Best Horror Games on Steam: 14 Scary Picks to Play

The best horror games on Steam do something films can’t: they make you the one who has to open the door. If you like that mix of dread, relief and “I really shouldn’t go in there,” this list is for you, whether you want a tense solo night or a loud evening with friends.

Below are 14 picks, sorted by the kind of fear they deliver. Every fact about release dates, modes and reviews comes from each game’s Steam page, and every game has a card with screenshots, a trailer and a link to its store page.

Quick picks: the best horror games on Steam at a glance

How to choose from the best horror games on Steam

“Horror” covers very different experiences, and picking the wrong flavour is the quickest way to bounce off a good game. Three questions help.

Do you want to fight or hide?

Survival horror means you are short on ammo, health and safe places, so every encounter is a decision. Some games give you weapons and make you ration them. Others leave you underpowered and push you to sneak. If you get stressed by being helpless, start with the first group below.

Do you want a story or a scare machine?

Psychological horror works on your mind more than your reflexes: unreliable characters, strange imagery, questions about what is real. If you enjoy a good mystery, the story-led picks are the best horror games on Steam for you. If you want adrenaline, look at the survival and co-op sections.

Alone or with friends?

Co-op horror is a different animal. Fear gets shared, so it becomes funnier and louder. Most of the best single player horror games on Steam work the other way: they rely on being alone with the sound of your own footsteps. Both are valid, so decide before you buy.

If you are not sure about your taste in general, our page on the best games on Steam covers other genres worth trying too.

Survival horror with weapons, puzzles and resource juggling

Survival horror is the genre’s backbone: limited supplies, creepy places to explore, and monsters that make you question every corridor. These four are the most approachable way in, and they sit near the top of any list of the best horror games on Steam.

Resident Evil 2

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This is a rebuild of the classic zombie story, set in Raccoon City in September 1998 after a virus turns residents into flesh-eating zombies. You explore, solve puzzles and fight your way through, now from an over-the-shoulder camera with modernized controls.

It suits anyone who wants a first survival horror that mixes action and exploration. It is single-player with full controller support, and Steam lists its reviews as Overwhelmingly Positive from more than 226,000 players. Released Jan 24, 2019 by CAPCOM.

Resident Evil 4

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Leon S. Kennedy is sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter and tracks her to a remote European village where something is deeply wrong with the locals. The remake describes itself as modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline and detailed graphics.

Pick it if you liked Resident Evil 2 and want a different setting and rhythm. It is single-player with full controller support, released Mar 23, 2023 by CAPCOM, with an Overwhelmingly Positive Steam summary from over 284,000 reviews.

Dead Space

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You play Isaac Clarke, an engineer sent to repair the mining ship USG Ishimura, only to find the crew slaughtered and his partner Nicole lost somewhere on board. This is a remake rebuilt from the ground up, with new visuals and audio while staying faithful to the original.

It suits players who like sci-fi settings and atmospheric sound. Single-player, with subtitle options and full controller support. Released Jan 27, 2023 by Motive, with Very Positive reviews on Steam.

Alien: Isolation

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Fifteen years after the first film, you play Amanda Ripley, searching for the truth about her mother’s disappearance. You scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, because you are underpowered and an unpredictable Alien is out there.

It is the pick for people who want fear built from patience rather than gunfights. Single-player, released Oct 6, 2014 by Creative Assembly. Steam lists it as Very Positive and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Story-led psychological horror

These games are for readers who care about what the horror means. They are slower, stranger and often sadder, and they stay with you after the credits.

SILENT HILL 2

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James receives a letter from his late wife and returns to Silent Hill, where he finds a ghost town wrapped in fog, disturbing monsters, and a woman who looks just like her. You confront monsters, solve puzzles and look for traces of her.

It is a remake of a game described on its store page as a master-class in psychological horror. Best for players who want mood and emotional weight. Single-player, Gamepad Recommended, released Oct 7, 2024 by Bloober Team SA and KONAMI, with Very Positive reviews.

SOMA

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From the makers of Amnesia, SOMA is set in the underwater facility PATHOS-II, where the machines have started to think they are people. It asks questions about identity and consciousness, and you read terminals and documents to uncover what went wrong.

It suits anyone who loves sci-fi ideas and a story worth thinking about. Single-player, with Steam Workshop and Remote Play Together listed. Released Sep 21, 2015 by Frictional Games, Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam.

SIGNALIS

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You play Elster, a technician Replika searching for her lost partner and lost dreams in a dystopian future ruled by a totalitarian regime. Steam describes classic survival horror with puzzles, nightmarish creatures and a melancholic sense of cosmic dread.

A good fit if you like retro-styled atmosphere and mysteries that don’t explain themselves. Single-player with full controller support, released Oct 27, 2022 by rose-engine and published by Balor Games. Overwhelmingly Positive.

Mouthwashing

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Five crew members are stranded on the space freighter Tulpar with no chance of rescue and rations running out. The store page frames it as a first-person story of starvation, isolation and people turning on each other, with Captain Curly at the centre.

It suits players who want a character-driven, unsettling story rather than combat. Single-player, released Sep 26, 2024 by Wrong Organ and published by CRITICAL REFLEX. Steam shows an Overwhelmingly Positive summary.

Dread over action: older and stranger picks

If you like to feel small, these games help. They tend to be rougher around the edges than the big remakes, but they changed what horror games try to do.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

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You wake as Daniel in a desolate castle, barely remembering your past, with a feeling of being hunted. The store page calls it a game about immersion, discovery and living through a nightmare, and you piece Daniel’s memories together as you explore.

