What are some of the best horror games out there? Are they scary or just plain creepy? Let us know in the comments below.
The genre has become incredibly popular over the last decade, thanks to titles such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Dead Space, Amnesia, and Outlast. There are plenty of other great horror games out there too, from indie gems to big budget releases.
Horror games are often designed to scare players, but they also offer a unique experience. Some of them are even interactive, allowing players to explore their surroundings and uncover secrets. If you want to get scared, check out our list of the 5 best horror games in 2022.
Best Horror Games Of 2020: The Top 5 Best Horror Games In 2020
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1. Resident Evil Village
It is a survival horror video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom for the GameCube. It was released in Japan on September 25, 2002, North America on November 11, 2003, Europe on February 28, 2004, Australia on June 8, 2005, and PAL regions on October 31, 2005. The player controls Leon S. Kennedy as he searches for his missing wife Claire Redfield while fighting off zombies and other monsters. Resident Evil: Village is set within the fictional universe of the Resident Evil series.
The game features an open world environment with multiple areas to explore. Players can freely roam around the village and interact with non-playable characters (NPCs). In addition to the main storyline, players are able to engage in side quests that allow them to unlock additional items and weapons.
2. The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2 is a 2017 American psychological horror survival game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One on October 13, 2016. The sequel to the 2014 video game The Evil Within, it follows Detective Sebastian Castellanos as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of his daughter while fighting against an otherworldly enemy known only as "the Watcher".
In contrast with its predecessor, which was set in a fictional city called Union City, The Evil Within 2 takes place in a real-world setting inspired by Washington State. This time around, the player character must investigate a series of murders that have taken place in a rural town named Carverton. In addition to the main story campaign, there are several optional side missions, including mini-games such as a pinball simulator.
The Evil Within 2 received critical acclaim upon release, with praise directed towards its gameplay and atmosphere. Critics also praised the graphics and sound design, though some criticized the controls and camera system. At E3 2018, Bethesda announced that The Evil Within 2 would be receiving downloadable content (DLC) titled "The Scorched Earth Pack" on September 27, 2018. The DLC adds new weapons, enemies, environments, and more.
3. Alien Isolation
Alien: Isolation is a survival horror video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and Google Stadia. It was released worldwide on October 7, 2014. The player takes the role of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise who has been stranded on an abandoned space station after her shuttle crashed there. In the game's story mode, she must survive in the station while investigating its history and trying to find out what happened to her mother. The game also features a "Horror Game" mode where the player can play through the game as the Xenomorph alien itself.
The game received generally positive reviews from critics. Many reviewers commended the game's atmosphere and presentation, but were divided over whether or not they liked the game's gameplay. Some critics felt that the game did not live up to the high expectations created by previous games in the Alien franchise. However, others found the game to be one of the best examples of the survival horror genre.
4. Resident Evil 2
is a survival horror video game developed by Capcom and originally released for the Game Boy in 1996. It is the second installment of the Resident Evil series, following the original Resident Evil (1996). The story follows Leon S. Kennedy, who attempts to rescue his wife from an Umbrella Corporation facility named Raccoon City after receiving a distress call from her. After rescuing her, he discovers that she has been turned into a zombie-like creature called a "Bio-Organic Weapon" or BOW. He must then escape the city with her while fighting off hordes of zombies and other monsters.
The development team at Capcom were inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and Ridley Scott's film Alien (1979) when creating the game. They wanted to create a game that would scare players, but also make them feel like they were playing something that had never been done before. To do this, they decided to use a first person perspective instead of a third-person view used in most other titles in the genre. This decision allowed the developers to focus on making the environment scary rather than having to worry about aiming and shooting.
Resident Evil 2 received critical acclaim upon its initial release, with many praising it for being one of the scariest games ever made. IGN awarded it their "Game of the Year" award in 1997. The game sold well enough to warrant two sequels, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999) and Resident Evil Zero (2002), both of which are considered direct prequels to Resident Evil 2.
5. Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, OS X, iOS, Android, Wii U, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 4 in November 2011. The story follows Isaac Clarke, an engineer aboard the USG Ishimura who must find his way through a derelict spaceship to escape from a deadly alien infestation. Dead Space 2 received positive reviews for its graphics, sound design, gameplay mechanics, atmosphere, and storytelling.
The game's development began in 2007 after EA acquired Visceral Studios, which had been working on a new IP. The team at Visceral chose to base the game around the concept of a space station overrun by an extraterrestrial life form known as Necromorphs. The studio worked closely with EA's internal research group to develop the game's technology. The game features a unique control scheme that allows players to move using the analog stick and aim weapons using the D-pad. Players can switch between three different weapons types: melee weapons, firearms, and grenades.
