Out of the many exciting announcements from E3 this week, the most exciting for horror fans was a compelling and creepy trailer for an upcoming Blair Witch game (just in time for its 20th anniversary). The 1st person nature, and creepy setting really lend themselves to a game, and hopefully it turns out great. But upon seeing that trailer, it got me thinking about other horror films that would make cool video games!

Saw Technically, there have already been two Saw based video games (released in 2009 and 2010), but we’re here to advocate for the Saw video game that almost was. Upon announcing the game itself, Brash Entertainment suggested that the player would be able to play as Jigsaw himself and even get to design “traps” and put people in them. However, financial hardships caused them to collapse, and the game was later picked up by Zombie Studios, who completely rebooted the idea. The game we finally got was just another mediocre, run of the mill mystery, that wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t very exciting either.

But imagine how awesome that original concept would be, if fully developed. Fans of the film series would be delighted to get to exercise their twisted tendencies and create their own games and test peoples’ will to live. It would have inevitably inspired controversy. Critics would decry that it’s a “murder simulator” or that it “encourages and enables serial killer behavior”, but honestly, that would have just caused it to sell more copies!

Unfriended

Having an entire film take place over a computer is a growing trend (“Desktop Thriller” is the official name), with entries like Unfriended, Megan is Missing, Searching, and Ratter. And with PC gaming being such the massive industry that it is, why not take the concept and style of Unfriended and adapt it?

Players would sit at their webcams and feel like they’re in the film as they interact with other people from around the world, and maybe even a few ghosts? Imagine not being sure if you’re talking to another player, or an actor in a cut scene, who’s about to unleash terror upon you?!

Cabin in the Woods

Definitely one of the most unique and meta horror fans of the last decade, Cabin in the Woods took all the horror clichés and turned them on their head. One of the most intriguing aspects was the myriad of horror creatures, monsters, and villains that were all unleashed upon the facility at the end.

Sure our main characters primarily dealt with the Zombie-Redneck-Torture-Family, but that’s just because they opted for that particular item first. This story lends itself to a video game, as players could have an almost choose-your-own-adventure, as they navigate through the basement and choose an item to bring about that monster. You could play it 30 different times and get 30 different results each time!

The Shining

Ready Player One certainly had its issues, but by far the most exciting aspect was the scene in which the characters delve into a video game version of The Shining. The Overlook’s geography was perfectly represented, complete with the eerie music, and a terrifying Room 237 level.

The only disappointment was that this game doesn’t exist in real life. Players could explore the Overlook, and delve deeper into the mystery of the ghosts that exist there. And given Stephen King’s vast bibliography, there could be plenty of Easter Eggs of other characters and creations of his as well.

Hellraiser

In a brilliant blend of Tetris and Resident Evil, Hellraiser could lend itself to a great video game as it combines puzzles and terrifying levels. Sort of a mathematically challenge/exercise crossed with a love and appreciation for horrific images and scenarios. Players would have to solve a puzzle to move on to each new level, taking them deeper into the pits of the underworld. All of it would lead to a final battle of wits against Pinhead himself!

Would any of these be awesome or would they be shameless cash grabs? Are there any other horror films that we missed? Let us know in the comments!