The 11 Best Horror Games To Play in the Dark [2025]

If you’re in the mood to invest time and emotional energy in a video game, there’s no better genre than horror games, either with friends or solo.

We’re not just talking about horror titles that will give you a cheap thrill or a little jumpscare as you leap out of your seat. We’re talking games that will push your nerves to the brink and leave you with nightmares.

To ease the process of finding the best horror games, we’ve compiled a list of titles that are the finest in the genre. From psychological thrillers to bone-chilling fear, here are games that should be on your list.

Top 11 Horror Games

1. Resident Evil 4 Remake

Resident Evil 4 is one of the finest zombie games ever made. It revolutionizes the genre by implementing survival horror elements in a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective. Add masterful combat and puzzle-solving mechanics, and you have a truly unique game.

It’s one of those scary games that keeps creating intense moments of gripping storytelling as you explore a remote European village. The atmospheric environments and memorable characters add to its narrative depth, giving you enough reason to replay the game more than once.

2. Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2 is one of those Halloween games that leave a mark on your psyche long after you’re done with its gripping narrative. It puts you in the shoes of James Sunderland as he investigates the eerie and mysterious town of Silent Hill in hopes of finding his deceased wife. 

Themes like guilt, grief, and redemption make it an essential scary game to play, especially when you’re not expecting twisted jumpscares and a soundtrack that haunts you like a shadow. Silent Hill 2 celebrates each and every element that makes a horror game so unique, making it one of the best horror games on PlayStation and Windows.

3. Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is the ideal sequel to the first title, which explores a writer’s journey who seems to be haunted by his own creations. The newest title lets you play as two fascinating protagonists: Alan Wake and Saga Anderson. It’s a survival game that blends elements of a psychological thriller and survival horror mechanics that keep you walking, running, investigating, and returning to familiar places — only to find new mysteries that need to be solved.

The game’s stunning visual and sound design creates an atmospheric canvas for storytelling that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

4. Outlast

A combination of immersive gameplay, detailed graphics, and investigative journalism and storytelling makes Outlast one of the scariest games you will ever play. All you have is a camcorder (with night vision) and your instincts to guide you through an abandoned asylum riddled with all kinds of atrocities.

The chilling sound design and masterfully crafted jumpscares keep the game engaging and horrifying as you explore its narrative. Many environments are inspired by real-life asylums and cases of criminal insanity — a recipe for one of the best horror games ever made.

5. Alien: Isolation

In an attempt to capture the essence of the original film (Alien), the game delivers an unmatched survival horror experience. As Amanda Ripley, you must navigate the eerie and haunting Sevastopol space station — well, as long as you’re alive and away from aliens who may be looking for you.

The hide-and-seek mechanics make it seem like a turn-based role-playing game, but the immaculate level design and enemy AI give you little space to breathe. You’ll need to survive situations where an alien will try to predict your moves at every turn, making for some of the most terrifying moments in video game history.

6. Amnesia: The Bunker

As Henri Clément, you must navigate the dark, daunting (and haunting) corridors while being hunted by an unforgiving monster. That’s just the beginning of a synopsis filled with puzzle-solving, isolation, dreadful sound design, and scavenging that follows.

The game’s atmospheric level design ensures you’re always doubting your movements because you “could swear” you saw something move when it wasn’t anything. A blend of survival horror and exploration makes Amnesia: The Bunker a must-play for horror fans.

7. Dead Space (2023)

Dead Space (2023) is the remake of the classic survival horror game, modernized to look and feel immersive on modern platforms. Intense atmospheres and a gripping narrative are part of the thrill here, with meticulous attention to detail in zero-gravity sections as well as areas filled with silent, haunting enemy whereabouts.

The game’s combat system includes strategic dismemberment, resource management, and environmental story prompts that ensure each and every moment you play is filled with looming dread. It’s an unforgettable journey into the depths of the space horror subgenre.

8. The Forest

The Forest is an open-ended approach to how survival horror elements can shape a thrilling experience. Thanks to the addition of mods, the game can even feel like an action role-playing game (ARPG) if you’re up for it. There’s a nonlinear gameplay element to everything, leading you to navigate the wilderness as you craft tools, build shelters, and protect yourself from cannibalistic mutants.

Since it’s one of the best horror games on Steam, it’s a great multiplayer horror game experience if you wish to experience the open world with others. The game’s AI-driven enemies may showcase unpredictable behavior, urging you to rethink your strategies as you play.

9. The Evil Within

Get ready to dive into a nightmarish world where grotesque creatures and psychological thriller elements are right around every corner. The Evil Within balances stealth-based movements and combat that urges you to make the best of every situation as you perceive the world from Detective Sebastian Castellanos’ eyes.

You’ll come across various traps and unpredictable enemies that add layers to the game’s terrifying adventure. Since it’s directed by no other than Shinji Mikami (the creator of the Resident Evil series), expect to have anxiety-inducing moments as you uncover the brutalities of this world.

