10 Horror Games With Mind-Bending Lore That’s Hard to Explain

Many games feature intricate stories, particularly in the horror genre. But horror games often make their lore overly complicated, building layers of confusion on top of existing details.

Horror games often have complex stories with lots of twists and turns, but this can sometimes be confusing for players. They frequently use symbolism and hidden meanings, which adds to the challenge. Some stories become so intricate that you might need to search online to understand everything – and that’s perfectly okay, many players do!

Horror games with deep, intricate stories are really enjoyable to explore, particularly when they’re packed with secrets and challenging puzzles. However, players often have to do a lot of work to piece everything together and understand the full picture.

The stories behind these games are pretty confusing, to say the least. Players have to piece everything together themselves to understand what’s going on.

10. Resident Evil

30+ Years of Lore to Keep Track Of

Playing a single Resident Evil game is usually straightforward and easy to understand. But when you consider the entire series and how everything connects, it becomes much more complex.

For over three decades, the Resident Evil series has been frightening players, and a complex story has developed across all the games. With many viruses, disasters, organizations, and years of in-game history, keeping track of everything can be tricky. That’s why the creators put together a detailed timeline – actually, they first used it as a loading screen feature in Resident Evil 5.

Each character often perceives the same events uniquely. For example, both Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 3 and Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield in Resident Evil 2 went through the Raccoon City outbreak, but their experiences differed significantly. Jill faced the threat of the T-Virus embodied by Nemesis, while Leon and Claire dealt with the G-Virus. This is just within the timeframe of September 1998.

Since the series is still in development, we can expect even more content and events to be added to the game over time.

9. Outlast

Easier to Run and Hide

Outlast is famous for its scary, hide-and-seek style of gameplay. But many players admit the story is confusing and hard to follow. Plus, the story changes quite a bit from one Outlast game to the next, adding to the confusion. It’s a complex narrative, to say the least.

Essentially, this story highlights how large corporations, driven solely by profit, can become deeply corrupt – even to the point of committing horrific acts against people. It’s a disturbing look at the dangers of unchecked corporate power, and how it disproportionately harms vulnerable populations.

The patients at Mount Massive Asylum are desperate to share their trauma with you, hoping to inflict the same pain they’ve endured. They do this because their experiences are being secretly collected and sold – to the U.S. government.

Honestly, the story took me totally by surprise! I wasn’t expecting anything like that in this game, especially since I was mostly focused on just surviving and didn’t have time to pore over every little detail. It’s like, you’re too busy running for your life to really get into the lore, but then this amazing plot just hits you out of nowhere!

8. Amnesia

What’s Really Real?

Amnesia became incredibly popular on YouTube over ten years ago, so many people already know about it. However, to fully grasp the story and everything happening in the game, you’ll likely need to consult a wiki.

You take on the role of Daniel, a man who wakes up in a castle with complete amnesia – he has no memories at all. His only goal is to kill a man named Alexander. He doesn’t know who Alexander is, or why he needs to kill him, but he sets out to do so anyway, and the story reveals itself as he plays.

He also has a reason for his memory loss, but it’s a major plot twist I don’t want to ruin for you if you haven’t discovered it yet. As you play, you’ll begin to notice things aren’t as they appear, particularly when it comes to the character Daniel. The story will definitely take you by surprise.

The story also has a strong supernatural element, which completely upends expectations, especially since you’re tasked with solving the mystery and stopping whatever’s happening.

7. SOMA

Peak Existentialism and Dread

Existential themes, particularly in horror, aren’t easy for everyone to process, which is why the game SOMA deeply affected so many players. Even when you’re not playing, grappling with big philosophical questions can be difficult, but SOMA takes it a step further by asking: what truly defines a person?

That’s a difficult question to begin with, but it’s even harder to answer while you’re playing this game. So much happens that changes how you see things, and ultimately, what your answer would be.

This game is genuinely scary, and it’s not just jump scares. Even though it’s a walking simulator, the horror lingers long after you stop playing, getting under your skin and leaving you with a deep, unsettling feeling. You might find yourself lying in bed, unable to shake the questions the game raised, and even questioning your own reality.

I don’t want to give away any details about this game, because it’s a fantastic hidden gem and I want as many people to experience it as possible. Just be prepared for a seriously mind-bending experience!

6. Signalis

The Fleeting Pursuit of Humanity

Inspired by the classic Silent Hill series, the 2022 game Signalis deliberately keeps its story ambiguous, encouraging players to draw their own conclusions. Adding to the mystery, the game features a narrator whose perspective can’t always be trusted, meaning players must uncover the real truth to fully understand what’s happening.

Signalis puts you in the role of a Replika—essentially, a clone—searching for her wife on a desolate planet. As you explore your spaceship and piece together clues, you’ll uncover unsettling secrets and a reality that begins to unravel.

The game was intentionally designed to be open to interpretation, meaning there isn’t one single ‘right’ answer. But this ambiguity often creates even more questions for players, because we naturally want to understand the reasons behind things – we crave explanations.

While the game’s story is well-done, it’s not the main attraction. The true focus is creating a chilling atmosphere and a sense of dread. Once the game gets under your skin and truly scares you, uncovering pieces of the story actually feels reassuring.

