Here Are The 10 Best Horror Games Of 2024

Slitterhead is developed by Bokeh studio, led by Silent Hill and Siren creator Keiichiro Toyama. Clearly, players were excited by Toyama’s pedigree, so Slitterhead was on their radar. Its central mechanic involves swapping between different NPCs in the heat of battle against monsters.

Slitterhead is one of the most unique games of 2024, but it suffers quite a bit from its janky combat and repetitive fights. Still, Bokeh’s debut effort is worth praising for its originality and incredible art direction with its beautiful monster designs.

Fear the Spotlight is one of the many games on this list inspired by retro horror games, particularly from the PS1 era such as the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill games. Here, Fear the Spotlight uses blocky character designs and a TV filter to invoke those retro horror vibes.

The game follows two girls named Vivian Singh and Amy Tanaka as they break into their high school. After consulting an Ouija board, things go horribly wrong, and they have to escape. Fear the Spotlight is perfect for those who grew up on Five Nights at Freddy’s as they are both geared towards younger gamers.

Check out our Fear the Spotlight interview and demo from Fantastic Fest.

This game feels a lot more like the original Silent Hill games than Resident Evil ones, as Sorry We’re Closed deals with more supernatural and cartoon-ish horror than realistic horror. It also really stands out due to the much more neon-focused and bright color palette rather than the dreary dark hues most horror games have.

Sorry We’re Closed’s gameplay involves switching between third-person tank controls and first-person shooting. It can feel clunky at times, but our protagonist, Michelle, can use her third eye to find demons’ weaknesses to make the shooting mechanics feel satisfying.

Still Wakes the Deep is an incredible psychological horror game that takes place in the 1970s on a Scottish oil rig. After a huge accident, the oil rig starts falling into the sea and monstrous tentacles begin to infest the area, turning people into monsters. Our protagonist, Caz, has to find a way to stop the infestation and return home. This incident, along with Caz’s home situation regarding his strained marriage, really adds quite a bit of tension throughout the game.

Still Wakes the Deep’s gameplay boils down to a walking simulator, with no combat at all. Caz has to rely on stealth in order to avoid monsters, which makes the experience even scarier. It’s also only around 6-7 hours long, but it’s well worth your time.

If you’re looking for a game that most closely resembles the old school Resident Evil games, Hollowbody is definitely it. Taking place in the distant future (yet everyone still uses payphones), Mica is desperately trying to find her partner, Sasha. After chasing a lead into an exclusion zone, her plane crashes and now she has to find Sasha while fighting off grotesque monsters.

It’s honestly everything you’d want in a retro survival horror game: third-person with fixed camera angles, puzzles, ammo preservation, and save points. There’s even a first-person camera option unlocked after beating the game for the first time, adding to its replayability.

Crow Country is another retro-horror-inspired game, but this time, it goes for a more blocky aesthetic that reminds me of the original Final Fantasy VII. This definitely gives it a unique look that helps it stand out amongst other horror games. 

Here, we have Mara Foster tasked with investigating Crow Country, an amusement park, and finding its founder, Edward Crow. The gameplay is your usual survival horror, which includes shooting zombies with a variety of guns. However, what really sold me on Crow Country were some really dark plot twists that had me glued to the screen, which made for an engaging experience.

Mouthwashing is the most unique one on this list due to its intriguing split narrative. The story is told from the perspectives of Captain Curly and co-pilot Jimmy after their ship, the Tulpar, crashes. Events seen before the crash are from Curly’s perspective, while ones after the crash are from Jimmy’s, as Curly is severely wounded, unable to speak or move.

As much as it is horror, Mouthwashing also has some surprisingly funny moments, especially considering the game takes its name literally. I don’t want to spoil anything, but you’re going to see mouthwash. A lot.

It’s been 27 years since the last Famicom Detective Club game, and Nintendo came back with a bang here. As the private investigator of Utsugi Detective Agency, you’re tasked to solve a case involving a dead schoolboy. But it’s not just any case, as this one is tied to an old urban legend of a serial killer from 18 years ago.

Japan loves horror games and visual novels, so why not put them together! Emio – The Smiling Man plays like a point-and-click adventure, similar to a book. While it may lack in the gameplay department, it makes up for it with a satisfying mystery.

After 17 years, we finally have a direct sequel to Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl. You play as a lone wolf who travels throughout the Zone, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, either by helping others or looking out for yourself. Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl retains the tense atmosphere and satisfying shooting mechanics that made the first game so beloved. Now, there’s so much to explore in a proper open world.

It’s got some performance issues and plenty of bugs, but I can cut the developers some slack with what they’ve gone through during the past few years, including a real-life war.

Like many others, I was a doubter. Bloober Team’s previous game, The Medium, wasn’t exactly the best, but I was still willing to give their rendition of Silent Hill 2 a shot. And man was I glad. Bloober Team expanded on what made the original so iconic, such as the oppressive fog and psychological horror.

Silent Hill 2 remake takes the Resident Evil remake route by adding full-motion cameras and some improved combat. Guns feel impactful and the puzzles strike the perfect balance of challenging but not too difficult. Some areas from the original have been built upon, which can sometimes lead to pacing issues, but it doesn’t make the adventure any less dull. It’s definitely 2024’s best horror game.

Indika

Indika feels less like a horror game and more like a psychedelic adventure. You play as a nun fighting an internal battle against the Devil. The game dives into themes like religion and conflicting beliefs in a really cool, trippy way. My favorite aspect of Indika is that you can earn skill points, but the game tells you that they’re literally worthless and upgrading skills does absolutely nothing!

Until Dawn

Until Dawn remake is a fine attempt at an already phenomenal horror game, it’s got a likable cast of characters and great story pacing. However, the game came out almost 10 years ago, and there weren’t too many new additions to this remake. There are two new endings, but it might be better worth your time to just watch them on YouTube.

The Casting of Frank Stone

The Casting of Frank Stone takes place in the Dead by Daylight universe and is developed by Supermassive Games, the studio behind the original Until Dawn, The Quarry, and the Dark Pictures Anthology horror games. Its story feels a bit lacking at times, but Dead by Daylight fans will surely enjoy it.