
Not many people would pick horror as a genre for having fun while playing video games. These two things usually do not go hand in hand but those who love horror video games, get a sense of thrill and adrenaline rush, which may not be offered by other genres.
If you are that person or are looking to explore the genre, we are here to talk about the 20 best horror games (and a bonus title) you should play. These games offer stories to keep you hooked, terrifying monsters, chilling environments, and much more. Let’s dive right into it.
Best Horror Games
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game from Remedy Entertainment. It is a direct sequel to Alan Wake (2010) and also connects with the AWE expansion of Control (2019). The game is well-known for using psychological horror elements to the best of its ability to create an immersive, scary experience.
There are two protagonists: Alan Wake, a novelist and Saga Anderson, an FBI Special Agent. It has an intriguing story that will keep you hooked till the end. It is undoubtedly one of the must-play horror games out there, especially in the psychological horror realm.
Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC
Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is a survival horror game based on the popular Alien movie series. Its story takes place 15 years after the events of the original Alien movie released in 1979. You get to control Amanda Ripley, daughter of the movie’s protagonist Ellen Ripley.
She is on a mission to investigate her mother’s disappearance but since it is a horror game, it will not be the easiest of the tasks. A Xenomorph is hunting you down, which is regarded as one of the smartest AI antagonists. You will have to rely on your stealth and survival instincts over combat to outsmart the enemy.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Linux, and OS X (macOS)
Amnesia: The Bunker
Amnesia: The Bunker is the fourth release in the Amnesia series from Frictional Games. It has a simple story; you are a French soldier trapped in a bunker with a monster. Your goal is to survive the monster attacks and escape the bunker.
There is only one exit out of the bunker and as you can guess, the monster is not the only thing you have to worry about as you find your way. There will be puzzles to solve and a first-person perspective to make you feel part of it.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Windows PC
Dead Space
It is the 2023 Dead Space remake of the 2008 original release with the same name. It is a survival horror game and a great one too. The game takes place on an abandoned spaceship filled with deadly monsters called Necromorphs. You and your crew are on the spaceship to investigate what went wrong but as things unfold, you are in for a scary ride.
Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC
Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight should be on your list if you are looking for a horror experience with your friends. It is a multiplayer title where one player takes control of a serial killer and the other four are survivors. They need to fix generators while working together if they want to live. Since the killer is also controlled by a human, it adds an element of surprise to the gameplay and keeps you guessing.
Apart from the default killer appearance, the game keeps adding popular killer/villain characters from movies and games that bring unique skills and capabilities. This also keeps the overall gameplay experience fresh.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a point-and-click survival horror video game. You play Mike Schmidt, a night security guard at a family restaurant. As the game’s name suggests, your goal is to survive fight nights at the restaurant. Each shift starts at midnight and lasts until 6 am. You need to prevent yourself from four hostile animatronic characters looking to kill you.
The game offers access to security cameras to keep an eye on a set of steel doors to lock out these characters. The only catch is using these tools requires electricity, which is in limited quantity. It means you will have to play it smartly to ensure you do not exhaust all of it before the shift is over. The game’s difficulty level increases as you progress from one night to another until the fifth night.
Available on: Windows PC, Android, iOS, PlayStation, and Xbox
Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares is a puzzle-platformer horror game from Bandai Namco. It tells the story of a little girl named Six, trapped in a mysterious world. It is another game that emphasises stealth to survive through the whole ordeal. It has beautifully designed levels that give you the feeling that you can get out alive but also make you feel helpless at the same time. Overall, the game will make you experience the feeling of being a little child trying to awake from a nightmare.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS
Outlast
Outlast is a first-person psychological horror video game from Red Barrels. The game’s main character is a freelance investigative journalist. He visits an abandoned psychiatric hospital in a remote location, deep in the mountains. Your camcorder has a night vision mode to help you see in the dark but ends up adding another spooky layer to the already scary experience. The camera batteries do not last long but you can find replacements in the hospital.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, Linux, OS X (macOS), and Nintendo Switch
Outlast 2
Outlast 2 is a sequel to Outlast and builds upon everything that made it a good horror game. You play a cameraman who visits North Arizona with his investigative journalist wife. They are on a case of a pregnant teenage girl’s murder and get separated as they enter the area.
The secluded area is inhabited by a Christian cult, which means plenty of unsettling scenes and incidents. You once again have your camera with night vision abilities. It is another game you will surely enjoy if you are a fan of the horror genre.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch
Phasmophobia
Phasmophobia is a horror video game inspired by ghost hunting. It can either be played solo or with friends in multiplayer mode. You play as a ghost hunter who visits haunted locations to identify the kind of ghost they are dealing with. The game provides you with ghost-hunting equipment like EMF readers and a spirit box.
