It’s been 30 years since the PC horror game genre became popular with the release of “Alone in The Dark”. It’s near impossible to decide what 15 games deserve the title of THE BEST horror games. So we’ll look over some of the games I find the most polished and influential on the horror game scene. Keep in mind - It’s one game per franchise!

25. Imscared (PC)

Imscared is a first-person exploration horror game done with Playstation 1 graphics. The janky graphics and a VERY small field of view make the game feel quite creepy as you play it.

The game’s main attraction is the fact that it messes with your desktop. It will require you to pause playing the game and check your desktop for new files it may have created there, for you to solve a puzzle and progress the game. It’s a nice feature that can really take you by surprise if you’re playing the game for the first time.

Imscared has a simple progression. It’s a short game that takes around 2 hours to beat. You explore a dimly lit map, avoid bad guys that chase you and try to kill you and solve puzzles that aren’t too hard. And at the end, you can make a choice that will decide your ending.

24. Slender: The Eight Pages (PC)

Slender: The Eight Pages is one of the simpler horror games out there. Your task is to explore the creepy forest and find eight pages that have been scattered across the forest while escaping from the creepy elongated figure called Slenderman.

The game was released in 2012 as an indie title that was never meant to be a full game. But due to the influence caused by the Internet, it became one of the most played games at that time.

Slender: The Eight Pages is an iconic game that everyone should play through. It’s short and interesting and it’s the perfect humble beginning of the Slender franchise.

23.Visage (PS4 / PS5 / XBOX 1 / XBOX X / PC)

Visage is a first-person psychological horror game. You find yourself in a creepy house that is haunted by the many people who have died and suffered in it before. Death won’t help you escape this place. Will you run from it, or uncover the mysteries behind the ominous happenings?

Visage doesn’t let you fight your enemies. At best you can run from the antagonists and pray that they don’t find you. The game’s main strength, however, is in the atmosphere it sets. The horror in this game doesn’t get old since it’s always doing something different.

The game is divided into 3 chapters. Each chapter focuses on a person who lived in the house before. The horror and story for the chapters are VASTLY different from each other. The surroundings are very different, even though you are playing in the same house.

22. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call Of Pripyat (PC)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call Of Pripyat picks up after the events of the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game. It improves upon the atmosphere greatly while focusing much less on the shooting aspect of the game.

The game is well regarded in its franchise due to it being the most complete experience of the three games that are currently out. I personally think that the game has amazing scenery and interesting enemies. The atmosphere and sound design will always keep you on edge, and exploring at night makes for a really tense experience.

21. Observer: System Redux (PS4 / PS5 / XBOX 1 / XBOX X / SWITCH / PC)

It is the year 2084. In a dark cyberpunk world, you are a detective with the ability to see into the jagged memories of victims to solve the case and apprehend the elusive killer. You are a slave of corporate tyranny. You hack into the darkest corners of your suspects' brains, fearful and loathed. You invade their dreams, uncover their fears, and extract whatever information you need for your investigation.

Observer: System Redux is a remake of the original game. It’s a psychological horror game with an emphasis on exploring the mysterious story and finding the killer in the dystopian cyberpunk world. The landscape is rich and detailed, and the graphics are highly realistic. Even the most ordinary portions of the map have a lot of detail.

20.Detention (PS4 / SWITCH / PC)

Detention is a game set in Taiwan in the 1960s. It takes place during the dark days of the White Terror. Two students become trapped in their high school and begin searching for a way out. They realize they're in more trouble than they thought after encountering some ghosts. The game has a monochrome graphic style and is a 2D puzzle-exploration game.

The game manages to set a unique atmosphere. You can really feel the unique eastern type of horror this game sets to achieve. It’s a great mood-setting point-and-click exploration game that can be finished quickly and enjoyed by anyone who likes great horror stories.

19.Dead Space 2 (PS3 / XBOX 360 / PC)

Dead Space 2 greatly improves upon the first game. The story is better since we are given a character that actually speaks and interacts with his surroundings, and we get to witness Isaac’s story as he goes through an internal struggle during the game’s story.

The combat in Dead Space 2 is great. It offers an interesting sci-fi setting with an over-the-shoulder camera and a lot of interesting weapons. The Dead Space franchise always did have very interesting combat, and Dead Space 2 is certainly no exception to that.

Dead Space 2 is probably the best game in the franchise currently. It’s a great mix of atmosphere, gunplay, and a great story. Even the sound design is great, and the guns are unique and enjoyable.

