20 Scariest Video Games Of All-Time

5. Dead Space

The concept inherent to Dead Space is a seriously good one, pre-loaded with the potential for a zillion scares: as an space-based engineer, your mission is to board a seemingly abandoned mining starship, which - guess what? - turns out to be inhabited with an endless array of nightmarish creatures, all hellbent on murdering you dead.

As a result, Dead Space emerged as one of the scariest games in ages, where the simple act of moving forwards - even a little bit - resulted in sweaty palms and laboured, heavy breathing. Those who have played it will know that Dead Space is an incredibly violent game, but the gore doesn't compromise the chilly atmosphere that clings to the action from start to finish - it actually enhances it.

The set design and lighting effects really make Dead Space what it is (terrifying), not to mention the fact that it has been lovingly influenced by some of the best and most memorable sci-fi/horror movies ever, such as Alien and The Thing. Seriously: the first few hours of this game are some of the scariest you'll ever play.