Best New Horror Games of 2026

When it comes to horror, it’s not for everyone. Then, there are those who don’t mind a certain kind of horror. In 2026, there will be horror games aplenty for you to check out. So, check out our list to see which ones YOU might be getting next year!

#23 – Reanimal

How far would you go to find your friends? In Reanimal, you’ll learn the answer to that question. This game puts you as a pair of siblings who must literally go into Hell itself to find those who have been lost. As you might expect, this isn’t a place for young kids, and the monsters that lurk within are almost as scary as some of the truths that the two are attempting to also escape.

The game’s visuals and tensions will make you feel every step you take, and make you dread what might be behind that next corner, or in the next room.

So, again, how far would you go to find yourself?

#22 – SLEEP AWAKE

In the real world, if you go without sleep for a long period of time, you’ll die, because your body will slowly break down and your mind will break alongside it. In SLEEP AWAKE, you’ll find yourself in a version of the world where if you go to sleep, you vanish. As such, those who remain are desperate not only to stay awake, but to prevent “The Hush” from taking them if they do sleep.

Reality is not your ally in this game, as you’ll have to try and figure out the truth and survive the various cults and other threats that await you here.

#21 – The Mound

Based on the words of H.P. Lovecraft, The Mound is a co-op adventure that features you and your allies heading into a forest to try and obtain riches. The problem? Well, the forest is cursed, and all manner of supernatural entities will not only try to get you, but make you question your very grip on reality.

To that end, you’ll need to be quick with your decision-making if you want to get out of each scenario. The problem with that is you might be seeing a monster, but actually looking at an ally. How can you survive in a place where you don’t know what’s real and what’s fake?

#20 – Jurassic Park: Survival

How about we now go to something truly scary: dinosaurs. Yes, they’re not “real anymore,” but in the video game world…they’re quite popular.

Jurassic Park Survival puts you as an employee of InGen, Dr. Maya Joshi, who just so happened to get trapped on Isla Nublar during the 1993 movie classic. However, unlike the main characters of that film, she’s still stuck there! Oops.

That means you’ll have to control Dr. Joshi and get here through the various buildings and habitats to find a way off the island. However, the dinosaurs won’t make it easy for you, so you must know where they are at all times!

#19 – DarkSwarm

Look, sometimes, you just want nothing more than to cut loose and destroy all manner of creatures that you come across. If that means you have to fight a swarm of aliens trying to wipe out your race? So be it! In DarkSwarm, you and your friends will be mercenaries who are dispatched to various worlds and outposts to try and fight off alien swarms.

If that sounds easy, you really need to reevaluate your priorities. Not only is it NOT easy, but you’ll have to work together to survive the innumerable aliens you’ll need to destroy with extreme prejudice. Think you can handle that?

#18 – Neverway

Don’t let the game’s visuals fool you. Neverway is a unique mix of horror and RPG-style gameplay. In the title, you’ll play a young girl who becomes the herald for a dark god! Fun times. Oh, wait, it’s really not, especially when a nightmare world is actually trying to bleed into the real one!

As you fight through the worlds, you’ll meet various characters that you can befriend, fight, or date, should you want. Plus, you’ll need to make a new life for yourself within this place. It won’t be easy, but you might just find your true calling…if you live long enough to get that realization.

#17 – I AM RIPPER

Sometimes, the true terror of our world is the people within it. After all, humanity is capable of all manner of evil. In I AM RIPPER, you’ll find that out when a small town gets ravaged by a serial killer, and it’s up to you to figure out who it is. This isn’t a simple mystery game, though, as you’ll need to find clues, figure out what they mean, and then steer the investigation toward the proper path.

With different viewpoints into these crimes being shown throughout the game, not everything will be as it appears right off the bat. Be careful, or the ripper might come for you next.

#16 – Projekt Z: Beyond Order

War is meant to be a battlefield, but that doesn’t mean that you should expect to find zombies on said battlefield! In Projekt Z: Beyond Order, you’ll play as one of four different soldiers who wind up on a zombie-infested island during the period of World War II. The island has many secrets, and you’ll have the chance to both find them all and fight them.

