30 Best Horror Games To Play Right Now

Summary

• Horror games offer a unique and thrilling experience that no other genre can replicate, with intense gameplay and immersive atmospheres.
• From asymmetrical multiplayer games to narrative-driven titles, there is a wide variety of horror games to choose from that cater to different preferences.
• Whether it’s survival, psychological, or sci-fi horror, plenty of AAA and indie horror games are available to satisfy even the most avid horror fan’s appetite for scares and suspense.

There’s just something special about horror video games — whether it’s the visceral feeling of narrowly escaping death in Resident Evil 4 or the sinking feeling that occurs when hiding in a dark corner in Dead by Daylight, the horror game genre can evoke feelings that no other game genre can. While the freedom of choice is certainly appreciated, especially for self-proclaimed gore hounds, there are so many titles it can make settling on which games to invest time into a harder endeavor than one would think.

Luckily, with this freedom of choice also comes many solid AAA and indie horror gaming titles that can frighten even the most avid horror aficionados. Whether it’s demons, ghosts, or just straight-up sadistic killers, there’s a plethora of amazing content to enjoy. From cannibalistic killers to ghostly figures, these are the best horror games to play right now.

How we choose entries for our Best-Of Lists.

For this List,
Screen Rant
has considered the critic scores of gaming aggregator Metacritic, user reviews on Steam, and our own reviews. Writer and editor Garrett Ettinger has also applied his years of experience as a horror game fan to critically evaluate these picks. Audience expectation and
what really makes a “Best of the genre”
have also been a critical factor in the creation of this article.

30 The Evil Within 2 (2017)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

The Evil Within 2 sees detective Sebastian Castellanos venture into a disturbing world on a mission to rescue his daughter Lily. Along the way, he encounters plenty of genuinely grotesque creatures and tense situations. It certainly refines a lot of elements from the first game, and the resulting gameplay experience feels consistent and satisfying even if it loses some of the original’s capacity to surprise.

29 System Shock (2023)

Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Based on the 1994 original first-person sci-fi/horror game, 2023’s System Shock is a faithful – and terrifying – recreation. Set aboard a derelict space station overtaken by an aggressive AI named SHODAN, it’s discovered that the crew is dead and that the AI system has taken over the ship. With colorful yet creepy visuals and a unique yet tense atmosphere, players explore the labyrinth-like ship while speaking with the power-obsessed SHODAN and its horrifying mutated crew members. The original game served as the inspiration for Bioshock, making this remake a unique and memorable experience and a must-play for horror fans.

28 Visage (2020)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Visage is the perfect horror game for anyone who really wishes the Silent Hill game teased by the infamous demo P.T. had actually been released. It’s an interesting psychological horror experience set in an odd house, which the player needs to unlock and explore piece by piece while attempting to stay alive against some intense challenges.

Although Visage can be subtle and atmospheric, it’s not afraid to use jump scares, and it tends to be good at every tool in its arsenal. It’s not a game for everyone, and an unusual control scheme and some potentially frustrating design choices and bugs can certainly take some getting used to. With all the strengths it has to offer, though, it’s worth putting up with Visage‘s notable weak points.

27 Amnesia: The Bunker (2023)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Survival horror Amnesia: The Bunker is the fourth installment in the Amnesia series. With creepy sound design and a shadowy atmosphere, it takes much of what made the franchise so popular and improves upon it. Unlike prior games, the entire world map is available upon spawning in, enabling wider exploration not before seen in the franchise. Set during WW1 in 1916, Amnesia: The Bunker focuses on the struggle of a French soldier named Henri Clément as he seeks to survive the dank, abandoned bunker he finds himself in. Though there are many outright frights, much of the horror of the title is generated by the looming presence of the stalker and the game’s well-crafted environments.

26 Mundaun (2021)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Mundaun is a creative indie horror title with a unique black-and-white pencil art style and strange missions that sometimes border on bizarre. The game follows Curdin, who returns to his hometown for his grandfather’s funeral. What follows is a beautiful first-person horror that forces one to explore and experiment to unlock the curious story hidden within the game’s challenging puzzles. With little direction provided over its narrative, it’s up to the player to uncover the game’s true story. Mundaun is praised for its fascinating visuals, brooding soundtrack, and unique narrative based on Swedish folklore.