Dead Space 2 received critical acclaim upon release. Reviewers praised the game's visuals, sound effects, and gameplay, but criticized some aspects of the plot. VideoGamer.com gave the game 9 out of 10, calling it "one of the very finest shooters we've played all year". Official Xbox Magazine UK awarded it 8 out of 10, saying that it was "a tense, atmospheric sci-fi adventure that will keep you up late at night." Edge magazine awarded it 9 out of 10, stating that it was "the best sequel since Doom II". 1UP.com gave it a perfect score, saying that it was one of the greatest games of 2011. Eurogamer gave it a 9/10 rating, saying that it was a "fantastic follow-up", and that it was "easily one of the best games of 2011". GameSpot awarded it 7.8 out of 10, saying, "It's not quite as good as the original, but it's still a worthy successor." GameTrailers gave it a 9.0 out of 10, saying "Dead Space 2 is easily one of the best horror games of the last decade." IGN awarded it 9.3 out of 10, saying it was "an amazing follow-up to the original". GameDaily awarded it 5 stars out of 5, saying that it was the "best survival horror experience since Silent Hill". GameZone awarded it 9.2 out of 10, saying " may be the best survival horror game since the original". Game Informer awarded it 9.1 out of 10, saying ""Dead Space 2'''s greatest strength lies in its ability to build tension and fear throughout every encounter".
FAQ's
What's the best horror game?
The best horror games are: Metro Exodus Resident Evil Village The Evil Within 2 Alien: Isolation Condemned: Criminal Origins Darkwood System Shock 2 Amnesia: The Dark Descent Outlast Dead Space Stories Untold Little Nightmares Inside Oxenfree Doom 3 Man of Medan
What are the tasks you need to complete?
Using equipment, such as ouija boards spirit box crucifix smudge sticks – you and your team need to investigate the haunting and complete tasks such as taking a picture of dirty water , or asking the ghost questions.
What's the most scary thing about Metro Exodus?
Yet, as we pointed out in our Metro Exodus PC review , this is a game that is at its most terrifying when it changes the rules.
What's the problem with this?
But we don't know to the extent of how much is the same and how it applies between the games.
What is Scorn?
One way to put it is Scorn appears to be beautifully unsettling.
What's the most disgusting thing about this game?
Plus, it looks like one of the main forms of combat is with the use of an organic bone gun; for all we know, it could shoot teeth or something else delightfully disgusting.
What is The Cat Lady?
But beyond its traditional point-and-click adventure trappings is an affecting story, rooted in an authentic struggle of a woman who no longer wants to live.
What does White Face do?
Once caught, White Face triggers a crash back to your desktop and in its wake, a folder containing a text document appears on screen, taunting your failure.
What about HTML web documents?
It plays with your mind in other ways too: your browser might suddenly open, landing on a spooky YouTube video; elsewhere, HTML web documents appear in another folder, showing a map and the supposed exit to the area you're in, but can you trust it?
What is Dead By Daylight?
Dead By Daylight launched in 2016 as a meager but well-meaning asymmetrical slasher horror game where various bumbling teenagers avoided gnarly eviscerations from archetypal slasher movie villains.
What is the story?
Amnesia starts off with the protagonist, Daniel, waking up alone in a dark castle, Brennenburg.
What if you can't fight back?
This wouldn't be a huge problem if you could fight back, but you can't.
What is theanity meter?
It's not the first game to have a “sanity meter” (Eternal Darkness says hello), but its implementation in Amnesia is pretty ingenious.
What is World of Horror?
This “1-Bit” horror game feels like you just stumbled upon a series of eerie and extremely detailed drawings on MS Paint.
What are your thoughts on the game?
World of Horror's grasp of tension, perfectly paired soundtrack and overall challenge make it a must-play on PC.
What is Telling Lies?
Approximate Game Length 8 Hours Genre Interactive Film Developer Sam Barlow and Furious Bee X|S Enhanced No File Size 9 GB (February 2022) More in the vein of a thriller than a gruesome horror game, Telling Lies nonetheless is a chilling title to experience.
What was the impact of pandemic on video games?
Seeming like a repeat of last year, the video games industry was at the mercy of the global pandemic for a lot of its releases this year.
What is the best way to get excited?
But there's also plenty of new blood to get us excited all the more.
What is Paranoid?
The game takes place in the 80s, and puts you in the shoes of Patrick, a recluse suffering from deepening paranoid schizophrenia, who after many years is leaving his apartment to reunite with his sister.
What's next for the Host team?
The team behind 2020's breakout horror film hit Host are back together to cook up a live-action interactive horror movie where the player is running a supernatural television show and is tasked with looking after its hosts and crew (played largely by the cast of Host ) while something sinister occurs during filming.
What are the benefits of Steam for indie game developers?
