13 Terrifying Horror Games to Play on Steam

Get your thrills with this list of 13 scary games

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: July 30, 2025 Fact Checked

There is no shortage of scary games available on Steam, no matter if you’re looking for a single-player game with a great story or multiplayer thrills with friends. There's a scary game for everyone—whether you want something intense with lots of blood and gore, or if you're looking for something more kid-friendly with lots of jump scares. We’ve got you covered! This wikiHow article introduces you to 13 must-play scary games on Steam. Some of these games are even free.

Scary Games on Steam

There are many great remakes of classic horror games on Steam, including the remake of various Resident Evil games, Silent Hill 2, and Dead Space. Outlast and Evil Within are some other panic-inducing titles. If you’re into something more friendly for older kids, you could try Poppy Playtime or Little Nightmares.

1

Resident Evil 2 Remake

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Resident Evil 2 is a fantastic remake of a classic. The Resident Evil series has long been the standard for video game horror. In Resident Evil 2, you play as either Leon Kennedy or Clair Redfield as you navigate a police station in the wake of a zombie outbreak. Along the way, you will need to conserve your ammo and resources as you encounter a wide variety of horrifying creatures, including the always-lurking Mr. X. This game offers plenty of puzzles, scares, and great replay value as the game has a different story and playthrough depending on which character you choose..^{[1]
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- Notable mentions: It’s hard to pick just one Resident Evil. Resident Evil 4 Remake continues the story of Leon Kennedy as you investigate a creepy village and sprawling castle in Spain while on a mission to rescue the President’s daughter. While Resident Evil 4 is more focused on action than scares, it still offers plenty of scary moments and a great atmosphere. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is an excellent return to the horror roots of the series and the first to feature a first-person perspective, making for a more immersive experience.

2

Silent Hill 2 Remake

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The original Silent Hill 2 was a masterpiece in psychological horror. In this game, you play as James Sunderland as he explores the creepy, fog-covered town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his late wife. With enhanced visuals and an improved combat system, James must battle both literal demons and his inner demons. This is an excellent game for fans of the original and those experiencing the story for the first time.^{[2]
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3

Outlast

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In Outlast, you play as investigative journalist Miles Upshur as he investigates an asylum. Unlike other horror games, you have no way of fighting back. Your only weapon is a camera with night vision. You are forced to conserve battery as you run and hide from beasts and uncover the dark secrets of the asylum. While the main game is short (about 5 hours), you can extend the experience with the Whistleblower expansion, which is also excellent.^{[3]
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4

Dead by Daylight

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In Dead by Daylight, four players play as survivors and one player plays as a killer. Survivors must complete objectives, rescue other survivors, restart generators, and open the exit as the killer hunts them. Dead by Daylight is a fun game to play with friends that features a wide variety of characters with unique abilities, including some famous movie villains, such as Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Ghost Face Killer, Xenomorphs, and characters from Resident Evil. ^{[4]
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5

Poppy Playtime

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Poppy Playtime is another in a long line of creepy animatronic games. You wake up in an abandoned toy factory that you investigate using the grab pack, which allows you to grab and interact with objects at a distance and solve puzzles. The first chapter introduces you to Huggy Wuggy, a giant furry toy with a creepy smile that chases you in a heart-pounding pursuit. While the creepy atmosphere may be too distressing for small children, it’s a good game for older children as it relies on jump scares and atmosphere rather than blood and gore. There are currently 4 chapters to this game on Steam. The first chapter is free to play and takes approximately 3 hours to complete.^{[5]
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6

Little Nightmares

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Little Nightmares is a side-scrolling platform and stealth game where you must stay in the shadows to avoid creepy monsters, which eventually give chase, leading to exciting escape sequences. The story is intentionally vague, yet intriguing. In the first game, you play as Six, a girl who wears a yellow raincoat. You must avoid the monsters by crouching to quiet your footsteps and scurry between shadows. The game is dark, bleak, and beautiful. While the game may be a bit too disturbing for small children, it should be fine for teenagers.^{[6]
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7

