Cronos: The New Dawn is an awesome new horror title that conjures up some of the classics in the genre while doing something very new at the same time. The exploration, the atmosphere; it’s all pretty fantastic. Luckily, if you loved the game, there are plenty of titles that can give you that same type of feeling.
There is a certain vibe that’s hit when a survival horror game gets it right. It’s a feeling of wonder, horror, and panic all at once, and it’s what keeps people coming back to this genre even 30 years into its existence.
Chronos: The New Dawn definitely carries on that tradition to great effect, and while it may not be the best horror game of all time, it’s definitely a memorable title for sure.
Horror games that rely on the player to figure things out on their own while giving you slow hints as to what’s been going on is what we’re targeting here. It’s that slow burn of Chronos: The New Dawn that we’re going to try and find you in the other games on this list.
10
Alan Wake 2
Into the Ocean We Go
Chronos: The New Dawn reminded me a lot of Alan Wake 2. Wandering around a strange city, alone and surrounded by terrifying creatures more than describes what’s going on in Alan Wake 2. It’s an amazingly weird journey that takes you from the real world into alternate dimensions, and it gets so trippy that the game feels like a fever dream at several points.
It’s also gorgeous looking, with fantastic voice acting and an amazing atmosphere. Overall, it’s one of the more memorable journeys that any game has had in recent years. It’s not the longest game for sure, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome and keeps us hungry for the inevitable next entry in the series.
9
The Evil Within 2
Digital Hell
The Evil Within 2 speaks to that same kind of mystery that pulls you along with Chronos: The New Dawn. From the get-go, the vibe is just “What the hell is happening?” Your daughter is essentially trapped in a virtual simulation with a serial killer on the loose, and it only gets weirder and more disturbing from there.
You’ll be fighting some absolutely terrifying creatures and exploring one of the creepier towns I can recall. Your journey to discover what’s going on is as original as it gets for a horror game, which Chronos: The New Dawn can also boast too. That’s a tough thing to pull off as there is usually a feeling of “I’ve seen this before” when it comes to horror games.
The Evil Within 2 is a true original and definitely one to play after you’re done braving the horrors of Chronos: The New Dawn.
8
Resident Evil Village
There Is Something Strange In This Neighborhood
Resident Evil Village is one of the best third person horror games (since the DLC update) around. Much like Cronos: The New Dawn, you’re stuck in a place that has had something very, very wrong go down, and your journey will slowly unveil just what that is.
In Resident Evil Village, Ethan Winters is drawn to a mysterious town after the opening minutes sees his wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped. It’s a harrowing segment, and as good a reason as any to investigate a clearly dangerous place. The highlight of the game is a vast, terrifying castle where a mother and her three daughters stalk you relentlessly, and it’s some of the most high-tension horror gameplay you can find.
Each locale you visit is completely different and plays out like the horror genre’s greatest hits. A haunted castle, a terrifying house of dolls come to life, a cyberpunk nightmare factory – it’s all there. If you want a fast-paced, gorgeous-looking gore fest, Resident Evil Village is a perfect way to follow Cronos: The New Dawn.
7
Dead Space (2023)
Alone On An Ark
Cronos: The New Dawn makes it very clear from its first moments that Dead Space is a clear inspiration; from the suit and helmet-laden protagonist to the enemies that look like they easily could’ve been spawned out from the depths of the USG Ishimura.
Dead Space is an all-timer though, with some of the most creepy interiors, beyond terrifying creatures to encounter, and also some of the cooler abilities that a horror game has seen. It remains one of the must-plays in the horror genre, and the remake brings it all into the modern gaming space in an amazing way.
The story is also very compelling, with some psychological elements thrown into the numerous body horror segments. Chronos: The New Dawn might be the new kid on the block, but there is no denying that it pays serious homage to the king of the science fiction horror genre.
6
Signalis
Cyber Dread
Signalis is a true throwback to the old days of survival horror, but its tone and aesthetic are very reminiscent of what Chronos: The New Dawn does.
It’s got a cyberpunk aesthetic, but the gameplay is pure survival horror bliss. You play as Elster, who is searching for her lost dreams, which is just as strange as it sounds. The journey is one of the more memorable ones in the genre.
