The essentials: the ones that define the genre
If you're only going to play a couple, make them from this list. The Resident Evil series is the undisputed queen of survival horror, and right now it's stronger than ever: its latest entry, Resident Evil Requiem, landed in February 2026 to bring the scares on PS5 and PC, and behind it you've got the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 remakes, considered among the best in the genre, with that over-the-shoulder camera that turns every corner into a threat.
Facing them is horror's other great lady, Silent Hill. Bloober Team's 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2 brought back one of the medium's best stories with a spectacular facelift, and Silent Hill f took the series to an unsettling rural Japan with a bold new direction. And if you want auteur horror, Remedy's Alan Wake 2 blends survival and surreal nightmare like no one else.
Psychological horror: the kind that gets into your head
There's a fear that's about ideas more than monsters, and it hooks you differently. SOMA is an underwater sci-fi gem that leaves you with questions that stay with you long after you switch off. Signalis, with its fixed camera and retro look, hides a sublime story under layers of dread. And Amnesia: The Bunker is pure, condensed stress in a World War I trench, rationing generator fuel while something stalks you in the dark.
A special mention for Alien: Isolation, which years later still has the smartest enemy in gaming history: a xenomorph that learns how you play and hunts you relentlessly, no scripts, no cheats. It's the kind that makes you put the controller down and breathe. And heads up: a sequel is already on the way.
To get scared in company
Horror is twice the fun, and twice the screaming, with friends. Phasmophobia turned co-op ghost hunting into a phenomenon: four mates, a haunted house and a mic the creature can actually hear. Lethal Company blends horror and absurd comedy until you're not sure whether to scream or laugh, and The Outlast Trials brings Outlast's panic into a co-op that gives no quarter. And if hunter-and-prey tension is your thing, Dead by Daylight has ruled asymmetric multiplayer for years: four survivors against one killer.
For more group plans we have a whole guide to the best co-op games for PS5, and if the undead are your thing, our list of the best zombie games has scares for days.
Indie scares: small budget, big ideas
Horror is maybe the genre where indies fight best, because fear is cheap to build when you're rich in ideas. Mouthwashing has become a cult game telling a claustrophobic tragedy aboard a drifting cargo ship. Crow Country charms with its PSX look and classic survival done right. And for a short, unforgettable experience, Iron Lung locks you in a welded submarine, in the dark, in an ocean of alien blood: ninety minutes you won't get out of your head.
If you're one of the brave ones, Faith: The Unholy Trinity and Fear & Hunger take horror to its most uncomfortable ground, with deceptively innocent pixel art and a difficulty that shows no mercy. They're not for everyone, and that's exactly why they hook anyone after a genuinely rough time.
So, where do I start?
Time to take a side, since this is a guide. If you've never been properly scared and want the most rounded pick, start with the Resident Evil 2 remake. If you want the best story, Silent Hill 2 or SOMA. If you want the newest and nastiest, Resident Evil Requiem. If you're playing with friends, Phasmophobia without a doubt. And if you've got a spare night and want one perfect scare, Iron Lung.
The good thing about horror is that it never goes out of fashion: the graphics change, but the shiver of hearing a noise behind you is the same as it was thirty years ago. Which one do you dare play tonight with the lights off?
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