Scariest Analog Horror Series

Key Takeaways

• Analog horror motion pictures mimic outdated VHS tapes for scares, impressed through late-night TV and information publicizes.
• The style received recognition within the 2010s, mixing cryptic messages and strange imagery.
• Well known analog horror sequence come with “No Via Street,” “Ben Drowned,” and “Tremendous Mario 64: CLASSIFIED.”

First off, what’s analog horror? They’re horror motion pictures, shorts, or movies typically completed within the genre of outdated VHS, Beta, or different pre-digital codecs. Once in a while they are able to appear to be an outdated camcorder view of a few phenomena, like The Blair Witch Venture. More often than not, they appear to be outdated information publicizes, informational movies, or native house warnings.

They changed into specifically standard within the 2010s, impressed through outdated horror specials like Ghostwatch or precise TV sign hijackings just like the Max Headroom Incident. The combo of cryptic messages, visible distortions, and strange imagery can depart audience’ pores and skin crawling, specifically after they watch those well-known examples of the style.

Up to date October 26, 2024 through David Heath: Analog horror is just about a longtime style now. It is not a host of ARGs or quirky one-offs like Native 58 or CH/SS. Lately, if folks seek on YouTube, they are certain to return throughout an analog horror video, whether or not they are one of the vital ones in this checklist, a hidden gem, or pretenders that attempt to hit the similar beats.

With Halloween at the horizon, it gave the impression becoming so as to add a couple of extra analog horror highlights that deserve an eye fixed. Together with some hidden gem stones that flew beneath the radar, and a couple of sequence which are on the upward push, along a couple of different tweaks right here and there. Both method, they will have to supply an unsettling time for individuals who fancy new scares with outdated tech.

1 No Via Street

Taking A Mistaken Flip

• Author: Steven Chamberlain
• Inspirations: The Blair Witch Venture, David Lynch films, and the Physician Who episode ‘Time’

No Via Street used to be initially a one-off quick produced in 2009, nevertheless it stuck on neatly sufficient for writer Steven Chamberlain to supply 3 extra episodes for YouTube throughout 2011-2012. They had been meant to be tapes of 4 17-year-olds who had been discovered lifeless of their automotive out of doors their fatherland, which have been then recovered through MI6 sooner than getting uploaded onto the web.

They confirmed the lads taking a shortcut down a “no thru street” through an deserted farm. Once they take a leisure prevent, they discover a completely preserved lifeless rabbit. It most effective will get stranger from there as they to find occasions repeating themselves, and a hatted determine stalking them from the darkness. The sequence predates the time period “analog horror,” however its VHS-style discovered pictures and viral luck in reality set the degree for the upward push of creepypasta and the style typically.

2 Ben Drowned

One Of The First Gaming Analog Horror Sequence

• Author: Alex ‘Jadusable’ Corridor
• Inspirations: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Masks, Slim Guy, and different creepypastas

Horror tales about cursed gadgets had been round for a few years. Some changed into lovely well-known, too, like Koji Suzuki’s novel Ring and its next movie, comedian, manga, online game, and so on., variations. They went directly to encourage a mess of horror microfiction tales referred to as creepypastas, which featured cursed Spongebob episodes (‘Squidward’s Suicide’), on-line memes (‘Smiledog’), and video video games.

Ben Drowned mixed a written creepypasta a couple of haunted replica of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Masks with video pictures. The distorted track, glitchy actions, and the sport’s already morose and creepy surroundings made it stick out from its opponents in haunting terror. The tale went directly to be strangely influential, inspiring the GIFfany persona in Gravity Falls, who used to be due to this fact the muse for Monika in Doki Doki Literature Membership.

3 Tremendous Mario 64: CLASSIFIED

When The whole thing Mentioned About SM64 Is True

• Author: Greenio
• Inspirations: Ben Drowned, each rumor about Tremendous Mario 64

It isn’t simply The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Masks that may be creepy and darkish. Nintendo 64 release nameTremendous Mario 64 has additionally impressed its unusual city legends, like how each cartridge is allegedly personalised for every proprietor. One particular person’s replica of the sport will play higher for them as it used to be designed for them particularly. It is extra of a funny story, however the YouTube sequence Tremendous Mario 64: CLASSIFIED wonders what it might be like if it had been true.