Plus, each soldier has different skills that can be put to use, so you can get out of each situation. What will it take to get off the island alive? Load up various weapons and find out!

#15 – Animal Use Protocol

Escaping from a terror-filled facility is a hallmark trope in horror titles. But with Animal Use Protocol, the twist is that you’re one of the animals trying to escape a human facility where all sorts of monstrosities were created. Oh, and one of them is hunting you throughout the game.

You’ll play one of the chimps from the facility, and team up with a rat to try and get out alongside the rest of the animals. Due to the experiments, you’re a very smart chimp, and you’ll need to put that brain to use to get out alive. What will you learn about this place before you leave, though? The answers might be more horrifying than the monster chasing you…

#14 DayZ Badlands

If you know this franchise, you might expect DayZ Badlands to be about a different zombie outbreak that affected a new area. However, in this specific region of the world, the infection didn’t hit things that hard. Thus, this is a rare “safe zone” for people to be. The catch is that this area is full of rough terrain and scorching heat.

Plus, other people have found out about this place, too, and that means you’ll have to fight other people and players who want to keep this “secret” for themselves. Survival comes in many forms out here, so do your best to stay alive!

#13 – John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando

When the world starts to fall to a “Sludge God” because of the machinations of a scientist, said scientist will also rise up to try and stop it! In John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, you’ll become one of those Commandoes and attempt to fight off hordes of monsters to try and send the Sludge God back to the depths! Will it be easy? Of course not, but that’s not the point!

You and your friends can team up to form the “dream team” of classes, weapons, and skills to fight off the undead masses. Do your best not to die during the attempt, okay?

#12 – INDUSTRIA 2

If you were a fan of the original horror title, Industria 2 is here to show you the aftermath of the first game! Nora is back, and for a while, she was actually okay with all that happened. Sure, she ended up in a parallel dimension where there was no one else but her, but it was at least peaceful there!

Just as important, she was able to work on a device to take her back. However, ATLAS has other plans for her, and Nora will have to fight and outthink the AI and its plans so that she can save the world and hopefully get back to where she belongs.

#11 – Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss

We’re pretty sure it’s “against the rules” to do a horror list like this and not talk about Cthulhu. Like, seriously, how could we NOT talk about this cosmic entity at some point? Sure enough, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss makes the list, and it’ll take you on a journey that could break your mind.

In the game, humanity’s fight for survival takes them to the ocean depths, and they unknowingly start a chain of events that result in Cthulhu affecting everyone and everything that comes down there. You are sent to find the truth of this matter. But can you withstand what’s coming? Will this dark god consume you? Or will an even worse fate await?

#10 – SCP: Distorted Spacetime

If you know about the world of this “wiki,” you know that when it comes to the SCP group, the most dangerous thing isn’t the monsters themselves, but where they are contained. After all, if one thing goes wrong, everything is screwed. In SCP: Distorted Spacetime, you’ll take numerous jobs within one of their secret bases. Each job will give you different tasks, abilities, and threats to deal with. Plus, you’ll get to see SCP from different angles, learning the truth as you try to survive.

Survival won’t be easy, especially in Breach Mode, where you’ll have to get out of the place before the SCP threats unleash their powers, or kill them before they can get out.

#9 – The Occultist

In The Occultist, you play as a paranormal investigator by the name of Alan. After hearing about the disappearance of his father, he heads to an island to figure out what happened to him. However, as he arrives, he soon realizes that there are many supernatural things happening within this place, including in the main home that his father apparently grew up in long ago.

Through the use of a special item, Alan will be able to see the past and attempt to put together the pieces to this dark puzzle. But what will happen when he digs into the truth? Will he survive? You’ll have to play to find out!

