On the hunt for the best PS4 horror games for the spookiest time of the year? Then look no further. You can only watch so many horror movies on Netflix to hype yourself up for Halloween every year before craving something new. Why not mix it up a little by playing some scary games?
Even though there are no free horror games on the PS4, we guarantee that the games on our list are worth the (mini) splurge. If not, check out these best free Steam games too.
20 Best PS4 Horror Games This 2022
Whether you’re looking for a game to play with your friends, or a game to scare yourself silly alone late at night, there’s bound to be a game for you.
1. Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Taking place 22 years after the first installment, Dying Light 2: Stay Human features an all-new protagonist Aiden Caldwell, who’s made the journey to the zombie-infested city of Villedor to find his missing sister. More than just a survival game accentuated with jump scares, choices and secrets, Dying Light 2 gives gamers the freedom to shape the futures of both Aiden and the whole of Villedor.
Much like the first Dying Light, you can expect a lot of fast-paced, high-octane action from this thrilling RPG horror game. Fight your way through the city with parkour and scavenged gear — all while struggling with the fear of zombie infection.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 76
Google Users: 91%
2. Dead by Daylight
For gamers looking for the perfect game to play with their friends on Halloween, it’s hard to go wrong with the survival horror game Dead by Daylight. Featuring a full roster of playable characters, each game is divided into two teams: four Survivors, and one Killer. In this gripping 4-vs-1-player game, you either survive with impeccable teamwork or trump as a strategic killer.
As a Survivor, it’s your job to escape the Killing Ground, either as a team or alone. In order to open up the escape routes, you must repair a total of five generators. On the other hand, as a Killer, your goal is to hunt down the Survivors and bring them to your sacrificial hooks before they accomplish their task.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 64
Google Users: N/A
3. Resident Evil Village
Much like the previous installment, Village is a first-person survival horror game with heavy action elements. As Ethan, you’re forced to battle your way through the titular village and several other zones to reunite with your family.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 81
Google Users: 96%
4. The Last of Us Part II
Much like the original The Last of Us, most of its gameplay revolves around skulking in the shadows and scavenging gear to fend off zombies and bandits alike. Throughout the story, you’ll be forced to fight for your life with beloved characters, both new and old.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 93
Google Users: 62%
5. SOMA
Unlike its predecessor, SOMA leans heavily towards science fiction without veering away from its psychological horror roots. But just like the other Amnesia games, there’s no fighting the monsters here. You need to outrun, outsmart, and outmaneuver the horrific entities that block your path. SOMA focuses heavily on puzzle-solving, exploration, and stealth.
PEGI Rating: 16
Metacritic Score: 79
Google Users: 94%
6. Little Nightmares II
Similar to the previous game Little Nightmares, part two also takes place in a 2.5D world. You can expect lots of puzzles and platforming. Only this time, you can fight back against all manners of foes by swinging objects and weapons. You won’t find many jump scares here, but that doesn’t make you any safer from the palpable dread formed by this game’s unique and unnerving aesthetic.
PEGI Rating: 16
Metacritic Score: 78
Google Users: 98%
7. The Forest
Arguably one of the best survival horror games on the PS4, The Forest focuses heavily on the survival aspect. After crash landing onto a cannibal-infested forest on an island in the middle of the ocean, the protagonist, Eric LeBlanc, must survive all manners of danger — all while looking for his son.
The Forest is a survival game first and a horror game second. This game is a must-have for people who are terrified at the prospect of exploring claustrophobic caves, battling horrific cannibals, and staving off hunger and thirst long enough to survive. If you’ve asked yourself what games are like Phasmophobia on the PS4, then this is as close as you can get to a fun yet horrifying cooperative romp.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 78
Google Users: N/A
8. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
Despite this game’s cutesy art style, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is one of the most popular horror games for a reason. The game itself plays out like a visual novel, featuring four different characters. The protagonist is invited to join the literature club by his childhood friend Sayori, and his life irrevocably changes from then on — for better or for worse. This dating-sim-game-turn-high-school-horror will have players’ hair standing in a matter of seconds.