They take the type of VHS recordings of a damaged demo construct of Tremendous Mario 64. Via every video, it step by step turns into obvious that Nintendo used to be hiding an overly darkish secret concerning the sport’s introduction, one that can threaten the arena as a complete. The sequence is relatively tongue-in-cheek, despite the fact that that does not prevent it from being an eerie, unnerving watch. It additionally finished its run in January 2023, so audience can now get the overall revel in on YouTube.

4 Petscop

A Let’s Play As A Horror Tale

• Author: Tony Domenico
• Inspirations: Marble Hornets, Ben Drowned, and the David Lynch film Inland Empire

Edited online game commentaries, or “Let’s Performs,” have died down in recognition for the reason that 2010s as tastes have shifted to reside streams and long-form movies fairly than LP’s quick gaming segments. However they controlled to encourage this spooky story a couple of guy receiving an difficult to understand PS1 sport from the mysterious (and fictional) corporate Garalina.

Petscop sees Paul play in the course of the titular sport for his YouTube channel. To start with, it sort of feels like a easy sufficient sport concerning the “Mum or dad” fixing puzzles to reclaim pets. However then it will get stranger as its new ranges, puzzles, and figures appear to check with attachment remedy, abuse, disappearances, and extra. There may be extra to Petscop than an unusual online game.

5 Native 58

How The Style Were given Its Identify

• Author: Kris Straub
• Inspirations: Candle Cove, Lovecraftian horror

Talking of creepypasta, Kris Straub to start with made his title on-line with the tale Candle Cove, which used to be about discussion board customers recollecting a peculiar kids’s display from their adolescence. In 2015, Straub would create a spin-off from this tale, however he wouldn’t use textual content to do it. Combining animation, video, and a bit distortion right here and there, Straub would make Native 58, a sequence of movies presupposed to be from a public get admission to channel in West Virginia.

They’d characteristic bizarre cryptic messages, like caution audience in opposition to having a look on the moon, appearing dashcam pictures of a automotive being chased through some creature, or an emergency broadcast telling electorate the United States has been invaded, they usually will have to dedicate suicide to maintain the United States’s honor. It used to be bizarre, traumatic, and efficient. Its 5th episode, ‘Station ID,’ would additionally give the style its title, as it might state ‘ANALOG HORROR at 476MHZ.’

6 CH/SS

Supernatural Espionage

• Author: Turkey Lenin III
• Inspirations: The SCP Basis, MK-Extremely, Chilly Warfare-era secret tasks

CH/SS isn’t as neatly documented as another entries in this checklist. It popped up in a while after the debut of Native 58, and its writer is understood most effective through the alias of ‘Turkey Lenin III’. But it’s additionally one of the vital extra influential entries, with some calling it the primary analog horror. They take the type of a sequence of tutorial movies and ads for a government-sponsored psychological well being group all over the Eighties or so.

Then they simply get extra strange as they trace at espionage, deception, and supernatural forces, with difficult to understand Russian discussion and odd beasts. There have been additionally ARG components like obtain hyperlinks and in-character Twitter accounts to drag lovers into the void. Even with out them, the movies are a creepy revel in.

7 The Mandela Catalogue

Exchange Fact

• Author: Alex Kister
• Inspirations: The Mandela Impact city legend, CH/SS

Debuting in 2021, The Mandela Catalogue is a sequence of movies unfold throughout a sequence of VHS tapes. A few of them play out like educational movies, others like surveillance pictures. However all of them characteristic folks in Mandela County, Wisconsin, succumbing to mysterious figures referred to as ‘Alternates.’ They’re shape-shifting creatures that take the type of different residing issues, then stalk their goals sooner than getting rid of them and taking their position.

They are able to be indistinguishable from an individual’s family members, human, animal, or differently till they assault. The Alternates too can have an effect on TV and radio publicizes, warping the movies and converting their messages. Their uncanny appears, the use of actual police photofits, stuck on briefly, freaking audience out around the internet. Alex Kister goals to proceed the sequence, despite the fact that after some behind-the-scenes drama, it’ll take some time to catch again on.

