The 21 Best Survival Horror Games On Xbox One

Looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat at night? Survival horror video game titles have a massive fan base and there are always exciting new video game titles launching into the market. If you’re after something new to try out for the Xbox One then check out our picks for some of the best survival horror games on the platform. This of course not a definitive list as we all have our own opinions so we want to know your personal favorite games especially if they don’t make this list. Drop us a comment and help recommend some great survival horror games that players should try out.

#21 The Outlast Trials

Platform: PC PS4 PS5 XBO XS
Release Date: May 18, 2023

Steam | Xbox | PlayStation

Survival is one of humanity’s most basic instincts, but when it’s put to the test in trials that are meant to break your mind and body, it’s not the easiest thing to pull off.

In The Outlast Trials, you and others will be trapped as human lab rats by a vial corporation, and the only way out is to complete the tasks ahead of you. That alone is no easy task, as you’re not the only one trying to get out alive.

You can even play the game with your friends to see if you can work together long enough to survive. Just remember, those “friends” could betray you at any moment.

#20 Dredge

Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX|S Switch 
Release Date: March 30, 2023

Steam | Playstation | Xbox | Nintendo

What does it mean to survive out on the high seas? Many will say it takes a strong will. Others will tell you that it requires a strong boat. No matter what you believe, you’ll find out the answer when you play Dredge.

When you’re sent to an island chain to fish, you’ll soon discover that there’s more going on here than meets the eye. A dark history must be uncovered, and that only speaks to the horrors on land.

When nighttime falls, so too does the fog around the depths. If you sail in, you might not sail out, as massive creatures come up at night and won’t be afraid to tangle with you and your boat.

#19 The Quarry

Developer: Supermassive Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform: PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One XSX|S
Release date: June 10, 2022

There are many horror games out there, but ones like The Quarry want you to truly feel fear as you play it. However, they also want to make you understand the depths of your choices.

The game occurs at a summer camp where the camp counselors are forced to stay an extra night. But that decision will toss them into a series of events that not all will survive.

Carefully weave through the narrative and see how your choices will save or take lives. If you’re lucky and observant, you can undo them, but be mindful of your decisions.

What is the dark secret hidden in this place? Dare to pick up the controller and find out!

#18 Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel

Developer: Pulsatrix Studios
Publisher: Maximum Games
Platform: PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One XSX|S
Release date: June 28, 2022

The paranormal experiences of a building depends on who’s in it and what tools you have within. The St. Dinfna Hotel is a place that is said to hold many supernatural entities. Eager to discover what is within, a young journalist named Roberto enters and soon finds himself wrapped in a mystery involving several timelines!

That’s right! You’ll get a camera that can let you perceive other timelines, and through them, you’ll learn what has happened in the hotel. But you’ll also find yourself a target of the apparitions that inhabit the place!

Learn the truth and survive what the hotel throws at you!

#17 The Callisto Protocol

Developer: Striking Distance Studios
Publisher: KRAFTON
Release Date : December 02, 2022
Platfrom: PC PS4 PS5 XSX|S Xbox One

There are two kinds of horror games. The ones trying to scare you and the ones that want you to try and survive the experience you’re about to undertake. The Callisto Protocol is in the latter category, and your whole goal in the game is to get out of the situation you’re in.

Specifically, you are a prison colony that gets overrun by monsters due to an outbreak. As Jacob Lee, you’ll fight for your life as you try to escape the monsters and the colony. But how will you escape a prison built on a moon?

With terror all around you, keep your nerve and fight for survival!

#16 Martha is Dead

Martha is Dead is a survival horror game set in the closing years of World War II in German-occupied Italy. Released in February 2022, the game is arguably most famous at this point for being censored on PlayStation consoles. Some of the more graphic content was removed from that version of the game. The game remains censor-free on Xbox and PC. Censoring the game naturally caused a Streisand effect and now more people know about it than probably ever would have. Besides the censored (or un-censored on Xbox and PC) content, Martha is Dead is a truly horrifying (in the best way) experience.

