10+ Best Horror Games to Play in 2024: Spine-Chilling Thrills Await

Horror games have become very popular in recent years, giving players thrilling experiences that keep them on the edge of their seats. These experiences often mix intense atmosphere, immersive stories, and chilling gameplay to create memorable moments.

While many horror games share common elements, such as creepy settings and survival mechanics, each offers a unique blend of fear and excitement.

With so many options available, choosing the best horror games to play in 2024 can be overwhelming. But don’t let the fear of missing out on the perfect game get to you! Here are our picks for the top horror games to explore this year.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 10 Best Horror Games to Play in 2024
3. Other Popular Horror Games in 2024
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 10 Best Horror Games to Play in 2024
3. Other Popular Horror Games in 2024
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

10 Best Horror Games to Play in 2024

1. Alien: Isolation

Alien Isolation is one of the scariest video games out there. It leaves you on the edge of your seat, too scared to even make a sound (the Xenomorph can hear your microphone, find you, and rip you apart). It even won a couple of awards for its audio design—BAFTA Games Award 2015 and Game Developers Choice Awards 2015.

Set 15 years after the events of the original Alien movie, Amanda Ripley (daughter of series protagonist Ellen Ripley) must navigate the fearsome Sevastopol Station to uncover the truth about her mother’s disappearance. She must combat an army of androids, Facehuggers, humans, and the ruthless Alien while scavenging for resources. You must complete her mission and, more importantly, survive.

Despite its age, this is one of the most trending horror games. It is gaining popularity thanks to the upcoming Alien: Romulus movie? – which even features a subtle Easter egg (a phone booth marked “Emergency”, a nod to the save point station from the game).

2. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

It’s hard to talk about the best horror games without giving Resident Evil 7 its due. After years of middling third-person entries, Biohazard was a true return to form. You control Ethan Winters as you explore a decaying farmhouse in the American South after receiving a mysterious phone call from your wife, Mia. Fungus grows in every imaginable way, seeping through the walls and floors as you take residence inside the rotting Baker family estate. Unlike some first-person horror titles, you’re able to fight back to some extent with a wealth of melee and projectile weapons.? However, it may be best to evade enemies where you can in pursuing Mia, as this twisted family is far more brutal than they look, and the foundations of their home are hiding more than skeletons in the closet.

It’s the kind of game where you want to look away but just can’t because you are fully immersed in the experience. In fact, it even won Best Game Design at the Golden Joystick Awards 2017. To fully immerse yourself in this game, we recommend you play it with headphones on; it has won two awards for its audio design (BAFTA Games Award 2018 and SXSW Gaming Awards 2018). There’s also a version for VR if you’re brave enough (it won an award for it at The Game Awards 2017).

3. Dead Space (2023)

One of the best horror games of 2024, given that it’s a fresh release (it came out in 2023), the Dead Space remake takes you into the cold vacuum of space aboard the USG Ishimura. You play as Isaac Clarke, an engineer, who finds out something has gone terribly wrong; the ship’s crew has been slaughtered, and Isaac’s cherished partner, Nicole, is missing somewhere on board.

With its eerie atmosphere, Dead Space skillfully mixes psychological horror with intense action, keeping you constantly on edge. While the original was groundbreaking for its time, this updated version adds intelligent changes to enemy AI and also plays with darkness thanks to its implementation of real-time ray tracing. There are even tweaks to some of the first game’s more maligned missions, making this version the definitive way to play.

4. Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is a psychological horror game that takes players into a dark and eerie world. In the small town of Bright Falls, a series of ritualistic murders has started, drawing in Saga Anderson, an FBI agent known for solving tough cases. As Anderson investigates, she finds pages of a horror story that begin to come true around her. At the same time, Alan Wake, a writer stuck in a nightmare world, fights to keep his sanity and change reality to escape.

This game skillfully interlocks their desperate journeys, creating a chilling experience. With detailed environments and intense close-combat situations, players must use light as their primary weapon against supernatural enemies. Alan Wake 2 has won several awards for narrative, art direction, and audio in 2023 and 2024 (a total of 12). What’s more, the game works as an excellent sequel without being alienating to newcomers so you can go in blind or with experience with the original Alan Wake for the full context.

5. Resident Evil 2 Remake

Resident Evil 2 takes you deep into the heart of Raccoon City, where a deadly virus turns people into flesh-eating zombies. The game gives an intense adrenaline rush with its gripping storyline and truly terrifying scenes. Using Capcom’s RE Engine, the remake of Resident Evil 2 features stunningly realistic visuals, physics, and chillingly immersive audio. As rookie cop Leon Kennedy and student Claire Redfield, players face zombie hordes in tight corridor shootouts from an infested police station while solving puzzles to get out alive.

