Science has found 'the scariest horror game of all time'

Which horror game is the scariest? That answer would depend on a number of things - what phobias you have, what your tolerance is for scares, which types of games you like and dislike to play...

Well, chuck all of that out of the window. A scientific study has discovered the scariest video game ever made, so strap in and ensure your arms and legs are inside the vehicle of this article.

Broadband Choices' Science of Scare study has been running since 2020, empirically investigating the intensity of horror games with heart rate monitors hooked up to players to see how the game affects them. This is not the part where I tell you that heart rate monitors aren't necessarily good indicators of the emotion of fear. Your heart rate increases out of excitement, too. Anyway.

Here's this hilarious virtual reality horror prank, as a palate cleanser!

There was an evident trend amongst the top five scariest horror games, as all were first person perspective and featured a theme of being trapped with little at your disposal to defend yourself against the threat. In fifth place, Outlast 2; in fourth place, Five Nights At Freddy's 4; in third place, Visage; and in second place, Alien: Isolation. There wasn't much difference in average heart rate between these games themselves and the game that snagged the crown, showing that it's been a strong few years for horror aficionados.

Enough with the suspense. The scariest game ever made (according to science) is MADiSON with an average playtime heart rate of 97 beats per minute which is 32 bpm above the resting heart rate for participants. At one point, the highest spike in heart rate reached 131 bpm - that's equivalent to moderate exercise.

One of the newer games in the list, MADiSON sees the player trapped in a terrifying ritual as the character tries to escape the vice that the demon has ensnared them inside. If you've not tried it yourself, the game got good reviews from critics and players have praised it as one of the most influential games they've played in recent memory.