#15 Chernobylite

Chernobylite puts you in the role of a man who must investigate the realistically rendered area of Pripyat, who was heavily affected by the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. You’re on a mission to learn what happened to your fiancé who vanished there 30 years previous.

But you are not alone in this place, there are hostile military forces, “Stalkers” seeking to get what they can scavenge, and more.

You must work alongside companions, build up your base, and get what you need in order to learn the truth about all that happened. Like many other games, your choices matter, and a non-linear story ensures you won’t play the game the same way twice.

Can you overcome your fears and survive in this place?

#14 Outlast 2

Outlast 2 follows similar game mechanics to the first installment of the survival-horror franchise. Players this time around will take on the role of Blake Langermann, an investigative journalist alongside his wife as they uncover clues to a murder of a pregnant woman. In their journey, Blake and his wife become separated after their helicopter crashes. Much like the last installment, gamers are not suited with the ability to combat the enemies that lurk about. Instead, our protagonist will mostly have to hide and run away from any nearby danger.

Since Blake is already a cameraman, he is equipped with a more advanced camera that will offer clearer footage, zoom, and audio detection system, and of course night vision. Gamers will still have to hunt down new batteries for the camera when it drains from night vision use just as they did before making it tough to know just when you should put down your camera and when to pick it back up again.

#13 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a title that was a massive success when it first released in 2010. The game first released as an independent download by developers Frictional Games. Players awake in a dark castle with no memory other than their name and that something is hunting them down. As players lurk throughout the castle to regain their memory they’ll be subjected to the main gameplay element, puzzle solving.

However, within the castle are grotesque enemies that not only will kill the player character but also cause their sanity level to decrease. This sanity level acts as a health indicator. If not managed properly, the player will start to witness unsettling events, eventually leading to their death.

#12 Tormented Souls

Caroline Walker was just a girl who was investigating a disappearance, but soon, she finds herself in the middle of a horrifying circumstance that she’ll have to work hard to get out of. In Tormented Souls, you’ll find yourself in a mansion full of terrors, and have to figure out what is going and how you can get out of it.

But doing so won’t be easy. The game features not just puzzles for you to solve, and monsters to fight, but realities that you can go into and warp in various ways.

Will you be able to figure out the truth about what happened to Caroline, those she was investigating, and the mansion she finds herself in?

#11 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

The Dark Pictures Anthology have been standalone games in a series that build upon the premise of putting you in unique situations in order to challenge you each time with how you handle key decisions. Decisions that will end up with you and your crew either surviving, or not surviving.

In this case, “House of Ashes” puts you in the role of soldiers during the Iraqi War, who find an ancient temple of horrors that forces you to team up with your previous enemies in order to survive the night…IF you can survive the night.

Your choices matter, and you’ll need to do your best to keep your group as together as possible to fight the monsters that see you as nothing more than prey.

#10 The Evil Within

When The Evil Within was announced there was a ton of attention gained simply because of the person who was bringing the game out. The Evil Within was directed by Resident Evil series creator, Shinji Mikami as the game focuses on Sebastian Castellanos, a detective that gets pulled into a distorted world during an investigation. Staying true to the survival horror genre, The Evil Within will have players struggling against a fight with nightmarish creatures while avoiding traps, sneaking around the world, and solving complex puzzles.

It’s a game that doesn’t quite top the Resident Evil series, but there has been a lot of love shown towards the IP. So far there are only two installments available, both of which are available on the platform. Unfortunately, we’re uncertain if this game series will see a third installment release, but you can still enjoy the initial release along with the sequel.

#9 Resident Evil 3 Remake

Capcom was keeping the trend going after the success of a Resident Evil 2 Remake by offering fans a remake of the following installment, Resident Evil 3. The video game, much like Resident Evil 2 Remake, had a few changes to the overall game but the storyline was kept intact. In this particular installment, players take the role of Jill Valentine, who you may remember from the first Resident Evil installment released. Taking place shortly after the events of Resident Evil, Jill is slowly investigating Umbrella Corporation in hopes of taking them down legally. Unfortunately, her work is cut short when her town of Raccoon City was infected by a zombie virus and a massive BOW known as the Nemesis on the hunt to take out all STARS members that were present from the Mansion.

