Scared gamer
(Photo: Reuters)

During the lull of the summer months, some of my colleagues and I have amused ourselves with watching videos of people freaking out over playing some of the gaming industry's most terrifying games.

In what I can only describe as post-traumatic stress disorder, the videos have brought forth a deluge of recollections from games gone by, and the horror they induced - memories of trying not to weep or bite my nails down to the nub, while trying to retain what little gaming credibility I have, came flooding back.

But it's not just me. According to various video and anecdotal sources across the web, I can now confirm that I am not alone. (Warning: Some videos contain strong language and violence).

Slender

While many pay for the luxury of being scared witless through gaming, Slender is an indie-developed psychological horror/survival horror video game that does it for you - for free.

Created around the internet meme of "Something Awful" forums that catalogue various "sightings" of a tall thin man in a suit that looks slightly different in each culture, Slender is meant to tap into your fear of the bogeyman.

The objective of the game is to navigate round the map and retrieve a number of pages, from what I assume is a diary, to give you more information on the Slender man - who, by the way, is chasing after you in the dark the whole time.

Instead of telling you how scary the game is, I will leave this gem for you to watch.

Amnesia

Say what you will about me either being a noob or a wuss, but I could not play more than a couple of levels - let alone finish - Amnesia. Not that it's got bad gameplay or questionable graphics - it was just too terrifying.

Let me explain. Amnesia is a first-person horror survival game. It has all the classic hallmarks: a morgue, dank water/sewers and even a classic - the abandoned mental asylum.

Gaming forums, like this one, sum up the fear that has been bestowed upon those who have played the game. If you don't believe the forums, check out one of my favourite videos that truly replicates my reaction at playing Amnesia.

Click here

Amnesia the game
(Photo: Frictional Games)

The Suffering

This is a personal favourite of mine. It was never a blockbusting game, nor has it been remembered as one of the greats, but I loved it. Mainly because I think it was the first cripplingly scary game I ever completed.

Launched in 2004, it had all the classic survival horror game levels of a haunted penitentiary and mental asylum and asks you to take the path of either good or evil - there is even an insanity meter that turns you into a monster if you reach a high enough level.

So far, so crazy right? Wrong. Not only is the character you control in either first or third-person borderline insane, but the actual gameplay drives you to question your own sanity as to why you would put yourself through this for "fun".

This video is just the tip of the iceberg.

Lianna Brinded is senior business reporter for IBTimes UK

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