Creating the best horror games is not as simple as it sounds. Sometimes even the most promising ones get canceled. While games like Dead by Daylight let you play as horror characters like The Trapper, and Dead Island 2 have you doing random side quests like following a mailman’s paper trail, they don’t offer the thrill and horror we want. There are some truly terrifying horror games you can play, but we’re here to talk about the best horror games that got canceled too soon.
Here’s a look at some of the best horror games that got canceled, leaving fans wondering what could have been.
Best Horror Games – That Got Canceled Too Soon
Hotel 626
Hotel 626 was a unique project. It was part of a marketing campaign by the Doritos company, released alongside another game called Asylum 626. Surprisingly, Doritos even made a 13-episode horror series. This was probably one of the strangest marketing strategies by a well-known brand.
The game was available on the website hotel626.com and could only be played at night. It was an interactive experience where players navigated a haunted hotel, facing dark spirits and trying to survive. The game had some advanced interactive features, like using noise control to avoid waking a baby. Unfortunately, the game is no longer available online, and only the trailer and some gameplay videos remain.
Redwood Falls
Set to be a classic alien invasion game, Redwood Falls follows a character living in a small town who discovers his farm animals dead under mysterious circumstances. As people in the town start disappearing, a neighbor claims aliens are responsible. The game was designed to be a shooter and looked very promising.
Sadly, the company behind Redwood Falls couldn’t afford to continue the project. Developing such a game was too expensive, and like many others, they shifted their focus to mobile games.
P.T. (A Silent Hill Franchise)
P.T. was a playable teaser released in 2014 for a new Silent Hill game. It was developed by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro. Although the full game was never completed, the demo gave players a taste of what could have been an incredibly terrifying experience.
Silent Hill is known for its horror, and this game was expected to be legendary. It involved exploring a haunted house and solving puzzles, with hidden symbolism making it unique and challenging. Junji Ito, a famous horror artist, was also rumored to be involved. However, Konami decided to focus on mobile games for financial reasons, and Kojima had to cancel the project. P.T. was removed from the store, making it a rare find for those who still have it on their consoles.
Routine
Routine made headlines in 2010 with its announcement. It was similar to Alien Isolation, which made it highly anticipated. The trailer promised a stunning sci-fi horror game, and a demo was released but later removed. For years, there was little information about its progress, but a new trailer recently revived hope.
Although Routine wasn’t officially canceled, it faced a long and uncertain development process. Ten years after its first announcement, a new trailer was released. The game is said to be coming out in 2023, but there’s no release date on the Steam store. Routine’s concept of facing alien enemies on the moon was unique back then and still holds appeal today.
Sadness
Sadness was one of the most talked-about canceled games, thanks to its unique design and marketing in 2006. It was promoted as the most immersive survival horror game by Nintendo, with multiple endings based on player choices. The game was set to be a black-and-white survival horror RPG set before World War I, with a dark atmosphere and poetic storytelling.
Unfortunately, the team couldn’t handle the project, and it was canceled in 2010 after only writing the script. In 2014, there was an attempt to revive the idea with a game called Sadness & Solitude for the Wii U, but it was also canceled. The title “Sadness” seems fitting for the fate of these projects.
For more content, check out our other guides to other horror games like Dead by Daylight, Dead Island 2, and more at RetroNoob.
