The 36 best horror games for PC
There are many horror games for PC! There are so many that it is difficult to group them all and decide which ones are definitely the best. There are great titles of psychological horror, survival horrors, adventures, and equally incredible FPS. In this list, we have put together 36 horror games for PC that we recommend to all fans of the horror genre, and that you can play today.
For each game, we inform you if it is free and if it contains online multiplayer. We also clarify if a horror game is for a PC with low requirements (2GB of RAM, 512MB of graphics memory, and 2-core CPU) or medium requirements (4GB of RAM, 1GB of graphics memory, and 4-core CPU). Get to know what we consider to be the best horror games for PC!
Outlast
- Get Outlast.
- From 2013.
- Medium requirements.
Outlast engulfed the entire world with its chilling and horrifying scenes. You play as a freelance journalist who decides to investigate the Mount Massive Asylum, and soon regrets it. But it's too late for him! Without a doubt, it is one of the most successful horror games for PC in terms of scares, terrifying settings, and characters that will remain engraved in your retina. Even better if you play at night, alone and with headphones. The game is short and intense!
Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
- Get Resident Evil 2.
- From 2019.
The Resident Evil 2 remake is one of the best examples of modernizing a classic. Even with the changes in the history and areas of the game, the essence of terror is maintained and is even increased by the tremendous graphic section. Explore the police station and find a way to escape. At first, the zombies are the only dangers, but something else soon comes out to haunt Leon and Claire. Will you be able to get out alive?
The Evil Within 2
- Get The Evil Within 2.
- From 2017.
The first The Evil Within was great, with clear influences from Resident Evil but with greater narrative power. The sequel improves on the formula and gives us a semi-open world to explore. Discover little by little what happened to the protagonist's daughter, and deal with all kinds of madness impossible to believe. After all, you will be in a simulation, a world where everything is possible. Don't lose your composure!
Alien Isolation
- Get Alien Isolation.
- Of 2014.
- Medium requirements.
Being the daughter of Ellen Ripley has its advantages and disadvantages. The bad news is that she inherits the danger of an alien stalking her step by step. The good news is that she, even without being prepared for such a situation, is just as smart and resourceful as her mother. And those skills are needed in Alien Isolation! If you love horror games, don't hesitate to embark on a game that has one of the best sound sections in the genre. Listen carefully; act intelligently.
F.E.A.R.
- Get FEAR Platinum .
- From 2005.
- Few requirements.
FEAR surprised everyone with its excellent mix of the shooter and horror genres. It was also one of the games that revolutionized the graphic section, with an enviable quality for that time. The AI of the enemies, the explosions, the tremendous care in the playable mechanics... Everything gives off an aroma of great quality, always accompanied by scares, terrifying scenes, and disturbing enemies. FEAR is one of the most essential PC horror games!
Alan Wake
- Get Alan Wake.
- From 2010.
- Few requirements.
Alan Wake is an adventure and horror game that puts us in the shoes of a writer. Her wife disappears and he sets out to rescue her. However, he is opposed to a dark environment and a story that he does not remember writing. It is a narrative title that bets more on tension and setting, both sublime. Light is your main weapon, although it doesn't hurt to use pistols and shotguns!
Dead by Daylight
- Get Dead by Daylight.
- From 2016.
- Competitive and cooperative online multiplayer.
Dead by Daylight is one of the most popular online horror games for PC in recent years. The development of each game is simple to explain: 4 players must fight and collaborate to survive, while another hunts them all. Survivors need to accomplish various tasks to escape, and communication is crucial. Whoever achieves their goal, wins! We have to say that in this game, the Assassin is always very scary!
Resident Evil HD Remaster
- Get Resident Evil HD Remaster.
- From 2015.
- Medium requirements.
You can't miss the first Resident Evil! The HD Remaster is the best version of a spectacular game, drenched in horror from head to toe. In exploring the mansion and surrounding areas, managing resources and ammunition is vital. If not, any zombie, dog, or malevolent creature will jump out when you least expect it, and eat you alive! A classic that no one should miss.