There is something so quiet and chilling about the environments you go through, and the creatures that inhabit them hit that type of creepy, existential terror that only the best games in the genre hit. While Signalis clearly has a lesser budget than the rest of the games on this list, it nails the horror aspect just as well as any.
5
Returnal
Astronaut Down
Returnal also stars a spacesuit-wearing explorer who is stuck in a place they absolutely don’t want to be. While the game is not horror exactly, it can be terrifying facing down some of these aliens. It doesn’t help that at the start of the game, you are woefully outmanned and outgunned. You don’t start getting a good arsenal to defend yourself with until a couple of hours into the game, which makes the encounters with any enemy scary as hell.
The story in Returnal is a fascinating one, with the Roguelike aspect of the game playing completely into the story in a genius way that makes sense. Your exploration throughout the game will reveal tons of interesting information about the story, but the main draw is the combat. You are going to be jumping and grappling and blasting nonstop throughout your playthrough, and it’s a ton of fun, even as you’re facing off against terrifying enemies and over-the-top bosses that challenge you in every feasible way.
The story also has some very memorable reveals, including a haunting ending that really makes you rethink everything you just experienced. It’s something that fits in well with Cronos: The New Dawn’s views on the past, present, and future.
4
The Callisto Protocol
An Effective Tribute
The Callisto Protocol got its fair share of flack when it released in 2022, but hey, if you like sci-fi horror, terrifying creatures, and Josh Duhamel, you only have so many options.
But seriously, much like Cronos: The New Dawn, The Callisto Protocol takes a ton of inspiration from Dead Space right down to even having the main character wear a nearly identical outfit to the iconic Isaac Clarke.
The plot is simple. 300 years into the future, a prison suddenly starts having its inmates transform into horrifying creatures, and you are there to escape and figure out just what happened to cause all of this.
There is plenty of dismemberment and body horror just like Cronos: The New Dawn has, and some incredible graphics to boot. It may not be the best of the genre, but there are precious few sci-fi horror games, and this one definitely deserves a look.
3
Prey
Immersive Horror
Cronos: The New Dawn is at its scariest when you’re wandering around, you know you’re not alone, but you can’t see what is hunting you. That is Prey to a T. Prey has you stranded on a space station where an experiment goes wrong, and it’s up to you to figure out what has happened and how to stop it.
Your enemies hide in plain sight, and I mean that literally. The aliens in this game hide as tea cups, chairs, and anything else around you at all times. It means every corner you turn, you have to be ready. It’s an anxiety unlike anything else I’ve seen in a game. The enemies start small, but soon, you’ll be facing some sci-fi horror’s finest nightmares, and the paranoia will slowly take over the more you explore.
The unraveling of the mystery of what happened to the space station is capped off by a remarkable ending which is almost impossible to see coming and stands up there with some of the best in the genre.
2
Scorn
The Rooms Are Alive
If you love the over-the-top body horror that the creatures in Cronos: The New Dawn have, well then, do I have a treat for you. Scorn is an absolute nightmare come to life, and I mean that in the best possible way. The horror here is almost a genre unto its own. You have limited direction, and for the most part, the game just asks you to live in it and experience it.
And experience it you will, because this world is terrifying in a way that most games aren’t. The atmosphere is reminiscent to what Cronos: The New Dawn was, but in a much more disturbing way. This is a deeply cursed world and your place in it is unclear, making the exploration as immersive as possible as both you and your character have no clue what could be lurking around any corner.
It’s one of the more underappreciated horror titles, because I think a lot of people were genuinely scared off by the marketing. But if you’ve got the nerves for it, this is definitely one of the cooler horror games in recent memory.
1
SOMA
We’re All Trapped Here
SOMA hits that exact same type of dread that Cronos: The Dawn manages to drudge up. The difference is, in SOMA, you don’t get to fight back. You have to run, hide, and maneuver your way around a terrifying underwater hell that has become your home. It’s a slow burn here, which eventually breaks out into completely existential terror is a one-of-a-kind moment in gaming.
You need to be ready for some absolutely depressing and horrifying revelations here, because SOMA has no qualms about destroying your psyche. It’s equal parts tragic and terrifying what has happened to society in this game.
I won’t spoil it, because the journey is what the game is all about. But trust me, if you like the flavor of terror that Chronos: The New Dawn presents, I can guarantee that SOMA will give you something similar, and much, much darker.
