Best New Psychological Horror Games of 2026

Horror comes in many forms, and some of it is simply messing with your mind while you’re having to deal with all the terrors that are around you. Don’t believe us? Check out our Best New Psychological Horror Games of 2026 list and see what we mean.

#17 – The Lost Wild

Sometimes, true terror is thinking that something terrifying is “long gone,” and yet, they’re actually still around, and possible, right next to you. You know, like dinosaurs!

However, in The Lost Wild, you’re not meant to go fight the dinosaurs directly; you’re just trying to live in their world and figure out what’s going on around you. For example, instead of fighting them, you can try to distract them or even intimidate them if you think that’ll work. It likely won’t, but you can try!

What is the secret of this prehistoric place? Do you think you can survive long enough to find out? Or, will you get eaten? You’ll find out once you start!

#16 – ILL

If you want things a bit “cranked up” in your horror titles, then perhaps ILL is what you’re looking for. You are someone who is investigating a town full of people who are not just sick; they’re turning into monsters. Said monsters are trying to kill you, so you’ll need to fight back and attempt to figure out what has transformed them into these monstrosities!

The problems you face will be numerous, including the fact that the monsters will adapt to your fighting style, so you’ll need to constantly be on your toes! That’s true horror right there! A horror that continually evolves and challenges your survival at every turn. Good luck!

#15 – The Occultist

And now, for something even more psychological.

You are Alan Rebels, a paranormal investigator who has certain objects that allow him to view the events that transpired in certain places to see what kind of paranormal activity went on within them. When brought to a place called Godstone, he must see the truth and try not to get caught up in the horrors that transpired there.

And some of those horrors…involved his father, whom he is searching for. But be warned, the abilities that Alan uses can hurt him if he’s not careful, and the spirits of this place are more than willing to hurt you beyond standard means…

#14 – 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. That alone would be enough to scare players, but a key gameplay element is the cranks that you need to find and use to keep your little bunnies going. There aren’t many, and if you’re not careful, your battery will be out of charge.

Then, there is the “Carnival Monster,” which is on the hunt for these rabbits. They also need the cranks, so it’s a race against time, and the monster, to try and stay alive before everything…winds down.

#13 – 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.

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. Yet, you have to know that you aren’t the only “thing” roaming around this crazy place, right?

Yep, something’s after you…and you’ll want to make sure you don’t get caught by it…

#12 – Directive 8020

That image is freaky enough, right? Regardless, let’s break down Directive 8020.

You are on a desperate mission for Earth, and the moment you arrive on the planet where you were tasked with going, a being from the planet takes the form of one of your crew. Your job is to complete the mission, but how can you do that when you know there’s an alien among you? That is the true psychological horror that will plague you throughout.

This imposter among you…that sounds familiar…is a perfect copy, so how can you trust anyone when ANY OF THEM could be the thing that wants to kill you?

#11 – SLEEP AWAKE

There are those who fear sleep for a variety of reasons. But more times than not…it’s not because they’ll vanish if they go to sleep. In SLEEP AWAKE, you’ll be in a world that has that exact problem, and it’s causing all sorts of things to naturally go wrong.

You are one of the last remaining people within one of the last human cities, and you’re doing all you can to stay awake so you can get to the bottom of this mystery and see if there’s any way to escape the cycle you’re in.

Do what you can to keep going…and remember…don’t sleep.

#10 – Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss

Come on! You knew we had to have Cthulhu in this list! In fact, we have him twice in this list, and Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is the first entry.

In the title, the Earth is falling apart, and so, the corporations of the world have the “brilliant idea” to dive into the ocean and mine it for resources. As you can guess, Cthulhu took that personally, and things immediately went wrong. Now, you’re someone sent into the depths to try and get answers to the disappearances, and stay sane enough to get back to the surface! Good luck with that.

#9 – The Bornless

So, The Bornless is a game that has you fighting against demons from another realm, while you’re also trying to make it to the portals within the place to get out with your loot. Yeah, that sounds like a psychological horror game to us!

The gameplay goes out in three phases, and as such, you’ll need to be mindful of not only what you do in each phase, regardless of which side you’re on, but what the other players are doing, as they will come after you, and you’ll kind of want to survive the experience. Just saying.

Each round of gameplay will be different, so keep your head on a swivel until the job is done.

#8 – CAPTURED 2

If you’re looking for a game that might truly try to show you a mind-bending experience as you play, CAPTURED 2 is one you might desire to check out. The game is about a young woman who has gone missing. You play as her, for she has been trapped within a version of her apartment that is literally endless.

Another issue is that she’s “seeing things” within the hallway that she’s trying to escape. If she wants to get out, she’ll have to not only witness these “anomalies,” but capture them. It’s through that process that you’ll get the chance to see more of her past and see if there is any true way out.

#7 – DREADMOOR

You might not think that a game like DREADMOOR is something that can truly be called “psychological horror,” but it is. In fact, it’s the world itself that is lending to the horror vibe as you fish. In this case, you’ll be sailing through areas and waters that are anything but appealing, but you need to wade through them anyway to get your catch.

Oh, and the things you catch are anything but typical. The more you fish, and the more “unique fishing spots” you locate, the more dangerous your catch is. So, will you make a meal of them? Or, will they be the ones making a meal of you?

#6 – THE JOY OF CREATION

Now here’s a game that’s unique in one key way: it’s a fan-made title. THE JOY OF CREATION is an offshoot of a classic horror game franchise, but this time, it’s been rebuilt to look even better, and thus, scare the crap out of you even more easily.

You are “The Creator,” who happens to be a game developer. The problem? The things that he’s created is now after him, and you have to help him survive! Good luck with that. The levels are trickier than you might think, so be mindful of each step you take…else you might find yourself looking at something you didn’t expect…

#5 – Neverway

Don’t give us that look! This is a psychological horror title! It just has a different way of visualizing it.

Neverway is a unique mix of horror and RPG-style gameplay. 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! That could be bad.

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. Can that really happen? That’s up for you to decide.

#4 – The Mound: Omen of Cthulu

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. So, you know, that old thing.

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?

That’s the challenge before you, and so you better be sure about who you bring with you…

#3 – Bendy: The Cage

Bendy: The Cage is set after the previous adventure into Bendy’s world, and yes, things are even darker and twisted than they were the last time. Why wouldn’t they be? It’s a horror game!

Your only weapon to fight back against the terrors to come is an axe, and you’ll have to use it well to get the blows in to stop the monsters you face. What monsters will you face this time? Oh, ones that will haunt your nightmares, what else?

Do you think you can handle that and brave the terrors within?

#2 – Agni: Village of Calamity

A classic theme in horror tales is someone “sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong” and soon finding out that they’re in way over their head. Agni: Village of Calamity is one such tale…and you won’t be happy about that after a while. You play as an investigator who has decided to go to a mysterious village, despite being warned by many not to cross that threshold.

Here, resources are truly finite, so as you make your way through the horror within, make every shot count, and aim true with every melee weapon you get. There will be much to fight, but you must fight to not only survive, but get the answers you seek.

#1 – 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. No, really, have you not heard of what some of these creatures can do? Be grateful they’re contained! …for now…

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.

But can you? With each dob comes new dangers, and you might find that just “getting through the day” is the hardest task of all.