Your selection of horror games on Game Pass includes nearly every possible subgenre. You’ve got first-person thrillers, multiplayer games, roguelike scares, lighthearted humor, and some so frightening that you’ll think twice before looking into a mirror again. Best of all, since they’re on Game Pass for Xbox and PC, you can try them on either platform without fear of getting in too far over your head.
We’ve rounded up over a dozen of the best horror games on Game Pass for Xbox and PC to try, whether you’re allergic to scares or need something downright terrifying.
The Evil Within 2
You play as a detective trying to save his abducted daughter, but since this is a horror game, things go south pretty quickly. It’s not just a horror game, though. The Evil Within 2 is one of the best horror games in the past decade, one that blends the psychological horror of Silent Hill with Resident Evil 4-style action, and a generous helping of creative environmental work on top. The Resi connection is no surprise, since Resident Evil 4 producer Shinji Mikami was one of the driving forces behind The Evil Within 2.
Amnesia: The Bunker
If you like the thrill of the chase in your horror, where the thrill comes from you getting chased by a terrifying monster, Amnesia: The Bunker takes place in, well, a bunker – a World War I bunker, to be precise. There’s a Thing down in the depths, and it wants to hurt you very badly. You’ll need your wits and creativity to stay alive, as you hide and craft your way to freedom.
The Bunker is one of the tenser games on our list, so if your scare threshold is pretty low, you may want to skip it.
Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight is the perfect meta horror game. Behaviour Interactive took bits and pieces from across the horrorverse and put them together in a brutal asynchronous multiplayer game where a handful of survivors try to outsmart a terrible killer and survive until daylight (get it).
There’s a metric ton of references, crossovers, events, maps, and other nods to horror, and there’s even Nicolas Cage because why not.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Plenty of games tried capturing the Dead by Daylight magic, but only The Texas Chainsaw Massacre comes close. “For the fans” is one of those trite phrases that drives me batty, but it’s actually an accurate description for this game. It takes everything from the music to the style of horror from the Chainsaw saga and effortlessly turns it into one of the best multiplayer games in the last few years. If you love Chainsaw, you really should check this one out. Invite some friends if you can. Teamwork is important in this one.
Ghostwire Tokyo
If RGG told a Yakuza ghost story, it’d probably be something like this. It’s dripping with charm and cultural flair. Tango’s dark vision of a Tokyo overrun with evil spirits leans more into atmosphere than actual scares, but when the atmosphere is this good, that’s not really a problem. You play as a half-dead human and Tokyo’s only hope, adventuring around the city with a ghostly companion and dealing with armies of entities pulled from Japanese folklore.
Inside
Inside takes a different approach to horror. It’s a platformer, but also a narrative-driven adventure about a young boy who finds himself at the center of a terrible, sinister plot. Few games create an atmosphere as effectively as Inside, and it’s no wonder this award-winning gem earned so much critical praise.
Bramble: The Mountain King
Bramble brings the grim beauty of Nordic fairytales to life in a unique adventure about a boy struggling to find her lost sister. Trolls, mushroom forests, evil spirits, even more evil witches – all the makings of a good scary tale are here. Hardly anything is what you expect it to be in this puzzle adventure, so keep your eyes open and trust nothing.
Dead Space (2023)
EA and Motive’s classic survival horror game is back and genuinely more terrifying than ever. Current-gen technology brings the desolate U.S.S. Ishimura back to life in gruesome fashion. A handful of improvements in how the game plays mean it rivals even the Resident Evil 4 remake. Just don’t forget to cut off their limbs.
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon isn’t a horror game in the sense that it wants to scare you, but the setting and its vision of dungeon spelunking are pure gothic. You and a team of brave adventurers delve into the heart of a cursed estate filled with ancient horrors untold in a vain attempt to cure the land. Your party can go mad. You may starve or have a dozen other horrible things happen. Finding your groove and making it as far as you can is satisfying like few other roguelike indie games, though.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade takes unease, disquiet, and cerebral horror to another level. The eponymous hero sets off to save her beloved on a journey brimming with Celtic and Nordic folklore – but she can’t tell reality from the twisted fantasies her mind, full of voices and “Furies” creates. Senua frequently speaks to you about her struggles as well, in a unique move that creates a strong sense of immersion in her dark torment. The sequel is potentially launching in the not-too-distant future as well, so now’s a good time to give it a go if you’re interested.
Lies of P
Lies of P has more than one area where a bunch of puppets came to life and murdered people, and if that doesn’t count as horror, I don’t know what does. It’s scary in the sense that Bloodborne is scary, which is to say that it relies on an unsettling atmosphere and generally creepy enemies to put you in a frightful mood. It’s also basically Bloodborne in form and structure – combat, exploration, the whole thing – though a dash of fairy-tale flavor and some surprisingly thoughtful commentary on humanity give it an identity all its own.
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2 is the Nightmare Before Christmas of video games. It’s not scary (or a Christmas game), but it does have a delightful, fun spookiness to it that makes it perfect for younger players or the scare-averse. Instead of running for your life, you’ll bounce on psychic balloons across the mucus-filled streets of New York City, the mildly disturbing mouth of an evil villain, and the anxiety-fueled dream of game show contestant. It’s one of the most creative games in years and a must-play.
Soma
Soma is one of the scariest games on the list and an exceptional achievement in horror with a splash of sci-fi. It drops you alone, in the dark, with a community under the ocean that suddenly fell into chaos. Your goal is sneaking through the station and finding the truth behind the disaster – if the twisted humans, corrupted machines, and ever-present AI don’t kill you first. The catch is that you can’t fight back. You’ll have to use your wits alone to make it out alive.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
