As you may have guessed, the origins of survival horror games can be traced back to the beginning of the modern horror genre. From Frankenstein to short stories by Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, this genre explores our darkest fears and invites us to face them from the safety of a book, and then the safety of a movie theater or a TV screen.

Once video games hit, you could live your worst fears from behind a controller. The first horror games were created between the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the most popular titles to come out in the 20th century include Nostromo, Alien, and Shounen. Entire franchises also spawned, including Silent Hill, Doom and Resident Evil. Fans continue to enjoy these series today.

Despite being a recent genre, the best horror games have become some of the most acclaimed titles of the 21st century. Part of the success can be attributed to how processing and graphics technologies have progressed in a few decades. The best horror games' golden age was between 1996 and 2004 when Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Clock Tower, and the Corpse Party hit the shelves.

There are a few factors to consider if you want to find a new horror game to get you through the lockdown. The best horror games are designed with the scare aspect, playability, and control in mind. The following overview will help you in choosing a suitable survival horror title. We've included the key features, along with some pros & cons, for you to consider as you make your choice. Once you've finished this guide, you'll be able to pick which of the best horror games is best suited for you.

Editors choice

1. Dead Space

9.65 / 10
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Dead Space is an exciting survival horror game from EA that you can find on PS3, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360. The play explores a science fiction horror story where you can fight with ordinary weapons and supernatural abilities such as telekinesis. The range of weapons that you can use is especially useful since it drains your instincts to respond appropriately and go on to win.

One of the things that stand out in the game is how well it is designed. The graphics, the sound, and the animation effects are all tuned to increase and make the horror more realistic and believable. You will enjoy every minute of Dead Space since it is such a thrilling game. If you get scared easily, you may want to ensure that you are not playing alone due to the horror aspect.

If you are looking for a horror game that fully utilizes zero-G effects, you will love Dead Space. The game takes weightlessness to a whole new level and allows your character to make physical maneuvers you can only imagine. This feature is particularly useful if you want to overcome some of the plot's most challenging obstacles.

The game utilizes some familiar tactics that you may have learned from other titles or horror movies. For example, you want to neutralize the attacking enemies by cutting off their limbs using powerful weapons. Once you start playing the game, you soon realize some of the ideas that you have come to appreciate about fighting supernatural characters and just as applicable. The feature is useful for getting you up to speed as soon as you turn on your gaming console.

Key Features
  • Fast-paced
  • Universal access
  • Interdimensional characters
Specifications
  • Publisher: EA Games
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: Shooter/RPG
  • Platform: Xbox 360
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • Fun and scary
  • Rhythmic gameplay
  • Enough levels
Cons
  • Can’t play on PS4
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Dead Space
Premium pick

2. System Shock 2

8.40 / 10
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If you are looking forward to uncovering alien technology secrets, look for System Shock 2. This survival horror video game takes place in a starship where the player playing as a soldier fights vehemently to stop an outbreak of a genetic infection inside the ship.

System Shock 2 is a fearful game that tests the survival tactics of the player. Confronted by an alien infection with limited resources to fight back, the player has to plan out their survival by assuming the role of a brave marine soldier.

The game supports various platforms like Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. The Use of the OS offers you the ability to personalize and upgrade characters.

Employing the use of Dark Engine graphics, System Shock 2 presents first-person view navigation and a HUD display of characters, weapons and maps, and drag and drop technique that produces thrilling action to keep you engaged.

Profound sounds complement any gaming experience. System Shock has a backstory that is delivered through crisp, clear audio that is chilling to listen to. The sound from various characters projects terror that shakes you to the core. The game has an overall impressive audio design. The threatening sound of the Cyborg Midwives is appalling.

The System Shock 2 story is woven into an intriguing plot that is unique to the end. The role-playing element is generously employed in this game because you can personalize characters and also upgrade them as you wish to increase your chances of making out of the ship alive.

Key Features
  • Released 11 August 1999
  • Produced by Josh Randall
  • First-person view
  • Based on the Dark Engine
Specifications
  • Publisher: EA Games
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: First-person shooter
  • Platform: PC
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • A well-told story
  • Intricate level design
  • Gameplays well on windows
Cons
  • Disreputable ending
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System Shock 2
Best value

3. Evil Dead: The Game

8.90 / 10
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Evil Dead fans can rejoice! There’s now an RPG game that puts you in the action, fighting zombies that spring forth thanks to the Necronomicon. Plus, it’s not just you that’s running around the woods with a chainsaw. You can invite your friends to join in on the campy, gory, zombie-killing fun.

