5 Essential Horror Video Games Everyone Needs To Play At Least Once

Horror games are a bedrock genre within the wider gaming industry, providing more darkly tinged thrills that embrace the unnerving or macabre possibilities of the experience. These titles can go from gameplay that is deliberately meant to scare or unsettle players to games that prominently employ common genre aesthetics into their art design. Many of the best-selling and longest-running franchises in the industry are horror games, as a testament to the genre's longevity and wide appeal. With countless titles to choose from, there are a handful of games that rise above the rest, defining the horror experience.

For this list of horror games, we're focusing on ones that are frightening or eerie, not just properties that feature atmospheric elements common in the genre. That said, we're not necessarily going for the scariest games ever or the best horror games of all time with this go-around. Instead, think of this list as a primer for anyone curious about the horror genre or any fans looking to cement their interest. Here are five essential horror video games that everyone needs to play at least once.

If there was ever a premier property in survival horror games, it's the "Resident Evil" series. Starting in 1996, Capcom has maintained its scariest franchise on virtually every major gaming platform ever since. While it may not be the best game in the series, we recommend starting with the 2002 remake of the original title, which was subsequently remastered with optimized controls and presentation in 2015. The game has an elite police squad investigating an isolated mansion, only to find that it's full of zombies and other monsters from bio-experiments gone wrong.

From its cinematic presentation via fixed angles to its claustrophobic setting as players navigate the mansion's halls, the "Resident Evil" remake still packs a punch over 20 years later. Protagonists Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield set the template for all playable characters to follow in the series, while providing the overarching narrative's foundation. And with its remastered version, the visuals are still leagues better than most horror games currently on the market. "Resident Evil" has undergone a stunning transformation across its long history, but that retelling of its original story is still the best gateway into the franchise.

Given the relatively standalone nature of the series, "Silent Hill 2" is a game that can be fully appreciated without playing its predecessor. The game has protagonist James Sunderland travel to the lakeside town of Silent Hill, after receiving a letter from his late wife Mary directing him to it. James finds the town largely abandoned and having fallen into ruin, with its population replaced by twisted monsters. Joining James are other traumatized figures — along with a mysterious woman named Maria who resembles Mary — as he explores the town.

The truth about the "Silent Hill" franchise is that it leans more into psychologically haunting narratives rather than overt survival horror. "Silent Hill 2" posits that the titular town reorients itself based on the mental traumas of those who visit it, something the game's beautiful 2024 remake solidifies. In that sense, "Silent Hill 2" operates like a tour of James' personalized heart of darkness, growing more unsettling as he progresses. The pinnacle of the "Silent Hill" franchise before its steady decline and eventual rebirth, "Silent Hill 2" is a psychological horror masterpiece.

The unknowable frontiers of science fiction always pair well with horror, and "Dead Space" is one of the best games to blend both genres. The original game debuted in 2008, before being remade for modern platforms in time for its 15th anniversary in 2023. While investigating a large mining spaceship, protagonist Isaac Clarke and his crew are attacked by monsters mutated from the ship's deceased personnel. As Isaac tries to survive and learn what happened to the infested vessel, the trauma of facing such unspeakable horrors takes a visible toll on his mental health.

While the 2008 original game holds up, there are things that the "Dead Space" remake definitely does better in updating the initial story. For that reason, we recommend checking out the 2023 release to get the most optimized version of the experience. That said, the remake contains scenes that push the game's inherent brutality, making it not for the faint of heart. But when it comes to sci-fi horror titles, "Dead Space" is still a masterclass in bringing the genres together.

The heir apparent to "Silent Hill," at least when it comes to atmospheric horror games that delve heavily into psychological terror and unease, is "Alan Wake." Originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010, the game received an extensive remaster for multiple platforms in 2021. As the titular protagonist investigates a small town in Washington linked to the mysterious disappearance of his wife, he confronts entities corrupted by a supernatural darkness and discovers that the plot of his latest novel is coming to life around him.

True to its protagonist's occupation, "Alan Wake" leans into the mystery thriller genre, accentuating the horror elements as it advances. "Alan Wake II" goes even harder on its nightmarish content, but players should start with the remastered version of the original game first. The franchise also wears its influences clearly on its sleeve, particularly the surreal vision of the Pacific Northwest popularized by "Twin Peaks." A psychological horror tale that puts a greater emphasis on player choices, "Alan Wake" offers more of a slow-burn scary experience.

Not every horror game needs to push the boundaries of contemporary gaming technology or be set in large environments to be explored. Proving this axiom is 2014's "Five Nights at Freddy's," a low-budget indie horror game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. The first two games followed nighttime security guards at a pizza parlor and family entertainment center that features animal animatronics. As the animatronics murderously come to life during each night shift, the player has to monitor their movements through cameras, sealing the security office when they try to attack.

Titles like "Five Nights at Freddy's" prove that sometimes the beauty of a great game is in its simplicity. The presentation is basic, the mechanics feature primarily point-and-click inputs, and Cawthon subverts lo-fi nostalgia of familiar '80s entertainment centers into something undeniably creepy. This fuels a steady stream of jump scares that punctuate every failed attempt to survive a night shift. "Five Nights at Freddy's" went on to spawn an entire multimedia franchise, but start with that 2014 original game to experience its initial charm.