Summary
Fatherhood means a lot of things to different people. Like mothers, fathers are significant figures who can shape a child, for better or worse. The expectations and accountability placed upon a parent can be difficult and stressful; the way that a father navigates his role can differ wildly from family to family, making for some extreme contexts when it comes to games.
The father figure in horror games is an interesting one; the genre has seen terrible ones and those who would go to the end of the world and back for their child. As such,horror games exploring fatherhoodhave delved equally into themes of guilt, grief, and protectiveness — occasionally a combination of all three. This list compiles some of the best titles.
Heavy Rainis not included on this list as it’s not generally considered a horror game. However, it deserves an honorable mention for its gritty crime thriller narrative and interrogation of father-son relationships.
Siren: Blood Curseis the third title in theSiren(orForbidden Sirenin some regions) series. While the game followsmultiple playable charactersand interweaving narratives, one of the protagonists is Sam, a professor of folklore. After taking his daughter, Bella, to Japan on a job, he soon finds himself embroiled in the dark occult goings-on on the island.
Despite everything happening around him, Sam’s only goal is to reunite with Bella. Contending with time loops, malicious deities, and curses, Sam ultimately does what has to be done to ensure the survival of his child.
TheAmnesiafranchise has had its fair share of twisted protagonists, from mass murderers to calculated killers. While it is hard to sympathize with these characters,A Machine for Pigstakes a different approach with a more complex narrative about a father’s will to save his children.
The game follows elitist businessman and butcher, Oswald Mandus, as he faces disturbing Manpigs that seem hellbent on destroying humanity. Regaining his memory and remembering his own role in the chaos, the player unveils the morally gray extent to which he was willing to protect his children from a horrible future.
Visageis apsychological horror gamethat puts the player in the shoes of troubled protagonist Dwayne Anderson through his suburban house as he experiences the macabre fate of its prior inhabitants. The player must survive terrifying encounters as they attempt to escape theP.T.-inspired loops.
While it’s not immediately apparent that this is a game about fatherhood, Dwayne does end up having to face what happened to his family — and his own involvement. There are two endings, generally considered good and bad, with the player’s choice at the end determining the outcome.
Set three years after the first game,The Evil Within 2starts out by showing just how much Sebastian has been affected by the loss of his daughter, Lily. Now an alcoholic, he is given a chance to reconcile with his past when he is approached by his ex-detective partner, who reveals Lily is, in fact, still alive.
From here, the player must embark on a dangerous quest to rescue Lily from the clutches of the volatile biotech organization, Mobius.The Evil Within 2captures the willingness of Sebastian, as a father, toconfront his own trauma— as well as the mess of megalomaniac power struggles and foul monsters — to save his child.
The Forest,on the surface, is a run-of-the-mill survival game. The player controls Eric, the survivor of a plane crash, who must navigate the forested island he has ended up on. The base-building, crafting, and health management all contribute to a fun experience in itself.
But beyond the survival gameplay, there is a darker underlying narrative. Eric’s son, Timmy, has been kidnapped, and to find him, players must navigate dangerous terrain and cannibal islanders. Following the main story is actually optional, but either way,The Forestis a truly disturbing experience.
For all the satisfying hack-and-slash combat that is the trademark of theDead Risinggames, the titles still have comprehensive plots that drive players forwards.Dead Rising 2follows Chuck Greene after a horde of flesh-eaters is released during an underground zombie-killing show.
Chuck has to navigate being framed for the outbreak while also protecting his daughter, Katey, who has been infected and needs Zombrex to remain human. Taking on the role of investigator, savior, and parent, Chuck Greene isa hero and surprisingly developedfor the protagonist of a zombie horde game.
The Last of Ushas been highly praised,primarily for its storytellingand complex character writing.The Last of Us Part 1revolves around smuggler Joel as he attempts to transport the immune Ellie to the Fireflies in order to create a cure for the fungal zombie infection that has left the world on the brink of collapse.
Over the course of the game, their bond develops into a father-daughter-like relationship, one which ends up carrying a lot of weight later in the game when Joel is presented with a potentially world-changing choice.Part 1’s focus on the complicated nature of characters' relationships is what truly invests players, and Joel’s role as a father figure is a particularly emotional one for many.
The Walking Deadis an interactive drama and episodic horror game that takes place shortly after a zombie outbreak. It is memorable for its emotional storylines and thedifficult decisions that players are forced to makethat, with branching narratives, shape the trajectory of their playthrough.
These desperate times form unconventional family units, andThe Walking Deaddoes a great job of interrogating survivors' responses to the outbreak. There is no shortage of encounters with fathers willing to fight for their family, and they will stop at nothing to do so. Sometimes this means trusting no-one — other times, it means teaming up — but their actions are almost always motivated by love.
Harry Mason is one of the most iconic dads in horror games. He makes his first appearance in the franchise’s original gameSilent Hill,where he embarks on a journey to find his missing adopted daughter, Cheryl, after crashing the car. Unfortunately, this proves a lot more difficult.
One of the reasons that Harry Mason is so memorable is that he is just an ordinary man, not a police officer or FBI agent or veteran; it is easy for players to root for his success as he is put through hell. Facing horrific creatures and uncovering the true extent of Silent Hill’s darkness, Harry plows through all doubts and challenges in pursuit of his daughter.
Most players hoped for a peaceful life for Ethan Winters after the trauma he went through inResident Evil 7: Biohazard.At the beginning ofResident Evil Village,it seems he has achieved domestic bliss with his wife and baby safely beside him. All that turns upside down, however, when they are abducted, and Ethan finds himself once again on a mission to rescue his family from evil clutches.
This time, Ethan must facethe four lords of the Village, all of whom are under the thumb of Mother Miranda, leader of the Cult of the Black God. Dropped in the middle of a sinister operation, Ethan never surrenders his determination. From being thrown around like a rag doll to losing a hand (again) to getting repeatedly bitten, it is clear that Ethan would stop at nothing to get his baby back. That has to earn him a father of the year award.