With Flash games no longer a thing, Steam is now one of the very best places for those indie game developers to showcase their work, thanks in large to the sheer size of the platform.
Who is this game about?
Once they do, they'll be controlling a worker at a pet feeding company as they prepare food for a client who is more than just a little out of the ordinary.
What is Grimm's Hollow?
It's a horror RPG that, at a glance, at
Who's helping to ensure the health of horror games?
There's a couple of key players helping to ensure the health of horror games as a whole.
What other horror games are out there?
Some of the other developers working on horror games include Tango Gameworks, part of Bethesda Softworks and one of the 23 first-party Xbox studios producing some of the best Xbox Game Pass games .
What are the future horror games?
Xbox Series S owners should be able to look forward to even more big horror games in the upcoming years.
What is Resident Evil Village?
Source: Capcom Resident Evil Village takes the formula of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and applies it a European Gothic setting filled to the brim with creatures inspired by vampires, werewolves, and other horror icons .
What are the key features of Resident Evil Village?
The story mode is made to be replayed, with tons of unlockable weapons and hidden secrets across the sprawling castle and titular village.
What's the game about?
Following the events of the first game, detective Sebastian Castellanos is recruited to go deep into Union, a Matrix-esque world that has been infected and twisted into a place of horror, filled with horrifying creatures.
What are the key features of The Evil Within 2?
Superb body horror enemy designs Compelling story and realistic protagonist Limited alternate gameplay modes The Evil Within 2 (Xbox) Sebastian Castellanos isn't free from the nightmares yet.
What is the Evil Within 2?
Source: Bethesda Softworks If Tango Gameworks' first stab at horror with The Evil Within was a great homage to Resident Evil 4, then The Evil Within 2 might be the closest thing we get to a modern-day Silent Hill 2.
What is the game?
Alien: Isolation puts players in the shoes of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the Alien films.
What is The Alien?
That's a good thing, because she'll need to stay resourceful to survive a dilapidated station with the perfect organism stalking throughout it.
What is the game's resolution?
Unfortunately, this game hasn't had its resolution boosted in any way for the latest consoles, so it's still a 1080p experience if you play it on Xbox.
What is Resident Evil 2?
Source: Capcom The 2019 title Resident Evil 2 is a remake of the original game.
What are the benefits of playing The Resident?
Once you go through the campaign as either Leon or Claire, you can go through it again, seeing a bit of the story that you didn't before.
What are the best features of Resident Evil 2?
Realistic visuals and tight gameplay make this one of the finest horror games of the last several years.
What Are The Fears Of Dying Light?
By George Foster Although most people will know Dying Light as the premier zombie dropkicking simulator as they should there's one thing that a lot of people forget about it; it's pretty dang scary.
What is The Callisto Protocol?
Because The Callisto Protocol is being marketed as a "Story-Driven, Single-Player Survival Horror Game from the Creators of Dead Space You had me at hello.
What's your reaction to the game?
All the same, I'm very excited to try it.
What is Resident Evil 4 VR?
As a rebuild of the entire game in VR, you're now firmly planted in the shoes of Leon Kennedy as he battles through hordes of mutated monsters and chainsaw-wielding maniacs in a remote village.
What's the best game for Oculus Quest 2 headset?
Resident Evil 4 VR | Oculus Quest 2 Nearly 17 years after the release of Resident Evil 4, Capcom's seminal survival horror game just received a unique and innovative reinvention on Oculus VR.
Can Video Games Help You Stress Out?
Even real-life anxiety can be alleviated by playing horror games (Image via - Steam) Subrat Mukharjee The finest horror video games create a lasting effect on players, causing them to reflect on the plot, atmosphere, and creatures for days.
What is Entity?
A group of four survivors must avoid a killer intent on sacrificing them to the Entity, an all-powerful malicious creature.
How do vors escape?
Survivors can escape after fixing five generators that unlock the exit gates.
What is Alien: Isolation?
Alien: Isolation is a survival horror video game released in 2014 by Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One .
What is Layers of Fear?
Bloober Team's Layers of Fear is a psychological horror video game released by Aspyr.
Layers of Fear: Inheritance Review What is the game?
Layers of Fear: Inheritance was published on August 2, 2016, as a direct sequel to Layers of Fear.
What's new in the sequel?
The player takes control of the painter's daughter this time, with the additional material focused on her apparent relapse into trauma after returning to her former home.
What is Resident Evil 7?
The player takes control of Ethan Winters as he solves puzzles and fights monsters while searching for his long-missing wife at a decrepit plantation occupied by an infected family.
What is the use of tape recorders?
Tape recorders may be used to manually store the game's progress, which may necessitate the usage of a cassette tape depending on the difficulty level.
What Are Outlast's Fearing Features?
Along with a few jump scares, Outlast also tries to terrify its players by denying them access to weapons, leaving them with no choice but to flee and hide.