INSIDE
- Get INSIDE.
- From 2016.
- Medium requirements.
This short adventure is not a horror game in the sense of being scary or gory, but it does show a rather dark context. Hope left the world of Inside. We manage a child who seems to need to escape from a dictatorial regime, but little by little we realize that the whole game is one symbolism after another. A more than recommended experience.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Get Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
- From 2010.
- Few requirements.
Imagine waking up in a place and not knowing why you are there. Okay, it's a pretty used resource, but we're talking about the awesome Amnesia: The Dark Descent! This horror game tests your mettle as you must explore a castle and make your way while avoiding dangers. You can't fight, just run, hide and solve puzzles while praying you don't get hit. We have to say that the setting in this game seems like a 10. Be careful not to lose your sanity!
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Get Resident Evil 7.
- From 2017.
Resident Evil 7 has been a paradigm shift for the saga. Accustomed to handling characters in the third person, it was time to feel the terror in a more personal way. The first person is used very well to keep you tense and never know if something is lurking behind you. Explore the countryside with Ethan and find out what happened to his wife. Of course, prepare for scares and escapes!
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Get Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice .
- From 2017.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will not leave you indifferent. It is pure psychological terror, a title that invites us to get fully into Senua's mind. The reason for the whole game is to represent psychosis, without neglecting the gameplay. The audiovisual section is one of the best in the genre, taken care of to the point of making you experience Senua's experience firsthand. Prepare to hear voices!
Five Nights at Freddy's 4
- Get Five Nights at Freddy's 4.
- From 2015.
- Few requirements.
In the fourth installment of the famous Five Nights at Freddy's saga, the danger and the scares now move home. Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Foxy, and the company now want to scare a poor child. Your homework? Use the flashlight, watch the closet and your surroundings, and make sure those animatronics don't scare you to death.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted is also another very good game, but it asks for high PC requirements.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
- Get Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.
- From 2006.
- Few requirements.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth places us in the 1920s that has been influenced by the work of Lovecraft. Creatures and places are drawn from his singular mind paint an atmosphere that smacks of cruelty and no mercy. As you explore and investigate paranormal occurrences, sanity mechanics will cause you to see hallucinations. It is a game that knows how to make you feel fear, so arm yourself with courage and face the enemy!
Call of Cthulhu
- Get Call of Cthulhu.
- From 2018.
If you are looking for a more modern and Lovecraft-based game, don't hesitate to play Call of Cthulhu! You will be a private investigator whose task is to find out what is behind the Hawkins family. As you can imagine, that mission opens the door to a world full of conspiracies, cults, and cosmic horrors. It's not as solid a game as Dark Corners of the Earth, but we highly recommend it if you love the Lovecraft universe.
System Shock 2
- Get System Shock 2.
- From 1999.
- Few requirements.
System Shock 2 is a classic that, to this day, still remains one of the pillars in the RPG genre. It has elements of FPS and survival horror games, in which we remain trapped in a space station. And who is the enemy? An AI that will do everything to be the new dominant entity in the universe. Through puzzles, battles, and character upgrades, only you can put an end to this dangerous AI.
Maid of Sker
- Get Maid of Sker.
- From 2020.
Maid of Sker is one of the great surprises of 2020. Not only is it an impressive horror game in terms of graphics, but the excellent representation it makes of the most chilling Welsh folklore is incredible. The crux of the game is the sound; enemies will react to what they hear. Maid of Sker values stealth above all else, but sound can also be your greatest weapon.
Friday the 13th: The Game
- Get Friday the 13th: The Game.
- From 2017.
- Online multiplayer is both competitive and cooperative.
- Medium requirements.
Friday the 13th: The Game is one of the few PC horror games that focus on online multiplayer. Take on the role of teenagers who must survive in the Crystal Lake camp or, better yet, be the terrifying and bloody Jason! Cooperate with the other players or find a way to eliminate them one after another. It's up to you; Be that as it may, terror will be sown!