Alien: Isolation

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Alien: Isolation is a classic survival horror game. You play as Amanda Ripley (daughter of Ellen Ripley from the movies), investigating her mother’s disappearance aboard the space station Sevastopol. You must avoid, outsmart, and fight various enemies using a variety of equipment, such as a motion detector, and various weapons. The main threat is the xenomorph, which was an innovation in AI back in 2014. The creature learns from the player's actions and adapts accordingly. You can’t kill the xenomorph. You can only outsmart it or escape it.^{[7]
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8

Cry of Fear

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Cry of Fear is a first-person psychological, survival horror game. It’s like a first-person Silent Hill with guns. You play as Simon, who must fight zombies across an urban landscape while grappling with his own personal trauma. It has a unique inventory system. You must conserve your ammo and be strategic. The game features a dual-wielding system, allowing you to carry a gun and a light source. While the graphics are a bit dated, this game is still worth checking out, especially for the price (it’s free).^{[8]
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9

Dead Space Remake

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The Dead Space games take a more action-oriented approach to survival horror. You must blast apart hordes of mutants limb by limb using your plasma cutter and other unique sci-fi weapons.. You also have the ability to grab and throw objects with Kinesis and slow down enemies with Stasis. The remake adds new polish to the classic, with improved lighting, textures, character design, and even some new gameplay mechanics. The USG Ishimura has been redesigned with more areas to explore and new side missions. Whether you’re an old fan or experiencing Dead Space for the first time, this is a game worth checking out.^{[10]
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10

No More Room In Hell

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No More Room in Hell is an intriguing free co-op, multiplayer zombie survival game. This is another game for those looking to get a few thrills without having to shell out a small fortune. You play with up to 7 other players as you try to complete objectives while battling hordes of zombies. The game takes a more realistic approach to horror survival. There is no HUD to help you aim. You must conserve your ammo, but using melee weapons uses stamina, which takes time to regenerate. You also have to worry about friendly fire. The first game is genuinely free on Steam (no loot boxes, DLC, or anything), but the graphics are a bit dated. ^{[11]
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- If you enjoy this game, you might also want to check out No More Room in Hell 2, which is available on Steam for $24.99. While this game had a lot of bugs and problems at launch, they have made a lot of updates and improvements to the game, with more to come. It’s definitely worth giving it a second chance.

11

Phasmophobia

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In Phasmophobia, you play a ghost hunter investigating various haunts using a variety of equipment, including a camera, flashlight, EMF reader, motion sensors, and more. Each case has a variety of objectives you can complete. The harder the case and the more objectives you complete, the more cash you earn, which can be used to buy more equipment. Phasmophobia can be played solo or co-op. It’s more fun with friends. The game features proximity audio, allowing you to communicate with each other, but be careful. Ghosts can hear you, too.^{[12]
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12

The Evil Within

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The Evil Within is another game from Shinji Mikami, the same guy who created Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4. In Evil Within, you play as detective Sebastian Castellanos as he investigates a mass murder at an asylum and is pulled into a twisted world full of hellish creatures. As with Resident Evil, there is a variety of guns and weapons to choose from, but you need to conserve your ammo. Stealth may be the better option. It also has a variety of memorable boss fights. If you are looking for a decent spiritual successor to Resident Evil, try The Evil Within and its follow-up, The Evil Within 2.^{[14]
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13

SOMA

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SOMA is a narrative-driven game that explores many philosophical quandaries, such as the meaning of consciousness. It is a gorgeous game set at a research station at the bottom of the ocean. As you explore the environment to find out what happened, there are many twists and turns along the way. The game rewards exploration. There are many puzzles, some of which require you to explore to find the answer. Along the way, you’ll encounter rogue AI that you must hide from. This game has an overall sense of dread that lingers long after you stop playing. ^{[16]
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