Horror games tap into the innate anxieties (both physical and existential) that are shared among people, allowing players to interact with and face their fears in a way no other medium can. The past year has been chock-full of great horror games, proving that the genre continues to thrive no matter the era. And while 2024 was host to some brand-new horror experiences that are pushing the envelope for the genre, a lot of great games were those that captured PS1 aesthetics and the greatness of the past.
Aside from newer, atmospheric indie horror games, though, 2024 brought one of the most anticipated game remakes (horror or otherwise) with Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2. More than just a visual uplift of a beloved classic, Bloober Team's remake is nothing short of a win for the team, immediately earning its place as not just one of the year's best horror games but one of the year's best games, period. Together with the smaller titles delivered from talented indie studios, Silent Hill 2 and the other genre highlights of the year told compelling stories that urged players to come face to face with the darker aspects of life, if they were brave enough. Presented in alphabetical order, these are the 10 best horror games of 2024.
8 PS1 Horror Games That Deserve A Modern Remake
With some of the best horror games getting remakes nowadays, it would also be nice to see these PS1 titles receive the same treatment.
Conscript
Atmospheric World War I Survival Horror
The debut title from solo developer Jordan Mochi, Conscript immediately sets itself apart thanks to its real-world setting and emphasis on psychological horror. Taking place during the infamous Battle of Verdun in World War I, players in Conscript assume the role of a young conscripted French soldier as they fight against the German advance and search for their missing younger brother. With its eye-catching PS1-style visuals and oppressive atmosphere, Conscript is largely carried by its setting and presentation, but its classic survival horror gameplay completes the package to make it one of the year's best retro-inspired survival horror titles.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- July 23, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Catchweight Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Team17
- Engine
- GameMaker Studio 2
- PC Release Date
- July 23, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- July 23, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Crow Country
Read The Best War Games's Crow Country Review
SFB Games' Crow Country is a concise game that proves big things can come in small packages, providing one of the more true-to-form retro survival horror experiences of the year. As FBI Agent Mara Forest, players head to the abandoned titular amusement park to track down its mysterious owner, Edward Crow. In addition to providing a classically-styled survival horror experience without an ounce of bloat, Crow Country's story gradually reveals itself in layers to be one of the year's simultaneously strangest, and most heartfelt, horror narratives.
Crow Country
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
- Released
- May 9, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- SFB Games
- Publisher(s)
- SFB Games
- Engine
- Unity
- PS5 Release Date
- May 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Fear the Spotlight
Read The Best War Games's Fear the Spotlight Review
Branching out from its place as one of the premier studios working on horror films, Blumhouse has opened a games division aimed at producing horror games with a similar eye for production values and mass appeal. Fear the Spotlight is one of those games that ticks all the boxes for what players would expect from a classic survival horror experience, complete with some strong puzzle design and a compelling narrative that draws players into the game's mystery. And, like Crow Country, Fear the Spotlight is a tight experience that never comes close to overstaying its welcome.
Fear the Spotlight
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 15, 2023
- ESRB
- Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- Cozy Game Pals
- Publisher(s)
- Blumhouse Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 2.5 hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Home Safety Hotline
Early 90s Analog Horror
Another of the year's best horror games and yet another debut title from an indie studio, Home Safety Hotline ended up being one of 2024's early highlights in the horror genre. The premise is fairly straightforward, with players assuming the role of an emergency operator fielding calls from concerned citizens regarding incidents occurring in their homes. But in execution, Home Safety Hotline quickly distorts reality and upends player expectations by devolving into a Too Many Cooks-style psychedelic nightmare that sets a high bar for the future of analog horror games.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- January 16, 2024
- ESRB
- nr
- Engine
- Unity
WHERE TO PLAY
Mouthwashing
Mind-Bending Psychological Horror
Every so often, a survival horror game comes along that presents a challenging narrative, forcing players to confront the dark underbelly of human existence. Mouthwashing is undoubtedly one of those titles, presenting a story of sexual assault and survivor's guilt that treats both its subject matter and its audience with the respect both deserve. At a basic level, Mouthwashing is a hallucinatory walking simulator with strong horror elements, but its narrative and character development are so strong as to stick with players long after rolling credits.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Wrong Organ
- Publisher(s)
- Critical Reflex
WHERE TO PLAY
Silent Hill 2 Remake
Read The Best War Games's Silent Hill 2 Remake Review
Like Resident Evil 2 before it, the remake of Silent Hill 2 takes a beloved classic in the survival horror genre and almost perfectly reimagines it for a modern audience. There were doubts about Bloober Team's ability to handle remaking such a beloved game in the genre, which makes its careful "threading of the needle" with the remake all the more worth celebrating. Silent Hill 2 improves on the visuals and combat of the original, and the ways it honors and enhances the best-in-class narrative of its source material set an example that future video game remakes should follow.
