The best horror games will get under your skin and stay with you long after you've locked your doors and shut your curtains. Whether you're into action horror or something more psychological, there's something for everyone on this list.
For years Japanese horror games called the shots thanks to its unrivalled expertise in the psychological horror genre. While some have been lost to the annals of time there are some upcoming remakes, such as the Silent Hill 2 remake, which will show new audiences memorable characters and the tense resource management that influenced a whole generation of games.
Read on for all the best horror games that are available to play right now. But be warned these aren't for the faint of heart.
Best horror games
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Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, and PS4
In Little Nightmares, you control a young girl called Six, who has to navigate a frightening world far too big for her, populated by a wide array of giant and grotesque creatures.
Six is just a small girl, so you sneak past them instead of fighting these creatures. The tension in this best horror games contender comes from navigating complicated platforming sections while also being pursued by monsters.
Little Nightmares is a deserved entry on our best horror games list because it creates a feeling of helplessness while making it clear that you still have ways to escape. It takes familiar domestic areas that should be comforting and turns them on their head by making them repulsive and unsafe for Six to travel through.
In any other medium, using children this way would be uncomfortable, and a shrunken protagonist would more likely make us think of 90s comedy films than tense horror, so Little Nightmares makes use of it being a game in all the right ways.
The sequel, Little Nightmares 2, also got an all-new protagonist and terrors. However, despite being a great game in its own right, it couldn't replicate the tension of the first title.
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, and PS4
The Evil Within series comes from Shinji Mikami, the mind behind Resident Evil – and if that doesn't give you enough reason to pick it up, its nightmarish world likely will.
This third-person survival horror will pull you into a world populated by grotesque and frightening enemies. Mixed with dashes of psychological horror – protagonist Sebastian Castellanos never quite knows what's real and what's a horror cooked up by his own mind.
The Evil Within 2 makes its way onto our best horror games list as it succeeded in modernizing Japanese horror, making it less janky and more approachable. While the first game is good in its own right, the sequel has some unforgettable psychological scare tactics.
Available: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Android and iOS versions are available, but don't come recommended)
Dead By Daylight stands out in this list of best horror games for being a genuinely scary multiplayer title, showing that you don't have to be alone in the dark to be scared.
In Dead By Daylight, a single player takes on the role of a savage serial killer, while four others flee for their lives, desperately trying to fix generators to secure their freedom.
It's a thematic staple for horror, and a thrilling twist on usual PvP combat to boot. With a host of original characters, each with their own abilities and advantages, theremanyts of tactics to develop and deplother kill all the survivors or make your escape.
You can also unlock or download characters from films such as Saw, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which showcases the genuine love Dead by Daylight devs have for its cinematic roots.
Not only is Dead By Daylight one of our favorite horror games, but it's also one of the best crossplay games right now.
Available on: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC
The Dead Space remake, developed by Motive, redefined one of the best classic survival horror games. The story, first set on an abandoned space vessel, the USG Ishimura, takes terrifying twists and turns – most of which involve zombified aliens waiting around said turns.
The original Dead Space ushered in a new generation of horror games. Gone was the focus on Japanese horror, favouring jumpscare-heavy games by Western studios. The game's success comes from simple tenants: a compelling story, believable visuals, and proper pacing.
The remake delivered on this and so much more, thanks to an overhaul of clunky controls and fiddly combat. Now fans can enjoy a graphical facelift with redesigned sections that make excellent use of modern technology, such as the haptics and adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller. There's no wonder as to why this title made its way onto our best horror games list.
Available on: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, and PS4 (and PSVR)
Resident Evil 7 was a breath of fresh air for an increasingly stale series. While it's not the only Resident Evil title on our best horror games list, it brought a much-needed modern understanding of horror movies and games to the series while retaining that distinct Resident Evil feel.
Moving the perspective from third to first person made the fear feel closer and more immediate while leading the way to include a genuinely frightening VR experience in the game.
With a great story and tight gameplay, Resident Evil 7 was the addition to the horror series we all wanted and feared we wouldn't get. The game's success, along with the recent remakes of earlier titles in the series, gained a lot of new fans.
