4 Horror Games Nintendo Made (or Published) That Prove They Can Be Terrifying

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Nintendo is famous for games everyone can enjoy, so it might be surprising to hear they sometimes make horror games. But when they do, the results are often really good! Nintendo’s approach to horror isn’t always about intense fear, but it does offer creative ways to get spooked – and even scare others. In one unique game, you actually get to frighten the characters within the game, which is a fun twist on the typical horror experience.

Here are four excellent horror games developed or published by Nintendo.

4) Luigi’s Mansion

As you might expect from Nintendo, Luigi’s Mansion is suitable for all ages. While the games involve hunting ghosts and have a few surprising moments, they’re never truly frightening. The real appeal isn’t about being scary, but rather the spooky atmosphere and the funny situation Luigi finds himself in as he explores the haunted mansion.

While not truly terrifying, the Luigi’s Mansion games offer a fantastic, accessible introduction to the horror genre for players of all ages. Nintendo has really nailed the balance, making it a great experience to share with others. All three games are enjoyable, but the very first Luigi’s Mansion is likely the most genuinely spooky.

3) Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club

Emio – The Smiling Man is the latest installment in the Famicom Detective Club series, released 27 years after the previous game in 1997. When a preview appeared in 2024, players were struck by its noticeably darker and more mature atmosphere, a departure from Nintendo’s recent titles.

While not overwhelmingly frightening, this murder mystery with a serial killer theme is noticeably darker than Nintendo’s typical games. Although it doesn’t reach the level of true horror games, the game’s visuals demonstrate Nintendo’s ability to create a genuinely chilling atmosphere. Hopefully, this is a sign of Nintendo exploring more suspenseful and atmospheric games in the future.

2) Geist

Geist is a truly unusual game. Nintendo wanted to explore first-person shooter games and partnered with n-Space to create it. You play as a ghost without a body, and the core gameplay involves taking control of different people and objects. This means you can jump into a soldier to shoot, but you’ll also need to possess other things to solve puzzles.

While Geist suffers from some technical problems, its unique gameplay – possessing people to scare and control them – is a clever twist on the horror genre. Instead of being scared, you get to do the scaring! It’s not a flawless combination of ideas, but Geist shows the creative spark Nintendo is known for, and it feels like a game with a lot of potential if it were revisited today.

1) Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Similar to Geist, Eternal Darkness was published by Nintendo, but this time in collaboration with renowned designer Denis Dyack and his team at Silicon Knights. The game is notable for being the most genuinely frightening experience Nintendo had offered up to that point, thanks to Silicon Knights’ creation of a unique sanity system that delivered a truly new kind of gameplay.

While not relying heavily on sudden shocks like Resident Evil, Eternal Darkness truly innovated with its “Sanity Effects.” Sadly, Nintendo patented these unique effects, which is why we haven’t seen them replicated often. The game cleverly messes with your perception – from subtle things like a tilted camera to more elaborate illusions of technical issues and even fake sequel advertisements – all designed to disorient and unnerve players.

Nintendo hasn’t revisited Eternal Darkness since the original game. Although Silicon Knights started working on a sequel, it was never released. More recently, the game’s creator attempted to fund a spiritual successor through Kickstarter, but the campaign wasn’t successful. The only new appearance of Eternal Darkness has been a brief nod in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While fans are hoping for a full revival, it’s more probable that Nintendo would collaborate with a different developer to create a new, innovative horror game.

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2025-10-22 00:11