The best horror games for PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Spook yourself silly with the most terrifying games around right now
Ever since Resident Evil opened the door to its horror house in 1996, we’ve willingly taken on survival games that put our underpants at risk.
With the nights growing longer and the darkness creeping in, now is the perfect time to settle in with some of the scariest games out there – with nothing betweeen you and a Cabin In The Woods-worth of monsters, ghouls and ghosts, apart from a controller, mouse or keyboard.
Just make sure to give your neighbours a heads-up about the screams.
Additional words by Tom Morgan
Resident Evil Village
Platforms: PS5, Xbox, PS4, PC
The newly-released Resident Evil Village is the legendary series’ eighth core entry and the first to tap into the added power of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, delivering even more immersive, gruesome, and horrifying results. The titular locale is perhaps the largest seen to date in the series, but even with all that space, this Village has no shortage of thrills.
This first-person experience feels like a hybrid of the last entry, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and arguably the series’ best campaign in Resident Evil 4. While it’s not a big step forward for the series, you still ought to get a kick out of it – especially meme queen Lady Dimitrescu and her claustrophobic gothic castle.
Little Nightmares 2
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Like the original Little Nightmares, a true out-of-left-field surprise, Little Nightmares 2 is a surreal twist on horror – sort of a Grimm’s fairy tales take. Rather than aim for realism, the series dredges up and pokes and prods long-buried childhood fears to great effect.
The sequel opens things up with outdoor spaces rather than sticking within a confined space, which the original did so well, but it doesn’t lose the amazingly eerie atmosphere in the process. It might look a little cutesy compared to some games on this list, but give it a chance: it really might freak you out something fierce.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War
Platforms: PS5, Xbox, PS4, PC
While some of the things you’ll do in the popular military shooter are argubly horrifying in their own right, we’re not talking about the main game. We’re talking about the Zombies mode, of course, and Treyarch unleashed a big’un in the latest entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War.
Not only does Black Ops – Cold War have multiple narrative Zombies experiences, but it has also added a larger-scale Outbreak mode that takes place in a huge open area. While most horror games are solo experiences, Black Ops‘ Zombies is the rare, thrilling co-op experience that continues to hold up after several iterations.
Also Read › Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 review
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil is the most legendary horror series around – and now you can play one of its absolute best adventures to date in a whole new way.
The Resident Evil 2 remake takes the core of the brilliant PSone campaign, set in and around the Raccoon City Police Department, and revamps it for current consoles and PC. It’s a gorgeous new rendition that is every bit as captivating and incredibly intense as the original version – if not more so.
And if you don’t mind getting up close and personal with the Resident Evil universe, keep reading for a VR entry that’s guaranteed to thrill.
Read More › Resident Evil 2 review
Outlast 2
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
It’s hard to be scared of anything that you can easily blast to death with a load of bullets. That’s why Outlast 2 strips you of any weapons, and only provides you with a night-vision video camera to find your way around. If only you’d eaten your carrots as a child.
This more intense sequel pushes beyond the frights of its predecessor, giving you an experience that’s high on tension and even higher on the scare factor. Whether you’re running from imminent death or slowly exploring the spooky environment, this first person fright-fest will surely pile on those jitters.
You can buy it together with the original game and the Outlast Whistleblower DLC below.
The Evil Within 2
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Ripped straight from the twisted mind of Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within was a dark, demented trip through a virtual reality world – only that reality had been warped by the mind of a serial killer. Think demons, zombies and lots of barbed wire – not a pretty sight. And the sequel is scarier.
It builds on the genre, giving you more freedom and creativity while still finding ways to keep you on edge. Finding a perfect balance between creative open spaces and more claustrophobic close quarters, it ratchets up the tension and doesn’t give you time to breathe. Don’t waste those shotgun shells – you’re gonna need ’em.
READ MORE › The Evil Within 2 review
Prey (2017)
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
The suffocating atmosphere of space is perfect fear fodder – especially when the colossal orbital station you’re working on is now home to inky-hued, shape-shifting aliens that leap out at you from places you wouldn’t expect. Prey‘s mimics are smart, experts at camouflage and desperate to introduce their tentacles to your esophagus.