Available on: Nintendo Switch and PC
Iron Lung is a short minimalist psychological horror game that'll send shivers rushing down your spine. Its short playtime makes it unique on this list of best horror games, but that doesn't mean it's any less scary.
In Iron Lung, you play as a convict piloting a one-person submarine through an ocean of blood to take photographs of key locations. Unfortunately, there is only one porthole available which must be closed at all times due to the deep sea pressure, forcing you to navigate entirely via an incomplete map with the help of proximity sensors, sound, and a grainy old external camera.
The only problem with this already taxing task is that there is something else swimming around in the depths with your that isn't all that friendly. Iron Lung is an anxiety-ridden short horror experience that'll make even the bravest sailors claustrophobic.
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC
Of the countless games to use this precious creative license over the years, developer Creative Assembly is the first actually to create a game that lives up to it. The game takes place 15 years following the events of the 1979 Ridley Scott film, putting players into the space boots of Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda Ripley.
Taking on a first-person perspective and squaring you off with a single xenomorph hunting you across a vast space station in darkness, Alien: Isolation nails what it felt like watching the film for the first time. The vibe makes it so deserving of the title of one of the best horror games, and Isolation feels as if you're playing through the movie.
Throw in the excruciatingly-clever artificial intelligence afforded to the alien, along with an absolutely gripping virtual reality experiment, and you have the trappings of a modern horror classic.
Available on: PC
The Outlast Trials balances pure terror and hilarity like no other multiplayer horror game, making it a special entry on our best horror games list. Originally a single-player franchise, this next installment in the series managed to duplicate the atmospheric horror found in the first few games and modernize it in a way that can draw in new audiences.
There's multiple trials to put yourself through, either with friends or on your lonesome, each providing different ways to scare and horrify yourself. If you're looking for good old-fashioned jumpscares and anxious hiding, look no further; the Outlast Trials has it all.
Available on: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PC.
Amnesia: The Bunker lives up to the petrifying history that this series has; with its claustrophobic, psychological, and bloody scares, this horror game is not to be taken lightly.
Trapped in a bunker with only one exit available, you must navigate the dwindling light and precarious tunnels to complete the puzzles and secure the dynamite you need to explode your way to freedom. Unfortunately, like the first title Amnesia: The Dark Descent, The Bunker has an unwelcome guest; The Beast.
This creature will haunt you through the dark bunker, waiting for its moment to strike and drag you into the dark hollows below. Can you solve the puzzles while fending off this monster? Probably not without experiencing some heart-stopping scares.
This title is one of the scariest additions to our best horror games list, so play at your own risk.
Best horror games: FAQs
What's the scariest horror game in 2023?
Amnesia: The Bunker easily takes the spot for scariest horror game in 2023. While there have been some admirable entries, nothing comes close to emulating the terrifying atmosphere that this horror game emits.
What's the scariest game on Roblox?
Horror Elevator is one of the scariest games currently on Roblox. Check out our best Roblox games list for more unexpectedly fantastic titles.
How we picked the best horror games
The best horror games is not an easy list to collate; with the sheer number of new titles released, it can sometimes seem impossible to get through them all. Thankfully the TechRadar Gaming team has a core appreciation and somewhat twisted love for horror games.
I make it my mission to play every horror game I can, having reviewed The Outlast Trials, Amnesia: The Bunker, and Layers of Fear remake in the last few months. I started playing horror games at a very early age as a test of coverage, and at this point, I'm in too deep to turn back.
What horror games I'm playing right now
Recently, I decided that a mindlessly terrifying co-op horror game is exactly what my tired brain needs. After some digging, I decided to give Inside the Backrooms another go.
This multiplayer survival horror game is hilariously terrifying. Transported into the infamous backrooms, you're plagued with strange visions and spine-chilling noises at every turn. Despite hiding in a locker for 30 minutes and bursting my friend's eardrum after I screamed too loud, it was genuinely good fun, even if it's not technically or narratively as impressive as the entries on our best horror games list.
If you want the thrill of the chase with no imminent threat of danger then check out our best survival games and best superhero games. While you can rest assured there won't be many heart-stopping scares we can't promise your blood pressure won't get raised a little.
