I have a love/hate relationship with horror games.
They’re amazing content because apparently watching me freak out is entertaining.
Unfortunately, that requires me to actually play them.
And jump scares get me every single time.
- I can handle creepy environments.
- I can handle something slowly building in the background.
- I can even convince myself I’m fine while walking through some horrible abandoned building.
Then something jumps onto the screen and all of that goes out the window.
With October here, though, this is probably the best time of year to embrace it.
I’ve played everything from Alan Wake 2 and Resident Evil 4 Remake to R.E.P.O. with friends, and I apparently traumatized myself with Dino Crisis badly enough as a kid that I still remember it.
I haven’t played every game on this list, and I’m not going to pretend I have. Some are games I’ve personally played, while others are horror games I’ve researched and either want to play myself or think deserve a spot based on what they offer.
So whether you want an incredible story, something terrifying, or a horror game that becomes complete chaos with your friends, these are the horror games I’d play in 2026.
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TL;DR
- Best Overall: Alan Wake 2
- Scariest: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Best Story: Silent Hill 2 Remake
- Best Co-op: R.E.P.O.
- Best New Horror Game: Resident Evil Requiem
- Best for Horror Beginners: Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Best Sci-Fi Horror: Dead Space Remake
- “Nope, I’m Not Playing This Alone”: Alien: Isolation
- Best Creepy Game That Isn’t Quite Horror: INSIDE
- Best to Play With Family: Little Nightmares III
If you’ve never really played horror games before and only want one recommendation?
I’d start with Alan Wake 2.
It scared me plenty, but it also became one of my favorite games ever.
Best Overall: Alan Wake 2
If someone asked me what horror game they should play this October, this would be my answer.
Alan Wake 2 was scary.
Not “that hallway was a little creepy” scary.
I was stressed for a significant portion of this game.
The atmosphere constantly makes you feel like something is about to happen. The game knows how to build tension, and then it’ll throw something at you right when you’ve finally convinced yourself you’re okay.
Which is particularly effective on someone who hates jump scares.
Thanks, Alan.
But the reason Alan Wake 2 is my favorite isn’t just because it scared me.
The story is fantastic.
That’s what separated it for me.
I’m much more likely to stick with a scary game if I’m genuinely invested in figuring out what’s happening. Alan Wake 2 kept me interested enough that I actually wanted to keep going even when part of me absolutely did not want to keep going.
- It’s weird.
- It’s unsettling.
- It’s incredibly atmospheric.
- And it became one of my favorite games I’ve played.
If you’re looking for one horror game to play this October, this is where I’d start.
Best for: Someone who wants a genuinely scary game without sacrificing story.
Get it here: Check Alan Wake 2 price on Epic Games
Scariest: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
After playing Resident Evil 4 Remake, though, I’ve started wanting to go back through more of the Resident Evil games.
And apparently I want to make terrible decisions, because RE7 is high on that list.
Unlike RE4, which leans pretty heavily into action, Resident Evil 7 goes much harder into survival horror.
The first-person perspective alone changes the experience. Instead of watching Leon deal with something horrible from a comfortable distance, you’re much closer to everything happening around you.
The Baker estate is cramped, disgusting and intentionally uncomfortable.
- Resources matter.
- Escaping matters.
- And sometimes fighting isn’t the easiest solution.
That last part is going to be interesting for me.
My instinct is that I prefer horror games where I can fight back. Give me a weapon and at least let me pretend I’m in control.
RE7 doesn’t completely take that away from you, but it’s much more interested in making you feel vulnerable than RE4 is.
This is the one I’d pick if your primary goal is to actually be scared.
And yes, I realize I am eventually going to have to play it now.
Best for: People who think Alan Wake 2 sounds too relaxing.
Find it here: Check Resident Evil 7: Biohazard price on Steam
Best Story: Silent Hill 2 Remake
I haven’t played this one either, so I’m not going to pretend I can give you a firsthand review.
But if we’re talking about story-driven horror games, Silent Hill 2 Remake belongs in the conversation.
This is psychological horror rather than simply throwing monsters at you every five minutes.
The story follows James Sunderland after he receives a letter from his deceased wife asking him to meet her in Silent Hill.
That’s already enough to get my attention.
What follows is much more focused on:
- Grief
- Guilt
- Memory
- And the psychological side of horror.
And that’s why this is one I want to eventually play.
I love story games.
- Detroit: Become Human
- A Plague Tale
- Alan Wake 2
Give me something that makes me care about what’s happening and I’ll put up with a lot.
Apparently even being terrified.
If you’re looking for horror where the story matters just as much as surviving the next room, Silent Hill 2 Remake is where I’d look.
Best for: Story-first players who want psychological horror.
Get it here: Check Silent Hill 2 price on Steam
Best Co-op Horror Game: R.E.P.O.
This is a completely different kind of scary.
I’ve played R.E.P.O. with friends, and playing horror with other people fundamentally changes the experience.
You’re still dealing with monsters and creepy environments.
Except now:
- Somebody is probably yelling.
