​October is here, and what better way to celebrate the spookiest month of the year than by remembering the pioneers of the survival horror genre? Before Resident Evil and Silent Hill dominated the world of terror, there was a game that laid the foundation: Alone in the Dark (1992). Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, this game was the first to immerse players in a suffocating atmosphere, with dark environments, challenging puzzles, and a constant sense of vulnerability.

Alone in the Dark not only pioneered mechanics like resource management and meticulous exploration, but it also set a new standard with its 3D graphics and iconic fixed cameras—features later adopted by games like Resident Evil (1996). Capcom’s Resident Evil took the genre mainstream, popularizing zombies and claustrophobic settings. This game defined what we now associate with survival horror.

A few years later, Silent Hill (1999) shifted the focus toward psychological terror. Konami delved deep into unsettling atmospheres, with a dense narrative and characters that reflected their own fears and traumas. Silent Hill proved that horror wasn’t just about jump scares, but also emotional and psychological impact.

The legacy of these titles lives on in modern games like Outlast, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Phasmophobia, which keep the essence of survival horror alive with more immersive mechanics and visceral terror. So if you're a fan of the genre, October is the perfect month to revisit these classics and explore the evolution of fear from its roots to the present day.

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