The best horror games on PS5 (2024)

1. MADiSON

MADiSON blew us away when we played it in 2022. Developed by indie studio Bloodius Games, it’s the perfect blend of horror, jump scares and puzzle solving, taking cues from many of the best classic horror games. We couldn’t get enough of it, and its scariest moments have definitely stuck with us.

In MADiSON, you’ll wander through your grandfather’s house – except it’s not quite how you remember it. Something isverywrong. Expect reality to warp around you as you uncover dark family secrets that you’d probably rather had stayed buried.

If you’re after the ultimate horror experience, MADiSON is now available in VR, too. You’ll need a PSVR 2 headset, of course. And also perhaps a clean pair of underwear.

2. Dead Space

Released in 2008, Dead Space was a terrifying horror game in which your enemies could only be killed by slicing off their limbs. This 2023 remake keeps that important mechanic intact, but ramps up the tension with its dramatically improved audio and visuals, and the gameplay with new areas to explore and a whole lot more.

Jump into Dead Space and it won’t take long for you to realise that it’s a scare-fest. Danger lurks around every corner of the USG Ishimura, with most of its inhabitants turned into truly grotesque creatures. You’ll find out why as you make your way through the game, doing your best to escape. Not that it will make your encounters any less harrowing, however.

In any case, Dead Space is a must-play for fans of body-horror. And though it has plenty of action, its scares truly are mortifying.

3. Resident Evil 2

The Resident Evil series is an absolute treat for horror game fans, and this remake of the PS One classic is perhaps the best of the best. Set a short while after the events of the original Resident Evil, players find themselves in Raccoon City taking control rookie police officer Leon Kennedy or college student Claire Redfield. Caught up in a zombie outbreak, they find themselves holed up in a police station. And from there they must find a way to escape Raccoon city.

What makes Resident Evil 2 so special is how it brings a classic so wonderfully up to date. The tank controls and fixed camera angles are out, replaced with a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective that lets you get closer and more immersed into the action. It also manages to make zombies scary again. You can’t beat the classics, and this is undoubtedly one of the best and scariest horror games on PS5.

4. The Last of Us: Part 1

Remade for PS5, The Last of Us: Part 1 is another chance to play one of the best games ever made. Now adapted into a hit show by HBO, The Last of Us puts players in control of a smuggler, Joel, and a young girl called Ellie who’s apparently immune from an infection that has ravaged humanity. Tasked with escorting her to a group called the Fireflies, it ends up being a trek across America, with the pair encountering not only dangerous scavengers but also grotesque creatures know as Clickers along the way.

If you haven’t played The Last of Us before, you’re really in for a treat with this remake, which admittedly only enhances the gameplay a little but dramatically improves the visuals. Its story will stick with you for a long time to come, and some of its scenes and scenarios are truly terrifying. Its sequel has been remastered for PS5 now, too, so you can jump into that after.

5. Alan Wake 2

We waited so long that we thought an Alan Wake 2 would never happen. Thankfully we were proven wrong. Not only that, but Alan Wake 2 far surpassed our expectations, with Remedy Entertainment delivering an incredibly bold and inventive sequel that really amps up the horror elements at times.

In Alan Wake 2, players actually take control of a new character for nearly half of its running time – FBI Agent Saga Anderson. As Saga, you’ll explore Bright Falls and the surrounding areas, trying to solve a case which involves multiple ritualistic murders. Ultimately it leads to the return of Alan Wake, whose more traditional gameplay is enhanced with him being able to morph the environment around him by changing the narrative.

With its phenomenal writing, intense atmosphere and numerous stand-out scenes, Alan Wake 2 is a must-play, particularly for horror fans. Not only just one of the best horror games on PS5, it’s one of the best games on PS5 full stop.

6. The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me

We love Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology – that’s why you’ll find not one but two of them on this list of the best horror games on PS5. The most recent entry in the series, The Devil in Me, might just be our favourite one yet, though, finding players checking into a hotel full of terrifying traps, all set up by one seriously unhinged owner.

Featuring impressive performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Kaye, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is yet another cinematic outing by Supermassive Games, although there are more gameplay elements than ever before. What really stands out, though, is how your choices and actions shape the fate of the game’s protagonists. To get everyone out alive you’ve really got your work cut out ahead of you.

7. Still Wakes the Deep

Developed by The Chinese Room, Still Wakes the Deep is a tense and atmospheric narrative-driven experience that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Putting you in the shoes of an offshore oil rig worker, being called to the office by an angry boss soon becomes the least of your worries when something terrible is unleashed from the deep. In an effort to survive you’ll have to battle your way through the rig, encountering hazards and grotesque monstrosities along the way.

While Still Wakes the Deep isn’t perhaps the scariest game on this list of the best horror games on PS5, its realistic visuals, brilliant sound design and incredible performances from its cast all leave a lasting impression. It’ll particularly resonate with fans of body horror: if you love The Thing, you’ll love this.

8. Resident Evil Village

Okay, so Resident Evil Village is perhaps more of an action game with horror elements than an outright horror game, but it truly does have its moments. When you’re not being pursued by werewolves or humanoid creatures with weapons grafted to them, you’re sneaking through the dungeons of a vampire-infested castle, or exploring a swamp where you never feel safe. Needless to say, while Resident Evil Village won’t have you terrified for the duration of its running time, it will at least have you on the edge of your seat.

