The House of the Dead
Two guns, one cursed mansion and creatures that keep getting back up.
Coming soon to UsuArcade
Votes to bring it to the arcade: 0
In the meantime, head into the arcade and play the cabinets that are already there
- Year
- 1996
- Manufacturer
- Sega
- Players
- 2 players at once
- Genres
- Light gun shooters
- Decade
- '90s arcade games
The House of the Dead was the gun cabinet everybody walked up to in pairs. One person grabbed the red gun, the other took blue, and for a few minutes that corner of the arcade was all gunfire, yelling and the occasional jump scare. Shooting off-screen to reload became pure muscle memory.
It's not playable in our arcade yet, but it's on the UsuArcade wish list, and your votes can move it up.
History
Sega released it in 1996 on its Model 2 hardware and took the light gun formula into horror territory. You play agents Thomas Rogan and G, who storm the mansion of Dr. Curien, a scientist whose experiments have filled the place with creatures.
Its success launched a long-running series with several sequels, and even a famously weird spin-off where the guns were swapped for keyboards and you typed words to fight.
How to play
The game moves you along on rails while you aim and shoot. Creatures can take several hits, but aiming for the head or specific weak spots drops them faster. To reload, point off-screen and pull the trigger. Get hit and you lose one of your life torches.
Along the way you'll find trapped scientists: save them and you earn extra lives and can open up different routes; miss them, or shoot one by accident, and your path changes. That's why no two runs have to be the same. The bosses are named after tarot cards and each has its own weak spot.
Fun facts
- The bosses are named after tarot cards.
- Saving or losing the scientists changes your route through the mansion.
- The series spun off a game where you fought by typing words on a keyboard.
In the arcade
The House of the Dead is on the wish list: coming soon to UsuArcade. Vote with the “I Want to Play It” button to move it up the line of games to add.
In the meantime, if shooting with a buddy is your thing, Metal Slug and Shock Troopers are on the floor for two-player co-op, and Ghosts'n Goblins is there if you're into monsters and scares, all with spectators, chat and arcade high scores.
Once The House of the Dead lands in the arcade, you'll be able to play it online two-player, each on your own phone or PC, in the same game.
FAQ
Can I play The House of the Dead on UsuArcade?
Not yet. It's on the wish list and you can vote with “I Want to Play It.” Meanwhile, try Metal Slug co-op in the arcade.
What year did The House of the Dead come out?
The arcade game came out in 1996 from Sega.
How many players is The House of the Dead?
Two players at the same time, each with their own gun.
How do you reload in The House of the Dead?
Point the gun off-screen and pull the trigger.
