Handlingyour stuffin video games isn’t a new gimmick, especially in thehorrorscene. In fact, some games areimprovedbecause of how they handle inventory management.
In these games, inventory isn’t just a component of gameplay, but practically a character in and of itself.
In fact, one could say that the fear factor and gameplay of these games wouldn’t be remotely the same if there was only a basic inventory management system.
Thankfully, for these games, sorting and organizing is as much fun as running away from the enemies you have to use this inventory against. So, here are the ten horror games with good inventory management.
10The Evil Within
Helplessness is Limited Inventory
The Evil Within
The Evil Within, having been created byShinji Mikami, obviously takes a lot of staples from theResident Evilgames. The way that inventory is handled (being limited, specifically) is one of them, yet it’s tweaked for a more modern UI (and better experience overall).
In fact, there’s even a trophy that you can get for being resourceful during a particular level:Item Management. Not only does it provide an extra challenge, but you’re also one step closer tothat coveted platinum.
It’s simple and easy to adjust to adapt to a new scenario, giving players only a limited amount of space to get through the game. Not only does this instill a feeling of helplessness (which helps build fear), but it forces players to be creative in their approach.
The Evil Within 2keeps this system, but gives players some more room, as a treat (you’re going to need it).
9Fatal Frame
Work Around Your Camera
Fatal Frame
Fatal Frameis a particularly unique horror game that doesn’t give you a traditional weapon to deal with the ghosts: instead, you’re given a camera, forcing you to face these terrifying spirits up close.
You’d think needing only one weapon would mean there’s no need for an inventory, but it’s actually quite the contrary. Most things in your inventory are meant to supplement your camera, either being upgrades or simply more batteries to keep it running longer.
Finding film will become a common secondary objective to whatever it is you’re doing at any given level, especially since you may’tcomplete your photographywithout it.
With this, players also end up developing a low-key fear of running out of film altogether, so let’s just be grateful that with digital cameras, we don’t have that issue anymore.
8Voices of the Void
Every Item Has Purpose
Release Date
July 31, 2025
While Voices of the Void is still in its pre-alpha stage, it’s already shown fantastic promise with the inventory system.
Not only does every item have its own distinct weight and stats, but they each serve their own purpose (if nothing else, to be sold). You’re able to get these items from various means, but what you do with them will determine how your game experience goes.
In Voices of the Void, you’re a scientist living in a remote facility analyzing different signals that you hear from space. Each wavelength is different, ranging from the hilarious to the outright horrifying - and your items complement that.
While thefull inventory systemisn’t done yet (like the rest of the game), it’s got such strong bones that I’m already confident it will be a blast during full release.
7S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
What You Carry Determines Survival
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Fextralife Wiki
BothS.T.A.L.K.E.R.games are surprisingly very good when it comes to managing your inventory in the middle of a nuclear fallout, beingrealistic without being overly sluggish or frustrating. It just so happens thatS.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2is a bit more refined about it.
You have your basic equipment that you wear (which, thankfully, doesn’t take up any inventory space since, well, you’re wearing it), the items in your backpack, and whatever other loot you’re able to find. That said, you can’t just lug everything around with you like you would in aSilent Hillgame.
This forces players to be careful with what they choose to take with them from base, and that ends up adding so much more to the experience overall. You have to survive by managing your resources, just like how we normally survive.
And for players who want to carry around more than a couple of guns, you’re actually wanting to play anaction horror game, not survival.
You Can’t Stockpile Resources
Dredgeis a particularly unique horror game, having you take on the role of a fisherman out in a cursed sea full of Eldritch monstrosities. On top of it, you have tokeep your sanity in checkwhile making sure you bring home enough fish.
Your ship serves as your inventory, with different fish taking up different amounts of space. Not only would you have to make sure it all fits together, but you also need to make sure that you’re not overloading your cargo.
This becomes especially challenging when some items (such as boxes) can be ditched early on, but become important towards the end of the game, and vice versa.
Even still, it’s a uniquelycozy horror gamethat would be a delightful surprise to fans of the genre, and for those who like a good amount of strategy thrown into the mix.
5The Last of Us
Brick or Bottle?
