It has been an excellent year for us horror video game fans so far, especially with the release of Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space remakes. There is a certain adrenaline rush in horror games that makes it hard to drop that controller. I will admit it, I don’t have the stomach for games like Outlast. However, I somehow push through them for the satisfaction of completing them, and THAT feeling is unbeatable. If you derive similar pleasure from playing such games, here’s a list of the best horror titles you can play on your PC right now. Beware though, this list is not for the faint of hearts!
1. Resident Evil 4 Remake
The number one horror game for me right now has to be the Resident Evil 4 Remake. Let’s admit it. Remakes are hard. There’s just way too much pressure on you to make an already near-perfect game, better. However, Capcom seems to have mastered the remake formula, with each formula being better than the previous one (coughs, not you RE3 Remake). Just when I thought that the Resident Evil 2 Remake could not be surpassed in any way, the RE4 Remake knocked it out of the park for me.
This is as perfect as a survival horror game can get. Although it doesn’t follow the pure survival horror route as the RE7 or the action route as Resident Evil Village, it does the best of both worlds by blending horror and action perfectly together. Wait till you see the new design for the much-dreaded Regeneradors. Nothing you do will prepare you for that.
2. Dead Space Remake
Okay, so I will say this time and again. Dead Space is the best survival horror game in space out there. You must be wondering, what about Callisto Protocol, the game that tries to be Dead Space? Well, that’s the problem. It tries to be Dead Space, but it can’t exactly beat the original in any way. As if the original was not good enough, EA decided to revamp it with a remake. Let me tell you this, it is the best possible remake you could have gotten for Dead Space.
There are quite a few additional elements added in the remake that make it much more immersive. For starters, the Necromorphs obviously look significantly scarier. Then, there is the USG Ishimura which comes alive in the most detailed textures. If I don’t refer to the remake as one of the best horror games, I should definitely stop playing survival horror games. It is that good.
3. Resident Evil 2 Remake
As mentioned before, Capcom has indeed been on a roll after RE7, and the Resident Evil 2 Remake was just phenomenal. One of the main problems with the Resident Evil 3 Remake was that it failed to make Nemesis as terrifying an antagonist as Mr. X in RE2. That should definitely not be the case and Capcom sure did miss a big opportunity here. However, the RE2 Remake was all the more scary due to the ever-present threat that Mr. X was.
The game could have been longer, yes. However, the short time that you do spend playing the game, you don’t forget it. I find myself revisiting the game now and then, and each time that I replay it, I realize what a masterpiece the game is. It is scary, challenging and is one of the most polished games Capcom has ever released.
4. Visage
Hideo Kojima is a big name in the gaming industry, having created masterpieces like the Metal Gear series of games, as well as Death Stranding. Now, back in 2014, Kojima joined hands with Konami and released a demo for what would have been a continuation of the Silent Hill franchise. They called this demo P.T. The project was dropped as Kojima and Konami parted ways. Although P.T. met its demise way too soon, the demo is still regarded as one of the best could-have-been horror games. That is exactly how and why Visage was created, inspired by P.T.
If you have played the P.T. demo, you will find an uncanny resemblance in the gameplay mechanics and setting of Visage. Visage tries its level best to do justice to the masterpiece demo that Kojima had dreamt of completing and does an excellent job at it. Once you start playing the game, nothing really happens at first. However, the atmosphere is enough to send chills down your spine. You will quite literally find it hard to maintain your sanity levels in the game which, once too low, will allow the entity to kill you.
5. Alien Isolation
Ridley Scott’s Alien series will always be one of my all-time favorite bunch of Sci-Fi movies. Once you are done with that series, you will appreciate Alien Isolation even more. The 2014 game absolutely nails the feel and setting of the game. The feeling of always being watched, and being hunted is like in no other game.
Moreover, the Xenomorph AI is just way too smart. If you traverse through an area way too much, the hyper-intelligent alien will find you. If you use the same hiding spots too much, it will still find you. In order to outsmart the alien, you have to be extra cautious and extra quiet. So, no running around like a maniac too often. Else, you dead.
The only way to actually keep the alien at bay is via flamethrower which you get towards the very end of this amazing story. Not everyone has what it takes to complete this game. So, if you do, you should definitely give yourself a pat on the back.
6. Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
After Resident Evil 6 landed back in 2012, the future of the series was not looking promising. I mean, fans were not happy with the series since Resident Evil 5 itself, as the OG Resident Evil 4 had set a bar too high to surpass. However, thanks to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the series came alive again. With RE7, the game went back to its pure survival horror roots.
