October may be the most thematically appropriate time to play horror games, but the genre is good in all seasons. Horror games have had something of a renaissance in the past year thanks to a combination of indie darlings, beloved remakes, and stunning new entries in the genre. There is something for everybody, and there has never been a better time to be a horror game fan than right now. With so many to choose from, it can be a little scary trying to figure out where to start. Here are 10 of the best horror games you can play right now.
10. The Evil Within
From the mind of Shinji Mikami, the father of the Resident Evil franchise, comes The Evil Within. Nearly two decades after bringing horror games into vogue with the first Resident Evil, Mikami and Tango Gameworks returned to the genre to give a new take on horror. The product is The Evil Within, one of the most truly terrifying and gruesome games ever made. It isn’t for the faint of heart, but for hardcore fans of the genre, it is a must-play.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Game Pass, and PC
9. Bloodborne
Still regarded as one of FromSoftware’s finest games (though they are all pretty amazing), Bloodborne is a different brand of horror. The game retains the tough-as-nails action of the Souls games, so this isn’t a jump-scare-laden survival horror title. Instead, the entire world of Bloodborne is drenched in a sense of dread thanks to the game’s tackling of cosmic horror in a story about the misguided attempts of a civilization to become gods. If you can get past the combat, it’s a horror game unlike anything else.
Available on: PlayStation 4
8. The Quarry
There is no shame in enjoying schlocky B-horror movies, so why not enjoy some schlocky B-horror video games? From Supermassive games, the developers devoted to cinematic horror games like Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Quarry is a trope-filled summer camp slasher. While it doesn’t do anything original, the star-studded cast gives delightfully campy performances and the blood flows freely. Grab some popcorn and a group of friends to spend the night trying to get the campers obliterated in the most absurd ways.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
7. Dead Space (2023)
Combining the tense space setting of Ridley Scott’s Alien and the action-forward horror gameplay of Resident Evil 4, the original Dead Space made for one of the most interesting and terrifying games ever. In 2023, the remake of Dead Space brings new graphics, quality-of-life improvements, and a few new surprises to the horror classic. The Dead Space remake is the truly definitive version of the game and ramps up the original’s claustrophobic fear to eleven.
Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, and PC
6. Oxenfree
Not everybody can stomach slasher movie gore and survival horror jump scares, but they still want to experience some scary vibes. This is where Oxenfree comes in. While not an outright horror game, Oxenfree is a ghost story that constantly teeters on the edge between suspense and outright jump scares. Exploring the abandoned Edwards Island is a spooky delight, and if you like what you see, you can always play Oxenfree II after.
Available on: iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
5. Immortality
Another unconventional horror game is 2022’s Immortality. Dealing with themes of art and the cost that goes into making it, Immortality is a true-crime adjacent adventure that tasks the player with sifting through hours of unreleased film footage in search of answers about what happened to a forgotten movie star. While that mystery is intriguing in itself, players may soon find that something even more nefarious lurks within the rolls of film.
Available on: iOS, Android, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
4. Alien: Isolation
Where Dead Space only evokes Ridley Scott’s iconic film Alien, the game Alien: Isolation is an outright emulation of it. A canonical sequel to the film, Alien: Isolation is dripping with countless details pulled directly from the original film. The Xenomorph that hunts the protagonist without end helps make this a game that never gives the player a chance to feel safe and lets them explore what the original film’s characters must have felt on the Nostromo.
Available on: iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Plus, Xbox One, and PC
3. Alan Wake 2
The most recent release on this list is also one of the best. A culmination of everything developer Remedy Entertainment has ever done, Alan Wake 2 is a one-of-a-kind horror game that packs so many different approaches to the genre into one expertly crafted package.
Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, and PC
2. Resident Evil 2 (2019)
No list of the “best” horror games would be complete without a Resident Evil game. While there are multiple entries that could make this list, nothing feels better than 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake. The original RE2 was already one of the best horror games ever made, but the remake not only updated it for modern audiences, it reimagined the game for the current landscape of gaming. Throwing out tank controls for over-the-shoulder action and establishing an ever-present enemy in the form of Mr. X helped make the RE2 remake a near-perfect game, and it remains one of the best horror games you can play.
Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
1. Signalis
Don’t let the PS1 low-poly graphics of Signalis fool you into thinking it isn’t as good as the higher fidelity titles on this list. Signalis is a masterclass in horror that uses its retro aesthetic to investigate how hardware limitations can help enhance the sense of terror that a good horror game has. Signalis also weaves a story with emotional weight through its scary setting and undead monsters, creating a truly special game.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC
