Horror games are definitely rising in popularity, especially with technology becoming so advanced and being able to immerse us even more into the games.
However, not every horror game is thought of as good just because it has the latest graphics. The best horror games are the ones that know that what they don’t show can be exactly or even more scary as the things that they do show. This is a proven fact by horror games produced from indie studios, who don’t have as large of a budget as others, that are just as scary as those with a lot of money behind them.
No matter what type of horror games you like, whether it be body horror, cosmic horror, folk horror, or just a large person chasing you with a chainsaw, then there is a large variety of PC horror games out there that could hopefully satisfy your horror needs and freak you out.
Best Survival Horror Game
Resident Evil 2 – Remake
Release date: 2019
Developer: Capcom
What Capcom has managed to do has stunned a lot of other developers out there because they have somehow found a way to make zombies seem scary again after decades of survival horror games, through their game Resident Evil 2, the remake. The hordes of zombies in this game have been designed very well and feel properly menacing as you experience them beat down doors spill through windows and just keep on coming.
The remake is basically Capcom bringing back one of the best survival horror style games of its time period and actually made Resident Evil famous, what’s more is that they are also reimagining one of the games most iconic locations. So, as a result this game is definitely an enjoyable trip down memory lane for those who have experienced the original game, but also definitely an accomplished and clever horror game on its own for those looking to jump into it for the first time.
If you are a gamer that isn’t into third-person horror games and instead might want to be scared in first-person, then Resident Evil 7 is definitely a creepy delight. Another underrated Resident Evil game that you also shouldn’t forget about is Resident Evil Revelations 2, especially if you are familiar with the icon Barry Burton and appreciate the goofiness of the early entries.
Best Multiplayer Horror Game
Left 4 Dead 2
Release Date: 2019
Developer: Valve
Followed by the horror game Left 4 Dead we have Left 4 Dead 2, which is an epic 4 player co-op shooter game being followed by hordes of zombies. Most co-op shooter games are great and you’ll easily find them on top FPS games lists, however the Left 4 Dead 2 game is different from the rest and is the best one for when you and up to three friends feel like pushing through a zombie-infested part of America.
The developers of this app have also done a great job at making sure that no matter what the rhythm is of the game it is always telling a story. This means that during both the quiet moments as well as swarming attacks you’ll be greeted with special enemies that will actually force you and your team to work together to take them down. Your team will be made up of Left 4 Dead 2’s survivors: Coach, Rochelle, Nick and Ellis, and then some other characters that will be returning from the original game.
Another reason that people are so entertained by this game and so many gamers come back for more every year is because of the awesome mods, where you are able to switch your survivors for other characters such as Deadpool, Master Chief or Hatsune Miku just to name a few.
Best Indie Horror Game
Anatomy
Release Date: 2016
Developer: Kitty Horrorshow
When someone mentions your home then you’ll think of protection first as it keeps out the weather and the rest of the world, and that is why the horror cliché of “the call is coming from inside the house” works so well. This sense of protection allows you to feel safe inside of your suburban house, no matter what is happening out on the streets, and the Anatomy game is all about removing this sense of safety.
The game is quite simple at its core and all you’ll be required to do is explore a house during the night time and look for cassettes that will play monologues for you about psychogeographical philosophy. The tapes that you’ll find are old and fuzzy, much like the vibe of your first-person viewpoint, which has a VHS static feel over it. If you are familiar with the game House of Leaves then you’ll understand the sort of domestic dread that Anatomy works on creating. The fear that this game aims at creating is the same fear that you would’ve had as a child when you were walking down a hallway without the lights on or when you have to close a curtain when it’s too dark to see what’s outside until you are right next to the glass. This is definitely a game you will get a kick out of if you’re ready for it.
Best Psychological Horror Game
Signalis
Release Date: 2022
Developer Rose Engine
Signalis is really a game that no one was expecting and just came out of nowhere and became one of the most standout games of 2022. This game delivers an awesome and rich survival horror experience that demands your attention and contemplation. In this game you’ll have to think and be smart so that you manage your limited inventory space and resources very carefully as you go back and forth through an extremely dangerous, horrific pit of a research facility.
As you enter this game you’ll be casted as a Blade Runner-style replicated human that will be searching for their fully human commanding officer as well as secret lover. The protagonist, Elster, will leave you with a haunted impression as we see the tension of her desires, needs and essential nature as a constructed, enslaved being. Everything that you will go through and experience in this game takes place in the 1970s under the leadership of an evil government that is playing with forces that they can’t yet comprehend
Best RPG Horror Game
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
Release Date: 2004
Developer: Troika Games
This game is still at the top of the ranks when it comes to vampire games, one of the biggest reasons that this game sticks out so much from a lot of the other vampire games is that Bloodlines was confident enough to give you free rein to use all of your vampiric abilities. This means that you were able to choose NPS from the streets to feed on, climb over the different environments as you please just as if you were in an immersive sim, throw burrowing beetles into your enemies bodies and even overheat their blood to the point of explosion. All of this freedom doesn’t just make vampires seem cool through their powers but through them being witty, sexy and mysterious as well. That is exactly how this game keeps people interested, even to this day.
This RPG game is a game of personal horror as only once you’ve given into the mystique, and think about how great it is to be a part of the bloodsucking elite will you then realise the costs and consequences of it.
Best VR Horror Game
Dagon
Release Date: 2021
Developer: Bit Golem
There are quite a lot of horror games out there that have been inspired by the various works of HP Lovecraft, however Dagon is one that sticks out amongst the rest of them because it goes one step further than just sharing themes with the stories. This game actually contains the entire text of Dagon, which is one of the short stories that Lovecraft had written back in 1917 and got published eventually in 1923. This text is read aloud as you are busy exploring the different scenes from the story in this game, so basically this game is an audio book that you are able to walk around in.
You are able to play the Dagon game on a regular monitor but to get the best experience it is recommended that you play it as a VR game. One theme that we see used time and time again in H.P Lovecraft’s work was the terror of scale, which later on in his career took the shape of the infinite black gulfs between galaxies. In Dagon the terror of scale is the scale of the ocean and you’ll see it from the perspective of a stranded sailor who has discovered a putrid island, which you will have to explore. The VR experience is superior as you will be put into the world and be surrounded by dead and dying sea creatures, whilst you’re listening to the works of H.P Lovecraft himself.
Final Words
There you have a list of some of the best horror games that the PC world has to offer in 2023. Hopefully after going through this list you may have found a type of horror game that has tickled your fancy and one that you feel ready to play and embark on its horrific journey.
