Summary
Security camerasare widely associated with protection and discouraging unsavory visitors away from the private interior of the home or workplace.While it can feel safer knowing where enemies are and being able to monitor their movements, things can get a lot more sinister when the enemies know someone is watching.
As a mechanic,security cameras work particularly well in horror gamesbecause of the tense jumps between feeds and the hair-raising knowledge that someone, or something, is getting closer and closer. The following games allow players to take on roles such as security guards, artificial intelligences, ghost hunters, or spies in a range of scary scenarios in which they use security cameras to survive.
Set in spacein 2026,Observationbegins with Dr Emma Fisher attempting to contact Houston after a mysterious accident. The player takes on the role of the space station’s AI software to safely guide Emma around the ship and uncover what really happened.
Combining cosmic horror, exploration, and puzzle elements,Observationhas an unnerving claustrophobic atmosphere and is agreat game for sci-fi loverswho enjoy both mystery and horror.
12Paranormal Inc.
Itch.io Score: 4.4
InParanormal Inc.,the player’s character is introduced as having just been hired by a family to watch for paranormal “abnormalities” in their home. They must then cycle through camera feeds to find and report anything unusual.
The real life camera footage makes the gameplay much more immersive, and the variation of unsettling anomaly types keepsParanormal Inc.interesting from start to finish, without having to rely on jump scares.
11Scrutinized
Steam User Rating: 89%
Playing as Luna, a criminal analyst and neighborhood watcher, players must investigate locally submitted reports of suspicious people in the neighborhoodto distinguish between who is harmless and who is a real threat.
Between working on cases, players must regularly check their security cameras for criminals who are after Luna for their own reasons. With sinister underlying plots,Scrutinizedoffers a tense, paranoia-inducing experience.
Set in a totalitarian dystopia,Beholderrequires players to act as a government landlord and spy on their tenants in order to uncover any activities that threaten the state. They can decide whether to side with the regime or those under its boots, as each decision influences how the story unfolds.
While a more laid back horror experience,Beholder’sdark aesthetic anddystopian themesmake it a particularly disturbing experience for players who fear government surveillance.
9Fears To Fathom - Carson House
Steam User Rating: 91%
The third installment of theFears to Fathomseries,Carson Housesees 18-year-old Noah Baker house-sit for the media personality Roy Carson. However, the side job becomes much more dangerous when the power goes out.
Using cameras to track the stalker trespassing in Roy’s home, players must evade them and escape their wrath. With a tension-building plot,Carson Houseis great for those who enjoy stealth orstrategy horrorgames.
One of the most well-known horror game franchises of all time,Five Nights At Freddy’sthrows the player into the role of a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzaria. Using security cameras, they must keep track of the animatronic mascots and fend them off from the office using lights and mechanical doors.
With limited power and surprisingly complex lore,FNAFtakes simple game mechanics and transforms them into a terrifying means of survival, making the franchise well worthy of its popular status.
7Caught On Camera
Steam User Rating: 93%
Caught On Camerais an anomaly spotting game. Players must use surveillance cameras to watch for and report anything out of the ordinary. If too many anomalies go unnoticed, players will fail, making surviving until 6am a challenge.
While some changes are difficult to spot,Caught on Cameradiffers from many other similarobject finding gameswith its tasteful use of jump scares and different levels.
6Alternate Watch
Itch.io Score: 4.7
Another spot-the-difference style game,Alternate Watchhas the player use CCTV to monitor a house for “alternates”, a hostile species that have begun to infiltrate the US by disguising themselves as household objects. Filing too many incorrect reports or missing too many anomalies will require the player to restart the night from the beginning.
This game is more overtly inspired by the “Mandela Catalogue” series with itscreepy alternate designs. For players who want a more challenging experience, there is also a dark mode which makes spotting changes much harder.
5I’m On Observation Duty
Steam User Rating: 95%
Often heralded as the precursor to other anomaly-spotting games,I’m on Observation Dutyrequires players to use surveillance cameras in order to file reports for a mysterious organization in apoint-and-click stylehorror game.
Despite being less scary due to the low-poly graphics,Observation Dutyis easy to get invested in, requiring a high-level of perception and memory. Overall, this game is an ominous, and at times funny, homage to analogue horror.
Phasmophobiais anonline co-opghost hunting game. Players must work together using equipment such as EMF readers and EVP machines to find and record evidence of the paranormal at a range of different locations. Those who don’t want to face the danger can stay in the van using surveillance features to help assist the rest of the crew.
With a range of locations,ghost types, and game modes, alongside great sound design and graphics,Phasmophobiais a truly terrifying experience worth teaming up for.
