10 Scary Video Games That Are Scary for the Wrong Reasons

Halloween is always a good time to play spooky, and maybe even “spoopy” games. While it’s easy to choose to play a game like Silent Hill or Outlast, there are some games that are even more horrifying. Sure, they weren’t meant to be such atrocities, but some of the scariest games aren’t horror games.

To celebrate the best holiday of the year, we’ve put together a list of 10 games that are scary for all the wrong reasons. From terrifying glitches to hideous art design, there are a lot of games that deserved to be on this list. That said, we had to narrow them down so take a look at the top 10.

We hope you enjoyed our look at 10 games that are scary for all the wrong reasons! While we only named 10, there are plenty of other games that could’ve gained this dishonor.

Let us know in the comments what games you think should’ve made the list, and what games you’ll be playing this Halloween!

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10 Games That Are Scary For the Wrong Reasons

10 Games That Are Scary for the Wrong Reasons
Aliens: Colonial Marines

Gearbox was too busy using SEGA's funds on Borderlands 2 to make a solid game in Aliens: Colonial Marines. This train wreck of a game is filled with glitches, poor artificial intelligence, and the terrifying revelation that you spent your money on this garbage.
Assassin's Creed Unity

While not everyone encountered the terrifying glitches in Assassin's Creed Unity, the unlucky ones that did couldn't stop talking about it. And who could blame them? They wanted to play a fun game about murdering fools, and instead got traumatized by broken character models that were missing faces.
Bubsy 3D

Bubsy 3D has only gotten more infamous as time has passed (largely thanks to Arcane Kids). This terribly designed 3D platformer plays and looks like someone pulled out the disc while the PlayStation was running. It's hard to believe that the developer would later go on to make Syphon Filter (although the running animation is equally terrifying).
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Surely a game based off AMC's hit TV show, The Walking Dead, would be based off the inner tension between survivors and what made the show good for one whole season. Well, guess again, as The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is rubbish printed on a Blu-ray disc.
Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem Forever was like the time that you realized that your uncle, who you thought was totally cool when you were 12, never grew up, and was actually lame. Both the characters, and the gameplay, found in Duke Nukem Forever should've stayed in the 90s. Some memories are best kept repressed.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust

Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust features some of the scariest character models ever made. We're not even sure who mapped these characters, but none of them look remotely human. Throw in gameplay that is somehow worse than the combat that Silent Hill attempts to incorporate, and you have one hideous mess of a game.
Ride to Hell: Retribution

Oh, Ride to Hell: Retribution. The Deep Silver published action game is in some ways an avant-garde classic. Few publishers try something as risky as releasing a game that is completely broken, after all. If you do attempt to play through this game, you can look forward to some pretty spectacular jump scares. All of which find you falling through the world as the graphics suddenly disappear in front of your eyes.
Sonic the Hedgehog

I still can't believe that Sega chose to turn a story that was suspiciously similar to my Sonic fan-fiction into a full video game in 2006. While the game was full of glitches, the most scary part of the game ended up being a romantic scene. The interspecies erotica between Sonic and Princess Elise shouldn't be viewed by anyone, and still gives gamers nightmares to this day.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5

The most recent release featured on the list is certainly a sad one. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 should've been a triumphant moment, instead gamers got to see Lil' Wayne glitch in and out of levels, and other bizarre occurrences that seem straight out of Paranormal Activity.
NBA Elite 11

While all the other games on this list were poorly made, they at least saw a release. NBA Elite 11 on the other hand got cancelled AFTER the game had already been printed onto discs. The shocking cancellation was due to the disturbing glitch where the Lakers' Andrew Bynum would act as if he was crucified at mid-court. Some say that Bynum's ghost still haunts the Staples Center.