Stephen King’s influence goes far beyond books and film—his signature blend ofsmall-town horror, psychic phenomena, and metaphysical dread has crept into the DNA of countless video games. From subtle nods to full-on narrative parallels, developers across genres have pulled from King’s vast body of work to enhance atmosphere, build suspense, and explore the darker corners of the human psyche.
Whether it’s a direct homage or an Easter egg for sharp-eyed fans, these games feature some of the best and most memorable Stephen King references, proving that his impact on pop culture extends deep into gaming.
Resident Evil 4
WHERE TO PLAY
A ground-up remake of the Capcom classic, Resident Evil 4 sees Leon Kennedy attempt to rescue the President’s daughter from a dangerous cult. It offers different control schemes, an expanded story, and modernized graphics.
The premise ofResident Evil 4—a lone outsider entering a rural, isolated village full of cult activity and possessed townsfolk—bears an uncanny resemblance to Stephen King’s Children of the Corn. While Capcom doesn’t officially cite the novella as inspiration, the thematic parallels are hard to ignore.
Fallout 3 has a settlement ruled by children, Little Lamplight, that might also be a reference to Children of the Corn, although the tone of that settlement is far less grim.
The sense of dread, the corrupted innocence of the villagers, and the religious zealotry masked by pastoral isolation echo King’s tale of a cornfield cult led by children. Even the early eerie tone and twisted community behavior mirror the creepy atmosphere of Gatlin. Resident Evil 4 elevates the idea with parasites and bioterrorism, but the “stranger-in-a-small-town” horror setup is undeniably King-like in tone.
Deadly Premonition
Originally intended as a reboot of one of Access Games' previously cancelled titles, Deadly Premonition is a survival horror game launched in 2010. You are tasked with solving a series of murders in rural Washington state.
While Deadly Premonition is often viewed as an homage to Twin Peaks, its protagonist, FBI agent York Morgan, exhibits a trait that leans more toward Stephen King territory: he frequently converses with a second personality named Zach. This dual-identity dynamic calls back to The Dark Half, where a writer’s pseudonym manifests as a sinister alter ego.
Though Deadly Premonition never fully confirms the nature of York’s relationship with Zach, the psychic division between the two suggests a shared mind or fractured consciousness—a hallmark of King’s work. It’s a psychological lens that adds intrigue to the game’s surreal narrative, channeling King’s fascination with split identities and internal horror.
Control
Control puts you in the shoes of Jesse Faden, the newly installed Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. You must explore the organization’s headquarters, uncovering its mysteries and contending with a supernatural force named the Hiss.
Remedy Entertainment’s Controlfeatures the Federal Bureau of Control—an organization dedicated to investigating paranormal activity and objects of power—which is eerily similar to ‘The Shop’ from King’s Firestarter, a shadowy government group conducting experiments on psychic individuals.
Additionally, Control’s setting, the Oldest House, is a shape-shifting building that evokes the unsettling spatial horror of The Shining’s Overlook Hotel. Rooms change, hallways bend, and the building itself seems alive, filled with unknowable dread. Combined with its minimalist narration and dread-laced silence, Control feels like a game deeply influenced by King’s fascination with institutional horror and haunted architecture.
Far Cry 5
In Far Cry 5, Montana’s Hope County is ruled by Joseph Seed, the leader of the Eden’s Gate doomsday cult. As a yound police deputy, you must help free the county from Steed and his tyranny.
Far Cry 5 isn’t known for supernatural horror, but one subtle inclusion clearly channels Stephen King’s It. Scattered throughout the rural town of Hope County, players can occasionally find red balloons—a direct visual reference to Pennywise, the terrifying clown who often signals his presence through the same floating markers.
While Far Cry 5 deals more with religious extremism than cosmic evil, the red balloon Easter egg taps into a universal horror symbol that King popularized. It’s a wink to fans that something unseen and malevolent may still be lurking, even in a grounded,realistic setting. Though the reference is brief, its inclusion shows the iconic impact of King’s visual horror cues.
The 1997 cult FPS Blood is a chaotic tribute to horror classics, and one of its levels takes players through the Overlooked Hotel—a clear homage to the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. From its ominous hallways to supernatural ambiance, the level oozes a King-style haunted atmosphere, though filtered through Blood’s campy, ultraviolent lens.
The hotel’s design is maze-like, full of hidden secrets, cultist enemies, and flickering lights—all evoking the disorienting madness that overtook Jack Torrance. With subtle environmental storytelling and classic King cues, Blood delivers a tongue-in-cheek tribute that’s bloody, bizarre, and unmistakably inspired by the claustrophobic horror of The Shining.
Remedy’s Alan Wake opens with a direct quote from Stephen King: “Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear.” This sets the stage for a psychological thriller that embraces King’s approach to horror—fear rooted in mystery, emotion, and creative expression.
King’s influence is evident throughout the game, with Alan Wake himself being a tortured author drawn into a surreal nightmare that mirrors his own fiction. The small-town setting, creeping darkness, and blurred lines between reality and story are all vintage King concepts, making the quote not just a nod but a thematic thesis for the entire game.
Silent Hill
In Silent Hill, you assume the role of widower Harry Mason, who is trying to get away from the pain of his wife’s loss by taking his daughter on a road trip. After a car accident on the outskirts of the resort town of Silent Hill, you regain consciousness to find that your daughter, who was previously asleep in the backseat, has left–or has been taken–from the scene. To find her, you must go into town and unlock the secrets that linger seven years after a tragic fire scarred the town.The game features formidable monsters, perplexing puzzles, a realistic 3-D town, and, most of all, an acute sense of foreboding caused by Silent Hill’s creative lighting and sound effects. The makers have included four different endings, based on performance throughout the game, so think, be quick on your feet, and hope for the best of all possible outcomes.
In the original Silent Hill, one of the town’s roads is named Bachman Road—a reference to Richard Bachman, the pen name Stephen King used for many of his darker and more experimental works. It’s a small but clever nod tucked into a game already steeped in psychological horror and surreal dread.
Considering Silent Hill’s themes of guilt, trauma, and the supernatural bleeding into reality, it’s no surprise the developers would tip their hat to an author who pioneered many of those ideas. Bachman’s novels often delve into isolation and identity, making the road name more than a surface reference—it’s a quiet indicator of the game’s literary lineage.