Play as one of your favorite characters: Ash, Scotty, Lord Arthur, Kelly Maxwell, and more. You can also choose to be on the side of good or the side of evil. If you choose the dark side, you’ll be a demon who possesses your favorite characters and puts them to work raising the dead and swallowing souls. As you traverse the game, you’ll also hear new narration and dialogue from Bruce Campbell himself.

While the narration’s new, the same over-the-top gore fest you know and love from the movies is in full force. That’s thanks to over-the-top graphics that bring the gushy, gory blood and guts from the movies and reinvent them for the game. And we almost forgot to mention … the boom stick. The chainsaw isn’t the only weapon of choice you can pick up from the movies. Enjoy barrels of bloody, macabre fun with the sawed-off shotgun, cleavers, axes, and more.

Key Features
  • Play as your favorite characters from the Evil Dead franchise.
  • Choose the side of good or the side of evil.
  • Multi-player option allows you to play with your friends.
  • Select weapons featured in the Evil Dead movies
Specifications
  • Publisher: Nighthawk Interactive
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: RPG
  • Platform: Xbox One, Xbox series X
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • Same atmosphere as the movies.
  • Graphics bring the spirit of the films into gameplay.
  • Play with friends
Cons
  • Gameplay can lag and can be difficult at earlier levels.
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Evil Dead: The Game

The game presents an enjoyable redemption story where your primary mission is to win back your life and rescue your daughter. One of the features that make this game enjoyable is that it has fantastic visuals, gameplay, and an engaging atmosphere. You will enjoy every aspect of the game, whether you're playing for the first time or regularly.

The Evil Within 2 is one of those titles that let you assume full control of the main character. In this case, you will have control of the detective descending into the Union to rescue Lily. By creating such a perspective, the game ensures that you are more engaged and can enjoy the plot more.

One of the things that make the game enjoyable over time is the inclusion of multiple modes. Depending on your experience, you will want to choose a mode that you feel most comfortable. For many players, this level will give you the most pleasure while challenging your instincts.

If you are a beginner, it is advisable to settle for the casual level and progress steadily toward survival and nightmares levels. Each of the modes will challenge you differently while maintaining the game's overall view, which makes it a cohesive experience.

Another exciting aspect of Evil Within 2 is the kind of resources that you are presented with to make your journey. For instance, you are presented with "the communicator," which will let you highlight enemies, resources, and objectives inside the game world easily.

With more extensive and more sophisticated maps, you will enjoy a multiplayer experience, especially at the more advanced levels.

Key Features
  • Horrifying domains
  • Visceral horror
  • ESRB themes
Specifications
  • Publisher: Bethesda
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: Third Person Shooter
  • Platform: PlayStation
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • Enjoyable gameplay
  • Excellent graphics
  • Amazing level design
Cons
  • The map is not big enough.
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The Evil Within 2

If you’re looking for more family-friendly fare that’s lighter on the gore and grit, but full of scares and a wild ride, you probably already know about the Five Nights at Freddy’s series. The latest installment continues the macabre fun and adventure as you have to traverse through a haunted pizza parlor and plan your escape route.

Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex is a dream for families during opening hours. This Chuck E. Cheese-stylized pizzeria has a miniature golf course, a go-kart raceway, and of course, creepy animatronics. But once closing time hits, the animatronics are primed to seek and destroy any intruders they can find. Unfortunately, that includes anyone locked in after closing. For Gregory, an unfortunate kid caught at the wrong place and time, this means a nightly fight for survival.

Play as Gregory as you, with the help of Freddy Fazbear himself, have to dodge danger and stay alive through the night. Run into old favorites and discover new characters, enemies, and goodies. The Pizzaplex is vast, so you’ll have endless hours of exploring to enjoy. Delve into the sewers and the vents, and gain access to the security room so you can plot your way out. Enjoy an exclusive sticker pack with your purchase, too.