The opening sequences of RE7 are still considered to be the scariest in video gaming history. I have probably played this game a gazillion times by now. A suggestion would be, once you play the game on standard difficulty, give Madhouse a try. It is the best way to unlock the true potential of RE7. Ever since RE7, Capcom has been on a roll, remaking their old is gold classics. These remakes are on this list too, don’t worry. Easily and rightfully, one of the best if not the best horror game to ever have been made for PC.
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Recently, an asymmetrical horror game much like Dead by Daylight, was released and it took the internet by storm. Yes, I’m talking about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Unlike Dead by Daylight, you won’t be seeing or playing as a plethora of killers. The game sticks to the TCM lore where you can play as one of three other killers alongside your friends and hunt down four teenagers. The graphics are great, yes. However, it is the immersive gameplay that sets it apart and makes it one of the best online games to play in the horror genre.
Each of the killers and victims have unique abilities, that you can use to your advantage to either kill or survive. There are also a lot of gameplay elements that you need to develop an understanding of to have fun playing the game. The best thing is, it is a 7-player game, so you can have hours of fun with your friends. Terrifying and fun? Count me all in!
8. Amnesia: The Bunker
The Amnesia series doesn’t require any introduction. This is one of those games that revolutionized the survival horror genre as we know it today. It’s been over a decade since the first Amnesia game came out and it’s good to see the series coming up with new titles now and then. Previously, we had Amnesia: Rebirth. This year, Amnesia: The Bunker was released and it is genuinely one of the scariest games that I have played in recent years.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is probably the scariest Amnesia game that you can play right now. Now, I know that a lot of you probably still feel that the first OG game is the scariest. However, if you are new to the series and to the survival horror genre itself, you will feel the same way. I don’t mean to say that the first Amnesia doesn’t hold up well. It is still very much playable. However, the audio design and setting of The Bunker make it stand out from the rest, making it one of the best horror games you can play today.
9. Outlast Series
I can proudly say that in recent years, my resistance has greatly increased when playing horror games. I don’t get easily spooked or scared when playing them anymore. However, when it comes to the Outlast series, I just can’t maintain my sanity. Be it the very first Outlast or Outlast 2, I have always found myself taking way too many breaks. This is one series where you will find yourself pausing the game more than often.
This is primarily due to the fact that there are no ways to attack your enemy. You can’t help but feel helpless throughout, stuck with just a video camera to document all the disturbing things going around you. What if you see an enemy? Just hide. What if they chase you? RUN!
One thing that I really liked about Outlast Trials is that it maintains the intense maddening chases as the other two games, but adds more replayability, thanks to its multiplayer-focused gameplay. Additionally, you are not entirely helpless and can use certain things to distract enemies. You could play solo as well, but playing this game with your friends is definitely a lot more fun.
Buy Outlast, Outlast II, Outlast Trials
10. The Evil Within Series
When The Evil Within first landed way back in 2014, there was nothing quite as terrifying as it. The lukewarm sales of the game has probably got to do with the fact that most people were not ready for something quite like it. Moreover, in my opinion, the Evil Within series has some of the best boss fights as seen in horror games. It also has some of the best-designed, nightmare-inducing monsters. Laura, for example, is straight out of your worst possible nightmares and every time you encounter her, you can’t help but pray for those sequences to end as soon as possible.
Evil Within 2 is still one of my favorite horror games, and I like it better than the first one. The first game seemed very clunky in terms of controls. Not only did Evil Within 2 make the controls seem a lot more fluid but also took the graphics up a notch. Skin and bones…. gotta eat. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, play the game.
Buy The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2
11. The Forest & Sons of the Forest
The Forest is an amazing example of what even a small team of four can achieve. Yes, you heard that right. When the series kicked off with The Forest back in 2014, it was a hit in the horror gaming community, thanks to its true survival horror gameplay and mechanics. The game is hard, especially if you want to play it alone. The real fun lies in playing the series with friends.
Both the games are amazing, but if you want a more graphically immersive experience, the latest Sons of the Forest is the one to play. However, I’d recommend playing both games to understand the marvel that such a small team could deliver. These games are the perfect example of how you can perfectly blend simulation with horror, and there is no other game that comes remotely close to perfecting this formula.
12. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
If you have played and have been a fan of the Telltale series of games, you will absolutely love the narrative-style gameplay of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. This is almost a decade-old game at this point and yet, when you do play it, you will be taken aback by the gorgeousness of it all. The world is immersive right off the bat, thanks to the stunning graphics. Moreover, if you purchase the base game, you also get the Unreal Engine 4 remaster for free alongside. That further elevates your overall experience.
