yourself without the camera – the jumpscares and screams of your friends & family will be absolutely hilarious, guaranteed!
The Elevator Ritual
This Rift exclusive provides detailed instructions how to get to the Otherworld. You’re playing as Sarah, a teenage student who, obviously, follows these instructions, because logic, I guess?!
Apparently, nobody knows what’s there, and there is this mysterious woman that’s supposedly dangerous. Also, there’s some kind of vengeful spirit there. Somewhere…
The woman = vengeful spirit? Well, we’ll let you find that out on your own. Besides, we are not touching this thing ever again. Ever.
PRICE: €/$ 2.99 on Oculus
Alien: Isolation
In order to play this blast-from-the-past in VR, you’ll need Oculus Rift, Xbox Controller or Keyboard & Mouse combo, and an unofficial MotherVR mod. Alien: Isolation has a built-in prototype-Rift functionality, which many Rift users tried back in 2014, but it was never officially launched. It was just there, in the game files.
Well, what’s in the files can’t remain there forever. Reddit user /u/Nibre took what’s in there and made the aforementioned mod. The newest iteration of the mod now supports HTC Vive as well. He seems to be actively providing direct support and troubleshooting assistance for his work.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, Alien-levels of horror in VR are disturbingly visceral. After all, the modder himself warned us twice, in bold font and all caps:
“THIS GAME IS DESIGNED FOR SEATED PLAY. By playing this Mod any other way than seated, you do so at your own risk. You may be able to stomach this standing, but I absolutely cannot recommend it at this time”
That’s as clear of a warning as it can be. Be careful out there.
The Bellows
Here’s an excerpt from this game’s Steam Page
“Taking the knowledge gleaned from the previous release, Castle Steps has created a polished horror experience designed to show people just how scary VR can be. The game has been redone with brand new content, new scares, and a singular focus. Scaring you, scaring your family, and scaring your friends. Plunge yourself into a world of nightmares and fear, and discover just how frightening virtual reality can be.”
One thing’s for sure – whoever subjects him/herself to this torture will have to pay a visit to the bathroom.
Best of all? It’s free to play. Enjoy. If that’s even possible.
Dreadhalls
This game is one massive dungeon filled with horrors that can’t wait for you to make a single wrong step. With no tools or weapons, the only objectives are to survive and escape.
Now, how good is this to showcase VR horror to your friends and family?
They will experience primal terror. They will scream. They will cry. You won’t be able to stop laughing.
Monstrum
This game is a jumpscare heaven. You are stuck on a derelict cargo ship, trying to survive and escape by any means necessary.
The game is really hard. The odds are stacked against you. With procedurally generated environment and horrifying predators lurking in the shadows, you will be driven to the brink of sanity.
Perfect party game, for sure.
Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul
This game traps you in a normal looking house. Except, nothing in that house is really normal. Thus the name, heh…
Driving inspiration from PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movies, this game was developed exclusively for VR. Developers really made it as immersive as possible, which makes it even scarier.
Kudos to anyone who can play this through. Bonus points for surviving the terror living inside the house. We could do neither of those.
Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery
Similar to Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion: HD Renovation, this horror game starts off on a lighter, funnier note.
However, as you go deeper into the abandoned tourist attraction, you will quickly regret that decision. The tricky part, aside from the cold horror, is that you will actually have to aim and shoot if you want to make it out alive.
Although it’s playable on Rift, you will need 360° tracking, so if you plan on buying this, it’s time for that third sensor.
Don’t Blink
Follow the green light, but don’t lose the sinister clowns out of sight. If you do, they’ll start chasing you. Get too close and you’re done!
This early access game is a jumpscare bonanza. It’s loosely based on Weeping Angels episode from Doctor Who.
Thing is, you will simply never get comfortable. Especially as your in-game character anxiously breathes around these laughing soul suckers.
It’s free to play, Vive only.
Emily Wants To Play
With a name like that, you simply know someone’s pants will end up wet.
The premise is based on a pizza delivery at 11 PM. You arrive at the destination, house looks sketchy as hell. However, it’s raining outside, so you enter through the open door. You really shouldn’t have, but it’s too late now.
Jumpscares abound, this game will make even the most cold-blooded killers cower in terror, screaming for their mommy.
Get it. Your friends & family will remember it.
Oh, and, shut the door. Just in case.