18.Darkwood (PS4 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Top-down horror games are usually unique and slightly different from other horror games. And Darkwood is no exception to that. It takes the survival horror genre, and it really focuses on making that premise work.

Darkwood is a roguelike game in which you have to explore the ominous forest by day and hide in a bunker to defend yourself from horrors that lurk in the dark.

During the day, you are always in a high-stakes setting, needing to find as many resources as possible, because you know that every night you will have to fight for your life. It’s a great mix between exploration and combat. And the roguelike aspect makes it so the game doesn’t get boring after a while since the map is always different.

17. World Of Horror (PS4 / SWITCH / PC)

World Of Horror is a roguelike RPG inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito. Both Lovecraft and Junji Ito are big names in the horror scene. One indie developer decided to take inspiration from both of those two geniuses and make a unique horror gaming experience from that.

The game’s plot features Old Gods' reawakening and all of the chaos that comes with that. Although the game has a 1-bit art style and an 8-bit soundtrack, somehow, the graphics are amazing and the music works in setting the atmosphere.

The RPG element is intuitive and interesting. But the most captivating feature of this game for me is replayability. If you die, you can just boot up another run that is going to be vastly different than your previous. There are a lot of different ways the story can progress even though the game is still in early access.

16.Soma (PS4 / XBOX 1 / PC)

Soma is a horror game that will not only scare you with cheap scares when your guard is down or with a chilling atmosphere that makes you feel uneasy. It will also scare you with its story that will always make you feel uneasy and uncertain of your actions.

While Soma’s narrative asks some ethical questions that will have you thinking about it whenever you get some time off, it’s not the only upside this game has to offer. The enemies you meet during the game are all very unique in the way you need to avoid them. Each enemy type requires you to use a different strategy.

Soma tries to give everything to its players. There are puzzles you need to solve to progress the gameplay, intriguing enemies and combat, and the story which is in my opinion the game’s strongest suit.

15. Left 4 Dead 2 (XBOX 360 / PC)

Left 4 Dead 2 - Official The Last Stand Update Trailer

The left 4 Dead franchise recently got revived. And While the New Back 4 Blood remake isn't bad per se. Left 4 Dead 2 is still the game that sets the standard for co-op shoot 'em ups.

The Story and gameplay are quite simple and easy to get into. This game, unlike others in the genre, doesn't require you to strategize before you start a level. You just get thrown into a zombie-infested city to fend for yourself.

This game’s main appeal is obviously the co-op mode. You can play through the entire game with 3 other friends. There are some diverse non-fodder zombies you and your friends will always have to be thinking about to avoid getting wiped and having to start over. The game is challenging and teamwork is a necessary skill you will have to master.

14. Phasmophobia (PC)

Phasmophobia - Official Announcement Trailer

Phasmophobia is a staple in the co-op horror genre. It came out recently (in 2020) and it’s got an overwhelmingly positive rating with over 350,000 players.

You and 3 other teammates have to get together and explore haunted locations and gather evidence of paranormal behavior. You have multiple intricate ghost tools at your disposal to achieve this goal.

There are 20 different ghost types you will encounter in the game, and each one requires you to have a strategy in advance to figure out who they are. The game is still in early access so it’s bound to be improved upon, but it’s still a fun game to learn and explore ESPECIALLY if you’ve got a few friends that are willing to try it out with you.

13. Metro Exodus (PS4 / PS5 / XBOX 1 / XBOX X / PC)

Metro Exodus - E3 2017 Announce Gameplay Trailer [UK]

Metro Exodus is the 3rd entry into the franchise, and it offers a visible and great improvement in quality to its predecessors. It’s a slow-paced first-person shooter set in post-apocalyptic Russia. This game’s atmosphere is extremely novel for the franchise since it offers a lot of open spaces to roam while keeping the old underground setting as creepy and claustrophobic as the games that came before it.

The game has succeeded in making the NPCs feel real and interesting and the story is fleshed out and impactful. Since the gameplay revolves around you fighting mutants and humans it’s important to point out just how thoroughly it was done. Every type of mutant (and you will meet A LOT of different types) is unique in design and in the way to beat it. The shootouts never get boring since you’re always thinking of specific strategies for every enemy.

12. Pathologic 2 (PS4 / XBOX 1 / PC)

Pathologic 2 - Launch Trailer | OᑌT ᑎOᗯ!

