Some horror games get you with a monster. Others make you stare at an empty doorway until you convince yourself something has moved.
If The Consumed has put you in the mood for more grainy dread, unsettling buildings, and survival decisions, here are five games worth a look. These recommendations follow different parts of its appeal: recorded-media horror, isolated work, liminal spaces, and the pressure of classic survival horror.
ANATOMY — For Cassette Tapes and a House You Can’t Trust
Kitty Horrorshow’s ANATOMY sends you through a suburban house collecting cassette tapes and exploring the relationship between a building and a body. It’s a compact horror game whose premise makes ordinary rooms feel loaded with meaning. Find ANATOMY on itch.io.
Why it’s on this list: If the recorded-media side of analog horror interests you, start here. A cassette tape gives you something to listen to, but listening also gives your imagination more material to work with. It’s a strong companion pick for anyone drawn to the idea that The Consumed’s mall might be more than a backdrop.
No One Lives Under the Lighthouse — For Another Very Bad Job
In Marevo Collective’s No One Lives Under the Lighthouse, you arrive on an isolated island to take over the duties of a missing lighthouse keeper. The setup pairs a practical responsibility with slow-burning retro horror: someone needs to keep the light working, and that someone is now you. View it on Steam.
Why it’s on this list: This is the pick for the “I still have a job to finish” feeling. A lighthouse and a shopping mall are very different workplaces, but both premises leave you responsible for a place that offers little reassurance once you’re alone in it.
The Exit 8 — For Liminal-Space Paranoia
The Exit 8 traps you in a repeating underground passageway. Your task is to observe carefully: turn back when you spot an anomaly, and keep going when nothing has changed. Its horror grows out of attention and uncertainty. View The Exit 8 on Steam.
Why it’s on this list: Choose this one if empty corridors are what pull you toward The Consumed. The appeal is learning a space so closely that the smallest difference becomes a reason to worry. It focuses on observation, so it’s best suited to the liminal side of this list.
SIGNALIS — For Resource Pressure and Psychological Horror
rose-engine’s SIGNALIS follows Elster through a dystopian science-fiction nightmare. Scarce resources, puzzles, and hostile creatures sit alongside a story concerned with memory and identity. Its retrotech world makes it a natural recommendation for players who enjoy older technology woven into horror. View SIGNALIS on Steam.
Why it’s on this list: If managing your supplies is as compelling to you as exploring an unsettling place, put this near the top. This recommendation follows The Consumed’s survival horror side: the tension of deciding how to get through the next encounter with what you have left.
Crow Country — For a Place That Used to Be Fun
SFB Games’ Crow Country takes you into an abandoned theme park to investigate its closure and the disappearance of Edward Crow. Puzzles, backtracking, and survival horror encounters turn the park into a mystery you gradually learn to navigate. It also offers an Exploration Mode for players who want to investigate without monster attacks. View Crow Country on Steam.
Why it’s on this list: A closed theme park and a dying mall share an uncomfortable quality: both were built for crowds, noise, and happy memories. Exploring them after that purpose has drained away is a strong starting point for horror. Pick this for the abandoned attraction setting and the satisfaction of slowly opening up a connected space.
Which Should You Play First?
- Looking for both analog horror and survival horror? The Consumed brings VHS-style dread and survival decisions together in a haunted mall.
- For tapes and unsettling architecture: ANATOMY.
- For isolated work and retro dread: No One Lives Under the Lighthouse.
- For observation and liminal spaces: The Exit 8.
- For resource management and psychological survival horror: SIGNALIS.
- For puzzles in an abandoned leisure space: Crow Country.
These are our picks based on shared themes and mechanics; each takes that horror in its own direction.
What Should You Play If You Like Analog Horror and Survival Horror?
Start with The Consumed if you want the atmosphere of analog horror with a job to do and threats to survive. You play a night-shift security guard at Hargrove Galleria, using a flashlight and camcorder to get through five increasingly difficult shifts. The VHS-meets-PSX visuals set the mood, while deciding whether to banish spirits, trap them behind shutters, or run and hide gives that dread a practical edge.
The Consumed is officially out now, and the free demo lets you try the atmosphere before buying. Grab your flashlight and camcorder, head into Hargrove Galleria, and see how long that routine security job stays routine.