Halloween season is now in full swing! Costumes are exiting retirement, candy corn is flying off the shelves, and carved pumpkins are sprouting up in peoples' porches. All things wonderful and wicked are arriving in the world of gaming, with both AAA and indie developers ready to frighten and delight their fans with horror.
The Scariest Horror Video Games Of All Time, Ranked
From the torture of Doki Doki Literature Club to the eerieness of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, here are the scariest horror video games of all time.
But not everyone is built to brave these horror games alone, and they might want to rope a friend or several friends into the shenanigans. Fear not, as there are plenty of games designed to be played with friends, and there are even rare single-player experiences that can be enhanced with good company.
6 Resident Evil 5
Action-Horror Perfect for Duos
Resident Evil 5
- Released
- March 5, 2009
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Third-Person Shooter, Action-Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Resident Evil 5 was a rather divisive game at the time of its release, as it took things a step further than its predecessor, Resident Evil 4, fully leaning into a more action-oriented direction. Then Resident Evil 6 came out, and most fans could shrug and agree that RE5 might not have been as bad as they first thought, and time has been even kinder to this title.
Chris Redfield returns with new partner Sheva Alomar as they are sent to apprehend a man in possession of a BOW he plans to sell on the black market. With two characters present at all times, this game was designed with cooperative play in mind, making it a perfect fun horror romp with plenty of lead-fuelled action to share with a best friend or a partner. While it may not seem overly scary at times, players should just wait until they have a shambling monstrosity chasing them through an incinerator.
5 Deceit
It is Kill or Be Killed
- Platforms: PC
- Released: March 3rd, 2017
- Developers: World Makers
Find the odd one out games have become popular in the world of gaming, and have even broken into the horror genre. This is the main aim of Deceit, as six people wake up in mysterious surroundings, with 2 people infected with the Game Master's virus, tasked with taking down the uninfected who must fight and flee for their lives, and choose who they trust carefully, as they never know if they are the deceitful one.
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It is a fun game of cat and mouse players can enjoy together, and it can be delightful to reveal that they are the ones infected before killing their friends in brutal fashion. But playing one of the innocents can also be fun in a totally different way, as every interaction with another player will be fraught with gut-churning tension as they will remain constantly vigilant in case they turn out to be infected.
4 Phasmophobia
A Terrifying Ghost Hunting Experience
Phasmophobia
- Released
- October 29, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Kinetic Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Puzzle
Normally, playing horror games with friends disperses the tension of most horror games, but Phasmophobia might be the one exception to the rule. Even with backup, entering the haunted premises is a test of bravery, and the temptation to generously offer to be the man in the van is always present. This aptly named game will certainly awaken this phobia in its players as they navigate the dark armed with ghost-hunting equipment to determine the nature of the haunting.
But this matter isn't as simple as it is made out to be on paper. Not all devices will generate the evidence needed, as each entity is unique and manifests in different ways. This means players will likely have to leave, swap out equipment, and return, increasing the odds that they will meet their end at the hands of the ghost. And every ghost is hostile, their hunting mode activating under different circumstances which could easily be accidentally triggered by an unwitting player, leading to very scream-inducing situations as they are locked in the building with a vengeful spirit.
3 Dead by Daylight
Survive with Friends Against a Terrifyingly Dangerous Killer
Dead by Daylight
- Released
- June 14, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Behaviour Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia, Switch, Mobile
- Genre(s)
- Horror, Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
By far, Dead by Daylight is the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game with the most endurance, surviving when all others have died. Four Survivors team up against a single Killer from a veritable cornucopia of options, both original creations and ones licensed from popular horror or horror-adjacent IPs. Killers like Michael Myers, the Demogorgon, and Dracula can all be found stalking the fog for their prey, against survivors such as Leon S Kennedy, Ellen Ripley, and Nicolas Cage.
With a vast collection of characters on offer, everyone is bound to find the perfect character for them as they flee in terror from the Killer hunting them down. Or, they can bring a fifth friend into the mix and play custom matches, where one will control the Killer to try and hunt down their friends. Whatever way gamers decide to play, they are in for a real scream with the fun and chaotic multiplayer game. What's more, there are always special events around this time of year, with scarily good prizes up for grabs.
2 Lethal Company
Find Valuable Scrap or Die Trying
Lethal Company
Lethal Company straddles a fine line between humor and horror, as up to four friends will tour across various moons as they search for valuable scrap to sell to the Company, avoiding hostile entities, environmental threats, and failure to meet the quota.
Lethal Company: Scariest Monsters, Ranked
It's hard to relax while exploring one of the many moons in Lethal Company when these terrifying creatures could appear around any corner.
Dressed in orange space suits and armed with silly dances, they must explore the bases on these planets which could be inhabited by all manners of strange beasts, and head back to the ship before automatic take-off at midnight. Trying to avoid painful deaths can be horrifying, but watching a friend's body ragdoll across the corridor as they meet their end at the hands of a turret or thumper can provide some great comic relief, and create memories with friends that will still bring out a chuckle when mentioned weeks later.
1 Until Dawn
Try to Survive Until Dawn With a Little Help
Until Dawn
- Released
- August 25, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
- Platform(s)
- PS4
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Supermassive Games have become the masters of creating games that feel like interactive movies, leaving the decision of who lives and dies in the players' hands, with a little sprinkling of luck and foresight. Until Dawn was the game that started the craze, leading to other titles such as The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology. In this game, a group of friends meet up at a lodge the year after two sisters fall to their deaths after a prank gone wrong. Strange occurrences begin taking place in and around the lodge, leading to them believing they are being stalked by a killer, with one shocking twist no one could have seen coming.
With Until Dawn receiving a new lease on life, now is the time to revisit the game with higher graphics and new content, and it can be even better with friends. Everyone can allocate themselves a character within the roster so that a group of friends can see just how they would fare in a horror scenario, and just how many of them could survive the horrors of the night. This would undoubtedly be a fun and new way to experience this game. Ditch watching B-horror movies at the Halloween slumber party, and pick up Until Dawn instead.