There is not a whole lot in terms of gameplay, but the eerie atmosphere and great storyline will keep you playing it. Not to mention, that there is this one jump scare that will catch you off guard. That had me flying too, so yes, don’t tell me that you haven’t been warned. Keeping all of these things in mind, it has to be one of the best horror games that I have ever played on PC.
13. Dead by Daylight
Have you always been a horror fanatic? Personally, I have grown up watching (and of course not being able to sleep for several nights) Michael Myers in Friday the 13th, Freddy Kruger in Nightmare on Elm Street, Sadako Yamamura in The Ring, and so many other characters from some of the best horror movies out there. If you have successfully recognized each of the characters that I just mentioned, you will absolutely love Dead by Daylight.
Dead by Daylight allows you to play as all of these characters and so many more. That is where the real fun lies, and why Dead by Daylight is still one of the most-played horror games out there, seven years after its release. The best thing about the game is that it is purely a multiplayer game. In other words, you can have hours of fun playing it with your friends. You can play as either the killer or one of the survivors. Either way, there is a certain thrill to playing the game, which automatically increases replayability.
14. Little Nightmares Series
Right off the bat, you would probably refrain from playing a side-scrolling horror game as it probably won’t bring enough of a scare for you to the table. However, that is not the case with Little Nightmares. Talking about the first game, it is just 5 hours long, and if you ask me, it’s perfect. None of the elements outstay their welcome and you gradually and very smoothly shift from one location to the other.
Same is the case with Little Nightmares 2, and once you are done with both games, you will realize how perfectly paced they actually are. The atmosphere is also something that both the games really excel at in building. The sound design will keep you feeling uncomfortable, and the different creatures are just so masterfully made that they will add to the overall creepiness for sure. ‘The Teacher’ really creeped me out. I mean, I kept thinking about the two games long after I was done with it. One of the best horror games for sure. 9215676766
Buy Little Nightmares, Little Nightmares 2
15. Phasmophobia
I don’t know about you, but the very concept of ghost hunting has always been very exciting to me. That is exactly why I like Phasmophobia so much. It is just good old ghost hunting, that’s it. However, it is not easy to hunt ghosts in Phasmophobia. There are a lot of gameplay elements that you need to get a good understanding of to succeed. Plus, you could always team up with your Steam friends and make the process 10x more fun. However, if you want an immersive experience, playing solo would be the way to go.
Something that I really like Phasmophobia for is its immense replayability. Every run feels fun, and when there are friends involved, it is just never-ending. So, if you are looking for the best multiplayer horror games out there, Phasmophobia is it.
Upcoming Most Anticipated Horror Games
Now that you know about the best possible horror games you can play on your PC, let’s take a look at the most anticipated ones too. Yep, it doesn’t end at the RE4 and Dead Space Remake. The Remake season is just getting started.
1. Alan Wake 2
Release Date: October 17, 2023
Platforms: PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Watch the Trailer
I have always been a huge fan of Remedy for giving us hits like Max Payne, Quantum Break, and Alan Wake. Moreover, even Control is a Remedy game. Remedy has always had a flare for the creative, coming up with games that use out-of-the-box mechanics. This is very much prevalent in Control and Quantum Break. Alan Wake was no different and was a very good horror game for its time. The Alan Wake Remaster was also pretty good, and now, we are all set to soon receive Alan Wake 2. The survival horror game is up for pre-ordering now.
2. Alone in the Dark
Release Date: October 25, 2023
Platforms: PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Watch the Trailer
The 1992 Alone in the Dark was a classic horror experience, riddled with puzzles and Ghouls. It is now being reimagined with the same title and is scheduled to release in October of this year itself. The best thing is, you can give the Prologue of the game a try for free right here, right now. All you have to do is head over to Steam and download it for free. This will allow you to get a proper insight into how the game will turn out. Like I said before, 2023 is just the perfect year for horror heads!
Wishlist the game | Play the Prologue
3. Silent Hill 2 Remake
Konami’s Silent Hill has a separate fanbase altogether, as the OG Silent Hill series of games were the reason for a lot of people’s nightmares. Of course, if you play those games today, they will barely have an impact due to the outdated graphics and play style. However, that is soon going to change with Silent Hill 2 being in the cards now, officially.
Release Date: Late 2023 (Expected, as per leaks)
Platforms: PS5, Windows
Watch the Trailer