Though it’s difficult to delve into what makes this game so special without spoilers, it goes without saying that there’s far more to this horror anime-esque dating sim than meets the eye. Unlike most horror games, Doki Doki relies on disturbing dialogues and story plots to conjure the spooks. Do not be fooled by its cute and sunny aesthetic. It’s as the warning says: this game is not suitable for children or the easily disturbed.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 80
Google Users: 96%
9. Until Dawn
Like most good horror games, Until Dawn is a thrilling story that’ll keep gamers on their toes from start to finish. The game itself revolves around eight friends who spend the night on a remote mountain retreat. Things turn awry when they discover that they aren’t alone. Now, they must fight for their lives.
What makes this game so unique is how it simulates an interactive horror movie. Your actions determine the story and outcome. With games like this, every choice matters. Unlike other narrative horror games, character deaths are permanent in Until Dawn. No two playthroughs will ever be alike as the decisions you make in this game will result in new branches in the story.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 79
Google Users: 96%
10. Outlast 2
Said to be even scarier and more polished than the first game, the first-person psychological horror game Outlast 2 puts the player in the shoes of the cameraman Blake Langermann. Tasked with investigating the murder of a pregnant teenager, Langermann must explore the town of Temple Gate through the lens of his video camera with the help of his wife, Lynn.
Throughout the game, you must run, hide, and outwit creatures and cultists to uncover the truth behind the murder — all while finding your way back to safety. You’ve probably asked yourself: “what is the #1 scariest horror game for the PS4?”. While the answer will vary from person to person, there’s no denying that Red Barrels’ 2017 hit Outlast 2 will be one of the most popular answers.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 78
Google Users: 93%
11. Alien: Isolation
Based on the sci-fi horror film franchise Alien, Creative Assembly’s Alien: Isolation manages to capture the essence of what made the original movies so horrifying. The game features Amanda Ripley, who must navigate her way through the space station Sevastopol. At the same time, she must constantly evade a murderous, highly-intelligent xenomorph alien aboard the station.
This is a game that has been lauded as one of the best horror games on the PS4 due to the sheer intelligence of your extraterrestrial adversary. Though it isn’t the only threat present in the game, there’s really only one alien in Alien: Isolation. Despite this, the sheer adaptability of your foe’s artificial intelligence is enough to make it a horrifying threat. It’s capable of learning your strategies and using them against you, so be extra careful!
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 79
Google Users: N/A
12. The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2 takes place three years after the events of the first game. The protagonist, Sebastian, has been given a shot at rescuing his supposedly deceased daughter. In exchange, he must return to the nightmarish alternate world of STEM under the instructions of a mysterious MOBIUS administrator. Fight to survive the frightening environment filled with nightmarish monsters and threats.
The gameplay is consistent with the original The Evil Within – a survival horror game heavy on crafting and stealth. The best part? You can now alternate between third-person and first-person perspectives. Combat is also prevalent, and you can use weapons and traps to challenge the many horrors obstructing your path head-on.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 75
Google Users: 95%
13. The Quarry
One of the best new horror games from the same developers behind Until Dawn, Supermassive Games’ The Quarry features a similar interactive horror experience. In this case, the story revolves around nine teenage counselors who are forced to spend a night at Hackett’s Quarry — a summer camp with a dark secret. Chaos ensues after a bloody turn of events, and it’s up to the counselors to survive the night or die trying.
Your choices as an observer determine the fates of a large, likable cast. It’s up to you to get the ending you want. Featuring a grand total of 186 different endings, no two playthroughs of The Quarry will ever be the same. Given its narrative style and unique gameplay, you can treat each run like an interactive horror movie. As a result, it’s one of the most fun scary games to play with friends.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 74
Google Users: 92%
14. Evil Dead: The Game
Hail to the king, baby. For gamers looking for some of the best PS4 horror games with multiplayer capabilities, it’s hard to go wrong with Evil Dead: The Game. Featuring both cooperative gameplay and action-packed player-versus-player combat, this game is less about survival and more about wrecking shop.