Key Features
  • Play alongside familiar characters from the franchise.
  • Distract enemies with paint cans and toys while fighting to stay alive.
  • Discover new levels of gameplay and traverse old haunts.
  • Receive an exclusive sticker sheet.
Specifications
  • Publisher: Maximum Games
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: RPG
  • Platform: Xbox, PlayStation
  • Rating: T
Pros
  • Genuinely frightening while being lighter on gore.
  • Play with your favorite Five Nights at Freddie’s characters.
  • Fun and exciting gameplay loops
Cons
  • Released with some glitches that should be ironed out in later patches
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Five Nights at Freddie’s Security Breach

Creative storytelling, fantastic combat, and a creepy atmosphere make Alan Wake thrilling from beginning to end. The horror game is endearingly self-aware, engaging you with enough scares and laughs to keep you hooked.

The game is a mystery where Alan Wake gets into various twists and turns, trying to save the woman he loves. What you will love is how the game treats you with top-notch graphics for a stunning cinematic look.

Alan Wake blends different art touches where darkness and shadows are your most fearsome enemies. You will dive deeper and deeper into pulse-pounding action sequences with overwhelming plot twists, odds, and cliffhangers.

Alan Wake is a back-tightened nervous system with immersive sounds effects. Chances are, you've never fired a gun before, but situations tend to change in this horror game. The combat is so frantic with an enthralling wilderness that never lets you forget the perils awaiting the unprepared.

The cinematic effects and technology are stunning, where construction bulbs and streetlamps indicate the way forward. The game invokes an emotional response from players allowing you to feel as if you are on the battlefield. You will enjoy gaming with Alan wake's all-important flashlight, which is a tool of exploration but, more importantly, a deadly weapon.

During your quest for survival, the tense actions keep your neck hair raised and your nerves on edge. The unique environmental design looks and feels alive, so you won't have a dull moment through the 12-hour adventure.

Key Features
  • Psychological action thriller
  • Suspenseful and gripping storyline
  • Episodic narrative
Specifications
  • Publisher: Remedy
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: Shooter/RPG
  • Platform: Xbox 360
  • Rating: T
Pros
  • Creepy tone
  • Satisfying combat
  • Twisting storyline
Cons
  • Repeats the same battles
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If you are looking for a horror game that blends deadly combat with exploration, the Metro Exodus is one of the best picks. Metro Exodus drives from the first-person shooter and gets increasingly linear as you progress.

The game is a visual masterpiece with some staggering environmental details and effects. From the dense forest with choked fog to frozen lakes, you will enjoy gaming with realistic and stunning pictures. The sense of adventure stands out from the travel-centric plot.

Beyond the oppressive tunnels, the dark and radioactive surface of Moscow emerges nuclear apocalypse survivors. While looking for greener pastures, survivors face enthralling tension, and this is where terrifying threats kick in. Protagonist Artyom, his wife Anna, and fellow Spartan soldiers punch in a one-way train ticket hoping to find land a new start in the East.

Each character has their unique personality making it easy for you to become emotionally invested. Unlike some games, the relationship is flawless, and no one fills like a filler character. The carefully laid-out levels create an adequate flow in all missions.

Fighting mutated beasts allow you to experience a different style of tension. The graphics are impressive, enabling you to view terrifying images as if you are part of the survivor characters. Well, even a harmless spider crawling on your arm or face is more than enough to bring a terrifying atmosphere. You will also love the customized systems that put you in control, all without sacrificing the tensed effects.

Key Features
  • Deadly combat and stealth
  • Involves the Apocalyptic Russian wilderness
  • Showcases a range of mutants
Specifications
  • Publisher: 4A Games/Deep Silver
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: Shooter
  • Platform: Xbox One
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • Intriguing stories throughout
  • Earnest interactions among characters
  • Impactful gunplay
Cons
  • Technical issues can be frustrating
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Metro Exodus

If you are into something challenging, artsy, and dripping with scary atmospheres, then Inside and Limbo deserves to be in your gaming collection. Inside and Limbo features unimaginable twists and turns. The game might leave you dumb folded, speechless, and quite possibly confused.

