The 10 Reasons Scary Games That Are Much Spookier Than Scary Movies?

The top-rated comment argues that horror games are scarier because they are immersive, while movies are not. "It's much more visceral and personal, as opposed to just watching something on the screen," they write.

Other filmgoers agree, sharing that they will watch horror movies alone at 3:00 am, but rarely ever play horror games, even with people around. They're just too scary. One massive horror fan says he's only ever completed one horror game because they scare him too much.

Horror movies, on the other hand, are much less immersive and interactive than horror games. One gamer states, "I think most horror games are scarier just because they are interactive, which adds something that a movie simply can't do."

Observing terrifying and gruesome stories is one thing, but engaging in the story as the protagonist yourself is even scarier. People note that being in control of the main character's actions makes games scarier than movies. You're part of the story rather than watching from the sidelines.

Playing horror games causes intense fear and a fight or flight response as you play them. But often, the stories in games are left on the back burner. Fear comes from being in a state of fight or flight because you're scared of the monster lurking around the corner. But in movies, the story is central to the fear factor.

While most respondents agree that horror games are scarier than horror movies, others believe they are both terrifying for different reasons. While games are intense at the moment, the stories they tell can be blander. On the other hand, movies put the story as the focus, so they keep viewers up at night.

"A good horror movie can haunt me for days afterward," one viewer explains. "Games excel at suspense and moment-to-moment fear. Movies excel at inducing dread and playing with our deeper fears."

"Somewhere buried deep in my stupid monkey brain is the belief that is me in the game," one horror lover expresses. Rather than watching a character walk down a dimly lit hallway in a movie, you anticipate a monster jumping out at you while playing a game.

It's a lot more personal, making it that much more frightening. Not to mention the virtual reality horror games that are available to play.

One gamer voices something I hadn't thought of. You can't cover up your eyes while playing a horror game like you can during the scary parts of a horror movie. If you do, you will not be able to complete the game. Horror games force you to keep watching even during the terrifying moments, while you can skip over the gruesome parts in horror movies.

"I don't think either is inherently scarier," asserts one individual. It comes down to the creativity and production value of the team creating the game or movie. Some horror movies are scarier than some games, and vice versa.

When it comes down to it, the horror fans on the thread came to a general consensus: the scariest part of playing horror games is the fight or flight feelings induced by being completely immersed in a frightening situation.

For movies, the fear factor is created by the power of storytelling and how deep it can whittle into your psyche. Which do you think is scarier?

This thread inspired this post.