8 The Smile Tapes

Give The Target market A Grin

• Author: Patorikku
• Inspirations: The Closing of Us, zombie/organic horror

Who’d have concept ophiocordyceps unilateralis would turn into so important within the media? The creepy fungus that turns ants into zombies impressed the mutants in The Closing of Us sequence, in addition to The Smile Tapes, an analog horror sequence that got here out in 2021. Set within the Nineties, the tapes chronicle a brand new drug referred to as SMILE made with a an identical however unidentified fungus.

It runs in the course of the black marketplace, the place its customers turn into an increasing number of susceptible to manic episodes, violence, uncontrollable laughter, and an increasing number of large smiles. The sequence is divided into volumes, overlaying the drug’s origins, its sufferers, and the deadly incidents led to through its customers. Particularly as soon as the stronger ‘Variant C’ starts to unfold and bring more potent, extra unhealthy ‘Smilers.’

9 Marble Hornets

Slim Guy’s Top

• Creators: Troy Wagner and Joseph DeLage, in accordance with Eric Knudsen’s unique discussion board publish
• Inspiration: The Slim Guy publish at the SomethingAwful Boards

The Slim Guy feels quite performed out these days, becoming a member of Jeff the Killer and Guffawing Jack within the historical past books. However again in its top, it used to be far and wide, with certainly one of its easiest portrayals showing in Marble Hornets. Enjoying throughout 3 seasons of 133 episodes, it adopted Jay Merrick (co-creator Troy Wagner) as he tries to determine what came about to his good friend Alex (different co-creator Joseph DeLage) all over the filming of his pupil movie “Marble Hornets.”

He appears in the course of the leftover tapes and discovers Alex used to be being stalked through a determine he referred to as “The Operator.” He turns into extra obsessive about catching it in motion till the determine makes itself identified. Then it begins going after Jay too. It used to be supposed extra as an ARG (augmented truth sport) with the way it used YouTube in its plot in addition to its uploads. However there is no denying its affect on next analog horror sequence, particularly in Wagner’s different works.

10 ECKVA

Marble Hornets’ Religious Successor

• Author: Troy Wagner
• Inspirations: Marble Hornets, Transparent Lakes 44

Marble Hornets changed into one of the vital easiest variations of the Slim Guy persona. However as soon as it ran its route in 2014, and its follow-up ARG Transparent Lakes 44 stalled, writer Troy Wagner needed to get a hold of a brand new undertaking. In September 2016, that new undertaking debuted as ECKVA. It’s about an internet investigator referred to as S. Hawkins as he receives strange publicizes from the titular defunct channel.

They show odd visuals, distorted cartoons like ‘Alis Pastry,’ and messages reputedly aimed particularly at Hawkins himself, in addition to references to a drug referred to as Preaxin that Hawkins used to take. Whilst the movies may also be observed on-line, it additionally has a tie-in web site and e-books for lovers to take a look at.

11 Hello I am Mary Mary

Trapped At House

• Author: Okay
• Inspirations: Marble Hornets, EverymanHYBRID, and different YouTube horror shorts

Hello I am Mary Mary is most likely probably the most an identical analog horror to the cult horror flick Skinamarink. The sequence follows a girl referred to as Mary who is trapped in her folks’ house all by myself. She can not get away or name for lend a hand as she can not see someone out of doors. All she has is a digicam, a mysteriously replenishing inventory of meals, and on-line get admission to the place she will tweet and add movies however can not see replies or get touch from the out of doors global.

She data movies of her studies within the hopes any person can see them and ship lend a hand, as she’s most effective by myself all over the day. By way of evening, she’s stalked through shadowy figures, a strange masked lady, and different mysterious phenomena. What is taking place to Mary, and why is it taking place? Audience can now to find out in complete because the sequence concluded in 2020 after 19 movies, and its comparable Twitter and Blogspot posts.

12 Gemini House Leisure

When City Legends Meet Cosmic Horror

• Author: Remy Home
• Inspirations: Alien, The Factor, The Unending, The Ritual, and vintage city legends just like the Skinwalker and the Wendigo.

Gemini House Leisure has been operating since 2019 and has turn into a quintessential instance of the analog horror style. It has the entire hallmarks of the style, from the unfashionable presentation a l. a. Native 58 to the cryptic, traumatic messages that contain ownership, monsters, and the approaching finish of the arena. They are advised thru various clips taken from the Eighties-Nineties VHS releases through Gemini House Leisure.