10. Until Dawn

Every decision you make in Until Dawn can have significant consequences. Because of The Butterfly Effect mechanic, having multiple endings may feel frustrating, leading to possible gamer rage. However, that’s also a major part of its charm, making the game highly replayable.

Until Dawn is a story of eight friends who are trapped on a remote island, where they must survive until dawn in hopes of escaping a mysterious threat. The game’s atmospheric settings combined with incredible motion capture and voice acting make it feel like a thrilling TV show.

11. Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is an ideal blend of atmospheric horror and intense action sequences. It continues the story of Ethan Winters from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The first-person perspective makes everything feel incredibly immersive, thanks to detailed environments and a variety of horrifying monsters.

When you’re running from monsters, it can feel like a real-time strategy (RTS) game where every little move can mean the difference between life and death. Everything from werewolves to vampires will test your wits and survival skills, and resource management is a big part of the gameplay loop.

The Best Horror Games at a Glance

The best horror games find a balance between intense moments and slow, lurking sequences of terror. This table will give you a quick glance at some of the best horror titles you can get into right now.

Game	Best for	Platforms
Resident Evil 4	Fans of survival horror action looking for a game with immersive storytelling	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Silent Hill 2	Fans of the psychological horror/thriller genre looking for a game with polished combat mechanics and writing	Windows, PlayStation
Alan Wake 2	Players looking for disturbing stories set in the psychological horror genre with atmospheric gameplay elements	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Outlast	Players looking for stealth-based gameplay with immersive movement mechanics and psychological horror elements	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Alien: Isolation	Fans of the Alien franchise looking for a survival horror experience with excellent AI and stealth mechanics	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, MacOS, Android, iOS
Amnesia: The Bunker	Players looking for immersive storytelling under survival horror and psychological thriller themes	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Dead Space	Fans of sci-fi looking for a game that combines intense combat with atmospheric storytelling	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
The Forest	Players wanting to explore an eerie open world with atmospheric experiences	Windows, PlayStation
The Evil Within	Survival horror fans who are looking for yet another intense and immersive experience	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Until Dawn	Fans of horror and interactive drama looking for episodic storytelling with a nonlinear narrative	Windows, PlayStation
Resident Evil Village	Players who enjoy games with a first-person perspective and want a horror survival spin on it	Windows, PlayStation, Xbox

How To Choose the Best Horror Games

With so many titles to choose from, it can be challenging to know which horror game should be yours to experience. Consider the following factors when choosing the right game for you:

• Themes and storytelling: Some games focus on character building and the protagonist’s psyche, exploring the world from their perspective. Others focus more on the events happening around seemingly “sane” people who find themselves in a terrifying world. Consider what’s most important to you and choose a game with those themes.
• Surprise, jumpscares, and shocks: While some games feel like a slow burn filled with mysteries to solve, others are filled with constant jumpscares and scary moments. A few games, such as Alan Wake 2, perfectly blend these. Consider games with these elements ingrained into their mechanics.
• Survival, exploration, and discovery mechanics: Certain horror survival titles tend to focus on how you explore the world. Flashlights, cameras, guns, and other tools become game mechanics that keep the experience engaging. Consider how the game’s world reacts to the player.
• Atmosphere design and immersion: Certain games like Dead Space and Alien: Isolation are meticulously designed to keep the atmospheric quality dreadful and mysterious. This kind of game should make you feel immersed, as if you’re part of the world and not away from it. Think about these level design elements before diving into a game.
• Psychological suspense and moral dilemmas: Certain protagonists tend to face moral dilemmas as the story unfolds, and this adds a lot of depth to the game’s story. Try to find reviews that are spoiler-free when it comes to psychological thriller titles. Consider the type of video game protagonists you like playing as.

Horror Games FAQ

Horror games are some of the most immersive titles in gaming, and each game has its unique charm that makes it special. Even if two games feel similar, they’ll leave a significant mark in your memory. If you’re still wondering which are the best games to play in the horror genre, check out the answers below. 

What Is the Hardest Horror Game To Beat?

Alien: Isolation is one of the most challenging horror games you’ll ever play. The game’s clever AI stops at nothing, asking you to find new ways of protecting yourself as you make it to the end in one piece.

What Is the Top Grossing Horror Game?

Thanks to its franchise, Resident Evil Village is one of the top grossing horror games. It’s a fresh take on the series, yet never loses its charm as a Resident Evil experience.

Can I Play Horror Games With Friends?

Yes, you can play certain horror games with others. The Forest, for example, has both single-player and multiplayer modes. Additionally, Resident Evil Village has a Mercenaries mode that’s a fun take on the original game with high replayability.

Which Horror Game Has the Best Story?

Resident Evil 4 Remake, Alan Wake 2, Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil Village, and The Evil Within have some of the best narratives in a video game. They’re gripping, full of mystery, and will keep you engaged until you complete the main story.