As a result, Jill is forced to run in hopes of piecing together what is happening and to get out of the city alive. It’s a game that’s certainly not as long as Resident Evil 2 as players can get through the game campaign due to it being set up a little more linear and offer players a more cinematic experience. Despite this, you’re still going to get the same classic Resident Evil feel with players having to explore, solve puzzles, and deal with enemies with little resources to spare.

There’s also just one campaign to go through unlike Resident Evil 2. While you will take control of another character in the game outside of Jill Valentine, you’re not going to find yourself having to replay the entire game over again with a different storyline. Still, if you enjoy Resident Evil and have been going through the game franchise thanks to the remakes and remastered editions, you should still find a good time playing through this installment.

#8 Alan Wake Remastered

There are many things that are “ahead of their time” and Alan Wake was definitely one of those games. Because in it you play as Alan Wake (shock, we know) who goes off to search for his missing wife.

But as he looks in the place she vanished in, he starts to find pages of a book. One that was supposedly written by him, but he doesn’t know how/when he did it. And as he reads these new pages, he learns about a terrible supernatural power that is corrupting people and forcing them onto Alan.

Now, he must use his flashlight and his slipping mind to figure out the truth and survive the darkness that is coming.

Alan Wake Remastered features not just improved graphics, but both DLC expansions that help grow the story even more.

#7 Resident Evil 7

After diving into the more action-horror oriented gameplay, Capcom decided to bring the Resident Evil franchise back to its survival horror roots with Resident Evil 7. The video game was a unique take to the series as well with the mainline installment bringing players into the first-person perspective as they explore the terrifying surroundings. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, Resident Evil 7 follows a newcomer to the franchise by the name of Ethan. In the search for his missing wife, he learns her whereabouts may be in some old abandoned home until he soon finds that the home actually is occupied by an oddity Baker family.

Something is clearly infecting the family and it left Ethan in a desperate search for his wife while also fleeing the residents of this home. This game is very much a survival horror title where players are forced into exploring the area, solving puzzles, and having the odds increasingly stacked against themselves. With few resources and plenty of enemies, you’ll have to think carefully about what resources are worth using at any given time.

While this game doesn’t star an iconic character from the franchise, it’s worth noting that you would get a chance to further extend the story as a previous Resident Evil staple character. We’ll, of course, refrain from expanding on this to avoid from spoiling anything tied to the storyline.

#6 Outlast

Outlast is a survival horror game that sparked a ton of attention online and for good reason. It’s a game that doesn’t put players into a role where you can even fight. In Outlast, players take the role of an independent journalist that gets a tip to investigate a mental ward however it’s upon his arrival that he gets captured and put into a hellish nightmare. A strange occult like the group is overseeing the area and to avoid being experimented on and ultimately killed, our protagonist is on a hunt to find a means of escape. That’s no easy task with a mental ward filled with enemies, but keeping stealthy and carefully exploring may actually be all the traits you’ll need to get out safely.  

As mentioned, this is a game that doesn’t offer a combat system, but instead puts players into a position where you’ll have to run away and hide. Without too many puzzles being featured in the game, players are mainly left exploring and finding ways to get through different rooms or areas. Your main tool is a camera that can help give players a look into dark areas with its night vision component. From there, it’s all about using the feature sparingly to see what’s ahead as it runs on batteries. If you happen to run out of batteries you’ll have to go out and search for replacements around the map.

You might have guessed this already, but Outlast also features a ton of jump scares. Being a game that’s mainly based around running and hiding, you can be sure there will be plenty of moments littered throughout that will cause your heart rate to spike. If you’re not into jump scares then you may want to avoid this franchise.

#5 Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is an action-adventure title based on the film series Alien. The game is set over a decade after the events of Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien, starring the daughter of Ellen Ripley. The player’s journey into space is to solve the disappearance of Ellen but in the process, you will have to outsmart the alien creatures that lurk along the path. In this game, you’ll have to carefully go around the different areas within the game. While the game does feature several enemies to fight against, the real reason that will keep players tense is the aliens that lurk throughout.

