#10 Condemned: Criminal Origins – 2006 (Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360)

This underappreciated gem from the 2000s puts the player in the shoes of Detective Ethan Thomas as he searches for clues for an elusive serial killer. Along the way, Ethan will encounter psychotic criminals while unraveling a large supernatural conspiracy at its heart.

Much like in Dead Space, the protagonist of this game isn’t your conventional badass action hero. He’s a normal man who’s been thrust into a world of deranged psychos with a supernatural edge. Both games rely on building up atmosphere through dingy settings and spine-tingling visuals.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• Uncovering a large conspiracy with a supernatural twist.
• Chasing after a serial killer, while fending off equally deranged criminals and psychos.
• Exploring creepy and derelict apartments and schools.

Get up close and personal with psychotic killers.

#9 Prey - 2017 (Microsoft Windows, PS4, Xbox One)

Prey is another underrated game from the underappreciated developer, Arkane Studios. The player takes on the role of Morgan Yu, who must piece together the mystery behind the spread of a hostile alien species known as the Typhons.

Players are tasked with exploring the many facilities of the space station, Talos 1, as they search for clues, all the while defending themselves from the numerous Phantoms and Mimics that roam the halls of the station.

In the same vein as Dead Space, Morgan Yu is an everyman who must rely on unconventional tools as weapons against the Typhon. What sets Prey apart is that it lets players make use of a wide range of powers derived from the Typhons themselves. 

Choose This Game If You Like:

• Exploring a large space station with numerous weapons and secrets to uncover.
• Playing with awesome alien-based powers, from shapeshifting, to mind control, and more.
• Having multiple choices to go about different scenarios.

Explore Talos One and uncover the truth behind the horrors.

#8 Black Mesa - 2020 (Microsoft Windows, Linux)

Black Mesa is the long-awaited remake of the FPS classic Half-Life. Black Mesa brings back all the elements of the original with a brand new coat of paint. Players will once again jump into their HEV suit and join Gordon Freeman as he navigates the perils of the Black Mesa facility. 

What makes protagonists like Gordon Freeman and Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke so iconic is the fact that these unassuming men triumph over near-impossible odds. Keeping their cool and using their wits to outsmart a menagerie of unique yet deadly enemies.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• The original Half-Life and are itching to relive the old days with a modern sensibility.
• Experiencing a non-stop sci-fi action shooter with no cutscenes.
• Mowing down all sorts of weird and deadly aliens with cool and teched up weapons.

Revisit Black Mesa once more and kick the aliens’ ass one more time.

#7 Outlast - 2013 (Microsoft Windows, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

Visit hell on Earth as you take on the role of a hapless journalist in Outlast. Players will join Miles Upshur as he investigates the horrifying secrets behind the walls of Mount Massive Asylum. 

Players must explore the decrepit hallways of the asylum in search of the truth and a way out. While avoiding the physically and mentally scarred patients, as well as a shadowy being that prowls the asylum grounds.

Unlike previous protagonists, you are completely helpless.No weapons or tools to defend yourself with; you are just a man – and your only options are to run and hide. 

Choose This Game If You Like:

• Experiencing a pulse-pounding cat and mouse chase inside a creepy asylum.
• A genuinely terrifying survival-horror experience.
• Piecing together conspiracies while trying to stay alive.

Can you keep your insanity long enough to survive the night?

#6 The Evil Within - 2014 (Microsoft Windows, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Seasoned detective Sebastian Castellanos is mysteriously thrust into a nightmarish world filled to the brim with all sorts of disfigured and horrific beings. With nothing but his cunning wits and the will to survive, Sebastian must survive against horrific monstrosities and a mysterious figure with the ability to warp this twisted reality. 

The Evil Within excels at cranking up the scares through psychological horror and disturbing imagery, similar to how Dead Space preys on the player’s psyche to build tension without relying on jump scares.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• Exploring a scary nightmarish world dominated by monsters lurking in every corner.
• Playing a survival-horror game with extremely limited supplies.
• Psychological horror games with just the right amount of body horror.

Experience the visceral horror of a twisted nightmare come to life.

#5 The Last of Us - 2013 (PS3, PS4)

This modern-day classic lets players join Joel and Ellie as they traverse through a morbidly beautiful post-apocalyptic world that’s been ravaged by a deadly virus. Unlike most titles, The Last of Us perfectly balances an engaging story with a pulse-pounding gameplay that hooks the player from start to finish. 

