Ghosts are everywhere in pop culture, including video games. Still, they’re usually cast as negative figures—sometimes as villains to fight, other times as spooky obstacles for the heroes to overcome. But occasionally, video games flip the script and let us play as the ghost instead of your average living human.
9 Games Where You Are Dead The Whole Time
Whether they’re comatose or a ghost, in some games, your playable protagonist has been dead or mostly-dead from the very beginning.
Whether you’re a mischievous prankster haunting a house or a noble spirit working from beyond the grave, there are plenty of games that let you slip into the ectoplasmic shoes of the dearly departed, and many of them are seriously worth playing. In this list, we’re taking a look at 8 of the best.
8Rogue Spirit
Possess To Progress
Rogue Spirit
Rogue Spirit is a roguelite where you play as the ghost of the Prince ofMidra, a once-prosperous, Asian-inspired kingdomnow plunged into chaos. As a spirit, the prince can’t fight directly, so he possesses the bodies of defeated enemies, using their skills and combat styles to progress through the world.
While the concept of possessing enemies in a roguelite isn’t entirely new (we all remember Skul: The Hero Slayer), Rogue Spirit still delivers a solid and enjoyable experience. The variety of characters you may control keeps combat fresh, and the colorful, semi-open environments offer plenty of opportunities to explore and strategize.
This is one of those games that rewards experimentation. The more time you spend with its mechanics, the more it opens up. It may not reinvent the genre, but it brings enough charm and depth to make it worth your while.
7Haunting: Starring Polterguy
Chase The Living Away
Let’s be honest, messing with people might just be the best part of being a ghost.
Haunting: Starring Polterguy let players live out that fantasy all the way back in the 90s. This classic Sega Genesis game puts you in the role of Polterguy, a mischievous spirit haunting a wealthy family that had the nerve to move into his mansion. To scare them away, you’ll possess everyday objects, triggering spooky and often hilarious events designed to terrify your targets.
While the gameplay can feel a bit repetitive, the creativity behind each scare and the cartoonishly eerie atmosphere make it a memorable experience. Discovering all the different haunting animations issurprisingly addictive and keeps you hookedfor a good while.
6Ghost Master
Subcontracting In The Haunting Business
Ghost Master
If in Haunting: Starring Polterguy you have to take the matter of haunting humans into your own hands, Ghost Master lets you expand the business by employing and managing a whole gaggle of ghosts to scare puny mortals out of their homes.
This rather unique strategy-puzzle game has you assembling teams of spirits, each with their own supernatural abilities, and strategically placing them to maximize scares and chaos. Your spirits can possess various objects around the house, combining their powers to frighten the humans and complete side objectives.
Although it can get tricky as you progress, the humor, clever puzzles, and spooky-but-hilarious visuals make Ghost Mastera rare gem in the genre.
5Gravity Ghost
Spiritual Journey Through Space
Who says a game has to be grim and dark just because ghosts are involved?
Gravity Ghost is a relaxing indie puzzle game where you control the ghost of Iona, a young girl drifting through a colorful galaxy on a journey to find her lost friend. Iona has the unique ability to interact with planets and manipulate gravity, floating gracefully between worlds and solving cozy, orbit-based puzzles.
There are no enemies to fight, but the gameplay stays engaging thanks to its emotional story and clever design. Gravity Ghost offers a calm and thoughtful experience that’s well worth your time, especially if you’re looking for something peaceful and meaningful.
4Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
Strategic Spooky Piracy
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
Let’s face it, pirates are already pretty cool, but ghost pirates are even better.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew puts you in charge of a crew of undead pirates on a supernatural quest filled with stealth, strategy, and treasure hunting.Each pirate you control has special abilities, like stopping time or slipping unseen through enemy lines, giving you tons of ways to approach each mission. You’ll need to carefully pick your moments, use the crew’s ghostly talents smartly, and exploit your enemies' blind spots.
The game is colorful, full of personality, and genuinely fun; a strategy experience you’ll definitely want to try.
3Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Who Said A Vampire Can’t Be A Ghost?
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
Ok, I get it—Raziel might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a ghost. But his ability to move between the material and spiritual worlds, the fact that he’s returned from death, and his quest for revenge definitely put him in the “vengeful wraith” category.
Every Legacy of Kain Game, Ranked
If you’re craving a bloody good time, then Nosgoth beckons. Check out our list of every Legacy of Kain Game, Ranked.
InLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, you’ll explore the decaying, gothic world of Nosgoth, shifting between realms to solve puzzles and defeat enemies in your quest to confront and defeat Kain.
Combat is fluid and fun, balanced nicely with environmental challenges. With its dark atmosphere, strong storytelling, and striking visuals, it’s easy to see why Soul Reaver earned its pristine reputation.
2Murdered: Soul Suspect
The Victim Looks Familiar…
Murdered: Soul Suspect
Video games have a tendency to put players in the weirdest situations, but even in gaming, it’s rare to find yourself investigating your own murder. That’s exactly what happens to Detective Ronan O’Conner, the main character ofMurdered: Soul Suspect.
Killed in cold blood while investigating a theft, Ronan finds himself trapped in a sort of limbo, one he can only escape by bringing his killer to justice: a serial murderer who’s been terrorizing the city of Salem. Thankfully, Ronan now has access to a new arsenal of supernatural abilities, including classic ghost powers like passing through walls and partially possessing the living.
Murdered: Soul Suspect isn’t without its flaws. It struggles with pacing, and technical issues can arise at times, but the premise isstrong enough to carry the experiencealmost by itself.
1Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Tricking Death From Beyond The Grave
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Here’s another game where you’re trying to figure out who killed you. I’m starting to sense a pattern here.
InGhost Trick: Phantom Detective, you play as Sissel, a ghost who’s just woken up without any memories. Soon enough, Sissel discovers some handy “ghost tricks,” special abilities that let him rewind time, possess household objects, and even stop people from dying.
You’ll spend your time jumping between random objects, changing events by messing with the environment, and carefully timing every move. With clever puzzles, quirky and lovable characters, and a story that’s genuinely full of surprises,Ghost Trick deserves way more attention.
10 Most Iconic In-Game Plagues
Whether natural or supernatural, plagues have been a recurring, often frightening element of game worlds for years.