Silent Hill 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- October 8, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Sorry, We're Closed
Neon-Soaked Persona-Meets-Silent Hill Survival Horror
The most recent PS1-style survival horror to release in 2024, Sorry, We're Closed is an entirely different type of experience from contemporaries such as Crow Country or Conscript. Adopting a vibrant visual palette and a sense of humor and sensuality befitting the Persona series, Sorry, We're Closed is a survival horror title with equal parts style and substance. Together with a unique combat system that switches from third-person navigation to first-person shooting, Sorry, We're Closed is an indie title with a narrative and gameplay that punch well above their weight.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
- Released
- November 14, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- à la mode games
- Publisher(s)
- Akupara Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Developer
- à la mode games
Still Wakes The Deep
Claustrophobic Eldritch Nightmare Fuel
Still Wakes The Deep might be an experience on the shorter side, but the sheer amount of tension and thrills it offers in its roughly 4-hour campaign is arguably worth the price of admission. Dealing with an oil refinery in the middle of an ocean, Still Wakes The Deep puts players into a creaky, claustrophobic setting and pits them against a Lovecraftian monster, forcing players to question their own sanity as reality seemingly crumbles around them. It's a tightly-paced and atmospheric title that ends up being one of the year's most engrossing games despite its shorter runtime.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 70%
- Released
- June 18, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Tobacco, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- The Chinese Room
- Publisher(s)
- Secret Mode
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Tormenture
An 8-Bit Horror Take on The Neverending Story
Croxel Studios' Tormenture is a game that should be talked about by more horror game fans, delivering one of the year's most compelling setups for the genre. Imagining what would happen if Jumanji replaced its board game with a haunted 8-bit game cartridge, Tormenture uses its Atari aesthetic to great effect. The concept of a haunted or cursed game cartridge allows Tormenture to bring the schoolyard urban legends of childhood to life.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- October 21, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Croxel Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Billete Cohete
WHERE TO PLAY
Zero Protocol
Survival Horror-Meets-Immersive Sim At an Abandoned Antarctic Facility
Best described as "System Shock crossed with Signalis," Zero Protocol is a game many players might have missed despite it being one of the year's stronger survival horror games. The low-poly visuals and setting reminiscent of John Carpenter's The Thing may lead to players thinking they know what to expect from Zero Protocol. But to its credit, R_Games will continually find ways to surprise players, creating some genuine scares even if they think they've seen all the genre has to offer.
- Released
- September 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- R_Games
- Publisher(s)
- R_Games
- Engine
- Construct 3
- PC Release Date
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover the secrets of the IAS Antarctic Research Complex and fight for your survival in this immersive first-person sci-fi thriller.
Focus on Exploring
Choose passwords for doors, search for access cards to terminals, repair damaged equipment, and combine items. Think with your head, this game will not lead you by the hand!
Intense battles
You have a gun, but that doesn't mean you're safe. The enemies here are deadly, and not all of them can be killed...
The atmosphere of cold loneliness
Graphics inspired by classic 3D games such as Zero Tolerance, System Shock, and Half-Life, combined with atmospheric sound effects, make the game world even darker and more inhospitable.
Nonlinear and Multiple Endings
Balance between clarity and madness, make conscious or unconscious decisions, and find out where they lead!
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Horror, Action, Science Fiction