Every frame appears to be meticulously crafted, from raindrops splashing in a bog to dust particles hovering in the smoky air. As such, each scene will have your undivided attention. At some point, you will find yourself often stopping just to admire the detailed and beautiful surroundings.

The subtle animations, boldly color palette, moody lighting, and eerily sound design ensure you have an immersive experience. The camera is also laudable, allowing you to have an optimal viewing position from scene to scene.

The horror game revolves around puzzles, especially with the fact that you don't get any explanations of certain events. The puzzles allow you to test things out and explore different environments, people, and machines. All these activities make the movie immensely satisfying. Inside and Limbo is almost like a dreamlike, and you will or might not get the puzzle solutions at the end.

The challenges are expertly choreographed with more exotic life forms and other organic foes. Although the game is a short ride, it poses questions about its meaning, message, and intentions. Inside and Limbo says a lot about humanity, something that tends to bring about a heated debate with your friends.

Key Features
  • 2D puzzle-platformers
  • Simple gameplay mechanics
  • Incredible visual storytelling
Specifications
  • Publisher: PlayDead/SOS Games
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: Shooter/RPG
  • Platform: PlayStation 4
  • Rating: T-M
Pros
  • Memorable scenes
  • Lots of terrifying situations
  • Impressive sound design
Cons
  • Unsatisfying ending
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Inside and Limbo

Are you considering engrossing yourself in a spine-shaking story? Until Dawn is an interactive survival horror game that is a collaboration between two writers, Graham Reznick and Larry Fessenden. The game gives you the freedom to curve your survival path, making choices that promise unique experiences.

The game employs the use of the third-person perspective to give guidance and clues to help get the characters to escape unhurt, which makes it easy to play, especially for kids. The player controls the lives of eight horrified young souls whose lives are threatened on the ominous Blackwood Mountain from a PS4 platform.

A good screen resolution enhances image quality. The game uses the Decima engine for its graphics, which is compatible with 4k resolution for crisp and sharp images. Ultimately, the good graphics promise breathtaking scenes to the very end.

Until Dawn is quite engaging, employing the butterfly effect, you have to make choices as a player that determines the fate of the characters. The thrill lies in the part where you can’t undo a decision. You can decide to kill all the characters or keep them alive till the end. Keeping every character alive is not an easy fete, and that’s where the game gets interesting.

A good game is worth sharing with friends. Until dawn is designed in such a way that every player has a distinct outcome. Players will lose different characters under different choices. A friend would be delighted to know which of your characters survived.

Key Features
  • Produced by Pete Samuels
  • Employs the butterfly effect
  • Decima game engine graphics
Specifications
  • Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
  • Genre: Horror
  • Mode: RPG
  • Platform: PlayStation 4
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • Excellent voice acting
  • Engaging
  • Decima game engine graphics
Cons
  • Poor lip sync
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Until Dawn Hits

Alien Isolation is an action-adventure game that emphasizes horror themes coupled with stealth survival in a single-player mode. You will control a character called Amanda and ensure that she survives and archives different mission objectives while outsmarting scary otherworldly monsters. The game will not only improve your instincts but will also teach you how to think and act strategically.

The game comes with numerous levels which will thrill and challenge your creative side all while keeping you on your toes. You will learn how to overcome your fears as well as different ways of dealing with uncertainty. Some players have described Alien Isolation as the scariest game they have ever played. They have also stated that the game merges action and horror themes perfectly, which creates a more wholesome experience.

If you are looking for a horror game that will challenge all your senses while giving you narrow opportunities to react, you will enjoy Alien Isolation to no end. The game has one of the most powerful xenomorphs on any survival horror title. A 10-minute play will quickly reveal that the developers spent lots of time ensuring that it was as authentic as you can imagine.

Additionally, Alien Isolation creates a unique feeling of tension whereby you don't know when a creature will anguish you. The omnipresent nature of the goblins is one of the most attractive aspects of the game. You can feel that something is watching you while you walk through the ruins and seemingly haunted structures.

Key Features
  • Beautiful graphics
  • Believable monster physics
  • Multiple modes and levels
Specifications
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
  • Mode: RPG
  • Platform: Nintendo Switch
  • Rating: M
Pros
  • Enjoyable rhythm
  • Fun but scary
  • Well-designed adventure
Cons
  • Doesn't support multiplayer modes
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Alien: Isolation

Survival horror games have been around for the past 20 years. Notably, the video game journey has had an interesting past, with some titles being highly acclaimed and others flopping disastrously. One notable trend in the survival horror games genre is copying and imitation. You should avoid games that do not attempt to add some originality in the mix and rip off successful titles.