This horror game is consistently excellent throughout. Surprisingly, not knowing all the backstory actually enhances the experience.

5. Visage

The Puzzles … Always the Puzzles …

Visage clearly takes inspiration from the cancelled game P.T., and like that title, it aims to disorient and confuse players. The story is told through symbolism and by a narrator who may not be entirely trustworthy. While it doesn’t quite reach the same level of polish as P.T. – some of the puzzles are frustratingly hard – Visage still offers a compelling glimpse of what P.T. could have become.

Visage puts you in the role of Dwayne, exploring a terrifying house and uncovering the stories of those who lived – and met their end – within its walls. The game creates a consistently unsettling atmosphere, keeping you on edge and genuinely frightened throughout your experience.

I found the story somewhat predictable – I actually guessed a major plot point correctly – but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. There was still plenty of interesting background information to uncover, and the puzzles were so engaging that I often forgot what I was trying to accomplish after solving them.

Players will find plenty to discover and understand, particularly as the story progresses and becomes more complex.

4. Siren

Lots to See & Manage

As a big fan of classic survival horror, I’ve always loved Siren. It’s one of those older games I really hope gets a remake, especially with so many other beloved horror titles getting updated. The game is amazing – you experience the story through the eyes of several different characters trapped in a Japanese town that’s been completely taken over by terrifying creatures.

This game lets you see through the eyes of other players, giving you clues about how to progress. It’s known for being challenging and often requires players to experiment and learn from their mistakes. Interestingly, figuring out the story also happens gradually, piece by piece, much like solving the levels themselves.

The town of Hanuda is caught in a bizarre state, existing outside of normal time and space, after a sacred ceremony was disrupted. You’ll experience the events through the eyes of ten different characters, each with their own unique story to unravel, while also trying to discover what happened to the town.

Siren is a fantastic horror game—unsurprisingly, given it was created by the director of the first Silent Hill, and shares a similar unsettling atmosphere. Be warned, though: it’s a game that’s often confusing.

3. Five Nights at Freddy’s

Did Scott Lose His Own Plot?

I believe that when Scott Cawthon first created Five Nights at Freddy’s over a decade ago, he intended it to be a standalone game – simple to understand and play, but with enough mystery to get people talking. But because fans wanted more, he started adding layers and details to the story with each new installment.

The games that came after the original Five Nights at Freddy’s often felt like disconnected pieces of a story, hastily thrown together. It didn’t seem like a carefully planned narrative; instead, it felt like the creator simply included every idea he had, making it incredibly difficult and frustrating to piece together the full story and understand what everything meant.

Fans jokingly speculated he was deliberately trying to confuse MatPat and his Game Theory videos, but it really seems like that’s exactly what he did – keep everyone guessing about the story behind it all.

I distinctly remember following these games and the theories surrounding them as they were released. It was always a running joke that whenever Game Theory seemed certain about something, the creator, Scott Cawthon, would release a new game that proved them wrong. Before this series, I’d never thought of a game developer as deliberately going against expectations, but now that’s the first thing I think of when I think of him.

Honestly, it feels like even Scott Cawthon has lost track of the story in his own games. He keeps layering on more and more details, and it’s resulted in a really confusing and tangled plot.

2. Bloodborne

Typical Souls Lore Fashion

As you’d expect from a Souls game, Bloodborne is notoriously difficult – and it truly is a horror game, drawing heavily from Lovecraftian themes. The game’s story is also famously complex and obscure, revealed primarily through hidden documents and collectible items you discover throughout your journey.

If you rush through the game without exploring, reading details, or solving puzzles, the ending will likely be confusing. This is especially true because the game has multiple different endings.

Understanding the history of the Hunters and their connection to the Great Ones is complex, but incredibly rewarding for those who enjoy uncovering the game’s story. Be prepared to revisit information and piece things together – it’s a game that encourages careful examination of its lore.

Bloodborne is notoriously difficult – challenging to master and even harder to fully complete. Despite this, it remains incredibly popular, and dedicated fans, including my fiancé, are constantly hoping for a follow-up game.

1. Silent Hill f

The Whole Franchise, Honestly

As a long-time Silent Hill enthusiast, I can say these games are known for their depth. This began with Silent Hill 2, which shifted the focus from monsters being simple punishment to representing the inner struggles of characters. But the latest installment, Silent Hill f, takes this complexity to a whole new level.

This game takes place in a brand new country, challenging players to unravel the mystery surrounding Shimizu Hinako and how her story fits into the larger series narrative. To get the complete picture, you’ll need to play through the game five times to unlock all five endings, and even then, there’s a wealth of backstory hidden within numerous in-game documents.

As a fan, I’m totally blown away by how detailed this game is! Hinako is constantly adding to her journal – seriously, it’s packed with info about everyone and everything. You really have to read absolutely everything if you want to get a handle on the story, and even then, you’re still figuring out what things mean. It’s incredible because everything feels symbolic, and often has multiple layers of meaning all at once. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s so rewarding when you start to piece it all together!

It’s common to see lots of theories about the Silent Hill games, as they often leave things open to interpretation, which can be confusing for players. But Silent Hill f seems to be the most puzzling of them all, requiring players to really look closely to understand what’s going on.

2025-11-25 00:42