The Last of Us
The Last of Uswasn’t the first horror game to introduce a crafting system to spice up the inventory, but it definitely is one of the better examples. You’re able to gather weapons and parts, but what you make solely depends on what you have on you.
Even then, there’s limited availability when it comes to how much you can carry. Bricks and bottles, for example, are used for distraction (and light damage in a pinch), but you can only hold a handful. Because of this, you have to choose how you want to approach an encounter, and be resourceful with what’s on hand.
The game’s code specifically limits players from having too much of anything, forcing you to be creative and to think fast on your feet - which is exactlyhow you’d have to survive in the apocalypse.
With that in mind, the most common question Last of Us players end up asking each other isn’t about what they thought of the game, but something a lot more telling of how you handled gameplay: brick or bottle?
The Game Works Around You
Dead Space 2
Growing up playingZeldagames, nothing would get more frustrating than cutting grass, desperate to get a heart to stop the incessant beeping, only to get a rupee instead. It does not matter what you need, you’re getting what you get.
However, theDead Spacegames end up flipping that script entirely, working with the player and their preferred playstyle. For example, if you tend to only use the Plasma Cutter, the only ammo you’ll find will beforthe Plasma Cutter. You wouldn’t pick up other ammo types unless you were carrying that weapon.
Dead Space 2in particular is superb at meeting players where they are with their inventory, making you even less likely to pick up anything you won’t need or quickly use. It’s something I wish was the norm for most games, in all honesty.
It ends up adding to the game’s replayability as well, by keeping players' inventory confined to the build that they’re going for. That means if they’re going for a different build in the next playthrough, it would essentially feel like an entirely different game, and that’s just neat.
3The Forest
Survive … and Cannibalize
The Forest
Surviving a plane crash is already a literal nightmare scenario, but it’s even worse when you have to avoid savage cannibals on the island you crashed on, all while searching for your missing son. InThe Forest, you’re looking for your son, Timmy, while trying to survive the harsh environment.
That’s it when it comes to the plot (and really,all you need to know), since the focus of the game is simply staying alive — and facing the consequences of your own actions.
As you gather supplies for crafting, you have to start getting creative with how you use these materials, especially after the enemy A.I. learns your go-to weapons. Not to mention, the hunt for these items is as fun as the fighting. For aAA horror game, it’s an excellent experience for horror fans.
By the time you get to the end, your inventory is an absolute mess, but there’s an allure to it that can’t really be described. You’re in a sick treehouse with every possible trinket you could want, so it’s likely to appeal to our childish hopes and wonder … just with a side of cannibalism.
A Genuinely Unique Survival Horror Experience
Surviving in the middle of the woods is already a terrifying prospect - even more so when you know you’re not alone. InDarkwood, that’s exactly the case.
In order to survive in the dark forest, you have to hunt, gather, and craft everything that you’ll need, all while trying not to be mortified by everything around you. Thankfully, your inventory system compliments this goal wonderfully. You just have to make the right decisions from that point on.
This is a horror game thatleans just as heavily into the pure survival genreas it does into its own terrifying atmosphere. Even then, while you’re crafting and working diligently with what you have, that fight for survival ends up becoming a full-on nightmare (in a good way).
Every little trinket you pick up could be the difference between life and death, and it really raises the stakes.
1Resident Evil 4
The Pinnacle of Inventory Management
Resident Evil 4
When talking about inventory management, not even exclusively in the horror genre,Resident Evil 4will almost always come up in conversation as a stellar example. For good reason, too, because organizing the case is as much fun as Leon’s constant backflips.
Despite being one of the best inventory management systems in gaming as a whole, it’s actually an incredibly simple concept: you have a briefcase, and you can fit anything in that space. There’s even a handy grid to help you visualize how much room each item will take.
As the game progresses, you’re able to expand the briefcase, allowing you to carry more with you until you’re unable to upgrade any further. TheRE4 Remaketakes it one step further and lets you add charms to your case, not only organizing your equipment but giving you different passive abilities depending on the charm.
For some players, a perfectly packed case is more important than taking downLas Plagas, and keeping it maintained is well worth some bragging rights. Either way, you’re equipped to save Ashley from any situation, so long as she doesn’t get herself snatched up again.
