Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games

October is finally upon us, which means that pumpkin season is here. Well, it’s technically not just pumpkin season: it’s also the spookiest time of the year. That’s right, we’re talking Halloween. Whether you consider yourself more Addams Family or more The Exorcist, there’s a little something for everyone especially when it comes to Nintendo’s favorite family console: the Nintendo Switch. Check out our list of the best Nintendo Switch horror games if you’re looking for a jack-o-lantern stuffer or something to scare yourself with.

Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games – Outlast: Bundle of Terror

This one definitely isn’t for the light-hearted. Outlast is considered one of the seminal horror games of all time, and not just because it’s probably one of the grislier options out there on the market. Famous for being controversial (the sequel, Outlast 2, was banned in Australia), the series features a lot of gore even by survival horror standards. You can get the Outlast: Bundle of Terror series on the eShop for $24.99 USD and relive the adventures of Miles Upshur, ill-fated journalist who definitely shouldn’t have been digging around in asylums. 

Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games – Death Mark

If you like your horror with a little dose of psychological trauma and sprinkles of Asian folklore, then you’re going to want to check out Aksys Games’ Death Mark. The game opens with an incredibly gruesome murder illustrated to eerie perfection in an art style very reminiscent of hit classic Perfect Blue, so visual novel fans are going to well-served here by this title’s mechanical approach that’s equal parts detective work and character-focused dialogues. Death Mark retails for $50 USD. 

Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games – Any and All of the Resident Evil Games

The Switch has definitely proven itself to be a home away from home for the Resident Evil series. Whether it’s the cult classic of Resident Evil 4 or the Resident Evil Origins collections, there’s plenty of ports to the Switch of what is arguably Capcom’s most beloved franchise. Sure, it’s no Resident Evil 2 remake, but it’s not high-fidelity graphics that make this a landmark horror series. If you can crawl your way through the amazingly claustrophobic level design, the screech and wail of the terrifying foes, and the general ability of the Resident Evil series to hide a scare behind the most unexpected corners then you’ll be well-rewarded. The Resident Evil Origins Collection retails for $60 USD and includes both Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero, while Resident Evil 4 retails for $29.99 USD. 

Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games – Little Nightmares

Fancy things more Tim Burton than Texas Chainsaw Massacre? You’re in luck – there’s something very creepy and unsettling about Little Nightmares, which takes plenty of design clues from the likes of Coraline to tell a story about children trying to escape a cannibalistic abattoir. Don the mask of Six and your best puzzle-platforming cape to get out of this literal nightmare scenario alive. Little Nightmares retails for $39.99 USD.

Best Nintendo Switch Horror Games – Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

In an age of climate anxiety, sometimes the most horrifying creatures aren’t eldritch ones but simply those which seek to destroy the world around us. Captain Toad is one such villainous creature, and he has an entire game devoted to his absolute disregard for the world and its flora and fauna. Captain Toad tramples around Mushroom Kingdom recklessly using fossil fuels, killing animals both common and rare, and causing all kinds of catastrophic environmental events. Him and Toadette’s unsanctioned death squad continue to lay waste to the overworld in Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, and them being able to operate with impunity is truly one of the most terrifying allegories for the horrors of violent bureaucracies the world over. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker retails for $39.99 USD.

Hopefully, our list of the best Nintendo Switch horror games has gotten you into the Halloween mood! Looking for something else to do this spooky season? There’s a Borderlands 3 Halloween event that you absolutely can’t miss.