Pathologic 2 is a horror story-driven RPG. That may sound weird at first, but actually, Pathologic is a game about making tough choices in a small plague-ridden town.

This game really tries to make you feel immersed in its world. During the game, you will have to drink water and eat which slows down the already slow gameplay. This is nice because the game makes you feel like your choices actually matter and thus you will really have to think over your every decision.

You are a doctor in a small weird town. You have to help the people deal with the plague and you’ve got 12 days to do so. The game offers many dialogue options with many NPCs, and every decision you make matters. The game slowly builds up tension and by the end has you completely immersed in its world.

11. Five Nights at Freddy’s (PS4 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Five Nights at Freddy's - Trailer

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a franchise well known for its deep story that connects multiple games, locations, books… It’s also well known for its tense gameplay that requires an enormous amount of concentration and game knowledge.

The first game in this franchise is the simplest one, yet I believe that’s what makes it the most endearing. You won’t figure out much about the story, yet the game throws you many hints that seem random until you connect them to the other games.

I think this game, although it gets a bad rep for being only jumpscares, is nonetheless a big part of the horror game history because when the first few games were coming out the internet was blowing up with theory-crafting. The franchise is still going strong and it still has a big community.

10. Layers of Fear (PS4 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Layers of Fear - Launch Trailer

Layers of Fear is a game in which you play as a mad painter desperately trying to finish his magnum opus. The game takes place in a Victorian-era mansion. The painter is walking around the house trying to finish his piece while the ghosts of his past haunt him.

This game’s story is slowly revealed through reading notes and paying careful attention to the scenery, while you delve deeper into the mansion. While playing you uncover really just how deranged our “protagonist” is.

This game has a unique mechanic - the same door doesn't always lead to the same room. This creates tension since you never know where you are, you cannot orient yourself based on anything, and it leads to some interesting puzzles which this game did amazingly.

9. Blair Witch (PS4 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Blair Witch - Official Reveal Trailer | E3 2019

In Blair Witch you play as Elis, a former cop with a troubled past as he joins a search party for a missing kid, with his (customizable) support dog. Oddly enough the kid is lost in a grim forest that slowly becomes more and more sinister as the game goes on.

The entire game takes place in a forest. You would expect that the same setting would get boring after a while, but somehow even though it’s all in the same forest, the game offers a huge amount of visual diversity. At some times you are walking around admiring the beauty of the forest, while at other times the game will have you panicking while running away in the dark trying to find the correct path through the woods.

The game’s main upside is the well fleshed out story. Elis and his dog Bullet venture through the forest, slowly uncovering the mysteries behind the kid’s disappearance and the ghosts of the paranormal forest.

8. Alien: Isolation (PS3 / PS4 / XBOX 360 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Alien: Isolation - Launch Trailer

There were more than a few games taking place in the Alien franchise, but Alien: Isolation is regarded as THE best Alien game. The game takes place 15 years after the Alien movie. You play as Amanda, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, as she goes to Sevastopol to try and solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

The game’s setting takes place on a decaying space station that is roamed by the well-known xenomorph. Amanda is under-experienced and under-prepared so she must quietly travel through the Sevastopol to avoid encountering the alien.

I find that the sci-fi setting is fairly unique and a nice change of pace from the rest of the games in the survival horror genre. The xenomorph is as scary as always and you can’t do much except hide from him which is always an unnerving experience. The game succeeds in making you feel helpless against a bigger threat which is an excellent thematic approach.

7. Doki Doki Literature Club (PC)

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! - Official Launch Trailer

Doki Doki Literature Club is a free anime-style dating simulator game with a twist. If you’ve never heard about it, I recommend checking it out as soon as possible while you still know as little as possible about the game.

Our main character joins a literature club and can try to hook up with girls Yuri, Natsuki, and Sayori. The game is pretty carefree and light until a certain point in the game where a big twist happens. The whole tone of the game changes and then it becomes apparent why it has a horror tag.

Doki Doki is one of the rare games that are so simple and so fleshed out at the same time. The story is morbid and disturbing and near the end the game can only be beaten if you figure out to open the game files and alter them, which to me, is just mind-blowing.

6. The Evil Within 2 (PS4 / XBOX 1 / PC)

The Evil Within 2 – “Survive” Gameplay Trailer | PS4

The Evil Within 2 is a game that takes the survival horror genre and focuses on making it as blood-curdling and gruesome as possible. We follow the story of the protagonist from the first game - Sebastian Castellanos as he descends into the nightmarish world of STEM to save his daughter. 

