Guest Blog Article Written by Adrian Virgo
At Overclockers UK, we are passionate about supporting independent studios on the rise. Here are our top 3 must-plays in the psychological horror genre, and gaming PC’s we recommend specifically suited for each game.
Omori
In the game Omori, we control withdrawn teenager Sunny and his alternative persona, Omori. We follow him in both his real life and dream world, called ‘Headspace’. Uncover his traumatic truths before he moves away from his old life, forever.
Based on a webcomic under the same name, studio Omocat’s Omori is a unique mix of RPG and psychological horror genres.
This game offers a captivating and emotionally-driven journey for players with many different endings, all tragic in their own ways, enhancing its replayability. It explores thought-provoking themes such as trauma, grief, guilt, depression, anxiety, and existentialism, giving players an introspective experience as they follow along.
Manipulating you into sympathising with the main character, Omori shows the real world as a terrifying place compared to the colourful, cheery Headspace, and uses optional quests as a way of making you want to stay there. In Pokémon-like strategic battles, emotions are used as the typing system. Each characters’ emotions directly correlate to their abilities in combat against nightmarish foes. But what actually happened to the friendship group, and where are they now?
Save 25% on OMORI on Steam (steampowered.com)
Best PC to play Omori on:
OcUK Gaming Gallium
The OcUK Gaming Gallium runs like a dream. Powered by Zen 3 architecture, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU operates at ultra-fast speeds, which enhances efficiency and multitasking. What’s more, this gaming PC can reach new levels of performance with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Not only this, but the Gallium is configurable with many options to customise the specifications to your needs.
OcUK Gaming Gallium – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Nvidia RTX 4070 Gaming PC
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU
- 16GB DDR4 3600MHz Dual Channel RAM
- 500GB M.2 Gen4 NVMe SSD
- AIO Liquid CPU Cooler with Phanteks D-RGB fans
Sally Face
Following the life of Sal Fisher – a young boy with a prosthetic face and a devastating past – you investigate rumours of his new apartment complex, using a GameBoy to communicate with the dead.
Made by developer Steve Gabry, this game is well-known for its distinctive – and sometimes disturbing – art style, using hand-drawn animations that add to an eerie, haunting atmosphere.
It tackles sensitive topics like mental health and identity, adding depth to its immersive storytelling. Critics also praise Sally Face for its engaging narrative and especially its well-developed, morally grey characters. Is Sally a misunderstood, troubled teenager or a cold-blooded murderer?
The mechanics are similar to that of an escape room game, with puzzles to solve in order to progress to the next episode, all derived from a different period of the main character’s life. This game will leave you hungry for more, so good news for you; Sally Face 2 is in the early stages of development!
Save 33% on Sally Face – COMPLETE GAME on Steam (steampowered.com)
Best PC to play Sally Face on:
Refract Gaming Jade
No, we haven’t chosen this just because the green lighting matches the Sally Face title screen! The Refract Jade gaming PC is perfect for the casual gamer, with each component cherry-picked by our team of experts. Equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU, this gaming PC will bring Sally Face to life with smooth animations for that immersive storytelling experience. Plus, it is a terrific PC for upcoming streamers, so you can even share your paranormal adventure with your fans!
Refract Gaming Jade – 1080p/1440p Pre-Built Gaming PC
- AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- 2.5” 1TB SSD
- 3 Years Parts and Labour Warranty
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
Play the role of a student joining the literature club. Write poems in a cutesy minigame to woo the member of your choice: childhood friend Sayori, deceivingly cute Natsuki, deep Yuri, and club president Monika.
Cleverly disguised as an innocent dating simulator, the expansion of Doki Doki Literature Club, ‘DDLC+’, comes filled with new lore and side stories to unlock.
Each character in the game has a unique trope, personality, and backstory, allowing players to connect to these virtual individuals on a deeper level. All the choices you make in this interactive visual novel lead to chilling scenes where these lovable characters morph into their worst traits.
DDLC+ is designed to draw you in with its narrative and takes horrifying turns, with scares around each corner. The unexpected shift in tone and the unsettling events that unfold are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Save 33% on Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! on Steam (steampowered.com)
Best PC to play Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! on:
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
The greatest feature of the Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop is the fact that you can game on the go and take your bachelorettes with you! Utilising the Intel Core i7-12650H CPU and the fully optimised NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, you can efficiently manage workloads and run all of your psychological horror games in super high quality, making this device perfect for both work and play! No need to worry if the flirting is getting a bit hot and steamy; this gaming laptop comes with dual-fan cooling, dual intakes (top and bottom) and a quad exhaust port design. Even if in-game choices seem hopeless, at least you have control over the laptop’s fan speeds, lighting, and more, using the NitroSense utility app!
Acer Nitro 5 NVIDIA RTX 4060, 16GB, 17.3″ QHD 165Hz, Intel i7-12650H Gaming Laptop
- Intel i7-12650H CPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU
- 17.3″ FHD 165Hz display
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Did we miss any?
With its recent rise in popularity, we hope that new indie developers take inspiration and create psychological horror games for us to enjoy. Let us know your favourite indie psychological horror game in the comments below!
PC specs are subject to change.
- 6 min read
OcUK Guest Writer
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From hardware news, and upcoming games, to handy guides, these articles are written by guest writers, journalists, tech professionals, or gaming enthusiasts.
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Very intruiging read, will look into playing all of these, you clearly have a sophisticated understanding of psychological horror ,will buy!
I enjoyed reading this I will remember to check out the games mentioned.
I have been interested in phycological horrors lately and have been looking for more to play. This article has some great recommendations I’ll definitely have to check out!!
A great read! These games all look cute on the outside, but clearly have a darker side. I get scared easily but Omori looks like it could be good to play 🙂
I’m very interested in sally face! I’m gonna check it out 🙂
I like the comparison of the emotions and types for the omori game. This article is a good and invigorating 🔥✍️
I personally don’t play a lot of indie games, but this article made me change my mind a bit. I especially like the way Omiri and Sally Face were presented. Looking forward to what these games will bring☺️😎
this is an incredibly insightful read. will definitely check out these amazing games!
I’m a big fan of omori, this article has inspired me to play these other games! All of which, I’ve found have amazed me with deep love and excitement. This article somehow makes these games so enticing and sound so enjoyable, im definitely looking forward to play!