16 Best Open World Horror Games To Always Keep You On Edge

If you enjoy horror games then we got a list for you. In this list we’re going to highlight the best horror games you can play that’s also centered around an open world environment. Explore the unknowns of each game world and attempt to survive the horrors that pop up.

#16 Sons Of The Forest

Platform: PC
Release Date: February 23, 2023

Steam

What could be better than going to an island paradise? Well, nothing if that’s actually where you’re going. But in Sons Of The Forest, “paradise” isn’t the word you will be using for the place you’re in.

When a mission to find a billionaire goes wrong, you’ll have to wander the island and get resources to survive and fight off monsters that come your way.

You can explore the entire island from the start, opening up many options for you and choices on how to survive. Plus, the longer you play the game, the more the seasons will change. So how will you adapt to what the island throws at you?

#15 Don’t Starve Together

Don’t Starve Together takes the thrilling Tim Burton styled survival game Don’t Starve and turns it into a stand alone multiplayer adventure. Together with your friends or random online players you can craft, farm, and build your way through a mysterious world of The Constant. It’s a rather different style of open world horror game than what you will find on the rest of the list butis no less of a worthwhile experience. It won’t have you shaking in your boots, but it is a fun horror inspired journey.

#14 S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky

S.T.A.L.K.E.R is one of the most important open world horror series in the genre’s history, and Clear Sky is another worthy entry in the franchise. Set before the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R, this prequel is about the Clear Sky group, a team dedicated to researching and understanding the Zone better. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan, and rifts begin to form. In this first first person shooter you’ll be put to the test as you enter the heart of Chernobyl amid the Factions War as the Zone sees every man fight for himself.

#13 Darkwood

As a top down horror title Darkwood immediately stands out from the rest of the games on the list. The goal however is very similar to the rest: survive at all costs. You’ll explore the constantly evolving forest while the sun is up in order to scavenge for supplies, craft new tools, weapons, and traps. But as soon as the sun goes down you had better hunker down and prepare to defend yourself as the horrors hiding in the shadows are sure to exploit any mistakes you make.

#12 Dying Light

Think you can survive an entire city full of zombie hoards? Put yourself to the test with Dying Light, a first person action survival game where it’s you versus more zombies than you can imagine. Craft, train, and use your parkour skills to reach new heights (literally). Dying Light puts an emphasis on freedom. Letting you explore the entire city with scalable buildings, and combine environmental hazards with your ever growing arsenal to put the undead six feet under for good.

#11 S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat

Whereas Clear Sky was a prequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl that led right up to the start of the original game, Call of Pripyat is a direct sequel. The three games all play almost exactly the same as one another, so the main difference in their ranking comes from the enjoyment of the story and characters. In Call of Pripyat you play as Major Alexander Degtyarev who is sent to investigate helicopter crashes that occur just outside of the Zone. Alexander disguises himself as a “stalker”, who are essentially treasure hunters looting the Chernobyl zone for artifacts but that isn’t enough to avoid conflict with the factions who lurk inside the Zone. In order to get to the bottom of the military helicopters disappearing, it will bring you into direct conflict once again with those brave, or foolish enough, to explore the Zone.

#10 The Forest

The Forest is the most simulation heavy game on the list but still manages to craft an original horror experience. As the only survivor of a jet flight that crashed, you awake to find yourself in an unknown forest. You quickly discover that it is filled with mutated creatures waiting to pounce and devour you. In order to survive you must gather resources, craft weapons, build a secure camp, and if all else fails make sure you run. You’ll learn a lot about the cannibalistic creatures that hunt you, including how they have families, and what appears to be an almost human like society.

#9 Days Gone

While it’s true that Days Gone plays it a little safe in regards to the game design, that doesn’t prevent it from still being a worthwhile experience. It features rather standard third person action adventure combat and movement in an open world setting. Where it does manage to differentiate itself from the rest is with its usage of the zombie hoards.While large groups of zombies aren’t a rare feature in zombie stories, rarely does a game pull it off as well as Days Gone.The large mass of undead creatures barging down on you is some of the most genuinely heart pumping moments in the game. If you get caught when you’re not expecting it there’s little chance you’ll survive and even running away will only get you so far.

