The best horror games 2020: the scariest games to play on console and PC

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• The best horror games 2020: the scariest games to play on console and PC

Granted, Halloween doesn't end for a moment, but that's no reason to miss out on the best horror games. There are plenty of horror movies that will make you explode from your seats – just check out the list in our best horror movies guide – but games can go further by making these episodes truly interactive and immersive. When you're the one holding the controller and making decisions that can mean life or death, every moment is tense and meaningful. It's much harder to laugh at characters on screen who make stupid, clichéd decisions when you do. Horror games have matured, going beyond simple gore and jumps. While these elements still play a large role in the genre, game developers' approach to horrors is more nuanced than ever. What follows is our pick of the best horror games you can play today on PC and consoles, from recent AAA games to older PC classics. So go ahead and freak out.

Until sunrise

(Image credit: Supermassive Games) We've all seen a Teen Slasher movie at some point (it's hard to escape them), but it's a genre that's surprisingly rare in the world of video games. Probably because it would be so hard to get it right. . Fortunately, Before Dawn is a game that manages to blend slasher movie tropes with the video game format. This exclusive game for PS4 follows a group of teenagers who travel to an isolated cabin in the mountains where, surprisingly, there is a terrifying presence interested in eliminating them one by one. It is up to you to make decisions for the characters in the game, which means whether they live or die or not. Make the wrong decision and your favorite could have a very grim end. Until Dawn is a great horror game because even if it really scares you, you feel like it's having a lot of fun doing it. Platforms: PS4

Bad in 2

(Image credit: Tango Gameworks) The Evil Within series comes from the spirit behind Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami, and if that doesn't give you enough reasons to pick him up, we don't know what will. It is a third-person survival horror that will plunge you into a nightmarish world populated by grotesque and terrifying enemies. A sequel, The Evil Within 2, screamed onto shelves in 2017 in time for Halloween, with lead Sebastian Castanellos once again assuming dark powers beyond his grasp in the warped reality of STEM. In some ways, it's regular horror fare: a seemingly idyllic town, supernatural dark forces, and a lost girl to raise the stakes. But the way it blends classic horror stems with more modern action elements, with a real sense of powerlessness to fuel today's horror, makes it a staple for fans of the genre. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One and PC Today's best deals The Evil Within 2

Dead by daylight

(Image credit: Behavior Interactive) Dead By Daylight stands out on this list for being a multiplayer horror experience: one where only one player plays the role of a savage serial killer while four others flee for their lives. . It's an exciting twist on the usual PvP combat, with a host of original characters, each with their own advantages as a survivor or assassin. There are plenty of tips and strategies to execute on each card, with a character progression system that should keep you coming back. For horror addicts, you can also unlock or download characters from Saw, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC

The persistence

(Image credit: Firesprite) Few mediums are as perfect for horror as virtual reality. Full body immersion and restrictive viewing angles mean you're never completely sure what's around you, and jump scares or surreal monsters are all the more shocking. The Persistence is a set of intelligent virtual reality horror thugs in a monstrous spaceship. Your ship has been shot into the orbit of a black hole, and its interference is constantly invading the ship's setup, using procedurally generated levels to make sure you never know what's going to happen around every corner. . To top it off, every time you die, you're transferred into a new clone of yourself, which would be helpful if the other clones didn't turn into huge, distorted monsters out to kill you. An innovative approach to VR gaming that isn't afraid of, you know, scaring you. Platforms: PS4 (PSVR)

Little nightmares

(Image credit: Tarsier Studios) Little Nightmares is a great example of a game that manages to inspire fear and disgust without using traditional gore and gore. The game puts you in control of a girl named Six and takes you through a terrifying world that is too big for her, populated by a wide range of gigantic and grotesque creatures. You don't have to fight these creatures, you just have to sneak into the world and hide to overcome them in what is absolutely a puzzle platformer. But Little Nightmares is a great horror game in that it perfectly creates a sense of helplessness while clearly indicating that you can escape. Familiar and domestic areas of the home are needed that should be comforting and annoying while making them repulsive and dangerous. Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PS4

