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The 20 Scariest Horror Games on Steam

Published: July 17, 2024 by Matt Karoglou | Leave a comment

There have been horror games for as long as video games have existed, but it would take a special approach to the genre to see it enter the zeitgeist. We can now look back on the 5th generation of home consoles and PC gaming as when “horror” games as we know them came into their own. Thanks to the likes of Alone in the Dark and, later, Resident Evil, horror gaming entered the mainstream in a way that had eluded the genre in the past. As a result of Resident Evil‘s success, the horror genre would take off in earnest, birthing a slew of other titles that each put its own unique stamp on the genre. In that time, few platforms have been as great a home for horror as Valve’s storefront for PC continues to be, and these are the 20 scariest games available on Steam.

The term “horror” can mean different things to different people. Horror, like many other adjectives or qualifiers, is subjective. Further, within the umbrella of “horror” exists many branching subgenres. There’s survival horror, sure, but horror games have increasingly embraced offshoot atmospheres incorporating supernatural horror, psychological horror, and even cosmic or body horror. Some of the scariest games on Steam don’t even technically fall into the “horror” genre, yet they still end up on this list for their ability to get the heart racing and instill a sense of unease or dread.

Gloomwood

Release Date — September 5, 2022
Publisher — New Blood Interactive
Developer — Dillon Rogers, David Szymanski, Nate Berens, Thomas Porta
Genre — Stealth, Survival Horror
Steam User Rating — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — Yes

The first-person shooter genre would eventually pave the way for the immersive sim, with games like Deus Ex and Thief serving as the foundation for the subgenre. Gloomwood, from renowned Boomer Shooter publisher New Blood Interactive, is a first-person immersive sim that borrows heavily from those games, blending elements of stealth and survival horror into something special. The Victorian-era gothic horror of Gloomwood can be at times both tense and unsettling. But, like Resident Evil, players have plenty of tools to use in fighting back against the many threats that Gloomwood places in their path. The tension and horror of Gloomwood come through in its excellent stealth mechanics, where sound (both that made by the player and what they’re able to perceive through the title’s excellent spatial audio) requires that players stay keenly aware of their surroundings.

Detention

Release Date — January 12, 2017
Publisher — RedCandleGames, AGM Playism
Developer — RedCandleGames
Genre — Psychological Horror
Steam User Rating — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4, Switch, and Android)

Prior to this year’s excellent Nine Sols, Taiwanese developer RedCandleGames would primarily be known for their two excellent and atmospheric survival horror titles — Devotion and Detention. While both games are worth playing, Detention shines as one of the better psychological horror games to ever exist, with its harrowing real-world historic setting only adding to the mounting tension. As two Taiwanese students trapped in a school during the “White Terror” period of the 1960s, players must contend with a sense of impending doom as Detention takes them toward a seemingly inescapable tragedy. The atmosphere and storytelling of Detention are what set it apart from many other psychological horror games, and they’re also precisely what makes the game so memorable.

Who’s Lila?

Release Date — February 23, 2022
Publisher — Garage Heathen, IndieArk
Developer — Garage Heathen
Genre — Psychological Horror
Steam User Rating — 94% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — Yes

On the surface, Who’s Lila? seems like a fairly standard point-and-click adventure game. However, the title’s signature mechanic, manipulating character’s faces as part of trying to solve a mystery, leads to some truly unnerving moments in gameplay. Many players have taken to calling Who’s Lila? an “uncanny valley” simulator, and seeing it in action lends some credence to that descriptor. The ways that players can manipulate and change their character’s faces are nothing short of disturbing, and there’s something deeply unsettling and primal about the fear that seeing these faces invokes. But the face manipulation mechanic is just one layer of Who’s Lila?‘s onion, as the game’s storytelling and atmosphere are equally as surreal.

Ready or Not

Release Date — December 13, 2023
Publisher — VOID Interactive
Developer — VOID Interactive
Genre — Tense Tactical Thriller
Steam User Rating — 88% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — Yes

The tactical door-entry shooter Ready or Not is probably a game that most wouldn’t expect to see on a list of “scary” games. But the tension that Ready or Not evokes in its nail-biting confrontations can prove to be too much to handle. Many of the scenarios in Ready or Not involve breaching and clearing rooms while also resolving tense hostage situations, meaning it’s up to the player to figure out how to de-escalate conflict and save innocent lives. Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done, leading to many moments in which things devolve into tense shootouts with chances of survival as thin as a razor’s edge. In its best moments, Ready or Not‘s ability to get the heart pumping and force split-second decisions on the player makes it one of the more frightening titles on Steam.

