10 Most Sinister Video Game Cults

These cloak and dagger creeps have a definite preference for the latter.

Outlast 2 Sullivan Knoth
Red Barrels

Nothing gets the creepiness factor up quicker in video games than a good old terrifying cult lurking in the background. In worlds filled with zombies, aliens, demons or other horrifying beings, oftentimes it's the humans among them that pose the biggest threat.

As history shows, belief can be a dangerous thing indeed. And if these believers come together with complete devotion to a unified goal, the results can be catastrophic to those who don't share their extreme views.

In the context of games, cultists usually aren't known for adopting a 'live and let live' philosophy. Before the story's through, it's more than likely you'll be forced to stab, shoot or garrote your way through at least a few of these overzealous nutters. As quaint as their little organisations may seem, their undying willpower and outrageous methods show that they're absolutely no laughing matter.

Of course, not every cult goes about killing anything and everything it sees. But in many cases, that doesn't make them any less sinister. In short, if you saw any of the following ten groups coming towards you, would you feel even the slightest bit safe?

10. Happy Happyism - Earthbound (1995)

Outlast 2 Sullivan Knoth
Nintendo

This first entry is proof that a cult doesn't have to be outright violent to still inspire fear wherever they go - even if they don't plan on doing it.

The Happy Happyist cult is made up of most of the population of Happy Happy Village. Led by a truly mental man named Carpainter, their goal is to paint the entire world blue, a colour they worship above all others. How Carpainter managed to convince a whole village to follow his crackpot ideologies is anyone's guess, but he did, and these insane cultists now seek to spread the word of Happy Happyism to every corner of Earthbound's sleepy little world.

The uniforms of Carpainter's most loyal eerily resemble those of the Ku Klux Klan, and their ominous chanting of "blue, blue, blue" in the morning and at night is just disturbing. Other than that, though, is liking the colour blue really so bad?

Obviously, he could've done without brainwashing a whole village, but as cults go, this one is a relatively harmless strain of insanity.

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Graduate composer, on-and-off session musician, aspiring novelist, professional nerd. Where procrastination and cynicism intertwine, Lee Clarke can be found.