- Someone else is doing something they shouldn’t be doing.
- Something has gone completely wrong.
- And everybody is laughing about it.
That’s why I love co-op games.
R.E.P.O. supports up to six players and mixes horror with physics-based objectives, proximity voice chat and a bunch of situations that can go from controlled to complete chaos very quickly.
Is it as scary as sitting alone playing Alan Wake 2?
For me, no.
Horror games are much scarier when I’m by myself and actually feel like I’m there.
Put my friends in the game with me and suddenly we’re all experiencing it together. It becomes horror mixed with comedy.
And sometimes that’s exactly what I want.
Best for: A group of friends who want to be scared and laugh at each other at the same time.
Find it here: Check R.E.P.O. price on Steam
Best New Horror Game: Resident Evil Requiem
If you’re specifically looking for something newer in 2026, Resident Evil Requiem deserves a spot.
And this one is especially interesting to me after playing RE4 Remake.
One of the things I liked about RE4 was the balance.
- It could get creepy.
- It made me jump a few times.
- There were definitely moments where I wasn’t thrilled about walking into the next room.
But I wouldn’t call Resident Evil 4 Remake an outright terrifying game.
It’s much closer to action with horror elements.
Requiem plays around with both sides of Resident Evil more directly, moving between slower survival-horror tension and more action-heavy sequences.
That’s probably a really good fit for me.
- I like horror.
- I apparently also like being able to do something about whatever is trying to kill me.
- And because it’s a 2026 release, it’s also an easy recommendation if you’ve already played through the older horror staples and want something current for October.
I haven’t played it yet, so this isn’t me telling you it’s my favorite Resident Evil game.
But after RE4?
I’m absolutely interested.
Best for: Someone looking for a modern Resident Evil experience with both horror and action.
Get it here: Check Resident Evil Requiem price on Steam
Best for Horror Beginners: Resident Evil 4 Remake
This is one of the easiest recommendations on the entire list for somebody who doesn’t normally play horror games.
Resident Evil 4 Remake isn’t that scary.
At least I didn’t think so.
- It’s creepy.
- There are some unsettling areas.
- It definitely got me a few times.
- But most of the experience felt more like an action game wrapped inside a horror setting.
And I loved that.
I had somehow slept on Resident Evil for years, picked up RE4 Remake for less than $5, and discovered another game I should’ve played a long time ago.
Those are some of my favorite gaming experiences now.
- Find an older game everyone else already knows is great.
- Buy it ridiculously cheap.
- Discover why everyone wouldn’t stop talking about it.
RE4 also lets you fight back… a lot.
That makes it considerably easier for me than a horror game built entirely around hiding and running away.
If you’ve never played horror before and aren’t ready to spend 15 hours terrified of opening doors, start here.
Then we’ll slowly ruin your life with the rest of this list.
Best for: New horror players who normally prefer action games.
Find it here: Check Resident Evil 4 Remake price on Steam
Best Sci-Fi Horror: Dead Space Remake
Space is already terrifying if you think about it long enough.
Apparently somebody decided it needed monsters too.
Dead Space Remake takes survival horror into a sci-fi setting aboard the USG Ishimura.
You play as engineer Isaac Clarke after arriving aboard the ship and discovering that things have gone very, very wrong.
This isn’t one I’ve played yet.
But what puts Dead Space high on my list is that it doesn’t leave you completely helpless.
- You have weapons.
- You can fight back.
- You can upgrade your equipment.
But the game still uses limited:
- Resources
- S0und
- Lighting
- And the environment to keep pressure on you
That’s probably much closer to my preferred type of horror than a game where my only option is hiding under a table.
If you like Resident Evil’s survival elements but want something completely different aesthetically, Dead Space is an easy one to consider.
Best for: Sci-fi fans who want survival horror without being completely defenseless.
Get it here: Check Dead Space Remake price on Steam
“Nope, I’m Not Playing This Alone”- Alien: Isolation
The concept sounds horrible.
In the greatest way.
Mostly.
You’re trapped aboard Sevastopol Station while a Xenomorph hunts you.
The important word there is “hunts”.
This isn’t simply a monster waiting in predetermined rooms for you to show up. A huge part of the game’s reputation comes from how unpredictable the Xenomorph can feel while you’re trying to move through the station.
- You hide.
- You distract it.
- You listen.
- You hope.
This is also exactly the kind of horror game I’m not sure I’d enjoy.
My first instinct with games where I can’t really fight back is:
- Give me something.
- A stick.
- A shoe.
- Anything.
But I’ve also learned not to immediately write off games because they don’t sound like something I’d normally play.
So Alien: Isolation gets our extremely scientific:
“Nope, I’m Not Playing This Alone” Award.
If you want tension and the feeling that something is actively hunting you?
Have fun.
I’ll be over here.
Best for: Players who enjoy being hunted and apparently don’t value relaxation.
Find it here: Check Alien-Isolation price on Steam
Best Creepy Game That Isn’t Quite Horror: INSIDE
INSIDE is weird.
Creepy is probably the better word.