It’s a landmark first-person horror and a good match for slow-burn fans. Single-player, with a level editor and Remote Play Together. Released Sep 8, 2010 by Frictional Games, and Steam lists it as Very Positive.

Outlast

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As investigative journalist Miles Upshur, you explore Mount Massive Asylum, a long-abandoned facility reopened in secret by the Murkoff Corporation, and try to survive long enough to learn its secret.

It suits players who want first-person tension in a classic horror location. Single-player with full controller support, released Sep 4, 2013 by Red Barrels. Steam reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive from more than 139,000 players.

Iron Lung

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You pilot a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon. Your senses are limited: you look through a grainy still camera and navigate with an incomplete map and proximity sensors, which makes the sense of paranoia build quickly.

Steam says it is intended to be finished in under an hour, so it is a low-commitment test of your nerve. Single-player, released Mar 9, 2022 by David Szymanski, with Very Positive reviews.

Darkwood

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Darkwood splits your time: scavenge and explore a free-roam world by day, then return to your hideout and pray for morning. You collect resources, build defences, and meet locals who offer dark quests.

It suits players who like crafting and survival loops mixed with horror, and it is the most RPG-flavoured pick here. Single-player, released Aug 17, 2017 by Acid Wizard Studio, with a Very Positive Steam summary. If you want more of that style, our guide to the best RPG games on Steam may help.

Co-op horror to play with friends

Co-op horror turns fear into a shared joke, which is a big part of why these two are so popular. Both list online co-op on Steam and also list single-player.

Phasmophobia

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Phasmophobia is a 4-player online co-op psychological horror. You and your team enter haunted locations, use ghost-hunting equipment to gather evidence, and try to identify which ghost you are dealing with before you become part of the haunting. Steam mentions over 20 ghost types with different traits.

It suits groups who like investigating together and talking through clues. Steam lists single-player, multi-player, online co-op, full controller support and VR support. It is still listed as Early Access, released Sep 18, 2020 by Kinetic Games, with Very Positive reviews from more than 841,000 players.

Lethal Company

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You are a contracted worker for “the Company,” collecting scrap from abandoned, industrialized moons to meet a profit quota. Earnings fund trips to riskier moons, and the store page suggests your crew may be your only protection.

It suits friends who want panic and laughter as much as fear. Steam lists single-player, multi-player and online co-op, and it is Early Access, released Oct 23, 2023 by Zeekerss. Reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive from over 511,000 players. If co-op is your main interest, our co-op picks on Steam cover calmer options for the same group.

Best single player horror games on Steam: where to start

Most of this list is single-player, so here is a shortcut by mood.

• You want action with your scares: Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4 or Dead Space.
• You want the slow squeeze: Alien: Isolation or Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
• You want a story to chew on: SOMA, SILENT HILL 2 or Mouthwashing.
• You want something short: Iron Lung.
• You like survival loops: Darkwood.

All of these have Very Positive or Overwhelmingly Positive Steam review summaries. That doesn’t mean they are equally scary, though. Reviews tell you players liked them, not how rattled you’ll be.

Common mistakes when picking a horror game

• Starting with the scariest-sounding one. If you rarely play horror, a game where you have weapons is a kinder start than one where you hide.
• Ignoring content warnings. Some store pages carry notes, such as Visage’s seizure warning for photosensitive players. Read them first.
• Playing story horror in a noisy room. Many of these rely on sound. Headphones and a dark room help, but so does knowing you can quit and come back.
• Expecting a co-op game to feel like a solo one. Phasmophobia and Lethal Company are built around a team. Alone, they are a different, lonelier experience.
• Treating release year as quality. Amnesia is from 2010 and still sits among the best horror games on Steam for slow dread. Check the store page and the Steam review summary, then decide.

Which of the best horror games on Steam should you play first?

If you want one answer: play Resident Evil 2 if you like action, Alien: Isolation if you like dread, SILENT HILL 2 if you like story, and Phasmophobia if you have three friends and a headset. Those four cover the main flavours.

Once you know your taste, our games-like pages help you find more of it, and the best roguelike games on Steam are a good palate cleanser after something heavy. You can always return to this list of the best horror games on Steam when you want your next scare.

Questions and answers

What is the scariest game on Steam?

Scary is personal, so there is no single answer. Games built on dread, such as Alien: Isolation, Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Outlast, are the ones most often described as frightening. If you want the jumpy kind with friends, Phasmophobia is the usual pick. Start with the style of fear you like.

What is the scariest co-op horror game on Steam?

Of the picks here, Phasmophobia and Lethal Company are the co-op options. Phasmophobia is a 4-player online co-op psychological horror about ghost hunting, while Lethal Company has you scavenge abandoned moons as a crew. Phasmophobia leans on tension, Lethal Company on chaos.

What are the best single player horror games on Steam?

Resident Evil 2, SILENT HILL 2, Dead Space, Alien: Isolation and SOMA are strong starting points. All are single-player experiences with Very Positive or Overwhelmingly Positive Steam review summaries. Resident Evil 2 and Dead Space suit action fans, while SOMA and SILENT HILL 2 suit story fans.

Which horror games on Steam are good for beginners?

Resident Evil 2 and Dead Space give you tools to fight back, which makes tension easier to handle. Iron Lung is a short experience meant to be finished in under an hour, so it is a low-commitment way to test your tolerance for dread.

Are there horror games on Steam to play with friends?

Yes. Phasmophobia supports online co-op for four players, and Lethal Company is an online co-op horror about collecting scrap on abandoned moons. Both also list single-player on Steam, so you can try them alone, though they are built around a team.