25 The Quarry (2022)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Filled to the brim with a talented cast of characters, 2022’s The Quarry is a playable take on the tried-and-true camp-setting horror made popular by films like Friday the 13th. Events quickly unravel as the camp counselors must avoid a killer threat – and reveal the mystery stalking the campsite. As is tradition with other Supermassive titles, The Quarry features well-known actors, including David Arquette and Brenda Song, on top of boasting 186 different endings. The game stands as one of the more recent and polished interactive horror games out there right now.

24 Darkwood (2017)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

Darkwood is a survival horror title that unquestionably knows what it’s doing. The game doesn’t make use of scary audio stings or direct jumpscares, instead opting to build tension and fear much more careful. Every sight and sound matters, and the atmosphere throughout is genuinely terrifying despite a top-down perspective that doesn’t seem like it would boost immersion.

A lot of Darkwood‘s tension comes down to the importance of making quick decisions, as it’s not a game where the options feel as simple as run and fight. Scavenging and crafting play a big role in the whole affair, just in a much more desperate way than the typical survival crafting game where the ultimate goal is genuine prosperity. With a strong aesthetic sensibility and an interesting story, Darkwood feels like the complete package in a way that few games do.

23 Alien: Isolation (2014)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Alien: Isolation is a survival horror title that owes a lot of its scares to the amazing sound design and creepy, tense atmosphere. Played from a first-person perspective, Amanda Ripley (the daughter of Ellen Ripley) must explore an abandoned space station while avoiding enemies, including other humans, androids, and, of course, the titular Alien. There is a palpable feeling of dread, and much of the story reflects beats from the original film. With lived-in-feeling detailed environments, creepy audio, and interesting stealth gameplay, Alien: Isolation is a must-play – especially for horror movie fans.

22 Outlast (2013)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

A single-player first-person experience, in Outlast the protagonist is an investigative journalist who sets off to explore the creepy corridors of Mount Massive Asylum psychiatric hospital. Filled with mutated homicidal patients, the game is highly atmospheric with a stripped-down UI, and relies on the fear of the unseen to really terrify. Rather than taking on enemies head-on, it’s imperative to use stealth and sneak around to accomplish game objectives. Prepare to run.

21 Little Nightmares 2 (2021)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Though the cartoon aesthetic and cute large-headed characters in Little Nightmares 2 may lead most to believe it’s a kid’s game, it successfully creates a dark and lived-in presentation, making it one of the best single-player horror titles currently available to play. Building upon its predecessor, the sequel of the title improves the controls and adds more content while retaining the same dark and spooky environments in the new Pale City. A puzzle platformer and adventure game at its heart, the game follows the adventures of Mono and Six, the latter of whom was the main character from the original title.

20 Soma (2015)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S

Questions revolving around AI, identity, and reality itself are at the forefront of this survival horror title. Soma creates an otherworldly experience through its shadowy corridors, deeply disturbing body horror, and robotic monstrosities. Much of the game’s terror comes from the creeping atmosphere the game can create through its vivid graphics and excellent sound design. As people patch together the story behind the narrative events of the game, the ending will leave most thinking back on their actions in this tense psychological horror title.

19 Signalis (2021)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Signalis is a pixel-art survival horror game from a 2.5D perspective. It is widely acclaimed but often goes underappreciated. With deep, hidden lore that must be uncovered throughout the game, Signalis is certainly a slower horror title that requires one to take their time to unravel the game’s deep lore. Cryptic and brooding, people must solve a variety of different puzzles scattered throughout dark atmospheric corridors littered with desiccated android corpses and threats around every corner. The neo-industrial setting, pixel visuals, and disturbing sounds create a feeling of deep apprehension. Unique and inventive with its approach, Signalis is a game for those that like alternative ideas.