The Dead Space series

(Image credit: Visceral Games) Dead Space, published by EA and developed by Visceral Games, is one of the classic contemporary horror games. First set on a derelict spaceship (duh), the story takes terrifying towers and twists, most of which involve zombified aliens waiting around said towers. Following the formula established by Ridley Scott's classic ``Alien'' certainly helped, by the way, the first Alien game that came out didn't release for a few years. Overall, Dead Space was one of the pioneering horror games of the modern era, inspiring a renaissance in the genre that hasn't gone away yet. It all comes down to a few simple tenants: a fascinating story, believable visuals, and a proper pace. And while we recommend the first game for the purest horror experience, you're also bound to enjoy its two main suites. Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

(Image credit: Capcom) Resident Evil 7 was a breath of fresh air for an increasingly outdated series, bringing a modern understanding of horror movies and games while still managing to maintain that very distinct Resident Evil feel. . By changing the perspective from third to first person, it also made the fear closer and more immediate, paving the way for a truly terrifying VR experience in the game. With a great story and tight gameplay, Resident Evil 7 was the horror series addition we all wanted and feared we might not get. The success of the game, as well as the recent remakes of previous titles in the series, are enough to make us think that Capcom will be scaring us for a long time. Platforms: PC, Xbox One and PS4, or PlayStation VR The best Resident Evil 7 today: Biohazard deals Resident Evil 7 - PC Biohazard

Resident Evil 3

(Image credit: Capcom) After the huge success of Resident Evil 7 and its remake of Resident Evil 2, Capcom remade Resident Evil 3 and absolutely nailed it. With its fast pace, action, great graphics, and of course terrifying zombies, Resident Evil 3 Remake is one of the best horror games on the market and is not to be missed. In our Resident Evil 3 review, we gave the game an impressive 4.5 stars, saying, "Capcom proves once again that when it comes to modern horror, it's the master. Resident Evil 3 is a testament to the fact that a good game of Horror has to be so much more than scary, offering clever urban design, stunning graphics, a formidable enemy, and many, many zombies." Platforms: PC, Xbox One and PS4 Today's best deals for Resident Evil 3 (2020)

Slim: the eight pages

(Image credit: Parsec Productions) Released in mid-2012, Slender revolves around long pauses followed by sudden, completely unexpected movements. In other words: skip the scares. Slender is essentially a horror movie in video game form. It's a bit cheap, but it works. Your mission is simple: don't get killed, take the eight pieces of a book and run. Directly inspired by the popular Slender Man meme, the 'Thing' That's Haunting You is a faceless and strangely skinny man in a striped suit. Basically, he is the perfect horror game villain. The game relies heavily on the player having virtually no resources beyond a flashlight and the ability to run. Naturally, both are limited for obvious reasons, which makes escaping even more difficult. Overall, Slender is a fun and not-so-intelligent horror game that will guarantee you some incredible madness. Platforms: PC

Alien: isolation

(Image credit: Sega) Among the countless games that have used this precious creation license over the years, developer Creative Assembly is the first to have actually created a game that lives up to it. The game takes place 15 years after the events of the 1979 Ridley Scott film, and puts players in the space boots of Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda Ripley. By taking a first-person perspective and intersecting with a single xenomorph chasing you through a vast space station in the dark, Isolation defines how you felt when you first saw the film. Atmosphere is what makes a horror game awesome, and Isolation feels like playing through the movie. Add in the unbearably intelligent artificial intelligence on offer abroad, as well as an absolutely captivating virtual reality experience, and you have the outward signs of a modern horror classic. Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC Today's best deals for Alien: Isolation

