Horror games have been a popular genre since the early days of gaming, and continue to draw in a dedicated fanbase.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the world of horror gaming and the fans who love it.
From the psychological thrills to the jump scares, we’ll explore what makes horror gaming so appealing to gamers of all backgrounds.
Quick Demographic Facts About Horror Game Fans
- Gen Z ranks horror as their third favorite video content genre, with 28% preferring horror games
- Millennials make up 40% of horror movie fans, which could translate to horror game enthusiasts as well
- Gen X accounts for 36% of horror movie fans, also indicating potential interest in horror games
- 56% of horror movie fans have never been married, or are either widowed or divorced; this may carry over to horror game fans’ demographics
- Horror fans, particularly those with an affinity for paranormal and sci-fi genres, frequently attend movies 12 or more times per year, suggesting that they may also invest time and money in horror games
The data indicates that horror game fans predominantly come from younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, with a mix of Gen X. A diverse demographic of marital statuses, their frequent engagement with horror content, both in movies and games, reveals an ongoing passion for the genre.
Here are the demographics of video game users.
Age Demographics of Horror Game Players
- During a 2022 survey, it was found that 36% of video game players come from the 18 to 34 age demographic, while 6% are 65 years and older.
- Under 18s make up 21% of video game players in the US, and 26% of the players are aged between 34 and 54.
- In the US, 64% of adults and 70% of those under 18 play video games regularly.
As these numbers suggest, horror game players come from a diverse range of ages, with a significant proportion belonging to the 18-34 demographic.
The regularity of video game consumption among both adults and under 18s highlights a broad interest in the gaming sphere.
This is quite different from the demographics of Xbox in general.
Gender Demographics of Horror Game Fans
- 35.2% of self-identified women are horror fans
- 39.7% of self-identified men are horror fans
- 30.4% of self-identified non-binary people are horror fans
The data shows that the gender demographics of horror game fans are relatively evenly distributed, with less than a 7% difference between self-identified women, men, and non-binary individuals. It’s interesting to see this near-even split among the groups.
- Women make up 48% of gamers in the United States in 2022, up from 45% the previous year
- 54% of gamers in 2022 use their smartphones to play games
In the horror genre specifically, the gender distribution in their streaming audience is considered roughly 80% male viewers.
Ethnicity Demographics Horror Game Fans
- African-American players make up 13% of paranormal and 16% of sci-fi ticket-buyers in the horror genre according to a Variety study.
- Hispanic players account for 31% of paranormal and 23% of sci-fi attendees, compared to 15% and 19% respectively for an average blockbuster.
- In terms of global players in the overall video game industry, 54% or 1.4 billion come from the Asia Pacific region.
- Additionally, 14% (377 million) are from the Middle East and Africa, 14% (386 million) are from Europe, and 8% (210 million) are from North America.
While the data does not focus exclusively on horror game fans, the available statistics on ethnicity demographics within the broader gaming industry and horror genre offer a glimpse into the possible diversity of horror game fans.
Demographic Breakdown per State
- In the United States, 82.9% of the population engages in video gaming.
- Among Gen Z, a crucial demographic for horror game developers, comedy is the top genre preference at 48%, while action holds second place at 29%, and horror comes in a close third at 28%.
It is evident from the data that horror games have a considerable audience across various states, especially in areas with growing populations and a strong presence of younger demographics.
Political Demographics
- According to a survey, 23% of horror game players identify as conservative, while 30% consider themselves liberal, and 47% claim to be politically independent or don’t identify with a specific political ideology.
The data highlights the diversity in political demographics among horror game players, showcasing an inclusive environment that appeals to fans across different political views.
Education Level Demographics
- The largest group of horror game purchasers consists of people with a High School Diploma, at 18.5%
- Individuals with an Associate Degree make up the next biggest demographic, with 16.9% of game purchasers
- Those with a Bachelor’s Degree make up 14.7% of the market
A noteworthy observation from the demographic data is the wide distribution of educational attainment among horror game players, suggesting that these games appeal to a diverse range of audiences with varying levels of education.
Average Income Level
- The median annual income for adult video game players in the United States is around $58,000.
- Players who earn above $100,000 per year tend to play more online games than console games.
- Households with incomes less than $35,000 primarily play games on smartphones or other mobile devices.
- Incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 show a 46% increase in hours spent playing video games.