18 Sons Of The Forest (2023)

Platforms: PC

Sons of the Forest was a smashing success when released in Early Access, selling 2 million copies in just 24 hours. Though it’s yet to fully launch, the game can be played with friends online or solo and centers around collecting and crafting different items to uncover a disturbing mystery, revealing more facts about the mutated people on the island. As a survival horror title, it stands as one of the best first-person games that blends elements of open-world survival with “hidden object” horror titles. With a huge map to explore, varied enemy types, and hidden secrets and lore crammed in each location, the title improves virtually everything from The Forest.

17 Phasmophobia (2020)

Platforms: PC

Phasmophobia is about as close to a real ghost-hunting experience as possible, tasking a group of other brave paranormal investigators with uncovering and identifying evil spirits found within haunted locations. Intense, creepy environments and bone-chilling audio immerse players in the role of a real ghost hunter. With a strong emphasis on creating a scary atmosphere, the game is incredibly frightening at times, especially when playing with the lights off. With very few true “ghost hunting” games in the horror genre, Phasmophobia stands as a triumph.

16 Crow Country (2024)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Crow Country isn’t one of the scariest horror games of all time, but it is one of the most charming. Designed to replicate many of the quirks of PlayStation 1 survival horror games, Crow Country taps into a particular brand of nostalgia that mixes comforting familiarity with the undeniably macabre. Exploring an abandoned theme park is full of delightful and horrific surprises alike, and poking around its world feels consistently rewarding.

Crow Country is a lot more approachable than the titles that it follows in the tradition of, so anyone concerned about overly cryptic puzzles, frustrating tank controls, or minimal availability of guns and ammo shouldn’t be too afraid to dive in. The lack of gritty challenge might be a turn-off for others, but it’s a richly atmospheric jaunt regardless. An interesting story seals the deal, with a low-key mystery ultimately leading to a memorable climax.

15 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (2021)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox X/S

A cult-classic anime title, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is certainly one of the odder games to those in the West. However, its shiny and friendly exterior gives way to a creepy core that completely subverts expectations with intense psychological horror. Embodying all aspects of a visual novel and dating sim, though the gameplay is somewhat basic compared to modern games, it makes up for its compelling story. The less that one knows about Doki Doki Literature Club before playing — the better.

14 Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Amnesia: The Bunker proved that a storied but inconsistent franchise could still reach significant heights, but it’s still not the most notable game in the series. The original Amnesia title, The Dark Descent, is a hugely influential title that rocked the horror genre when it first released in 2010. A lot of games have tried to imitate it since, but few have recaptured what made it so special.

More than anything else, Amnesia: The Dark Descent feels genuinely oppressive. Light is necessary to maintain the protagonist’s sanity, and a lack of resources combines with an inability to fight the game’s monsters to create an effective sense of powerlessness. Detailed, grotesque environments and a focused gameplay experience make the game just as impressive now as it was then, and it’s easy to access on modern digital storefronts.

13 Returnal (2021)

Platforms: PC, PS5

As one of the most polished titles in the roguelike genre of games, Returnal is a surprisingly solid third-person horror title that takes cues from the indie games that helped inspire it. The deep and creepy story utilizes the popular roguelike genre within its core, as indicated by the game’s on-the-nose title. As a result of this, Returnal is certainly more action-oriented than other horror games but makes up for it with monstrous creatures and vivid and diverse environments, which is critical considering its high difficulty and punishing gameplay mechanics. With a ton of skill and weapon variety, this is one of the more addictive horror games out right now.

12 Resident Evil Village (2021)

Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS

Resident Evil Village follows the story of Ethan Winters, continuing the events of Resident Evil 7. Village has been praised for approaching the Resident Evil franchise in an action-focused way while maintaining the creepy and eerie scenarios and environments that catalyzed the franchise as an iconic of horror gaming. With fast-paced gameplay and terrifying enemies, the game still manages to bring the frights with one excruciatingly memorable scene in particular.

11 Dredge (2023)

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One & Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

Dredge is a unique single-player fishing game where one is thrust into the shoes of a hapless captain who must dredge the sea bottom in search of treasure. With day and night cycles, many different Lovecraftian sea beasts, and plenty of lore to find, there’s much more lurking under the surface of this indie title than meets the eye. Praised for its nuanced storytelling and creepy aesthetic, the game is certainly a unique but refreshing take on the horror game genre.