Horror is always welcome in the video game industry. Whether through a captivating story or entertaining gameplay, scares never fail to appear in this genre loved by many. So we took the opportunity to put together a Top 10 with the best horror and terror games for PC.
This time we made a selection of ten horror games from recent years. Some are PC-exclusive and others multiplatform, with well-known titles and others not so much, that flew under the radar and we took the opportunity to bring them to light. The good thing is there's a bit of everything: adventure, action, mystery, and the inevitable jumpscares that many players love.
Alien: Isolation
Unlike the adaptations of previous games in the Alien franchise, which focused more on action, Alien: Isolation emphasizes stealth and survival horror, where you have to avoid a single xenomorph. The story takes place fifteen years after the events of the film Alien (1979), and you play as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley (protagonist of Alien), as she investigates her mother's disappearance.
In fact, the game was designed to resemble the original film more closely, with mechanics based more on hiding and using tools to distract the alien, which will be hunting you throughout the entire game. Developed by Creative Assembly, Alien: Isolation is available on Steam, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Amnesia Collection
Today, the Amnesia series is already a cult classic among horror fans. If you've never played them, nothing beats Amnesia Collection, a bundle containing all three games: The Dark Descent, Justine, and A Machine For Pigs. In terms of gameplay, both The Dark Descent and its expansion, Justine, are survival horror games with graphic adventure elements that focus on solving puzzles while trying not to lose your sanity by avoiding monsters and other terrifying obstacles.
In contrast, A Machine For Pigs removed several elements from the previous games to offer simpler puzzles but with a focus on exploration in larger areas. Developed by Frictional Games (The Dark Descent and Justine) and The Chinese Room (A Machine for Pigs), Amnesia Collection is available on Steam and PlayStation 4.
Cry of Fear
Although it was originally a mod for Half-Life in 2012, Cry of Fear was released as a standalone product the following year. In this survival horror, the plot takes place in a Scandinavian city, and you step into the shoes of Simon Henriksson, a young man who wakes up in an alley after being hit by a car.
The game spans seven to eight chapters, depending on your actions, where you have to explore the city, solve puzzles, and fight monsters while searching for answers before losing your sanity. But be careful, as ammunition and medical supplies are scarce, and the map is a maze with several minotaurs lurking. There's also a multiplayer mode that can be played cooperatively with up to four players. Developed by Team Psykskallar, Cry of Fear is available for free on Steam.
Dead Secret
We set aside monsters and aliens to focus on a more realistic horror, like the one Dead Secret offers. Set in rural Kansas in 1965, the game takes place on a farm where you take on the role of a journalist who decides to investigate the murder of Harris Bullard, a scholar of Japanese mythology who took many secrets to the grave.
Your mission is to decipher Harris's secrets and the mystery of his death, all before the killer decides to strike again. There are many clues and puzzles around the farm that you must find and solve while being stalked by a mysterious figure wearing a robe and a mask. Developed by Robot Invader, Dead Secret is available on Steam, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, Oculus VR, Samsung Gear VR, and HTC Vive.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Although at first glance it seems like a cheerful dating game like many others, a warning sign tells us this game is not suitable for children or people who get easily disturbed. Doki Doki Literature Club! is a visual novel that follows the story of a high school student who, at the request of a childhood friend, joins the school's Literature Club and interacts with his classmates in order to win them over with poems. So far nothing strange. But once you delve into this literary club, you'll witness a series of events that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Developed by Team Salvato, Doki Doki Literature Club! is available for free on Steam.
Layers of Fear: Masterpiece Edition
A painter whose only goal is to complete his masterpiece begins to have hallucinations when he starts working. Layers of Fear is a psychedelic first-person horror game where you have to explore a constantly changing Victorian mansion, a product of the painter's visions, fears, and horrors. As you explore the mansion, the details of the painter's sinister and tragic past and his family are revealed. The game includes an expansion, Inheritance, which tells the story of the painter's daughter returning to her childhood home to face her past. Developed by Bloober Team, Layers of Fear: Masterpiece Edition is available on Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Outlast Trinity
The popular Outlast series is a modern reference when it comes to horror games. The first game revolves around a journalist, Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital called Mount Massive. But upon arrival, he finds the institution in ruins with several corpses of employees, guards, and SWAT teams. From there, you have to escape the place, eluding the asylum's patients who roam freely.
The second game introduces another journalist, Blake Langermann, along with his wife Lynn, wandering through the Arizona desert to investigate the murder of a woman. But a helicopter accident separates the couple, and now Blake has to find his wife while traveling through a village inhabited by a sect that believes the end of days is upon them. This package includes all three games in the series: Outlast, Whistleblower (expansion of the first game), and Outlast 2. Developed by Red Barrels, Outlast Trinity is available on Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
SOMA
From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA is a horror game and science fiction set in an underwater world, dealing with more philosophical themes. The protagonist is Simon Jarrett, who wakes up in a facility under mysterious circumstances and unknowingly is forced to discover his past, while trying to make sense of his situation and potential future. The gameplay emphasizes stealthy evasion of enemies, puzzle solving, and immersion as you search for clues, such as notes and audio tapes, that advance the story. Developed by Frictional Games, SOMA is available on Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Stories Untold
Inspired by 1980s technology, Stories Untold is a collection of four horror adventures that mixes adventure game genres, including text adventures, first-person exploration, and puzzle solving. Each episode is a different story with its own gameplay, accompanied by a sublime horror soundtrack inspired by the 80s.
As a curious detail, the first adventure is a remastered version of The House Abandon, a shorter adventure game released as a free title in 2016. Developed by No Code, Stories Untold is available on Steam.
The Evil Within 2
The sequel to the successful The Evil Within follows the story of detective Sebastián Castellanos. The plot of The Evil Within 2 takes place three years after the events of the previous game, with Sebastián descending into the nightmare world of STEM to save his daughter Lily. The maps are now much larger and there are multiple ways to advance through a level. This allows you to freely explore the map area to complete side objectives and search for scarce resources.
When you encounter an enemy, you can either face them using various weapons or move stealthily to get behind them and eliminate them silently; stealth also serves to escape without being seen. You also have a new system to craft items, such as ammunition, weapon customization, and a skill tree to improve Sebastián's abilities. Developed by Tango Gameworks, The Evil Within 2 is available on Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Do you like horror and terror games? Then, if there's any on this list you don't know, we recommend you get it, because you won't regret it. All these games will make your legs shake!