#8 Subnautica

One of the best parts of Subnautica is how different it is visually from everything else on the list. It takes place underwater on an alien world and is full of vibrant colors. In part this is where the scary aspects of the game also come from. Where there’s bright colors leads to even darker depths once the sun can’t reach any further. With all kinds of alien monsters lurking below as you build inhabitable bases to store equipment, vehicles, and resources, you’ll also have to avoid catching the eye of the many predators who only come out at night. Explore the planet, discover what led to its current environment, and of course, try to survive.

#7 State of Decay 2

With State of Decay 2 you get to rise up and lead groups of survivors against the mutated zombies that have taken over the world. From who gets recruited to where you set up your community, every decision is yours. Your goal is to help fight back and reestablish a fraction of society. There’s a lot more than just your typical zombie enemies as well. Huge mutated zombies of different types roam everywhere you go. Just one of these monsters can make or break your efforts so make sure you stay prepared.

#6 Subnautica: Below Zero 

Set two years after the original Subnautica, Below Zero has you exploring the same planet, but now deep in its freezing depths. Your goal is to uncover the truth behind a secret cover up that occurred at one of the stations established by your sister on the planet. Much like the original game you are able to construct liveable habitats and new vehicles to make your exploration easier. The monsters that lurk in the deep dark sections of the sea however are even more terrifying than what you already know from Subnautica. Below Zero manages to improve on the original game in every facet of its development but the biggest change would be the story. The narrative being about trying to find out what happened to your sister makes the journey feel much more personal.

#5 Dying Light 2: Stay Human

If what you’re looking for is size and lot’s of content then Dying Light 2 likely clears all the competition. If you were to go after every ending and complete all the side quests it offers you would have to put hundreds of hours in to complete it. Fortunately, that’s optional so people looking for a normal length title don’t be too disheartened. Much like the original game, Dying Light 2 really wants the players to feel as though they have the freedom to do what they want. With a wide range of high speed traversal methods you can climb, swing, and jump to wherever your heart takes you. Or you can use those skills to run circles around the endless zombie hoards. With a variety of unique weapons and allies for you to discover the game manages to stay fresh every step of the journey, but just remember; it also won’t hold back its punches> Your decision can have dire consequences for the city and your friends, so make sure you choose wisely.

#4 S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl

S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl shares many of its features with the other S.T.A.L.K.E.R games on the list. It has the terrifying anomalies, mutated creatures, first person survival action, and of course the constantly at war stalker factions.It’s main advantage over the other games is how it did everything first. The games are all around equal when it comes to gameplay, mechanics, and polish, but Shadow of Chernobyl was what left that first impression and I generally found the story to be a lot more interesting. It benefits from world building over the other games as it has to explain things in more detail whereas the other titles can use what it built for themselves.

#3 The Evil Within 2

The Evil Within 2 is a horror masterpiece, which isn’t that big of a surprise when you learn that Shinji Mikami is the mind behind everything. The most traditional survival horror game on this list by a mile, but with a creative twist that allows it to stand on its own. Much like most of the genre there’s a crafting component but in The Evil Within 2 resources are more limited than in other games. Overall, The Evil Within 2 is a fantastic journey into a man’s worst nightmares in order to save the life of his daughter. The story is fantastic, the gameplay is tight and guarantees to keep you on your toes, and there’s just very few games that nail atmospheric horror as well as it does. Not to mention that there are some fairly open areas for you to explore.

#2 Metro Exodus

Metro: Exodus mixed up the series by incorporating non-linear level design into its campaign.Rather than one large open world, Exodus offers you multiple smaller open worlds with varying environments, enemies, and objectives. It tells a thrilling story of humanity persevering through the worst of an apocalypse and uses a hidden morality system to judge which ending you deserve. Metro: Exodus also manages to take one of the greatest first person survival horror systems in history and expands upon it. From the on the go crafting to the modular weapons you can create, Metro: Exodus will have you scrounging for resources to survive. 

#1 Ghostwire Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the largest, most populated cities on the planet which is part of why Ghostwire Tokyo is such an interesting experience. The entire population vanished in an instant, leaving their clothes and belongings behind. You survived the vanishing due to a powerful spirit attempting to take control over your body, together you’ll use a wide range of elemental magic and detective skills to get to the bottom of the supernatural catastrophe. If you love weird but compelling stories and rich, beautiful worlds to explore then Ghostwire Tokyo is a game you should look into. I couldn’t get myself to set it down. I was so enthralled by the game design and world building.