Featuring the same setting and characters as Sam Raimi’s iconic Evil Dead film series, this game incentivizes you to pick fight over flight. Evil Dead is the perfect choice for you and your friends to boot up on Halloween night, taking turns between playing as Survivors and Demons. If you don’t feel like going up against your friends, then you can play cooperatively to defeat AI enemies instead.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 72
Google Users: 94%
15. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
The Fatal Frame series is considered to be a cult classic by many horror video game enthusiasts. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water features three characters who wind up in the fictional Hikami Mountain. The region is infamous for being the site of many suicides and hauntings, and each character has their own motive for investigating the mountain.
As one of the few tried-and-tested ghost games on the PS4, Fatal Frame is unique in how you’re capable of fighting back against your enemies. The catch? The only way to beat a ghost is to bring out your camera and take pictures of them. This requires you to stare at them in first-person view as they advance.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 71
Google Users: 95%
16. Call of Cthulhu
Inspired by the classic pen and paper tabletop RPG of the same name, Focus Home Interactive’s Call of Cthulhu features a semi-open world environment that leans heavily towards Lovecraftian elements. The player is tasked with investigating the death of the Hawkins family who mysteriously perished in a fire on Darkwater Island. A sudden twist in the case causes things to turn deadly.
This game requires quick wits and keen eyes. The sole objective of this first-person role-playing survival horror game is to solve an otherworldly mystery. What makes Call of Cthulhu unique is how you must deal with the overt threats you encounter while simultaneously struggling to keep your sanity level high. Undoubtedly, the game’s strongest suit is its eerie atmosphere and thrilling story.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 63
Google Users: 91%
17. Amnesia: Rebirth
The Amnesia series is widely recognized to be among the scariest horror games out there — regardless of the console. It should come as no surprise, then, that Amnesia: Rebirth is one of the scariest games available right now. Taking place in an Algerian desert, Tasi, the protagonist, wakes up amidst the wreckage of a plane with no recollection of what happened. With her companions missing, she ventures forth to find them.
Like previous installments, you’ll have to subdue or outsmart monstrous creatures and overcome numerous puzzles in this game. And although it follows the usual Amnesia formula, there’s a lot more to this first-person survival horror adventure than meets the eye.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 75
Google Users: 88%
18. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
Much like Until Dawn and The Quarry, Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes plays like an interactive Halloween movie. The story focuses on five different characters: four members of an American special forces team, and a member of the Iraqi Republican Guard. After a grueling battle between the two factions, the protagonists fall into a sinkhole before awakening in a ruin where an ancient evil awaits.
House of Ashes is thrilling, gripping, and incredibly fun to play — especially with friends. The game serves as the third installment of the first season of the Dark Pictures Anthology. Like previous versions, you control different characters and make a wide range of choices that shape the game’s story.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 74
Google Users: 93%
19. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
Another mystery-based horror, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture boasts a creepy atmosphere and a haunting soundtrack. The goal of this first-person atmospheric mystery game is to explore the village of Yaughton, whose inhabitants have all mysteriously disappeared. In order to unravel the mystery, players must interact with a series of floating lights that replay scenes and conversations.
Each of these scenes gives you a clue about the truth behind the mysterious “rapture,” and it’s up to you to piece everything together. Seeing as there are no overt threats or monsters in the game, it’s impossible to actually die. Instead, this game is more like a walking simulator where you go through various scenes to piece together a much larger story.
PEGI Rating: 16
Metacritic Score: 78
Google Users: 87%
20. Those Who Remain
A psychological horror experience loaded with clever puzzles, heavy moral choices, and gripping storytelling, Camel 101’s Those Who Remain is all of these in one. The game takes place in the sleepy town of Dormont, where locals have been disappearing left and right. It’s up to the protagonist, Edward, to piece together the mystery.
Those Who Remain is all about solving puzzles to progress. You’ll have to search for keys and hide from monsters, all while being bombarded with horrific scenes and haunting stories. The game’s strongest suit is the creepy atmosphere it manages to create, unsettling you to the point of sweaty unease.
