10 best Halloween games to play in 2026: Seasonal scares

It’s always a good time to play horror games, but Halloween is the perfect opportunity to play October games that are on theme with this time of the year.

Whether you’re looking to dive into classic horror franchises or want to try something new, we’ve broken down the best horror games for Halloween, so you’re ready to get into the spine-chilling spirit this annual event offers.

Best Halloween games in 2026

There’s such a wide array of horror games out there that suit a range of tastes, so it can be difficult to determine what the best games for Halloween are. However, we’ve made that job much simpler by putting together a list of horror games that you should play in 2026, from chilling narratives to psychological horrors, and featuring even the creepiest creatures.

10. Still Wakes The Deep (2024)

Not the usual setting for a horror game, but an offshore oil rig in the 1970s can, in fact, be scarier than it seems. You are working away on an oil rig when a dangerous storm and the freezing cold North Sea waters cause chaos on the rig. All lines of communication have been cut off, and all exits are gone. All that remains is to face the unknown horror that’s come aboard, named The Shape.

Although the story is relatively simple, the tense atmosphere, navigating tight spaces, and being stuck at sea with a hostile entity will keep you on the edge of your seat. The oil rig itself feels like a real location due to its immaculate attention to detail and memorable NPC interactions, adding further depth to the already gripping experience. The game has been compared to 2002’s The Thing, but set on an oil rig, and that alone makes it one of the best games for Halloween.

9. Cronos: The New Dawn (2025)

A survival horror set in an unforgiving world, you must find key figures from the past who have already died in an apocalypse to uncover its origins. Extract their essences to have them accompany you into the future, but the more you carry, the more haunted your special suit becomes. You must scavenge for scarce resources, but the grotesque monsters won’t make conserving ammo easy. Fallen enemies can merge together to become deadlier abominations that are tougher to take out.

There’s plenty to explore in Cronos: The New Dawn, as you progress through a linear narrative that has multiple endings, dictated by the choice you make at the very end of the game. With tension throughout, elevated by a dystopian setting plagued by death, Bloober Team’s latest entry is among the best Halloween games in 2025.

8. The Mortuary Assistant (2022)

The Mortuary Assistant puts you face-to-face with death, as you work at a mortuary and embalm bodies at night. During the handling of bodies, demonic forces will trigger limited-time events that allow you to learn about the story of the protagonist, Rebecca Owens, and, of course, are designed to scare you to death (no pun intended!) As you clock in for your shift, you will embalm three bodies, fight off being possessed, battle Owens’ own traumas, and perform an exorcism on the body you think is haunted by a demon.

Apart from figuring out which dead body has been taken over by a demon, there are other haunting discoveries to be made, resulting in the game having six endings. Whether you’re completing multiple shifts to banish as many demons as possible or find dealing with dead bodies creepy enough in the endless embalming mode, The Mortuary Assistant offers hours of fun, making it one of the best Halloween games to play in 2026.

7. Phasmophobia (2020)

Phasmophobia places you and your team of up to four paranormal investigators into haunted locations containing paranormal activity to gather evidence to determine which entity is roaming the area. Use a whole host of ghost-hunting equipment to find and record evidence to sell to a ghost removal team. Phasmophobia comes in at one of the best multiplayer Halloween games because you use proximity chat to communicate with the ghosts through Ouija Boards and a Spirit Box. This results in the opportunity for some spooky, but hilarious, spirit encounters with your friends, even if you are fighting for your life. Teamwork is key to success in Phasmophobia, so you can either divide the tasks between you or take on the spirits together.

6. The Outlast Trials (2024)

It wouldn’t be a top Halloween games list without mentioning Outlast. In The Outlast Trials, you’re a prisoner whom the Murkoff Corporation has involuntarily recruited to test new methods of brainwashing and mind control.

The aim of the game is to make your way through Murkoff’s therapies and earn the right to be released back into society. The trials are immersive story-driven therapies, while Mk-Challenges offer shorter playthroughs and take place on a redesigned section of the existing map. If you’re familiar with Outlast, you’ll know all too well that you must run away and hide from the enemies you will come across.

