Some of the Best Horror SCPs
So, I was going to make a post where I rate popular/commonly recommended horror SCPs based on how scary I think they are, but I forgot about all the ones that didn’t have much of an effect on me and I don’t feel like rereading them. So. Here’s what you get. A short selection of best horror SCPs.
Or, my best ones that I have been able to find again. I will probably add to the list as I track down others.
Its been a while since I’ve fully read some of these so I don’t remember everything, but, SCPs are generally pretty heavy on gross/unsanitary stuff, gore, body horror, and unreality stuff, so be warned.
SCP-2951: 10,000 Years This is one of my favorite SCPs ever, both in terms of the story and the way it subtly screws with formatting. The narrative revolves around exploring a mine full of spatial and temporal anomalies after a collapse that left potential survivors still trapped down in the mine.
I am a HUGE fan of the “exploring creepy anomalous area that’s bigger inside than outside” type of SCP and this one is a good example. The sense of dread that it builds and the ambiguity is haunting. If you know the podcast “Old Gods of Appalachia,” there’s a really similar energy here.
SCP-3005: A Light That Died A great article that messes with your head. I still have no idea what specifically is actually happening here but it’s somehow compelling as hell, how warped everything feels through the subtle screwing with the formatting and the writing.
SCP-4157: WANT DOG Not strictly a horror SCP? It’s kinda horrific but like equal parts funny and horrific. It made me scream with laughter at a couple points. A nice short one if you’re not interested in a long ass narrative.
SCP-783: There Was a Crooked Man: The body horror part of this one is pretty great and chilling, but the twist is even more so.
SCP-1165: Minus Level: You know how in Minecraft everything is infinite and you’re alone and buildings sometimes generate wrongly? If that makes you feel a little weird you’ll be into this.
It’s basically about an alley in a city that opens into an warped alternate version of the city that goes on forever. It is one of the first SCPs I can remember reading, and it took me FOREVER to find it again.
SCP-2194: Filth Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin! I would like to unread this thanks. Not among the scariest on the site per se but one of the earlier SCPs I read and it…left an Impression. So here ya go.
SCP-1730: “What Happened to Site-13?” So, FYI, this is the longest SCP on the site, if memory holds. It’s novella-length. Which makes it impressive that it held my attention the whole time.
There are a lot of good SCPs that build a connection with their characters, but this one is an extraordinary example, because you really start to get invested in the main characters’ survival. It’s another expedition-into-creepy-anomalous-place style SCP. It’s not specifically horror-focused but it is like, suspenseful with SCP typical horror elements.
I would actually say that it probably makes a good introduction to the SCP world.??? since it hits a lot of the major worldbuilding things and gives you a good sense of what this world is like.
SCP-455: The Cargo Ship- An absolute favorite. This one has a narrative that is super engaging and it’s scary af. The interview logs, audio transcripts and dialogue really hit the spot with the mixture of ambiguity and horrible specificity. There is a big jumble of horror tropes here but the main compelling thing about this is just the journey into an abandoned cargo ship that has waaaay more floors from the inside than outside.
And the ending is a gut punch I will never forget.
SCP-1981: “Ronald Reagan Cut Up While Talking” Fucked up. I think this one is pretty well known? This is one of the few SCPs where a creepy image enhances the SCP for me, and it’s also just fucked up.
SCP-835: Expunged Data Released HORRIBLE. NO. HATE. Do not click if you’re not prepared for body horror and to be generally grossed the fuck out.
You know the [redacted] meme? Yeah, so, SCP’s often build horror around putting redactions in their articles, because sometimes leaving ambiguity is more horrifying than specifying exactly what is going on—and THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES HOLY SHIT.
SCP-2614: Sometimes I Go Out in Pity For Myself This one isn’t scary per se. But it’s extremely eerie and it HAUNTS ME. I just have SO many questions. I want to be the researcher to perform experiments with this thing holy fuck.