PEGI Rating: 16
Metacritic Score: 49
Google Users: 89%
Special Mentions: Underrated PS4 Horror Games for Halloween
If you still aren’t wholly convinced and need a few more options to read through, then don’t worry. Here are some honorable mentions for some of the best PS4 horror games that may have fallen under the radar, but can definitely keep you occupied nonetheless.
1. Bendy and the Ink Machine
Bendy and the Ink Machine is a testament to how violence and gore are not mandates for horror games. The game focuses on Henry Stein, the co-founder of an animation studio that’s subjected to strange supernatural phenomena after the installation of the Ink Machine. As cartoon characters are brought to life, it’s up to Henry to discover the truth while finding a way out of the workshop.
This first-person puzzle action horror game draws inspiration from cartoons in the late 1930s to 1940s. In terms of gameplay, you’ll have to explore the workshop and fend off all sorts of cartoon creatures. Fortunately, you can fight back with cartoonish weapons like plungers and guns.
PEGI Rating: 12
Metacritic Score: 71
Google Users: N/A
2. Darkwood
Without the usual jump scares or a first-person perspective, Darkwood offers a new angle on survival horror. Instead, in this top-down and unforgiving game, players must scavenge and build barricades, traps, and defenses. At the same time, they must survive the perils of a randomly-generated forest as well as its mutated inhabitants until daylight.
Throughout the game, you can unlock skills and perks by consuming mutated flora and fauna to give yourself an edge. Be warned, however, as doing so without caution could lead to dire consequences. All in all, Darkwood is one of the best PS4 horror games solely because of how it’s able to remix and reinvent many elements of survival horror, making for a totally new and unique experience.
PEGI Rating: 18
Metacritic Score: 80
Google Users: 95%
3. Observer
A unique first-person sci-fi psychological horror, Observer (also stylized as >observer_) is set in a cyberpunk dystopia. In this game, players must explore the world through the eyes of an observer — a detective of sorts capable of hacking into people’s brain implants for interrogation purposes.
Throughout the game, you’re expected to invade the minds and memories of various people in order to unravel a much larger mystery. Upon doing so, you’ll also be forced to relive their darkest fears. Will you be able to crack the case without losing yourself in the process?
PEGI Rating: 16
Metacritic Score: 77
Google Users: N/A
4. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is the perfect choice for gamers who’ve had enough of typical run-and-hide survival horror games. Instead, this game is all about fighting back. The story revolves around the Hunter, who is trapped in a never-ending nightmare. Given the game’s unsettling Victorian Gothic atmosphere, ferocious werewolf-like creatures, and a vast array of creative weaponry, expect an action-packed, bloody romp.
Throughout this action RPG, you must use all sorts of weaponry and eldritch magic to battle frenzied locals and ferocious creatures. Bear in mind that Bloodborne is infamous for its difficulty. Despite this, its unique combat system, clever level design, and horrifying roster of enemies make it one of the best PS4 horror games of all time.
PEGI Rating: 16
Metacritic Score: 92
Google Users: 94%
5. Costume Quest 2
Double Fine Productions’ Costume Quest 2 revolves around stopping the wicked Dr. Orel, a dentist whose goal is to see that Halloween is destroyed forever. It’s up to the protagonist to travel through time to try and stop him from establishing his dental dystopia, thereby saving Halloween.
This game is what we’d describe as a kid-friendly turn-based action RPG. Though this hardly qualifies as a horror game, it’s a love letter to Halloween. This makes it the perfect game to play during the spookiest time of the year. The game itself allows you to traverse a large world to fight enemies. Time your attacks and study your foes and you’ll come out of this game on top!
PEGI Rating: 7
Metacritic Score: 74
Google Users: 95%
Picking Out the Best PS4 Horror Games for Halloween
Whether you’re looking for RPG horror games, paranormal games, or survival horror games, there’s no denying that the Playstation 4 has much to offer for those eager to get spooked. With Halloween fast approaching, it’s a good idea to start picking out the best games to keep you occupied. At the same time, keep an eye out for upcoming horror games like The Devil in Me — the finale of the first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology.
However, if you’ve decided you’ve had enough of scary video games and would prefer something a little more palatable, then don’t worry. Here’s a handy guide to help you pick out the best PS4 games that every gamer should own!