Darkwood

Release Date — August 17, 2017
Publisher — Acid Wizard Studio
Developer — Acid Wizard Studio
Genre — Survival Horror, Psychological Horror
Steam User Rating — 94% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One/Series X/S)

The term “Survival Horror” comes from the mechanics of games like Resident Evil, which force the player to scavenge for supplies and carefully allocate limited resources to deal with increasingly deadly challenges. But few games in the genre fully embrace the “survival” side of Survival Horror like Darkwood does. Taking place in a mysterious Polish forest following a devastating pandemic, Darkwood is a post-apocalyptic tale of survival in a harsh and unforgiving environment, and it also happens to be absolutely dripping with atmosphere. During the day, players must venture out into the forest and collect supplies, quickly returning to their hideout as soon as the sun starts to set. At nighttime, the terror of Darkwood begins to come through in spades, with players needing to barricade doors and windows and occasionally even physically force doors shut to prevent untold horrors from making their way inside.

Subnautica

Release Date — January 23, 2018
Publisher — Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Developer — Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Genre — Survival
Steam User Rating — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One/Series X/S)

Like Ready or Not, Subnautica is a game that likely doesn’t come to mind when thinking of “horror” games. But as anyone who has spent time with Subnautica can attest, the game is more than capable of spiking the heart rate while exploring the ocean depths. For anyone suffering from a case of thalassophobia, Subnautica would likely prove to be their worst nightmare, as simply surviving and progressing through the game requires pushing out into uncharted territory, plumbing the depths for supplies, and occasionally coming face to face with the ocean’s unseen terrors. Subnautica is a phenomenal and serene title and one of the better on-ramps to the somewhat intimidating survival genre, but the ways that it contrasts its peaceful moments with mounting tension and danger is nothing short of a brilliant incorporation of unexpected horror.

Alien: Isolation

Release Date — October 6, 2014
Publisher — Sega
Developer — Creative Assembly
Genre — Survival Horror
Steam User Rating — 92% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS3/PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox 360/One)

Ridley Scott’s Alien is often considered to be one of the best horror films ever made, so it should come as no surprise that Creative Assembly’s excellent Alien: Isolation is an equally terrifying game. Taking place between the events of Alien and Aliens, Isolation puts players into the shoes of Ellen Ripley’s daughter as she searches for clues regarding her mother’s whereabouts. The malfunctioning androids in Alien: Isolation is unnerving enough as it is, but it’s when the titular Xenomorph makes its first appearance that Alien: Isolation transitions into becoming one of the most harrowing games of hide-and-seek. Like in the movies, coming face to face with the Xenomorph is tantamount to an instant death sentence, and the white knuckle tension present in every moment of the player and the alien’s cat-and-mouse game represents some of the best horror gaming the genre has to offer.

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Release Date — April 11, 2006
Publisher — Sega
Developer — Monolith
Genre — Survival Horror, Psychological Horror
Steam User Rating — 87% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on Xbox 360)

It might be an older game, but to discount Condemned: Criminal Origins as not being scary because of its age would be a mistake. One of the earliest examples of a Survival Horror game incorporating adventure game-style crime scene investigation segments, Condemned is a unique outlier in the genre that demands at least one playthrough. The increasingly dangerous hunt for a serial killer is a plot device that carries some of the best movies in the horror genre (Se7en, Silence of the Lambs, etc.) and it works equally well in Condemned. Despite some occasionally clunky controls and aging visuals, Condemned contains some of the most notorious jump scares in all of gaming, and its satisfyingly visceral melee combat is still effective.

Lethal Company

Release Date — October 23, 2023
Publisher — Zeekerss
Developer — Zeekerss
Genre — Survival Horror
Steam User Rating — 97% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — Yes

The co-op horror game Lethal Company is a perfect example of how horror games can be better with friends. The title’s release late in 2023 was met with near-universal acclaim and viral popularity thanks to its ability to instill plenty of scares and laugh-out-loud moments, proving that a game can still be scary even if you’re not alone. As a member of a faceless corporation intent on entering dangerous areas and harvesting scrap, players in Lethal Company must put all reservations (and common sense) aside to further the company’s goals and bottom line. It’s an excellent satire of corporate culture and the rat race, but it’s also an effective horror game with plenty of terrifying jump scares and mounting tension as players race to collect scrap and avoid demise.