What is the game?
Like many other indie scary games from the previous decade, Outlast owes a lot of its popularity to streamers and influencers, who drew enormous crowds to see their frightened responses to the game's scarier parts.
What is Outlast: Whistleblower?
Outlast: Whistleblower is a downloadable DLC that focuses on Waylon Park, the man who brought Miles there in the first place.
What is Dying Light 2 Stay Human?
Luckily for us, we are getting a sequel in February 2022: Dying Light 2 Stay Human.
What is the map?
The map is divided into 7 districts, occupied by various warring factions.
What is Callisto Protocol?
The Callisto Protocol is set in 2030, in a prison colony known as Black Iron, which is controlled by the United Jupiter Company.
What is the Outlast Trials?
Anyway, The Outlast Trials is to be a co-op survival horror game, so you get to play on your own or with friends.
What is Level Zero?
It is a tactical online horror game in which players must repair the space station they are currently on while trying to keep away from the nasty creatures hunting them.
What is enemy?
In Level Zero you won't be chased by mobs: instead, your enemy is a team of player-controlled monsters whose mission is to kill all survivors in order to prevent the space station from being repaired.
What's in the sequel?
There aren't many details on the story, as the developers believe it is better to keep it as a surprise, but from what I can tell from the trailer, there won't be a shortage of creepy caves and ugly monsters.
What Are The Best Horror Games?
The best horror games all have something in common: The ability to deliver a feeling of unease that someone or something is on your tail with sinister plans to take you out.
What is Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery?
Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery combines the infamous animatronics from Fazbear Entertainment with the mechanics of Augmented Reality.
What is Into the Dead 2?
The addition of a story mode and a more prominent in-game progression scale has given the shoot-em-up zombie runner a breath of fresh air making it a delight to play.
What is the story?
The story is fairly simple: you play as a man named James who gets into a car accident in the middle of the road while trying to get back to his wife, Helen, and his daughter, Maggie.
What's the biggest difference between this and previous games?
Instead of being an endless runner where you're only competing to top your own high score, the game has added a narrative and some progression to the run and gun gameplay.
What is Into the Dead 2?
You'll play for hours trying to beat the main story mode, or just for the love of shooting zombies.
What is Lost Within?
Lost Within puts you in an abandoned asylum and tasks you with escaping, but of course you can't just walk out the door.
What are the features of Lost Within?
With plenty of jump scares, some solid graphics, and some robust gameplay mechanics, like crafting weapons from scrap materials, Lost Within is perfect for anyone looking for a good scare.
What is Lost Within?
Despite being an older game, Lost Within is still packed with plenty of scares.
What is White Night?
This obviously is one of the layers that make White Night so spooky, with giant portions of the screen being blacked out, it always leaves you wondering what could be lurking in the darkness.
What is the music?
The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful and its constant presence really does wonders for the atmosphere by never giving your ear a break from the eerie strings and hollow-sounding wind instruments.
What's the best part?
It isn't all perfect, the story isn't particularly original and the controls could be a little fine-tuned; however, White Light makes up for these shortcomings with some amazing visuals and superb sound design.
What games are coming out this year?
Some of the most lauded games of the last decade are getting new entries this year, including Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War and Gran Turismo.
What are the game's release dates?
The 2022 release of many titles initially set to drop in 2021 that were delayed because of the pandemic will soon make for an unprecedented deluge of highly anticipated content.
What's the Future?
The year ahead will be a banner year for the gaming industry.
What's new in the game industry?
I also couldn't help but notice there are an awful lot of new games set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has ravaged the planet's population.
What do you think are the most interesting characters?
The most promising indie games center on anthropomorphic dinosaurs graduating high school, a teeny fox with a sword and shield and a stray cat, who is…also wandering across an apocalyptic, post-humanity, cyberpunk landscape.
What is Rainbow Six: Extraction?
Originally titled Rainbow Six: Quarantine (oof), the wisely retitled Rainbow Six: Extraction is a spin-off of Ubisoft's uber-popular Rainbox Six: Siege.
What is Pokemon: Go?
Catching Pokemon now requires the reflex-driven style of Pokemon: Go, though the turn-based combat remains in place.
What are the plot elements?
But it also boasts major story improvements: Now your choices within the game can change the course of the plot and even the layout of the world.
What is Sifu?
Sifu not only spotlights the beauty of kung fu but also offers an innovative spin on combat gameplay: Every time the playable character dies, he comes back as an older version of himself, a metaphor for the experience we gain as we age.
What's in Forbidden West?
Forbidden West not only promises to answer some dangling questions about Aloy but also to lean into her eco-conscious mission: The game sends her into gorgeously-rendered underwater environs and atop awe-inspiring mountaintops to fight threats to the planet.