Whatmighthave you terrified though, isResident Evil Village’s Winters’ Expansion DLC. Adding in a new chapter called Shadows of Rose, here you play as Ethan’s daughter as she embarks on a horrifying yet captivating journey to try to rid herself of her magical powers. There are some truly scary moments – rivalling those found in the house filled with dolls in the main game.

9. Tormented Souls

Taking inspiration from classic survival horror games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Tormented Souls looks modern but plays like a blast from the past. It doesn’t have to control like one though, as tank controls are optional. But you’ll still have to contend with fixed camera angles, limited attack options and a bucket load of fiendish puzzles. Chances are though, old-school horror fans will fall in love with the game for those reasons.

Tormented Souls may be a bit of an acquired taste, then, but those who do get on with it will hold it dear to their hearts. The puzzles are enjoyable to solve, and the monsters that pursue you through the halls and rooms of the creepy mansion you’ve found yourself in are both menacing and grotesque. Throw in an interesting story, and you’ve got one of the best survival horror games on PS5.

10. The Chant

The Chantmight not exactly be the scariest horror game on PS5, but it’s certainly one of the best. Particularly so if you’re a fan of old-school survival horror games. Developed by Brass Token, it absolutely nails the feeling of a 90s survival horror game, wrapped up in more modern packaging.

In The Chant you play as Jess, a young woman who has been coerced into attending a spiritual retreat on the remote Glory Island. Before you even begin, the words “spiritual retreat” are enough to send shivers down your spine. Lo and behold, a whole cosmic nightmare unleashes on Glory Island and it’s up to you, as Jess, to fight your way through it. There’s combat, cinematics, a gripping narrative some excellent atmosphere and just about everything you’d expect from a survival horror. Don’t miss this one.

11. Project Zero/Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

If your idea of a great horror game involves spooks and spectres rather then zombies and other grotesque monsters, you might want to check out Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, also known as Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse depending on where in the world you are. Originally made for the Wii, it’s now found a home on the PS5, and despite its age it still provides some genuine scares.

In Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, you’ll take control of numerous protagonists across a range of environments, though their stories are all linked. There are multiple ways to deal with your ghastly encounters here as well, including using a special flashlight, but for the most part you’ll be fending off apparitions with a camera, waiting until just the right moment to take the most powerful shots. The only thing that lets it down a little is its clunky controls.

12. House of Ashes

House of Ashes is the the third game in Supermassive Games’ Dark Pictures Anthology, and perhaps the most action-packed. But that doesn’t mean it’s not scary. Following a group of soldiers who find themselves trapped in an underground network of temples and caverns, House of Ashesis creepy from the get-go. It doesn’t take long for horrifying flesh-hungry creatures that lurk in the darkness to make themselves known though, and then the horror really ramps up. Needless to say, from then on, House of Ashesprovides the scares by the bucket load.

Like all Dark Pictures Anthology games,House of Asheshas a branching narrative. So, your choices and actions really matter here – failure to keep a cool head may lead to lives being lost. As cinematic games go this is up there with the best of them, making it one of the best horror games on PS5 by far.

13. Little Nightmares II

Is Little Nightmares II a prequel or a sequel? After completing it we’re still not sure, but one thing is for certain: it’s destined to become a horror classic.

Combining puzzling and platforming, with a bit of combat mixed in for good measure, Little Nightmares II will likely be a refreshing and unique experience for most. There’s a constant feeling of dread throughout; while there are plenty of scares, the game’s most heart-pounding moments are undoubtedly when you’re being pursued and must escape.

14. The Quarry

As if terrifying players with its Dark Pictures Anthology games wasn’t enough, Supermassive Games has been working with other developers to deliver scares as well. The Quarryisn’t part of the Dark Pictures Anthology, but it shares the series’ sentiments: you’ll take control of a group of characters and fight to keep them alive. This time, the action takes place in a summer camp, where a group of camp counsellors have been forced to stay an extra night. Turns out alotof stuff can go wrong in a night spent somewhere you’re not supposed to be.

With a star-studded case including David Arquette and Lin Shaye,The Quarryis a tense, heart-pounding journey that’ll keep you invested just like any of the best Hollywood horror films. The best part of all is that you get to influence the outcome.

15. Dead by Daylight

Multiplayer and horror traditionally aren’t genres that go together very well. That was before Dead by Daylight hit the scene, however. Since then, there have been many asymmetric horror games that have gone down rather well. Dead by Daylight is still the king of them all though, and thankfully it’s available on PS5. In each match you’ll either be in control of a relentless killer or one of four survivors. Of course, the aim of the survivors is to not get caught. But that’s easier said than done, especially when the environment changes every time you play.

While survivors play from a third-person viewpoint, giving them more awareness of their surroundings, the killer plays in first-person, getting them closer to the action. Those that really get into Dead by Daylight and don’t mind spending some money will find that there are a wide range of well-known killers available, too, from franchises such as Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and even Scream. So, if you like horror and multiplayer games, chances are you’ll absolutely love Dead by Daylight.