When you’re not fighting off extraterrestrial horrors, an eerie tension permeates every corner and hallway, with a strange, crackling sound design that does a superb job of setting your mind on edge. One to play with headphones, definitely.
READ MORE › Prey (2017) review
Friday the 13th: The Game
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
While it’s true that this game has more bugs than Jason has corpses in his cabin, Friday the 13th is absolutely still worth playing. This online multiplayer scare-’em-up either puts you in the shaking boots of a screaming teenager trying to escape the masked killer, or Jason himself on a good old murder spree.
The fact you’re being hunted by another player, and not some faceless AI makes things all the more scarier – especially as Jason can’t be stopped, only slowed down. If he gets too close, your weak teenage bones don’t stand a hope in hell.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Resident Evil 7 shakes up the long-running survival horror franchise by switching to a first-person perspective, while returning to its roots with a slower pace and emphasis on scares, instead of shooting. It works, too, as you learn to make every bullet count and worry about what’s hiding around every corner.
One of the scariest games in recent memory is also one of the best games out right now that you can fully play in virtual reality – with a PlayStation VR headset, you’ll be able to get get scarily up close with the deranged Baker family. You’ll never complain about your real-life family dinners again.
READ MORE › Resident Evil 7 review
State of Decay 2
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Zombies are a staple of horror games, of course, but State of Decay 2 makes you extra-weary of the undead walkers. Why? Because one wrong move and a survivor gets chomped – and then he or she is lost for good. There’s no firing up your old save and trying again.
It’s that healthy fear of death that punches up this open-world survival tale, which does suffer through some annoying bugs and glitches but ultimately proves a tense and thrilling affair. And it’s better online in co-op, naturally.
Alien Isolation
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
By far the best Alien game so far, Isolation is basically just hide and seek. The only difference? Being found doesn’t mean you become the seeker; instead, you get a xenomorph’s tongue shoved down your throat. At least buy us a drink first, you creep.
It’s a few years old now, but Isolation’s timeless 80’s sci-fi style hasn’t aged a bit. That alien has wildly unpredictable AI, too, so no two games are ever the same – making this perfect for repeat plays.
READ MORE › Alien Isolation review
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Platform: PS4, PC
For a game about mental illness, you’d best believe Hellblade knows a thing or two about making you doubt your sanity. We’re not talking Eternal Darkness-style memory card corruptions or fake death screens, either.
Senua’s Sacrifice makes use of a number of tricks to perpetuate the feelings of dread, anxiety, and fear associated with the condition – from cunning camera perspectives and terrifying visuals, to frightening binaural audio. A captivating psychological terror from beginning to end.
Until Dawn
Platform: PS4
When the blonde girl gets stabbed in a horror film, we’re all too quick to criticise her ‘stupid’ decisions. "Don’t open the door!", "Don’t go swimming in the lake after dark!", or "Don’t eat the cupcake contaminated with haunted zombie bacteria!" – you get the idea.
Until Dawn puts your scary movie survival skills to the test to see if you’d truly fare any better. If you can resist getting the annoying sidekick characters killed off on purpose, that is…
READ MORE › Until Dawn review
SOMA
Platform: PS4, PC
Anyone who’s seen Jaws can testify that the ocean can be a terrifying place, which is exactly why the team behind Amnesia thought it’d be nice to trap you in an underwater research facility in SOMA.
It isn’t just about the jump scares, though. It’s the story that will terrify you, with organic, H.R. Giger-esque contraptions, creatures and craziness waiting for you around nearly every corner.
READ MORE › The 10 best console games in the world right now
Slender: The Arrival
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Slender Man is the super creepy result of a message board (seriously) that somehow spiraled into a bit of modern folklore: the lanky, blank-faced, suit-wearing pursuer appears and attacks as your delusions begin.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a perfect fit for a video game, as you explore an abandoned house and the surrounding woods… and ohhhhh god there’s Slender Man, run! It can be slow in between, but the startling moments are a fabulous payoff.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent & A Machine for Pigs
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch
We’re giving this one a combined series recommendation, because collectively, these are two of the most twisted horror games there have ever been.
Both are big on psychological scares amidst the first-person puzzling, as you dip in and out of sanity, but also have their share of gruesome sights and really unsettling plot points. You can also play these as a bundle on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Switch.
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
