If there’s one thing we love here at GameSpew, it’s a good horror game. Really, is there anything better than getting cosy on the sofa, perhaps underneath a snuggly blanket, and stepping foot into a new, scary video game world for the first time? Thankfully 2024 has been a good year for horror games, and we’ve rounded up the best of them right here. If you’re looking for something scary to play this Halloween, look no further.
Our picks of the best horror games of 2024 are a mixed bunch. Some are more unsettling than they are scary, while some are all-out terrifying. We have a few indie releases – even some made by just one person – alongside some big-budget titles. We’ve loved every horror game on this list, and while their scares and tensions might hit differently, if you’re a horror fan we think you’ll love them too.
So: get cosy, grab a blanket and a cushion, and read through our picks of the best horror games of 2024 that you really ought to be playing this Halloween.
1. Silent Hill 2
- Available on: PS5 and PC
Of course, we couldn’t have a best horror games of 2024 list without having Silent Hill 2 on it, could we? Not only is this one of the best horror games of this year, but it’s also one of the best of all time. And we’re not exaggerating. The original Silent Hill 2 is a classic, but Bloober Team has done a phenomenal job of bringing it into the modern age, while also adding some flair of its own.
We have to admit, we were a little worried when we found out Bloober Team was working on this Konami classic. But we needn’t have been; we really couldn’t have envisioned it being any better. James’ trip through the outright freaky streets of Silent Hill is just as unsettling as ever, and we’ve had a great deal of fun (albeit whilst perched on the edge of our seat) snooping around buildings, shops and bars, never quite knowing what’s waiting for us around any corner.
Whether or not you’ve played the original, consider the remake of Silent Hill 2 an absolute must-play. We think this will be the marker for all survival horror games going forward.
Read our review of Silent Hill 2
2. Still Wakes the Deep
- Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Still Wakes the Deep isn’t quite full-on horror; not to the same extent as Silent Hill 2, anyway. But it’s still an absolutely horrifying (and captivating) game that we couldn’t put down once we started. In fact, we played it through twice, back to back, simply because we loved its world and its story so much. You see, this tells the story of Cam, a worker on Beira D, an oil rig out in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. When a routine mining operation goes awry, something from deep beneath the waves is awakened… and life on Beira D will never quite be the same again.
What follows is a fraught five-or-so hour journey as you try to escort Cam and his fellow workers off Beira D. But as he tries to make his way to safety, you’ll find yourself crawling deeper and deeper into a terrifying situation, one that perhaps there’s just no way out of. It’s Lovecraftian in its very nature and it’s edge-of-your-seat stuff, but it still manages to be grounded, filled with people you can’t help but like and who you’ll be rooting for right from the start.
Read our review of Still Wakes the Deep
3. Hollowbody
- Available on: PC
Hollowbody is the first of two titles on our list of best horror games of 2024 that’s come from a single developer. It comes from Nathan Hamley, operating under the guise of Headware Games and, to say it’s made entirely by one person, we’ve absolutely in awe of it. It’s clearly inspired by Silent Hill, but feels very different thanks to its unique British setting.
Taking place after some sort of apocalyptic event, you’ll find yourself exploring abandoned blocks of flats, houses, shops and more in order to track down your missing friend. An incredible attention to detail has gone into bringing each location to life; whether it’s a shop sign or the ticket machines in a train station, it all feels so very real, and that adds to the eeriness that Hollowbody creates. Wherever you explore, you’re never safe thanks to the horrible creatures – once human – that now roam the streets. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and, thanks to only being around four hours long, it’s perfect for tackling in one evening.
Read our review of Hollowbody
4. The Casting of Frank Stone
- Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
The latest game from Supermassive Games, The Casting of Frank Stone is a narrative driven gem. Although it’s set in the world of Dead by Daylight, you don’t need to be familiar with the asymmetrical horror multiplayer to enjoy this. It’s very much its own, independent story (although if you are a Dead by Daylight player you’ll undoubtedly get a kick out of all of its little Easter eggs that give a nod back to the game).
The Casting of Frank Stone puts you in control of a group of people, spread over three different timelines. How those timelines all come together is part of the joy of the narrative, but there’s one thing they all have in common: they’re haunted by the presence of Frank Stone, a terrifying killer who might not be quite of this world. We won’t say any more, because we don’t want to spoil it, but trust us: you’re in for a treat. Expect plenty of scares, numerous shocks and some seriously atmospheric environments to explore.
Read our review of The Casting of Frank Stone
5. Moving Houses
- Available on: PC
We’ve already had Hollowbody, but here’s another game made by a single developer. Moving Houses has been made by Gordon Little, and it’s rather different from the other titles on this list of 2024’s best horror games. You see, it’s not full-on horror. At least, not to begin with. Moving Houses plays with your expectations and uses subversion to keep you always guessing. While it may only be a couple of hours long, we had an absolute blast playing through, and it’s well worth your time this Halloween.
Moving Houses starts as a rather ordinary house-moving simulator. You need to pack up items into boxes, and shove stuff into the back of a moving truck. So far so un-horror. But it’s only when rooms start appearing in the house that you’re sure weren’t there before that you realise not all is as it seems. Eventually, Moving Houses twists into full-blown psychological horror, and we loved every minute of it.
Read our review of Moving Houses
6. Until Dawn
- Available on: PS5 and PC
Did we need a remake of Until Dawn? Not really: the 2015 game from Supermassive Games still holds up today, and although the developer has gone on to do many more things since (The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Quarry and, of course, The Casting of Frank Stone which you’ll find further up this list), we still think Until Dawn is its best. Ballistic Moon has remade the game to make use of modern hardware and we’d be foolish not to call it one of the best horror games of 2024. While it didn’t need a remake, we’re glad it has got one, and getting the chance to play Until Dawn again under a fresh coat of paint has been a real treat.
An interactive movie of sorts, Until Dawn tells the story of a group of friends spending a night in a cabin deep in the woods. While the pranks they play on each other might seem scary enough, the real threat is the creatures that lurk in the darkness. You’ll need to make snap decisions for each character, because ultimately it’s down to you whether they all live or die.
Read our review of Until Dawn (2024)
7. Fear the Spotlight
- Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
The first title to be published by Blumhouse Games, Fear the Spotlight is well worth checking out this Halloween if you want something relatively short but full of scares and rewarding puzzles. Its story revolves around two young students who have crept into their school late at night to play around with an Ouija board. Of course it turns out to be a bad idea, with one of the girls being seemingly abducted during the process.
To save your friend you’re going to have to creep through the school, solving a myriad of puzzles while avoiding a creepy pursuer who has a spotlight for a head. Despite its tense atmosphere, however, Fear the Spotlight is a joy to play, and once you’ve completed it you unlock a bonus campaign that is possibly better than the first. So, how could we not include this in our list of the best horror games of 2024?
Read our review of Fear the Spotlight
8. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
- Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
Originally released way back in 2011, Shadows of the Damned has been given a second chance in the form of a remaster. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered doesn’t change much, admittedly, but it does look nicer and play better than ever before. There’s finally a New Game Plus mode, too. And providing that you get along with its foul language, somewhat childish jokes and violent scenes, you’ll find it to be an utter treat.
Jump into Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered and you’ll find yourself in control of demon hunter Garcia Hotspur, who has followed the Lord of Demons into the underworld in order to save the love of his life. He’s got one hell of a fight ahead of him, as you’d expect, but with his friend, Johnson, at his side, who can morph into useful items such as numerous guns and a torch, he might just have a chance. Think Resident Evil 4 with toilet humour, and you should have some idea of what to expect.
Read our review of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