Dead Space

Release Date — January 27, 2023
Publisher — Electronic Arts
Developer — Motive
Genre — Survival Horror
Steam User Rating — 91% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S)

The original Dead Space would prove to be a breath of fresh air in 2008, injecting the “horror” back into Survival Horror following the more action-focused Resident Evil 4. It borrowed liberally from sci-fi horror films like Event Horizon and Alien while also subverting the traditional “aim for the head” gameplay of Resident Evil for a combat system focusing on dismembering limbs. 2023’s excellent remake of Dead Space excels as a horror game by not changing up the core elements of what made the original such a beloved title, instead choosing to vastly improve the visuals, audio, and presentation and add more depth to the story to fully immerse players in its body horror and tale of esoteric space cults. And, like the best horror game remakes, Dead Space toys with players’ expectations from playing the original and provides plenty of surprises for returning players.

Signalis

Release Date — October 27, 2022
Publisher — Humble Games, PLAYISM
Developer — rose-engine
Genre — Survival Horror, Psychological Horror
Steam User Rating — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One)

One of the best surprises of 2022, Signalis is an atmospheric Survival Horror game that is at once both like and unlike some of the best games in the genre. The closest comparison players could make is Silent Hill, but there are also hints of Metal Gear Solid present in Signalis‘ gameplay thanks to its unique aiming mechanic and emphasis on stealth. Combined with its excellent visuals and low-poly, PS1 aesthetic, Signalis is a game that wears its inspiration and love for early Survival Horror on its sleeve. But aside from the excellent gameplay and visuals, Signalis tells a deeply complex and multi-faceted sci-fi horror tale absolutely bursting with occult references. When a game’s story influences players to take to Reddit and write multi-page essays unpacking its symbolism and meanings, you know you’ve landed on something special.

The Mortuary Assistant

Release Date — August 2, 2022
Publisher — Dread XP
Developer — DarkStone Digital
Genre — Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror
Steam User Rating — 92% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on Nintendo Switch)

The Mortuary Assistant quickly became one of the most talked-about horror games upon its release in 2022, and playing the title makes it easy to see why. The game begins simply enough and introduces some slightly disturbing mechanics involving embalming and preparing the dead for burial. Of course, this is just the setup for a larger tale involving ghosts, demons, occult rituals, and a tragic story connecting all these elements with a local mystery. The gameplay in The Mortuary Assistant might be a little clunky and the visuals haven’t aged all that well, but the jump scares and disturbing imagery present immediately catapult it to being one of the scariest games on Steam.

Killer Frequency

Release Date — June 1, 2023
Publisher — Team17
Developer — Team17
Genre — Psychological Horror, Slasher Film
Steam User Rating — 94% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on MetaQuest 2, PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One/Series X/S)

Team17’s Killer Frequency does something unique with the traditional tropes of the “Slasher” genre of horror film, putting players in the shoes of a radio DJ who has the power to steer would-be victims to safety from a menacing killer. Detractors might be quick to call Killer Frequency a “walking simulator” without the walking, but that’s an unfairly reductive take on what the game brings to the table. The dilemmas present in each choice the player must make practically beg for multiple playthroughs, and Killer Frequency‘s knowledge of and love for the slasher films of the 70s and 80s result in the game having a pitch-perfect atmosphere. Few choice-based adventure games are as compelling as Killer Frequency, and living with the consequences of those choices only adds to the game’s psychological horror.

World of Horror

Release Date — October 19, 2023
Publisher — Ysbyrd Games, PLAYISM
Developer — panstasz
Genre — Psychological Horror, Cosmic Horror
Steam User Rating — 92% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4/PS5 and Nintendo Switch)

Ysbyrd Games’ World of Horror mixes several unlikely genres, combining adventure, roguelike, and horror into one intoxicating brew. Taking inspiration from both Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft, World of Horror also mixes several different subgenres of horror. There’s plenty of disturbing imagery to encounter that pulls from the twisted imaginations of World of Horror‘s two biggest influences, and the roguelike structure makes every playthrough unique. While the game’s meta progression leaves something to be desired, the moment-to-moment scares that players encounter in each run courtesy of the game’s excellent art direction and full-on tilt into all things esoteric and otherworldly make World of Horror a must-play roguelike for fans of cosmic horror.

