Horror games may be a niche genre in the grand scheme of things, but they provide gamers with a house of horrors, both literally and figuratively.Laughs in horror gamesmay not sound like a winning combination, but sometimes it’s a laugh from an unknown source that can send shivers down one’s spine.
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From hardcore survival horror experiences to games with plenty of horror elements, it’s important to know which ones have the scariest laughs players can experience. Screaming and crying are often the human noises most often associated with horror invideo games, but a well-timed and placed laugh might be the worst of the bunch.
8Freddy (FNAF)
Now sure, an older man or woman playingFive Nights At Freddy’smay not find the titular character’s robotic laugh all that frightening, but they’re not the target audience. This series captured the attention of kids and build a series off of that interest.
Animatronics have always been off-putting to humans, so the idea of a murderous one roaming around in the middle of the night that laughs can be quite scary. He may be the most popular character, but he’s not the only robotic animal with a terrifying sound of glee built into it that players encounter in the series.
7Laughing Ghost (Phasmophobia)
Anybody who’s been convinced byfriends to playPhasmophobiahas likely been scared to death by the atmosphere and tension the game provides. Over time the developers have done a good job of adding new elements to the game to keep it fresh and just as terrifying. One unwelcome additional was the ability for ghosts to laugh at the player.
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It’s one thing to know a ghost is nearby, but it’s another to get a literal audio queue that it’s simply playing with its prey. The addition of ghost laughter came in an update that also added laughing and grunting. As if the terrifying encounters inPhasmophobiacouldn’t get any more anxiety-inducing.
On the surface,Dead By Daylightmay not function like the typical horror game, but this asymmetrical multiplayer experience doesn’t skip on the scares. There’s nothing more heart-pounding than working on a generator with the assumption that the killer is chasing a teammate only to hear the laughter of The Doctor as he closes in on you. I
t’s a higher-pitched laugh that immediately causes anxiety and stress, which is further elevated during the chase sequence, which provides additional haunting laughter.
5Joker (Arkham Asylum)
TheBatmanseries would feel weird if it didn’t have Joker at its core. He’s a sadistic and uncontrollable manifestation of chaos that does as he pleases. Among the many things that Rocksteady’sBatman Arkhamtrilogy of games did so well is selling audiences on their version of Joker being one that should be feared.
Several times in the first game,Batman: Arkham Asylum,the Clown Prince of Crime laughs hysterically in a way that feels equal parts unhinged and villainous. He knows and understands what type of game he’s playing with Batman and can’t wait to get the better of him.
4Omega Flowey (Undertale)
Undertaleis considered a must-play for anyone interested in the world of role-playing games. In addition to the brilliant music andapproach to genre tropes, the game is also full of interesting and heartbreaking twists and reveals that keep the player engaged and on their heels.
Not only is Omega Flowey (Photoshop Flowey) difficult to look at thanks to its discomforting appearance, but this form of Flowey has one of the scariest laughs in gaming.Undertalemay not be a horror game in the traditional sense, but it has more than the average role-playing game, that’s for sure.
3Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village)
It’s one thing to hear a laugh from a character or monster that’s relatively straightforward in how it can be disposed of, but when a giant being like Lady Dimitrescu is laughing it feels like it’s coming from a place of unrelenting confidence.
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She knows she’s powerful and that the player character Ethan is frightened of her and she feels genuine glee and happiness from seeing his fear realized first-hand. The internet may have lost its mind over her reveal, but once they playedResident Evil Villageit was clear that she wasn’t as warm and welcoming as her fandom had hoped.
2Baby Laugh (P.T.)
The legendary game demo known asP.T.will likely go down as one of the scariest experiences the medium ever offered. Sure it served as a marketing push for the eventually canceledSilent Hillsgamefrom Hideo Kojimaand Guillermo Del Toro, but it was one of the most impactful horror experiences in the modern era of gaming.
When players first come across the baby fetus in the bathroom sink it’s clearP.T.is meant to be disturbing. Later in the game players can trigger two different events in which the baby laughs, which only adds to the tension and level of discomfort that comes from traversing the same hallway over and over again.
With theDead SpaceRemakeset to release in 2023 it’s important to remember just how scary that game was, and likely will be with improved sound, graphics, and presentation. A moment some players may have forgotten about it the woman who can be found in the medical bay of the ship.
She’s stood next to a bed, holding the arm of what appears to be a severed human corpse. The worst part is that she never turns to look at the player, but rather bursts into a continuous and never-ending laugh that elevates the tension and makes every strand of body hair on the player stand up in unison.