It utilizes speech recognition to listen to keywords as you talk with your squad during the investigation. All entities in the game use those keywords to change their behaviour and scare you, which makes it a truly immersive ghost-hunting experience.
Available on: Windows (Coming soon on Xbox and PlayStation)
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 was originally released in 1998 but Capcom released its remake in 2019. The game has two main characters, a rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy, and a college student Claire Redfield. They meet in a zombie-infected Raccoon City where the latter is looking for her lost brother. Apart from zombies, including zombie dogs, the game has a mysterious character called Mr. X. He is always on your tail as you keep looking to get away from him.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is widely regarded as the best Resident Evil video game. It debuted in 2005 and an official remake was released in 2023. Leon S. Kennedy is now a US agent who has been chosen for a mission to rescue the President’s daughter Ashley Graham from a rural Spanish village.
He discovers all village residents are infected by a parasite. They follow the orders of a local cult. The game has multiple tense moments, amazing boss fights, and a storyline that keeps you engaged.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, iOS, and macOS
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard is the game that brought back the series to life after the grand failures of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. The biggest change it brought to the gameplay was a shift from a third-person perspective to a first-person. It means players could feel more connected while playing scary sequences and fighting monsters.
This game also emphasised the survival and horror elements rather than the action like previous titles. If these changes are not enough, the gripping story and antagonist Baker family will keep you on your toes throughout the gameplay.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, iOS, and macOS
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is a sequel to Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. Its story takes place in a European village where our main character Ethan Winters is looking for his missing daughter. As we have seen in RE games, the village is filled with mutant characters, and some shady things are happening. It is not as scary as the RE 7 but you are unlikely to dislike the playthrough.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, iOS, and macOS
Returnal
Returnal is a roguelike third-person shooter game but packed with psychological horror elements. The overall setting and environment of the game will give you that eerie feeling. You play a character stranded on an alien planet and stuck in a time loop. The goal is to fight monsters, win boss fights, and attempt to break the loop. The game has received mixed opinions on difficulty level but is worth a try.
Available on: PlayStation 5 and Windows
Signalis
Signalis is a top-down shooter survival horror game with a 2.5D perspective. You control a humanoid robot character Elster who is looking for her human commanding officer. The gameplay focuses on inventory management as you can carry only a few limited items.
It does offer storage spaces spread throughout the map where you can store items you cannot carry in the inventory. The game has scary monsters lurking everywhere and a few puzzles to solve to move ahead.
Available: PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is a PS2 classic horror game released in 2001. It is considered the best Silent Hill series game and is one of the best horror games out there. The game has its protagonist James Sutherland visiting a town Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his deceased wife.
While the game has its share of monsters and mysteries, it is also about fighting inner demons. It is a game where you enjoy the gameplay and the story. You are unlikely to guess what’s coming in the end. A remake of the game is set to debut on PlayStation 5 and Windows PCs on October 8.
Available on: PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows PC; remastered version coming soon
The Evil Within
The Evil Within is a survival horror game, which is more about the environment and setting. You will be able to experience the tension while trying to survive attacks from monsters and other unpleasant-looking characters. There are various weapons to deal with the enemies but you will also have to rely on using your environment to ensure your survival. Do note that the game has scenes that can be a bit disturbing/unsettling for some.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows PC
The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2 is a sequel to the aforementioned horror video game. It maintains the same survival horror experience along with a few disturbing moments. The major difference is the team improved the gameplay significantly, which adds to the fun. You can choose to jump straight to this title but for a complete experience, it is advised that you start with the first title.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows PC
Until Dawn
Until Dawn is a horror game where your choice dictates the flow of the game and its story. It has eight controllable characters who are at a lodge on Blackwood Mountain. A prank on one of the characters kicks off a series of events, which lead to everyone fighting for survival until dawn. There will be various choices to make throughout the game. This means if two people are playing the game, their stories are likely to pan out differently based on their respective choices.
Available on: PlayStation and Windows PC
Kamla (Bonus Title)
Kamla is a horror video game from MadMantra Games, an Indian indie studio. It is set in 1980’s India where you control the character of a Hindu priest. Your goal is to exorcise a newlywed bride by solving puzzles and finding items to complete the exorcision.
Try it if you are looking for a horror game with Indian elements.
Available on: Windows PC