Outlast Series

(Image credit: Red Barrels) Outlast and Outlast 2, developed by Red Barrels Studio, are now staples in the horror genre. Both games put players under the control of investigative reporters, but while the former takes place in an insane asylum, the sequel takes place in a much more open location of a run-down rural area of ​​northern L' Arizona. Finally, what helps Outlast games is that they follow a fundamental rule of horror games: don't over-empower your players, otherwise it's not a horror game anymore. Offering a refreshing break from zombies and aliens, Outlast and its sequel are great games to play if you want a longer - and possibly scarier - break from your fear fest. Platforms: Xbox One, PS4 and PC

Left 4 Dead 2

(Image credit: Valve) While Left 4 Dead came first, the second version saw Valve realize the vision of its original creators, Turtle Rock Studios. Set in a world overrun by zombies, the game follows four characters on their mission to survive through various online cooperative and competitive modes, which, along with PC mods, offers a ton of replayability. Our friends at PC Gamer ranked it as one of their best FPS games. We're pretty sure most PC gamers would agree with this. The game was originally banned in Australia due to its graphic content – ​​a de facto seal of approval, if you will. The ban has since been lifted, and fans of hardcore horror games are sure to rejoice at its lengthy and massive scenes of devastation and destruction across the globe. Platforms: Xbox 360 and PC

Five nights at Freddy's

(Image credit: Scott Cawthon) Five Nights at Freddy's is definitely another kind of horror game. With the premise of watching players "survive" a night at a kid-themed pizzeria, it's almost unlike anything else in the genre. It's a surprisingly fun game though, once you can get past the terrifying face of a teddy bear animatronic guitarist who comes to life in the middle of the night. Generally, players fight these kidnapped and possessed characters with security cameras what? Poltergeists don't like to leave evidence. The game is the work of indie developer Scott Cawthon, who released it in 2014. Since then, there have been three other direct sequels, all of which have received positive reviews. Talk about staying in power. Platforms: PC, iOS and Android. Today's Top Five Nights at Freddy's Five Nights at Freddy's...

SOMA

(Image credit: Friction Games) SOMA, released in 2015 by Amnesia developer Frictional Games, is a thoughtful and challenging game that could easily be viewed as an interactive movie. Do you feel a theme here? The game contains no zombies or aliens, but rather a shift between 2015 and 2104, when a comet wiped out humans and the remnants of humanity must fight to survive underwater in a research facility. abandoned turned thug. Although SOMA isn't as scary as, say, Amnesia, it's still a fantastic game, thanks to its dark atmosphere, surprisingly cool theme (for horror games), and amazing audio design. Platforms: PS4 and PC

Amnesia series

(Image credit: Friction Games) Amnesia is one of the best survival horror series of all time, with the first game in the series, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, turning out to be one of the scariest games ever. we have played. . Imagine, if you want, that you are being chased by a monster and that you have no way to defend yourself. All you can do is run for your life and at best close a few doors in front to slow you down. You might be able to barricade yourself if you have the right tools, but you essentially know that if you get caught, you're dead. This is the terrifying essence of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a game that also undermines your player's mental health if he is exposed to the darkness for too long. Fortunately, there is plenty of light to protect you from the dark, then. Oh wait... there isn't one. Although the original game, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, first released on PC in 2010, you can purchase the entire collection for current-gen consoles. The Amnesia Collection consists of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, its extension Amnesia: Justine, and the rest, A Machine for Pigs.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

(Image credit: Capcom) Resident Evil 2 Remake is exactly what it says on the tin: it's a remake of the classic 90s horror Resident Evil 2. If you've played the original and didn't think it could get any better, then be prepared to be proven wrong. . Resident Evil 2 Remake elevates the greatness of the original game into a masterful modern survival horror experience. This wonderful remake is the epitome of modern, mature horror, offering puzzles, zombies, exciting action, and a finely detailed environment that requires exploration. And with a second game available, offering a different character experience, it will keep you terrified for hours. Today's best deals for Resident Evil 2 Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation ...