The best horror games include Resident Evil 4 (2023), Dead Space (2023), Silent Hill 2 (2024) and Alan Wake 2, covering both fast action horror and slow psychological dread.
Horror is one of gaming’s strongest genres, because you’re not just watching: you’re the one opening the door. Here are the best horror games, from action-heavy thrills to slow, creeping dread.
The list is grouped by style, not ranked by fear alone. Some games let you fight back with a shotgun. Others take every weapon away and leave you hiding in a locker. Pick the group that matches how brave you feel.
Action horror
1. Resident Evil 4 (2023)
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
The remake of a legend. It’s tense, action-packed and full of memorable moments. It’s also a great first horror game if you don’t want something too slow.
Leon Kennedy travels to a rural village to rescue the president’s daughter, and the villagers are not friendly. Ammo is limited, so every shot counts, and the knife can now parry attacks. Upgrading weapons with the merchant adds a satisfying sense of progress.
Best for: players who want horror with plenty of action.
2. Dead Space (2023)
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
A beautifully rebuilt remake of the sci-fi classic. Cut off monsters’ limbs on a dark, broken spaceship.
Engineer Isaac Clarke arrives on the mining ship USG Ishimura and finds the crew dead or changed. Shots to the head do little, so aiming at arms and legs is the key skill. The sound design is a big part of the fear, so headphones help.
Best for: sci-fi fans who like tense, tactical shooting.
3. Resident Evil Village
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
A gothic village full of vampires, werewolves and one very tall lady. It’s more adventure than pure fear.
Ethan Winters searches for his kidnapped daughter across a castle, a factory and other very different areas. One section is far scarier than the rest, but most of the game feels like a dark theme park ride.
Best for: players who want spooky fun rather than terror.
Psychological horror
4. Silent Hill 2 (2024)
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
A remake of one of the most important horror games ever. It’s foggy, sad and deeply unsettling.
James Sunderland comes to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife, who died years ago. The monsters reflect guilt and grief, so the fear is emotional as much as physical. Combat is clumsy on purpose, which keeps you nervous.
Best for: players who want a mature, story-heavy nightmare.
5. Alan Wake 2
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
A dark detective story mixing live-action video, music and horror. It’s very creative and very creepy.
You switch between two heroes: FBI agent Saga Anderson, who investigates ritual murders, and writer Alan Wake, trapped in a dark, changing city. Saga’s “Mind Place” lets you connect clues on a case board, which makes it feel like a crime series.
Best for: fans of mystery series and strange, artistic games.
6. SOMA
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Underwater sci-fi horror that asks big questions about what makes us human. The story stays with you.
You wake up in a research station at the bottom of the ocean, with no idea how you got there. Some creatures hunt you, but the strongest moments come from quiet choices. Players who mainly want the story can choose Safe Mode, where the creatures stay but almost never attack.
Best for: sci-fi readers who enjoy big philosophical questions.
7. Signalis
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
A retro-style survival horror with a haunting mystery and beautiful pixel art.
You play Elster, an android searching for her lost partner in a cold, totalitarian future. As in the classic Resident Evil games, you have very little inventory space, so every item matters. The story is told in fragments and rewards careful attention.
Best for: fans of old-school survival horror and puzzles.
Hide-and-survive horror
8. Alien: Isolation
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
One alien hunts you the whole game, and it learns. Still one of the scariest games ever made.
Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the films, searches a failing space station for answers. Your motion tracker beeps when the alien is near, but using it makes noise too. It is a long game, so take breaks if the tension becomes too much.
Best for: fans of the original Alien film and pure stealth tension.
9. Amnesia: The Bunker
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
You’re trapped in a World War I bunker with a monster that reacts to every sound you make.
Your torch has to be wound up by hand, and winding it is loud. You also need fuel to keep the generator and lights running, so every trip into the dark is a calculated risk. Many supplies and door codes change position between playthroughs.
Best for: players who like planning under pressure.
10. Outlast
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
You can’t fight back. You only have a camera with night vision. It’s pure terror.
Journalist Miles Upshur investigates a remote psychiatric hospital and quickly regrets it. Night vision drains batteries, so you are always hunting for more. It contains strong violence and is not for younger players.
Best for: horror fans who want to be truly scared.
Horror with friends
11. Phasmophobia
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Hunt ghosts with up to three friends, using real ghost-hunting tools and your voice. Expect laughter and screaming in equal amounts.
Your job is to collect evidence, such as temperature drops or fingerprints, and work out which type of ghost haunts the building. Saying the ghost’s name out loud can make it angry. It also works in VR on PC.
Best for: groups of friends who enjoy shared panic.
12. Until Dawn
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC
An interactive horror movie where your choices decide who survives. Great to play with friends passing the controller.
Eight young friends spend a night in a lodge on a snowy mountain, and things go wrong quickly. Small decisions can lead to a character’s death much later. Because there are many possible endings, a second playthrough feels very different.
Best for: horror film fans and game nights with non-gamers.
Tip: Horror games often appear in the Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus catalogues. Check these first. It’s a cheap way to find out how much fear you enjoy before you buy a full-price game.
How scared do you want to be?
| Fear level | Try |
|---|---|
| A little spooky | Resident Evil Village, Until Dawn |
| Proper scary | Resident Evil 4, Dead Space |
| Very scary | Alien: Isolation, Outlast |
| Disturbing and sad | Silent Hill 2, SOMA, Signalis |
| Creepy mystery | Alan Wake 2, Amnesia: The Bunker |
| Scary with friends | Phasmophobia |
Tips for players who scare easily
Horror games are meant to be uncomfortable, but you can control how much.
- Play in short sessions. Thirty to sixty minutes is plenty, and stopping at a save room breaks the tension.
- Keep a light on. Darkness and headphones make everything scarier, so leave them for when you feel ready.
- Lower the difficulty. Easier modes give you more ammo and health, which reduces panic without removing the atmosphere.
- Start with action horror. Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space let you fight back, which feels safer than hiding.
- Play with someone in the room. Even watching together makes a scary game feel more like a film night.
- Check age ratings. Most of these games are rated for adults because of strong violence.
How to get the best atmosphere
- Use headphones for games built on sound, such as Alien: Isolation and Amnesia: The Bunker
- Set brightness correctly in the game’s calibration screen, not too bright
- Turn off notifications on your phone and PC so nothing breaks the mood
- Check your monitor settings. Our gaming monitor guide explains contrast and HDR, which matter a lot in dark games
From PixelAlex: For the best experience, play with headphones and the lights off. Sound design is often what makes horror games truly scary.
Keep reading: best co-op horror games, story games under 20 hours and how to set up HDR for gaming.
Read next: 12 best zombie games · Best Resident Evil games ranked
Quick answers
What is the scariest game on this list?
Alien: Isolation and Outlast are usually seen as the most frightening, because you cannot fight back properly.
What is a good first horror game?
Try Resident Evil 4 (2023) or Resident Evil Village. Both have plenty of action, so you never feel completely helpless.
What are the best horror games to play with friends?
Phasmophobia for online co-op, and Until Dawn for passing the controller around on the sofa.
Do I need to play the original Silent Hill 2 before the remake?
No. The 2024 remake tells the full story on its own and is the easiest way to experience it today.
Are there horror games without combat?
Yes. In Outlast you cannot fight at all, and SOMA’s Safe Mode removes almost all of the danger from its creatures.
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