Instead, you want to pick up the latter and avoid spoilers as much as you can. You cannot narrow down the exact features that make for an excellent survival horror game. One of the reasons for this is that some of the most successful and enjoyable games have been significantly distinct from each other. Nonetheless, you want to consider a few markers of greatness that have been noted by analysts and gaming enthusiasts.

Fear The Unknown

The most apparent horror element in a game is encountering an unknown character or creature. You want to inquire whether a horror game features the element without having the title spoiled. Instead, you want to read the reviews that specifically state that nothing will be spoiled for anyone who has not played the game.

The fear of the unknown is often integrated into a horror game through visual stimuli. The element tends to obscure or limit your field of view. Some game designers will give you a hint of a scary creature by exposing them on set for an incredibly short time before disappearing.

The Scare

If you have ever played a horror game before, you know that there is never a cheap scare. For example, in Biohazard 1, one of the scariest scenes was a zombie dog jumping through the window. That moment was both memorable and chilly.

If you are picking up a survival horror game, you need to view the trailer first to determine whether you can expect scenes that scare you out of your skin. Try to avoid games that spoil the action too much; you will be disappointed once you buy the actual title.

Many people do not consider the anticipation element of horror despite being one of the most exciting aspects. Having a vague idea about what is hiding around a corner is more terrifying than not knowing what to expect at all.

The best horror games utilize this concept effectively and will give you hints that something scary is about to hit you without revealing too much. If you plan on indulging in the world of survival horror games this year, this guide will help you determine what to look out for. Now that you've come to the end, you can revisit our list of the best horror games and pick which is perfect for you!

FAQ

Q: Is it true that the best horror games are scarier than horror movies?

Even the biggest, most horror-hardened fans of horror movies find games in the horror genre more frightening than movies. We watch horror movies as an uninvolved observer but we play a video game as the main character. This allows us as the player to “experience” the scary events in real-time as though it’s actually happening and we bear the horror first-hand. Instead of just watching someone being haunted or chased by a killer—we ourselves are haunted or chased by a killer. In a horror game, there are direct and immediate consequences for the choices you make and you affect outcomes for your character. 

Q: What are some tips for playing the best horror games without being terrified?

If you’ve been wanting to try a horror game but you are afraid of … well, being afraid, try playing during daylight hours. It’s human nature to find that everything is scarier after dark. You can also try lowering the game’s volume so jump-scares aren’t quite so scary. If you are easily frightened, try playing horror games only when others are nearby. Playing them alone is much more unsettling than playing them with friends, or at least with some friendly chatter going on in the background. Keeping the lights on is another way to avoid being completely creeped out by a horror game.

Of course, if you love being scared, you’ll want to do just the opposite. Play a horror game alone, in the dark, late at night, with the volume turned up—this method is not for the faint of heart!

Q: What is the best-selling horror game of all time?

Resident Evil 7 has outsold most games in the horror genre, selling nearly 8 million copies. The Amnesia series is also popular and a top seller. Other big-sellers are Dying Light, Dead Space 2, The Medium, and The Evil Within 2.

Q: How do you choose the best horror game for you?

Most people choose the next great horror game to play simply by word of mouth within the gaming community. If it’s a good horror game, gamers are going to be talking about it. You can also go online and watch trailers to choose the next game you want to play. If it has an intriguing storyline and the trailer gives you chills or makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck you’ll know it’s one of the best horror games and the next one on your must-have list.

Q: What are the elements of a good horror game?

Horror games are chilling for good reason. Unlike any other genre, horror games are uniquely designed to leave your character vulnerable by taking away your power in the face of danger. You’ll also find your character is often alone, and always at the worst possible moments. These games also excel at developing a brooding tension with a sense of mounting terror and uncertainty.

The best horror games will always include many “jump-scares” to keep you startled. Expect plenty of unexpected frights, such as sudden loud noises and creatures suddenly jumping out of the shadows.