2021 also brought plenty of new horror IPs into the genre as well; totally new horror experiences varying in inspiration from other horror games or other horror media in general. The Medium is the prime example of a completely new IP from a developer that's cut their teeth on horror games such as Layers of Fear, Blair Witch, and the recently remastered psychological horror game Observer. Many thought the short-but-sweet survival horror experience weaved an interesting narrative, something many want Bloober Team to bring to a Silent Hill sequel at some point. That being said, The Medium was an impressively scary game that kicked off the year's horror offering.

There are also some of the horror-adjacent games that came out in 2021, which didn't necessarily innovate or iterate on the genre in a formative way but were steeped in horror roots. To some extent, Returnal falls under that category: The game is a roguelike first and foremost, but the elements of storytelling where Selene explores Atropos' trippy flashback sequences emulate games like P.T. with its first-person segments. Back 4 Blood is another title that is horror-adjacent, even if its ties to horror aren't exactly conventional. Back 4 Blood is an entertaining and light-hearted horror experience that's more thrilling than scary in any particular way.