Dead Space 2
- Get Dead Space 2.
- From 2011.
- Few requirements.
Dead Space 2 places you in an oppressive and extremely hostile environment. You will be Isaac Clarke, a simple engineer who has already been through the litmus test in the first installment. Armed with better weapons and prepared for greater dangers, it's time to dismember the ugly creatures and stop the threat from growing out of control. A journey of blood-chilling terror and blood!
SOMA
- Get SOMA .
- From 2015.
- Medium requirements.
SOMA begins as if one were going through their usual routine. Suddenly, you are trapped in an alternate world, or perhaps a virtual one. You will discover it little by little! It is one of those games that is committed to uncertainty and constant tension, with elements of terror that are palpable but not frequent. In SOMA you will meet one who will accompany you throughout the trip, and with whom you will discover a new terrifying reality.
Layers of Fear
- Get Layers of Fear.
- From 2016.
- Medium requirements.
Layers of Fear is a game that is as artistic as it is terrifying, and that focuses on psychological terror. You will witness the story of a painter obsessed with his work, with a shocking past and present. Every time you enter a room, you will see that the objects change and all this throws you into the madness of the character. Get ready for a psychedelic trip into a bottomless pit.
The Forest
- Get The Forest.
- From 2018.
- With cooperative online multiplayer (also on LAN).
- Medium requirements.
The Forest is a survival horror with a strong emphasis on survival. After a jet crash, you will have to find a way to survive by searching for food, building shelters and exploring every corner of the forest. However, in that same place resides a tribe of cannibals who, well, what do you think they will do to you if they catch you?
Pacify
- Get Pacify . Very cheap game.
- From 2019.
- With both cooperative and competitive online multiplayer.
- Medium requirements.
Pacify is a horror game for single-player or online multiplayer. Needless to say, the best experience is online, especially if you get together with other friends. The goal of the game is to make sure a haunted house becomes safe, but it's a tricky task! Find how to calm down the girl in the house or choose to terrify your friends
Little Nightmares
- Get Little Nightmares.
- From 2017.
- Medium requirements.
Little Nightmares is a puzzle adventure game that will bring out your childhood fears! You will feel small in the face of gigantic enemies and scenarios. You'll have to find a way to escape from the hands of malevolent creatures. The artistic section is great and, although it only lasts a few hours, it is an interesting challenge.
GTFO
- Get GTFO.
- From 2019 (early access).
- Cooperative online multiplayer.
Looking for a very challenging online horror game? Then get GTFO. 4 players must work together and explore dark environments to extract valuable artifacts. And what is the catch? The underground world is infested with terrifying and wild creatures. It's hard, but very rewarding when you win games. Of course, make sure you have a good PC, as it is one of the most demanding games on the list.
Blair Witch
- Get Blair Witch.
- From 2019.
Inspired by the movie of the same name, Blair Witch is a terrifying game like a few others. It is not the best video game of the genre that you will find, not even remotely, but it is still a good experience for the fans. Lighting is an important element and forces you to pay full attention to what you see on the screen. In the search for a missing child, prepare for shocks.
Granny
- Get Granny . Very cheap game.
- From 2017.
- Medium requirements.
Don't be fooled by the appearance. This granny looks like she's hideous and not much else, but she's dangerous as her own! The premise of Granny is simple: a grandmother locks you in a house and you must escape from there by any means necessary. You have five days, but be careful: Grandma has a good ear and there are many traps to avoid. You're sure to get a few scares, and on higher difficulties, you'll need a lot of tries to beat the challenge!
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
- Get Man of Medan.
- From 2019. The next game in the anthology, Little Hope, comes out in 2020.
- With online and offline multiplayer.
From the creators of Until Dawn and Hidden Agenda, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is a decent horror game. It's not surprising in any way, but it's entertaining. Make important decisions as you manage a group of friends embarking on a night of diving. You will soon see that their findings, while exciting, maybe the cause of their deaths. Or not?