Aliens within a game are tough and not something you can outright fight against. Instead, this game forces players to flee the area and find a place to hide. The AI in this game is what will make you tense as the aliens can not only visibly spot you if you’re in the open, but you’ll also find that the creatures can actively listen as well. If you’re too noisy the aliens will hurry over and investigate. To make things even worse is that there are save stations that you’ll need to find and save your progress. If you’re not careful you may lose out on a ton of progress simply by attempting to make your way to a station to save the game.

#4 Soma

Frictional Games are fantastic developers who know how to create terrifying video games as they previously released Penumbra and Amnesia. Soma is a survival horror title that puts players into an underwater remote research facility. Within the game, players find themselves in an oddity facility with machines that have taken on human characteristics and you’re left trying to figure out what happened. If you’re familiar with Amnesia, Soma takes on a similar gameplay style in that players will be keen to take a stealthy approach when dealing with the enemy. It’s best to avoid danger when possible while searching for clues and solving puzzles. This is one of those types of games that’s best not knowing really what to expect as it’s a game that features a unique story that you’ll slowly piece together in a game that takes about nine hours to complete.

#3 Resident Evil Village

The Resident Evil franchise has very much been booming as of late, and for the newest generation of Xbox systems, having Resident Evil Village on it is truly a treat.

Set after the events of Biohazard, you’re once again put into the role of Ethan Winters, whose wife is killed and child is taken before his very eyes.

Now, he must seek out where his child has been taken to, and he finds himself in a village full of monsters. Now, you must fight these monsters, solve fiendish puzzles, and do whatever you can to stay alive long enough to get your child back.

Do you think you can do that? A certain tall woman would like to talk to you about that…

#2 Resident Evil HD Remastered

Resident Evil is certainly an iconic survival horror video game. It’s one that sparked a massive franchise that spans across video games, movies, and even live-action plays. While the original installment can feel dated and even tough to play by today’s standards, Capcom did offer a remake for the Nintendo GameCube that gave players a fresh new coat of paint and gameplay mechanics. It was such as a hit that this remake was subjected to a full remastered edition release on current-generation platforms.

If you’re not familiar with the game, players take the role of a special police division that finds themselves exploring an old mansion. It’s here that they discover a slew of experiments and zombies. It’s a classic survival horror experience as well with players having to explore areas, dealing with a limited inventory management system, solving puzzles, and of course having to face against all sorts of enemies. It’s a game that forces players to decide on whether an enemy was even worth fighting as you are again dealing with limited supplies and an inventory system. Wasting ammo on one enemy could prove to be a big downfall later on in this game as you attempt to make your way back to a safe area.

For a game that is decades old now, it’s clear that there is still very much a following that enjoys the first installment. However, for Xbox One players, sticking with an HD Remastered edition not only gives you a nice fresh coat of paint but gameplay mechanics instead of dealing with the old school tank controls.

#1 Resident Evil 2 Remake

After the success with Resident Evil 7 with the survival horror gameplay, the development studio opted to go back and bring out a classic mainline title and give it a proper remake. Fans were thrilled to find that Resident Evil 2 would get remade for current-generation platforms and thankfully it was quite a well-done remake. Fans were once again able to relive the classic installment which featured a rookie cop heading to Raccoon City named Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield in search of her missing brother Chris. The game had a few minor changes to the game compared to the original PlayStation title debut, but it was still a fantastic release and one that fans thoroughly enjoyed.

It’s early on in this game that the duo finds Raccoon City has become infected by zombies and during their journey they become separated. This is where players are essentially given two campaigns as each character has their own storyline to play though it’s worth noting that if you want to get the full ending, you’ll have to complete both campaigns. At any rate, the two campaigns have the same gameplay style as players will venture through the area in search of new areas to explore and progress the storyline.

Much like the Resident Evil franchise is known for the gameplay has a big focus around finding resources, completing puzzles to progress forward in the narrative, and a plethora of enemies that you’ll have to face against. It’s certainly one game installment that was a hit when it first released into the market back in 1998 and once again in 2019.