Players become engrossed in the developing bond between the grizzled Joel and the young and precocious Ellie. Journeying through a ravaged version of the U.S as they evade hostile survivors and the horrific members of the infected. The Last of Us and Dead Space excel at providing engaging gameplay with a story that complements it enough for the player to care about its characters and their journey.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• A survival-horror game that balances the beauty and horrors of a post-apocalyptic world.
• Games with a riveting story that leaves a lasting impression even after the credits roll.
• Experiencing the highs and lows of a broken world with a companion by your side. 

Join the unlikely duo of Joel and Ellie as they trek through the ruins of the United States.

#4 The Callisto Protocol - 2022 (Microsoft Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series x & S)

The Callisto Protocol shares a lot more in common with Dead Space than most expect. The Callisto Protocol was developed by the same creative minds behind the original Dead Space. Similar to its predecessor, The Callisto Protocol pits its protagonist against mutated monstrosities in a space-like setting. 

What sets it apart is its focus on close-quarter combat. Players must get up close and personal with the mutated uglies that plague the Black Iron Prison, while uncovering the secrets behind the outbreak.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• The original Dead Space and are fans of its original creators.
• Getting up close and personal with mutants and other deadly monsters.
• Playing a good-old sci-fi survival horror game with a penchant for CQB.

Bash the heads of endless swarms of mutated monstrosities.

#3 The Thing - 2002 (Microsoft Windows, Xbox, PS2, GameCube, GameCube Advance)

Fans of John Carpenter’s seminal classic can finally experience the continuation of the story. The game takes place shortly after the events of the movie. Players take on the role of Captain J.F. Blake as he and his team investigate the events of the film. 

What makes this game unique is the Fear/Trust system, as players must manage the emotional state of their team in order to succeed or risk losing it all. Apart from the body horror inspiration that Dead Space and The Thing share, this game also makes great use of fear tactics in toying with the player as well as the NPCs. 

Characters are susceptible to psychological terror which ramps up the scares, similar to how the Markers from Dead Space influence people with horrific visions.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• The original movie of John Carpenter and are itching to see more of the story.
• Micromanaging NPCs in order to achieve a goal.
• Squad-based video games with a sci-fi horror twist.

Experience the tension and the dread of the John Carpenter classic.

#2 Resident Evil 4 - 2005 (Microsoft Windows, GameCube, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Android, iOS, Metaquest)

Hailed as one of the best games in the entire franchise, Resident Evil 4 stands out for introducing new elements that influenced later games as well as other franchises like Dead Space. Resident Evil 4 sees the return of series veteran Leon Kennedy, as he is tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter from a shadowy cult. 

Along the way, Leon must battle a laundry list of mutants and zealous worshippers. Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 share similar traits in terms of gameplay, as both games utilize an over-the-shoulder mechanic, and place an emphasis on strict inventory management. Their two protagonists alone are both badass gaming icons.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• The Resident Evil franchise and are in a dire need to replay the classic.
• The over-the-shoulder mechanic and similar style of shooting.
• Conquering hordes of mutants and other deadly monsters like an unstoppable one-man-army.

Team up with Leon Kennedy once again and mow down hordes of enemies.

#1 System Shock 2 - 1990 (Microsoft Windows, mac OS, DOS, Dreamcast, Mac operating systems, Linux, OS X)

This influential sci-fi horror game puts players in the shoes of an amnesiac soldier who must piece together the mystery surrounding a deadly pathogen and its connection to the enigmatic A.I. named SHODAN. System Shock 2 pioneered certain mechanics that are staples in the gaming world.

It allows players to customize and upgrade their abilities to better adapt against mutated monsters while trying to combat the looming presence of SHODAN. It also paved the way for more nuanced environmental storytelling through audio recordings or transcriptions that enrich the already engrossing story. These elements paved the way for later games like Dead Space, that refined the survival horror genre.

Choose This Game If You Like:

• Revisiting older but influential games that helped set the standard for the genre.
• A game with a captivating mystery and an enigmatic but strangely mystifying antagonist.
• An older game with surprisingly layered and in-depth mechanics that has stood the test of time.

Experience a genre-defining classic that’s still scary to this day.

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