While I wouldn’t put it in exactly the same category as Alan Wake 2 or Resident Evil 7, it absolutely fits the October mood.
You play as a boy moving through a dark, oppressive world while solving environmental puzzles and trying to survive.
There’s very little traditional storytelling.
Instead, the game lets the environment do most of the work.
And it gets increasingly strange.
This is a great option if you want something dark and unsettling without committing to a full survival-horror game.
It’s also shorter than many of the huge games we’re used to playing now.
You can actually finish something without dedicating the next month of your life to it.
Imagine that.
Best for: Someone who wants creepy atmosphere and puzzles rather than traditional horror.
Get it here: Check INSIDE price on Steam
Best to Play With Family: Little Nightmares III
The Little Nightmares games have always looked like something I’d enjoy:
- Creepy environments
- Weird creatures
- Puzzles
- And enough horror to fit the season without necessarily being the kind of thing that has me reconsidering every decision I’ve made.
Little Nightmares III is especially interesting because it supports cooperative play.
And that’s something I’d love to try.
Some of my favorite gaming experiences aren’t necessarily the games I think are technically the best.
They’re the ones I played with my wife, kids or friends.
So if I can combine a creepy October game with something my daughter and I can play together?
I’m interested.
Best for: Players looking for a creepy co-op adventure rather than hardcore survival horror.
Find it here: Check Little Nightmares III price on Steam
A Few Horror Games I’m Playing Next
Writing this article has unfortunately added even more games to my backlog.
But there are already a few I’ve been meaning to get to.
The Quarry
This one is happening very soon.
I love story-driven games where your choices matter, which is why games like Detroit: Become Human worked so well for me.
The Quarry takes that idea and throws it into a horror movie.
- You control a group of camp counselors
- Make decisions
- And deal with the consequences.
I’m planning on starting it soon, so we’ll see how that goes.
I’m sure I’ll make nothing but intelligent decisions.
Until Dawn
This has been sitting on my list for a long time.
Until Dawn is the same general appeal as The Quarry.
- Story.
- Choices.
- Horror.
- Consequences.
Exactly the kind of thing that seems built for me to make one questionable decision and spend the next three hours regretting it.
More Resident Evil
RE4 Remake opened this door.
Now I want to go backward and see what else I’ve missed.
Resident Evil 2 Remake and Resident Evil 7 are particularly high on the list.
Considering I somehow got RE4 for less than $5, I’ll probably continue doing what I do best:
Wait entirely too long and buy great games for almost nothing.
Heavy Rain
I just picked this up too.
I wouldn’t put Heavy Rain on a list of the best horror games, but it’s another dark, story-driven game where your decisions matter.
That’s enough to get me interested.
What About A Plague Tale?
I went back and forth on including A Plague Tale: Innocence or A Plague Tale: Requiem in the actual top ten.
- I’ve played both.
- I loved them.
- And there are absolutely horrifying moments in those games.
But I don’t really consider them horror games.
- They’re dark.
- They’re disturbing.
- There are rats everywhere.
An unbelievable number of rats.
But they’re much more story-driven action/adventure and stealth games with horror elements.
Still, if you like dark stories and creepy environments but aren’t ready to jump directly into something like Resident Evil 7, A Plague Tale is absolutely worth looking at.
Just don’t blame me for the rats.
What Kind of Horror Game Should You Play?
“Horror” covers a ridiculous range of games.
- If you want story and horror, I’d start with Alan Wake 2.
- If you want to be genuinely terrified, look at Resident Evil 7.
- If you want psychological horror, Silent Hill 2 Remake.
- If you want action with some horror, Resident Evil 4 Remake.
- If you want to play with friends, R.E.P.O.
- If you want sci-fi, Dead Space.
- If you want something creepy but more approachable, INSIDE.
- And if your idea of fun is hiding while an enormous alien hunts you? Apparently Alien: Isolation exists specifically for you.
We are different people.
Why Horror Games Work So Well
I think horror games can do something movies can’t.
When I’m watching a scary movie, I can sit there and watch somebody make the worst decision imaginable.
- Don’t go in there.
- They go in there.
…Of course they do.
A game makes me go in there.
That’s completely different.
When I’m playing alone with headphones in and something is making noise on the other side of a door, eventually I’m the one who has to open it.
That’s why playing horror games alone is so much scarier for me than playing with friends.
With friends:
- I’m talking.
- We’re laughing.
- Someone is probably doing something ridiculous.
Alone?
I’m paying attention to every sound.
And when a jump scare finally happens, everyone watching gets to enjoy me completely losing it.
Wonderful.
My Pick for October 2026: Alan Wake 2
If you’re only playing one game from this list, I’m sticking with:
It’s one of my favorite games I’ve ever played.
- The story kept me interested
- The atmosphere kept me uncomfortable
- And the scares absolutely worked on me
It gave me exactly what I want from horror.
I wanted to keep playing even when I didn’t want to keep playing.
That’s probably the best way I can explain my relationship with scary games.
I love them.
I hate them.
And I’m going to keep playing them.
October seems like as good a time as any.