These income-related facts highlight that the gaming industry, including horror games, is popular across different income strata. With median income of gamers and income-based game preferences, it can be inferred that the market for horror games spans a large demographic, catering to varied preferences.
Other Interesting Facts About Horror Game Fans
- On average, younger individuals tend to be more attracted to the horror genre than older individuals.
- Men are more likely to be fans of horror games than women.
- Horror games have always been relatively popular, with landmark titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill defining the genre.
- One of the major shifts in the horror genre came in 2010 with the release of Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
- Scary stories date back to ancient Greeks and Romans, with evidence suggesting that these stories don’t differ greatly from the types of stories we tell today.
- 34% of horror game players have stated that they play these games alone, compared to 17% who play with friends.
- A study by Civic Science revealed that 69% of horror movie fans also play horror video games.
- 56% of people who play horror games play for the scare factor.
- Horror games that are rated M (Mature) by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) tend to have higher sales.
- The horror game Outlast sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
- The popular horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s has generated over $40 million in revenue.
- The horror game Dead by Daylight has over 25 million players worldwide.
- Layers of Fear, a psychological horror game, has sold over one million copies.
- According to the NPD Group, Resident Evil 2 was the best-selling game of January 2019 in the US.
- The horror game Until Dawn sold over 3 million copies globally.
- The horror game Alien: Isolation won the 2015 BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Games award for Audio Achievement.
- According to a survey by Statista, the horror game genre generated $526 million in revenue in the US in 2019.
- According to a report by Newzoo, horror games accounted for 2% of all games played worldwide in 2020.
- 28% of Gen Z gamers prefer horror games, according to a report by Deloitte.
- Millennials make up 40% of horror movie fans, indicating potential interest in horror games as well.
- The horror game genre has seen a steady increase in revenue over the years, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 6.9% between 2014-2019, according to a report by Statista.
- A report by TechJury revealed that 25% of gamers play horror games on a regular basis.
- According to a survey by Reddit, 44% of horror game fans are between the ages of 18-24.
- The horror game genre has also seen a surge in popularity in the Asian market, with games like White Day: A Labyrinth Named School becoming a cult classic.
- The popular horror game franchise, Silent Hill, has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
- According to a report by the Entertainment Software Association, 58% of gamers in the US play video games with others.
- The horror game franchise, Dead Space, has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.
- According to a report by Variety, horror movies and games are becoming more diverse in their audiences, drawing in younger and more diverse crowds.
- The popular horror game franchise, Resident Evil, has sold over 100 million copies worldwide.
- The horror game genre has seen an increase in VR (Virtual Reality) experiences, with games like Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and The Inpatient.
- A study by Morbidly Beautiful found that 56.2% of horror game fans are male.
- The popular horror game, Phasmophobia, sold over 1 million copies in just 2 months after its release in 2020.
- The horror game, The Last of Us Part II, won the 2020 Game Awards for Game of the Year and Best Game Direction.
- The horror game, Little Nightmares II, released in 2021, sold over 1 million copies in just a month after its release.
It is intriguing to observe the various factors that contribute to the popularity of horror games, such as age, gender, and the evolution of the genre itself.
Sources
- https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/media-consumer-survey.html
- https://www.civicscience.com/13-insights-horror-movie-fans/
- https://variety.com/2015/film/news/horror-movies-draw-younger-diverse-audiences-sinister-2-poltergeist-gallows-1201490553/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/322354/video-game-playing-age-usa/ 1
- https://techjury.net/blog/video-game-demographics/#gref 2
- https://www.morbidlybeautiful.com/brief-study-gender-horror/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/232383/gender-split-of-us-computer-and-video-gamers/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/HorrorGaming/comments/qn536o/demographics_in_the_horror_genre/
- http://variety.com/2014/film/news/horror-movies-draw-younger-diverse-audiences-1201336509/
- https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/global-games-market-revenues-2020-infographics/
- https://www.statista.com/topics/2716/video-gaming-audiences-in-the-us/
- https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/demo/race/population.html
- https://www.techjury.net/blog/video-game-demographics
- https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/demo/educational-attainment/educational-attainment-2021.html
- https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/demographicCharacteristics
- https://www.statista.com/topics/868/video-games/ 1 2 3 4
- http://www.horrorgamesandgenrerevival.com
- http://www.psychologybehindhorror.com
- http://www.modernhorrorgametargetaudience.com
- http://www.scarygamefindings.com
- http://www.bookriot.com/horrorgenrefacts