Outlast

Release Date — September 4, 2013
Publisher — Red Barrels
Developer — Red Barrels
Genre — Survival Horror
Steam User Rating — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One)

More than 10 years later, Outlast manages to still be one of the scariest games on Steam thanks to a timeless premise. Taking the “entering an abandoned hospital” trope seen in many movies and experienced by teenagers across the globe in many real-world dares, Outlast pits a defenseless protagonist against an increasingly dangerous set of threats with little more than a camera and some night vision. Like Alien: Isolation, Outlast‘s thrills primarily come from the deadly game of hide-and-seek players must play with the residents of the Mount Massive Asylum. Like the best horror games, the first playthrough of Outlast is an experience that can’t be replicated, and it’s no wonder that the game would birth its own successful horror franchise and influence countless others.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Release Date — January 24, 2017
Publisher — Capcom
Developer — Capcom
Genre — Survival Horror, Body Horror
Steam User Rating — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on iOS, PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One/Series X/S)

After several years of more action-leaning entries, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard brings the flagship Survival Horror series back to its roots by sticking to the core fundamentals — a mansion, a twisted family, and a series of biological experiments gone wrong. As new protagonist Ethan Winters, players once again assume control of a protagonist facing overwhelming odds and little chance of survival, and the opening hours of Resident Evil 7 rank among the scariest the series has ever seen. While the original Resident Evil would draw on the films of George A. Romero for inspiration, Resident Evil 7 owes more to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and other grindhouse horror, helping to give the game an oppressive and unnerving atmosphere that it maintains throughout its runtime.

Phasmophobia

Release Date — September 18, 2020
Publisher — Kinetic Games
Developer — Kinetic Games
Genre — Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror
Steam User Rating — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — Yes (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development)

Like Lethal Company, Kinetic Games’ Phasmophobia definitively proves that horror games can still be terrifying even if you’re not playing alone. The premise of Phasmophobia is simple: enter a house (alone or with a friend) and investigate for paranormal activity. However, like the best games often do, Phasmophobia takes a relatively simple premise and elevates it into something endlessly complex in execution. Ghost hunts in Phasmophobia rarely go according to plan, with players needing to think on their toes and somehow manage to maintain their cool in the face of deadly supernatural threats. In terms of horror games with great jump scares and a mounting sense of dread, few can match Phasmophobia.

Faith: The Unholy Trinity

Release Date — October 21, 2022
Publisher — New Blood Interactive
Developer — Airdorf Games
Genre — Survival Horror, Supernatural Horror
Steam User Rating — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — Yes

Don’t let the visuals of Faith fool you, as its 8-bit aesthetic hides one of the most terrifying games ever made. As a priest hoping to redeem themselves following an exorcism gone horribly wrong, Faith takes players through three distinct chapters in which players must unravel the occult mystery that has affected a small town for decades. Gameplay in Faith is relatively simple and boils down to mostly trial-and-error scenarios to solve its puzzles and combat challenges, but the storytelling and atmosphere are peak horror gaming. The Atari 2600-style 8-bit visuals and disturbing sound design only add to the game’s ability to get under players’ skin, and at a relatively short 2-3 hours of playtime, Faith is a bite-sized horror experience that delivers plenty of bang for your buck.

Amnesia: The Bunker

Release Date — June 6, 2023
Publisher — Frictional Games
Developer — Frictional Games
Genre — Survival Horror, Psychological Horror
Steam User Rating — 93% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4 and Xbox One/Series X/S)

Few real-world events are as horrific as the First World War, and Amnesia: The Bunker makes great use of its WWI setting by combining horrors both real and imagined. The Amnesia series has long been one of the premier first-person horror franchises, and The Bunker elevates an already great franchise by combining the tried-and-true series gameplay with a compelling setting and some truly excellent scares. Being continually stalked by a relentless monster through the claustrophobic confines of a WWI bunker is a great setup for a horror game, and Amnesia: The Bunker executes it so perfectly that it immediately becomes the best game in a now-legendary horror franchise.

Visage

Release Date — October 29, 2020
Publisher — SadSquare Studio
Developer — SadSquare Studio
Genre — Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror
Steam User Rating — 86% (Very Positive)
Exclusive to PC/Steam? — No (Available on PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series X/S)

That most players can’t even finish Visage is a testament to the level of scares it provides. A seemingly innocuous walking simulator, Visage toys with players’ expectations and perceptions of reality. In Visage, a seemingly normal room (beautifully crafted in stunning visual fidelity, no less) can suddenly transform into a scene of abject horror. These moments warp and distort reality, causing the player to distrust their surroundings and perception. Truthfully, that distortion of reality and juxtaposition between peace and horror is Visage‘s strong suit. There are jump scares aplenty in Visage, but it also instills a sense of impending doom and dread that few other games can match. Nothing is ever quite as it seems in Visage. Ultimately, playing through the game is a test of both the player’s will and their sanity.