#8 – Carnival Hunt

Carnival Hunt is a unique twist on horror, and not just because of its carnival setting. The game is a 4v1 multiplayer experience where four of you play mechanical rabbits that are attempting to escape from the machinations of a terrifying monster that’s chasing them. The problem? Each of you only has so much battery life within your bodies. Thus, you must wander around the map to find the wind-up keys so you can keep moving.

Then, there is the “Carnival Monster,” which is on the hunt for these rabbits. Outlast them and you win. But whoever can’t keep charged will lose.

#7 – Mortal Shell II

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, as we’ve shown you. But sometimes, the biggest monsters are the ones who claim that they are gods, and that we must do as they command. In Mortal Shell II, you’ll be one of the few who can rise up to take down this false god and their legions.

As you wander the realm, you’ll come across the “shells” of fallen warriors. Possess them to learn their abilities and see what they are capable of. The more bodies you inhabit, the better you become, the more skills you can add to your arsenal. So, have fun building up the warrior you want to be!

#6 – The Blood of Dawnwalker

Vampires suck. Get it? Anyway, there are many tales about vampires in the video game space, but in The Blood of Dawnwalker, you’ll get to see things from a more medieval perspective.

With the Black Plague bringing humanity to its knees, you become a Dawnwalker when the vampires try to take over! Part human, part creature of the night, you must walk the delicate line to fight back and rid the world of this new threat.

Or, you can become the monster and unleash your fury on all around you! How will the story change based on your decisions? You’ll have to play the game to find out…

#5 – FEROCIOUS

It’s bad enough that you’ve shipwrecked on an island and are on a desperate search for your brother, who also happens to be there, but soon you’ll find out that’s just SOME of your worries!

The island is curiously infested with mercenaries. What are they doing there? What are they searching for? Does it have something to do with your brother? You’ll have to outwit them and take them out before they do the same thing to you!

Oh, and did we mention that this island…has dinosaurs? Because it does, and they’ll happily make a snack out of you if you let them!

#4 – Directive 8020

You are on a mission to save the Earth, and your ship and crew are vital to ensure the planet’s survival. However, you crash land on a planet and find yourselves being hunted by a terrifying enemy threat! What’s worse, Directive 8020 forces you to try and figure out who is the alien, and who is still human. Your goal is simple: get back to Earth, but that could also mean dooming the planet itself by not completing your mission!

Your choices will matter in this game, and one wrong move can spell doom for all involved. Are you willing to take that chance just to make it home alive?

#3 – FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE

It actually says quite a lot that certain horror games are getting remakes, as their developers and publishers want to “show once more” why these games were scary before, but have been made even scarier now! In FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE, you’ll play as two sisters who end up in a haunted village. The spirits there are truly restless and attack the sisters constantly.

Thankfully, you have a special camera that can capture the spirits. But as you progress, the truth that unfolds is truly unsettling, and one of the sisters seems to be getting warped by the surroundings…

#2 – State of Decay 3

It’s fair to say that State of Decay 3 took its sweet time to get made, and we don’t even know if it’ll live up to the hype of its long development. However, the previous title was a worthy entry in the horror/zombie apocalypse drama, so we’ll give it a shot.

The game will once again put you in a world where zombies are everywhere, and humanity isn’t in the best position. You’ll have to manage and guide a group of people to get supplies and fight off any undead beasts you come across.

Just remember, when someone dies, they’re gone for good. So do all you can to keep your group safe!

#1 – Resident Evil Requiem

Finally, and arguably most fittingly, we’re ending our list with the Capcom classic horror franchise. Specifically, they’ve got a new title coming out next year via Resident Evil Requiem, and it’ll tie the past, present, and future of the franchise together in interesting ways.

First and third-party perspectives? Check. Focusing on the horror so that you’ll be scared constantly? Check. A protagonist that clearly is WAY over her head, yet you have to control her to get through the madness that’s coming? Yep.

Capcom is using this game to “tie up” the story of Raccoon City, and, naturally, nothing good ever truly happens there, so be ready for true terror when it drops.