At the face of it, they are easy natural world movies, or ones on typhoon protection, or the Sun Device. Alternatively, when watched in combination, they expose odd threats like shapeshifting Skinwalkers or the fatal Deep Root Illness. They are hooked up through a thriller involving Regnad Computing, a campsite, and a cosmic entity referred to as ‘The Iris.’ The sequence remains to be ongoing by means of its Library subseries, so most effective common audience can bet how it is going to all come in combination.

13 Surreal Broadcast

Taking Over The Airwaves

• Author: Purple Diamond
• Inspirations: Native 58

Surreal Broadcast is a sequence of movies set within the fictional county of Berksaut, Maine. “Araneae” is going from being an ordinary video on spiders to a caution about one thing lurking within the Berksaut Woodland. “Radio” tells the viewer about how radio waves paintings sooner than bringing up an anomalous broadcast that induces hallucinations in its listeners.

Then the “1989 Incident” presentations a neighborhood TV broadcast caution audience of a odd affliction led to through an animal chunk (“their eyes are indescribable”). It most effective will get worse because the seasons move on, as extra publicizes get hijacked, extra anomalies seem within the woods, and extra folks fall to the phenomenon. Whilst it isn’t as inexplicable as Native 58, it is simply as odd and traumatic because the viewer learns extra about Berksaut and its woods.

14 Midwest Angelica

Loss of life From Above

• Creators: Staff AQ (Angel Pace and CuriouQuandary)
• Inspirations: Gemini House Leisure, Native 58, The Factor, cosmic/organic horror

Midwest Angelica is without doubt one of the few sequence funded through a Patreon. It most effective has one paid degree (as of this writing), which will get its individuals behind-the-scenes data, trivialities, and early get admission to to its episodes. The price range are used lovely neatly too, because the sequence’ enhancing and results transcend lowering the display screen solution and including some distortion right here and there.

They reflect era-accurate pc diagrams, graphs, and extra, because the movies document how NASA found out what turns out just like the corpse of an alien being. Dubbed AZ-001, the frame landed in Nebraska, the place authorities operatives went to retrieve it. Alternatively, it seems it is not somewhat as lifeless because it appears, and it introduced contaminants that do not have interaction neatly with terrestrial existence. Either one of its Acts, together with its ‘Interlude A’, can all be discovered on YouTube.

15 Somnium DreamViewer

The place Goals Turn out to be Nightmares

• Author: Holly Fernwright
• Inspirations: 80s/90s infomercials, Native 58

First showing in January 2022, Holly Fernwright’s Somnium DreamViewer is set a product through Somnium Applied sciences that permits customers to print photographs from their goals. They simply hook the software as much as their head sooner than they sleep, after which print the pictures after they get up. The software is somewhat complicated for the Eighties, nevertheless it has its drawbacks.

The following movies document how Somnium Applied sciences operates, inducts new workers, and offers with felony motion over the violent nightmares their gadget reasons. If that wasn’t shady sufficient, they arrive beneath the view of the FBMI- Federal Bureau of Metaphysical Intelligence. There’s extra to Somnium Applied sciences, its gadget, and its unintended effects than folks concept.

16 BLUE_CHANNEL

Temper Drugs

• Author: Gooseworx
• Inspirations: Native 58, CH/SS, drugs ads

To start with, BLUE_CHANNEL does not be offering so much. The primary video, THE_BLUE_CHANNEL, is actually only a blue backdrop with VHS distortion and the phrase ‘BLUE’ superimposed on it, set to wonky track. Then DEEP_BLUE every now and then adjustments the side ratio, hides subliminal messages (“You do not belong right here”), and provides a greater take a look at the creepy determine hidden on the finish of THE_BLUE_CHANNEL.

Audience get extra meals for concept in BLUE_CHANNEL: THALASIN, which takes the type of an ad for a mood-stabilizing drug referred to as Thalasin. It is odd sufficient that it gives feelings at a “upper, maximum constant emotional high quality.” Stranger nonetheless, it has a tablet for every emotion. As soon as it begins providing new feelings, like ‘Dorcelessness’, ‘Harfam’, and ‘Trantiveness’, it turns into one thing extra fascinating and traumatic in equivalent measure.