Ultimate Custom Night
- Get Ultimate Custom Night. Free game!
- From 2018.
- Medium requirements.
If you're looking for a Five Nights at Freddy's style game but for free, here it is! In fact, we consider Ultimate Custom Night to be a better alternative in this variant of horror games. On the one hand, you can choose what kind of animatronics will be part of the game and what difficulty they will have. On the other hand, you will have to take into account more details to take out the mechanical enemies. Test it; it costs nothing!
Observer
- Get Observer.
- From 2017. System Redux version is pending for 2020.
Observer puts you in the shoes of an Observer, an agent tasked with delving into the minds of criminals to get answers and solve crimes. To accomplish the task, you will navigate between fears and obsessions, which will put your sanity to the test. In this psychological horror game, you must battle the horrors of every mind to hunt down a killer who always manages to getaway.
Song of Horror
- Get Song of Horror.
- From 2019.
Song of Horror is an innovative game in the horror genre, not for one, but for two reasons. The first of them is the enemy AI that adapts to your actions, to the way you play. This implies that the games will never repeat 100% and will always keep you on edge. The second is permanent death, but beware: when your character dies, you will start playing with another!
Deceit
- Get Deceit . Free game!
- From 2017.
- Competitive online multiplayer.
Deceit is a tremendous game of deception, cooperation and survival in an oppressive environment. In each match, players are divided into Innocents and Infected, with both sides having completely opposite goals. Collaborate or distrust? Believe one friend or the other? Whichever way you play, don't hesitate to try it out with your friends: Deceit is a free horror game!
Doki Doki Literature Club
- Get Doki Doki Literature Club . Free game!
- From 2017.
- Medium requirements.
If you play Doki Doki Literature Club, which is completely free by the way, be prepared for surprises. The first half-hour tricks you into thinking it's just another Visual Novel, with romantic touches. Suddenly, without going into details, the tone of the game takes a brutal turn and nothing is what it seems. Well, are you excited? The game itself warns you that it can be very disturbing.
The Beast Inside
- Get The Beast Inside.
- From 2019.
In The Beast Inside you will learn the story of a home through the eyes of two protagonists, each from a different era. It's a mix between a plot-driven adventure, a very good one by the way, and a survival horror. As you investigate the history of Blackstone, finding clues and unraveling the mystery, you will be subjected to a sea of horrors capable of making your skin crawl.
Dark Deception
- Get Dark Deception . Free first chapter!
- From 2018 onwards.
Run or die. That's how simple Dark Deception is. The game places you in a maze full of bloodthirsty creatures (look at that horrible monkey!) and traps everywhere. Not only is it limited to being a tense game, with unexpected scares, but it also has its plot and particular humor. The story is divided into chapters and, although from 2 onwards you have to pay, the first one is totally free!
Darkwood
- Get Darkwood.
- From 2017.
- Medium requirements.
In Darkwood you will enter a world with randomly generated scenarios. The uncertainty of what lies ahead is just the beginning of one of the most extraordinary horror experiences on the list. Explore, obtain resources, build barricades to protect yourself, and immerse yourself in a dark world. Be careful: your decisions will affect the story and the characters!
DISTRAINT
- Get DISTRAINT . Very cheap game.
- From 2015.
- Few requirements.
DISTRAINT tells the turbulent journey of a man who finds himself sucked into an endless spiral of remorse. The matter seems minor in the first minutes, but we soon realize that there is no way to stop it. It's a puzzle-adventure game that, rather than looking for scares, embraces a kind of escalating psychological horror. And, believe us, it manages to make you uncomfortable. Short, but highly recommended!
Face
- Get Face .
- From 2018.
Visage is a psychological horror game that seeks depth in exploration and builds tension little by little. Therefore, it is not a title in which you are going to be scared over and over again, but the feeling of discomfort will grow. Find out what happens in the house that the game places you, and be subject to the horrors of the families who died there. They will never leave you alone!