The Evil Within 2 introduces the open world mechanic. This lets you play the game at your own pace and rewards players who like to explore with skill tree upgrades. The settings of the game are also a bit more open than most games which is a nice change of atmosphere from the claustrophobic corridors.

Now that’s not to say this game doesn’t show a fair bit of cramped spaces. The game will have you running and shooting at enemies in a tight spot quite often. Still, the most fascinating thing about this game to me is how detailed and gruesome the enemies are. Every enemy type is unique and morbidly detailed, and that also translates to bosses - which are some of the most nicely designed bosses I have seen in horror games.

5. Dead By Daylight (PS4 / PS5 / XBOX 1 / XBOX X / SWITCH / PC)

Dead by Daylight | Launch Trailer

Dead By Daylight is THE most popular asymmetrical horror game, and for a good reason. Dead By Daylight’s match consists of 2 teams. One team consists of 4 survivors whose goal is to stealthily fix the generators and escape from the killer. To master playing the survivor you will have to learn to play together with your teammates for a greater cause. The other team, however, consists of 1 player - The killer.

The most interesting thing about this game is the wide range of killers available in the game. There are 26 killers from the best slasher horror movies. Every killer has unique gameplay that GREATLY differs from one another.

The game is well-balanced and entertaining. The community for it still hasn’t died and for a good reason. This is the kind of multiplayer game that if you enjoy - You can sink a lot of hours into it, mastering all kinds of different playstyles.

4. Half-life (PC)

Half-Life Gameplay (PC HD) [1080p60FPS]

It may be very controversial but I decided to put the original Half-Life on the list instead of its sequel, but hear me out. Half-Life 2 is an amazing game, but the original one has a way darker level design and a more mysterious story tone. In my eyes, the original succeeded in being a better horror game.

Half-Life is a science fiction first-person shooter following our main character Gordon Freeman as he tries to escape from his workplace - the Black Mesa research facility. During his escape, he will have to fight a sizable amount of monsters and humans alike.

Half-Life came out more than 23 years ago, so it’s bound to be a bit outdated, but it’s still one of the most influential and polished games I’ve seen. The amazing sci-fi world is built and the fact that everyone has at least heard of this game makes it a masterpiece with a lot of replay value.

3. Outlast (PS4 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Outlast Full Official Trailer

Outlast is one of the 2010s most memorable horror titles we all know and love. You play as a journalist Miles going into an asylum to find out if the allegations of them doing immoral tests on the patients are true. However, your goal quickly changes from collecting evidence - to trying to survive.

Outlast isn’t a game that tries to slow down the pace with puzzles and such. The game’s goal is to make you feel like you are completely helpless and vulnerable and as such the gameplay largely consists of you avoiding danger and hiding from madmen looking for you. One of the main mechanics which greatly sets the mood is your trusted camcorder. A great part of the game takes place in the dark and your only savior is a camcorder with built-in night-vision.

2. Resident Evil Village (PS4 / PS5 / XBOX 1 / XBOX X / PC)

Resident Evil Village Trailer | Resident Evil Showcase

Resident Evil Village is a sequel to Resident Evil 7. The story's continuation is thrilling, to say the least, with some huge things happening at the start of the game. Ethan’s wife Mia gets killed by Chris Redfield, and his daughter Rose gets kidnapped and goes missing. Ethan finds his way into an ominous village where he soon learns that the 4 monstrous lords watching over that village each have a piece of his daughter. 

The thing that I like the most about this game is the beautiful setting it takes place in. Each segment of the game is unique and beautifully creepy at the same time. The game’s pacing is great and you will have a wonderful time exploring every corner of the creepy village.

1. Amnesia: The Dark Descent (PS4 / XBOX 1 / SWITCH / PC)

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Trailer

Amnesia is one of those franchises everyone has heard of before. It was released in 2010 and it still hasn’t been forgotten because of just how innovative and exciting it is.

The game builds on a simple premise - you wake up in a mansion not being able to remember anything. You slowly walk through the empty victorian-styled setting and realize that you aren’t safe. During the game, you will slowly piece together your memories - if you can survive that long.

The game’s story mixes very well with the extremely tense gameplay. The tense feeling of always needing to pay attention to your lantern, while keeping track of hostile monsters easily builds up over time and makes taking every step feel extremely dreadful. The monster’s design has become well known and it’s a staple of its era.