17 Archive 81

Sounds Horrifying

• Creators: Dan Powell and Marc Sollinger
• Inspirations: Orson Welles’ Warfare of the Worlds broadcast, The X-Information, Dual Peaks, H.P. Lovecraft tales

Archive 81 sticks out as a result of, in its unique variety, it used to be a podcast. Every episode follows an archivist referred to as Dan (performed through co-creator Dan Powell) as he is commissioned to revive some outdated audio recordings of a girl named Melody interviewing the citizens of a odd condo block referred to as the Visser Construction. He additionally has to document himself from his remoted bunker for archival and felony functions.

All sounds honest till Dan fixes up extra of the tapes and learns extra about Melody and the Visser Construction. The citizens are odd, relating to an unusual music that has them beneath its spell. Dan will get an increasing number of concerned within the case till, like Melody, he is going lacking. It is an enticing thriller that presentations how tough sound may also be in freaking folks out. It did get a Netflix adaptation, however as neat as it’s, it is best skilled aurally fairly than visually.

18 The Walten Information

Animated Analog Horror

• Author: Martin Partitions
• Inspirations: 5 Nights at Freddy’s

The Walten Information wears its 5 Nights At Freddy’s inspiration on its sleeve, because it additionally comes to a Chuck E. Cheese-like animatronic eating place. The tale comes to a person referred to as Anthony coming throughout a collection of videotapes from the defunct Bunny Smiles Corporate. They had been in the back of the Bon’s Burgers eating place, which mysteriously vanished within the Eighties.

It sticks out from the gang as it is an animated sequence. Its major movies step by step expose the thriller in the back of Bon’s Burgers, its animatronics, and its founders, Jack Walten and Felix Kranken. The visuals are crude, which provides to the traumatic surroundings every video builds up, and lore that is simply as darkish and bloody as its video game-based forebear.

19 The Guy In The Swimsuit

Approach Performing At Its Maximum Excessive

• Author: Unknowingly
• Inspirations: Godzilla/Gojira, most likely Shadow of the Vampire

Analog horror has turn into fairly not unusual now, however that does not imply it cannot be sudden. With Godzilla and kaiju monster films coming again into genre due to the Monsterverse and Godzilla Minus One, The Guy within the Swimsuit makes use of the unique 1954 film as the root for some behind-the-scenes terror. Simply because the film Shadow of the Vampire advised a fictional tale about Nosferatu. In that film, the director used an actual vampire to play the name function.

In TMitS, it sees a person don the rubber go well with for Godzilla, and get deeper into the function. He’d put on it continuously till he started to fuse with it, swelling to totally fill its internal and turn into a 10ft fleshy monster. Even worse, he may just transmit his situation to others with a chunk, as he goals to make Godzilla’s kaiju buddies allies in his purpose to turn into actual monsters.

20 Canine Nightmares

Guy’s Very best Pal Is going Unhealthy

• Author: Piggy Soda
• Inspirations: William Wegman’s movies for Sesame Boulevard, Jack Stauber’s music ‘Canine Nightmares’.

Artist William Wegman is most likely easiest identified through many for generating skits for Sesame Boulevard the place he’d get dressed canine as folks and put them in standard human scenarios, like ordering a meal at a cafe or going fishing. It used to be intended to make kids snort, despite the fact that the mix of actual canine heads on actual human our bodies gave some their first revel in of the Uncanny Valley. That is the place folks can settle for one thing totally actual (a real particular person) or unreal (a cool animated film), however no longer one thing in between the ones extremes.

Piggy Soda capitalized at the unease Wegman’s skits produced through making Canine Nightmares. It follows Emily, a tender lady who has misplaced her canine, Bailey. She tries searching for the pooch, most effective to finally end up rediscovering a odd dog-man hybrid she befriended as a child. It is advised thru her outdated youth drawings, clips of the Wegman shorts on TV, and eerie images and video pictures of one thing lurking within the shadows. It is a quick sequence that packs so much into its grim stories, with hints of home abuse, trauma, and madness on best of its offputting dog creature.