Is survival horror making a comeback in 2013?

Many fans of true survival horror are disappointed in the way the genre has changed over the years. Classic survival horror series such as Resident Evil have turned into nothing more than action-packed games that are more like Michael Bay than Chris Redfield. However, 2013 seems to be the year that survival horror will make a true comeback, thanks to some awesome indie game developers who know just what gamers really want.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

Developer: thechineseroom
Publisher: Frictional Games
Available on: PC, Mac, Linux
Release date: Q2 2013

Fans of survival horror are sure to be familiar with 2010's Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It is known by many to be the scariest game of all time. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, an indirect sequel to the original, is set sixty years after the events of The Dark Descent in 1899.

Among The Sleep

Developer: Krillbite Studio
Producer: Ole Andreas Jordet
Available on: PC, Mac (Digital download only)
Release date: Q4 2013

Among The Sleep does something many gamers have wanted for a while: it puts you in the shoes of a two-year-old child. The game is played in first-person, drawing you ever further into the mind of the little boy. This looks like a very unique game that is capturing a lot of attention from survival horror fans.

Asylum

Developer: Senscape
Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS
Release date: December 2013

Asylum takes place in the Hanwell Mental Institute, a fictional insane asylum partially based on blueprints of real asylums. It was announced in 2010, and a Kickstarter campaign was launched in January of this year to accelerate the game's development. The campaign was successful, and the game is expected to come out this December.

Daylight

Developer: Zombie Studios
Available on: Steam
Release date: Q3 2013

Daylight is a brand new game running on Unreal Engine 4. You play as a woman who's just woken up. Your goal is to get through this horrible place you're in. Your character has no name or backstory (you all know I love games like this). The only thing you have at your disposal is the light of your cell phone to guide you through the world.

Jared Gerritzen, Zombie Studios creative director and studio head, said: "Different players will have a totally different experience. You’re essentially a rat in a cage, but the cage is an asylum and it’s scary as hell. You need to find your way out, and each time you do it it’s completely different.”

Outlast

Developer: Red Barrels
Available on: PC
Release date: 2013

Personally, this is the survival horror game I am most excited to play this year. When I learned that Developer Red Barrels consists of ex-Ubisoft and ex-Naughty Dog devs, I became even more excited.
You play as an independent journalist named Miles Upshur who breaks into an insane asylum, acting on an inside tip. You can't fight back, so you rely a lot on hiding from the terrifying creatures who inhabit the asylum. Scroll down to see the trailer, which is running in real-time on Unreal Engine.

Routine

Developer: Lunar Software
Available on: Steam
Release date: 2013

This game is set in "an '80s vision of the future" called the "Lunar Research Station" on an abandoned Moon Base. Your goal is to survive as long as possible to collect data to help you find your crew who have mysteriously disappeared.

Slender: The Arrival

Developer: Parsec Productions, Blue Isle Studios
Available on: PC, Mac
Release date: March 26, 2013

Last year, Slender: The Eight Pages spread like wildfire, mostly through word of mouth. I remember my friend James telling me about one of the "scariest games he's ever played." I was scared to play it, but I just had to try it. I never got past two Pages.
Slender: The Arrival is the continuation of the original, introducing more environments, better graphics, and a new plot.