With co-op capabilities, you don’t have to take on the frights alone, but you can play in groups of up to four. Each level comes with its own challenges that you must solve among the gore and unforgiving enemies to get out of the trial alive, but there’s no guarantee that your sanity will be intact.

5. SIGNALIS (2022)

SIGNALIS is set in a dystopian future, but leaves you to piece together the lore as you search for your lost partner and forgotten memories. Every part of the story is a mystery waiting to be solved, as you navigate an authoritarian world where Humanoid androids live among the people. SIGNALIS may catch the eye of fans of the best retro Halloween games, for its slow, old-school survival throwback feel. Apart from the claustrophobic nature and eerie ambiance, what really makes SIGNALIS shine is its impeccable storytelling that will leave an impression on you, coupled with horrors that provoke a feeling of dread and loneliness as you try to escape the grasp of evil creatures.

4. Alan Wake 2 (2023)

Delivering a dark story with twists and secrets, Alan Wake 2 is the gift that keeps on giving. The narrative is split into two, with you playing as FBI agent, Saga Anderson, to solve a series of ritualistic murders, and Alan Wake, as he attempts to rewrite his reality to escape the Dark Place. Anderson and Wake are in two separate realities, but are connected in a way they can’t comprehend. This psychological thriller blends these complex characters with survival horror and supernatural enemies. Alan Wake 2 is unique for its live-action cutscenes that bring the story to life to make you feel as if you are truly living a nightmare, earning its place on our Halloween games list.

You can also start exploring the world of Alan Wake with the first one, which was remastered in 2021.

3. Amnesia: The Bunker (2023)

The latest entry in the Amnesia series sees you trapped in an unsettling bunker from the First World War. Unfortunately for you, supplies are scarce, and you must scavenge and craft to stay alive against an enemy with unpredictable behavior patterns that react to your movements. Along the way, you will solve puzzles, explore, and experiment to plan your escape. There are different ways to solve problems, making your choices more meaningful, while adding to the game’s replayability.

The semi-open world the game offers does well at capturing the feeling of helplessness, trapping you all alone, knowing that a terrifying beast is hunting you down. Amnesia: The Bunker is considered one of the best games to play around Halloween because it acts as a true test of your survival skills, with the constant feeling of being watched.

2. Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)

A biological disaster has engulfed Raccoon City, and special agent Leon Kennedy has been tasked with saving the President’s kidnapped daughter, who is in a European village, where there is trouble among the locals. Resident Evil 4 is a survival horror game at heart, but it features a lot of action elements, resulting in aggressive combat being rewarded and adding to the gripping horrors by making all parts of the gameplay feel more high-stakes. If you’re looking for a horror game with a compelling story that’s immersive, action-packed, and wrapped in a bow of chilling audio and visuals, the Resident Evil 4 Remake should be among your top Halloween games.

1. Silent Hill 2 Remake (2024)

After receiving a letter from his supposedly dead wife, protagonist James Sunderland goes to Silent Hill to find his wife. Upon arrival, the place is a ghost town, with nothing but disturbing monsters hiding within the fog. The gameplay loop sees you fight the monsters, solve various puzzles, and search for traces of your wife.

The Silent Hill 2 Remake is a psychological survival horror game that’s best in its class at creating an atmosphere that fills you with fear and captures the sense of misery that shrouds Sunderland. The feeling of dread only gets worse as you progress through a meaningful narrative, making Silent Hill 2 one of the best horror games for Halloween, because of the deep level of immersion on offer. The monstrous manifestations of Sunderland’s psychological state are as memorable as they are nerve-wracking.

The 2024 remake also expands upon the original game, making it a great Halloween game to play, even if you’ve already dived into the first version of Silent Hill 2. The map is bigger, opening up areas and buildings that were once inaccessible or newly added. Weapons also pay homage to the original title and return through an updated combat system. The remake even moves away from the previously adopted fixed-camera angle to an improved over-the-shoulder view.