The 10 Best Horror Games to Play Right Now

Horror movies have their place, but the experience of playing a horror game just hits different. They’re intensely immersive: You’ve got the stress of resource management, the overwhelming sensation that you aren’t in control, and the exhilaration of beating overwhelming odds. And who could forget all the jump scares?

To celebrate the changing of the seasons, I’ve rounded up some of the best horror games you can play right now—a mix of modern classics and retro favorites. Games that are playable only on current-gen consoles (i.e., PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) are clearly noted. For older games, I note the platform but not the console generation. PC users will have the most to choose from here, but there are options for Switch players and even Mac gamers, too.

Let’s get to the list!

Fight all manner of monsters across four distinct biomes in this sequel to Gunfire Games’ 2019 shooter. Often referred to as “Dark Souls with guns,” Remnant 2 riffs on FromSoft’s iconic action-RPG formula with the addition of twitchy gunplay, casual-friendly co-op, and a surprisingly deep skill system. The varied worlds also delight: I started my first playthrough in a dead colony ship orbiting a supermassive black hole, then jumped to a Victorian-inspired planet being forcibly merged with the realm of the Fae.

You play as an amnesiac android on a mysterious planet in this sci-fi horror game by two-person developer rose-engine. As you search for your human commander, you’ll solve puzzles and fight degenerating androids. There’s a distinct throwback feel here, right down to the ’90s tank-control jank, which makes the experience perfect for anyone trying to recreate that classic Resident Evil 1 or Ghost in the Shell vibe.

Taking place between the first two movies, you play as Ellen Ripley’s daughter Amanda as she searches for the Nostromo’s flight transponder. Set on a derelict space station, Isolation is a great opportunity to play with all the gadgets in the Alien universe as you evade homicidal androids and unkillable xenomorphs, which you need to avoid through stealth or judicious use of a flamethrower. 

Isolation also features one of the most satisfying save stations in gaming, with Ripley shoving a massive keycard into an emergency phone to save her progress. The game’s become a cult classic in the decade since its release, and developer Creative Assembly recently announced plans for a sequel.

Set in an alternate version of 21st-century Earth, you’ll play as a man who can manifest 7 deadly personalities in this gonzo thriller by No More Heroes creator SUDA51. The game combines a lot of classic Resident Evil puzzle-solving (it’s co-written by RE1 director Shinji Mikami) with a frantic first-person battle system. 

Each level will find you surrounded by invisible, unavoidable enemies that announce their presence by laughing. Fail to scan them and they’ll grab you, exploding for heavy damage (which is also scary as hell). You’ll have to aim for their glowing weak spots to drop them, making every encounter surprisingly tense.

Hack and slash your way through malfunctioning puppets, evil alchemists and plague-ridden humans in this extremely loose adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s Pinnochio. You’ll play as a Timothée Chalamet lookalike as you unravel the mysteries of the city of Krat, which is currently experiencing a puppet revolution and a petrifying disease affecting the local populace. If you can get past the silly premise, you’ll find an excellent Soulslike with a weapon system that allows for deep customization.

Remade for current-gen systems by The Medium’s Bloober Team, this creepy classic sees James Sunderland return to the fog-cloaked town of Silent Hill to investigate a mysterious letter he received from his dead wife, Mary. Silent Hill 2 features a satisfying mix of exploration and combat, along with some truly gnarly foes. It’s the perfect way to merge classic early 2000s horror vibes with 2020s visuals and quality-of-life comforts.

Best-selling (fictional) author Alan Wake returns after 13 years trapped in an alternate dimension in this sequel to Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake. You play as both Wake and FBI Agent Saga Anderson, illuminating monsters with your flashlight before blasting them with whatever firearm you have equipped as you explore a dark and gloomy world. Much like Remedy’s previous title Control, Alan Wake 2 features a heavy dose of the developer’s trademark surreality—in this case including a live-action late night interview segment, complete with musical guest appearance.

If you’re playing a FromSoft game in the fall, it better be Bloodborne. Fans of the studio’s smash hit Elden Ring will find a lot to love about this gothic horror offering with brutally aggressive combat and weapons that swap forms to take on multiple types of foes. 

Like Elden Ring, areas are rewardingly dense, thick with enemies, and full of secrets. The game’s unique Chalice Dungeon system, which randomly generates unique levels you can mine for loot, makes Bloodborne endlessly replayable, too.

Dead Space puts you in the space boots of engineer Isaac Clarke, who lands on a “planet cracker” spaceship to check in on his girlfriend and finds it full of ravenous, zombie-like monsters. A couple unique gimmicks elevate this above the usual space shooter: For one, Isaac’s arsenal consists of repurposed mining equipment. Crazier still, headshots drive necromorphs into a killing frenzy, forcing you to sever their extremities instead. (The team at EA Motive designed a unique “peeling” system to mangle enemy bodies and heighten the gore.)

The 2023 remake is a masterclass in unsettling, atmospheric sound design. I highly recommend playing with a pair of noise-canceling headphones in the dark for maximum effect.

It was tempting to recommend the Resident Evil 2 remake instead (in no small part thanks to its outrageously funny modding community), but RE4 was my first experience with the series, so it’s the one I’m recommending. Special agent Leon S. Kennedy shoots, stabs, and inserts heart-shaped keys into things throughout Not-Quite-Spain during his mission to rescue the President’s daughter. Standing in his way is the Los Iluminados cult, which has infected the nearby villagers with the “las plagas” parasite, turning them into violent zombies. 

Resident Evil 4 revolutionized the series when it came out back in 2005, and the remake updates it for a contemporary audience. Better still? You can win a pair of slutty little cat ears to put on Leon—if you manage to beat the game under some very stringent requirements.