With its mix of action, survival horror, and a compelling dual narrative, Resident Evil 2 stands out among the most popular and best horror games, keeping players on the edge of their seats. In fact, it won several awards: Best of Show (Game Critics Awards 2018), Award for Excellence (Japan Game Awards 2019), Best Audio and Ultimate Game of the Year (Golden Joystick Awards 2019), and Original Song—Video Game (Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2019).

6. The Outlast Trials

The Outlast Trials is the third installment of the Outlast franchise, a series of well-known games of horror. This survival horror game uses a first-person perspective where you avoid monstrous enemies while completing tasks in a terrifying Cold War experiment setting. Taking place in 1959, you play as test subjects, known as Reagents, in the Murkoff Corporation’s dark trials. You’re armed with nothing more than a set of night vision goggles as you (with up to three friends) attempt to prove you’re fit to re-enter society.

As with the first two Outlast games, Trials also supports solo play, but it is best enjoyed in teams with its cooperative multiplayer functionality. There may be safety in numbers, but just because you’re not alone doesn’t mean the frights don’t come in thick and fast.? Four character classes and skill trees allow players to heal others, place mines, or temporarily stun enemies.

Since this came out in 2024, it hasn’t won or been considered for any awards yet. We’ll have to see whether this game stands the test of time, although its reviews are very good. The Outlast Trials made a splash in early access last year, but the full release showcases Red Barrels at the top of its craft. It’s a cool horror game whether playing alone or with friends.

7. Amnesia: The Bunker

This is the latest installment of Amnesia, a series of popular horror games that have consistently terrified players with their immersive and atmospheric experiences. Set in a dark bunker during the terrors of the Great War, you play as French soldier Henri Clément, who is trapped and hunted by a dangerous, light-sensitive monster known only as the Beast. The game’s atmosphere is distressful, with limited resources and a constant need to find supplies.

The semi-open world design allows for exploration, while the threat of the Beast keeps you on edge. Even though there is no sanity mechanic (as with the first game), the psychological horror elements are conveyed organically through the core gameplay loop, making every moment a fight for survival. This is evident in how the Beast preys on your anxiety with his capricious presence. Amnesia: The Bunker combines a unique central narrative and immersive gameplay, easily earning its place on our list as a top horror title.

8. Phasmophobia

If you enjoy multiplayer experiences, this is one of our recommended horror games. Although it’s still in early access (and has been since 2020), the developers plan to finally release it in full by the end of 2024.

This title supports both single-player and multiplayer modes, allowing up to four players to work together to identify the type of ghost haunting a site. The game uses voice recognition to create an oppressive atmosphere where the ghost can hear and respond to players’ voices. Equipped with tools such as EMF readers, spirit boxes, and night vision cameras, you and your group must find clues and avoid the ghost.

The changing environment and unpredictable ghost behaviors make each session a thrilling experience. With its mix of cooperative gameplay and scary moments, Phasmophobia is one of the many scary games to play right now.

9. SOMA

SOMA, created by Frictional Games, is a psychological horror game set in an underwater research facility. The game blends science fiction with deep existential questions, making the experience both unsettling and immersive. Players explore the dark and eerie corridors of PATHOS-II, uncovering the secrets of what happened to the facility’s inhabitants. With no traditional weapons, you must solely rely on stealth and quick thinking to avoid the many terrifying creatures.

The game’s strong narrative, atmospheric design, and thought-provoking themes make it stand out in horror. SOMA offers a compelling mix of fear and philosophical exploration, securing its place among the list of good horror games to play in 2024. Famed just as much for how it makes you think as it does feel, this is one title you won’t want to miss out on.

10. Prey (2017)

Prey starts with you waking up on Talos I, a space station orbiting the moon in 2032. You were part of a scientific team studying the Typhon, a hostile alien force that takes many forms. The problem is that the Typhon have taken over the space station, and you are now being hunted. You must use weapons, abilities, and your wits to survive while trying to escape the space station – and your choices matter as they impact the game’s outcome. Prey is immersive, atmospheric, and spine-tingling, making it one of the scariest video games of 2024.

Other Popular Horror Games in 2024

The Bottom Line

The horror game genre keeps evolving, bringing new and terrifying experiences for players. Whether you like survival horror, psychological thrills, or cooperative ghost hunting, the best horror games of 2024 promise to deliver spine-chilling adventures that will keep you hooked. Explore our top picks and immerse yourself in the world of fear and excitement.

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