Fear is an interesting beast. While the supernatural or grotesque might instil dread among most and turn the terrified away from the horror genre, there’s something undeniably enticing about that feeling of helplessness, along with the uncertainty of what lurks behind every corner.
This is undoubtedly the lure of horror video games, which translates this very feeling into a playable format. And there’s certainly no shortage of horror titles in the video game space, spanning all manner of genres from straight-up jumpscare-filled titles like Visage or Outlast, to survival horror staples like Resident Evil, which still provides the scares, albeit with a chance to fight back.
Just in 2025 alone, gamers have been seeing some amazing entries to the horror genre, specifically its survival horror subset, with the likes of Bloober Team’s surprise sci-fi hit Cronos: The New Dawn, which took the core gameplay experience of classic titles like the older Resident Evil games, and infused it with a touch of time-travel and a unique monster-merging mechanic. For those revisiting a childhood terror, there is Silent Hill f, which revitalised the long-running franchise with its new 1960s Japan setting and emphasis on melee combat.
Indeed, 2025 has been good eating for horror fans, but this is just the appetiser, as there’s still plenty in store in the coming years, with a decent spread of horror titles of all types that’s sure to whet the appetite of genre fans.
Here are 10 games to terrify you from 2026 and beyond:
Resident Evil Requiem
Release Date: 27 February 2026
Genre: First/Third-person survival horror
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Kicking things off with perhaps the most anticipated title on the list, which just so happens to be coming out pretty soon. Marking the next chapter in Capcom’s iconic survival horror series, Resident Evil Requiem shines the spotlight on franchise newcomer Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst and daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak’s (2003) Alyssa Ashcroft.
Following in the same vein as Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’s Ethan Winters, Ashcroft isn’t proficient in combat, at least at the start of the game, so expect to do a whole bunch of sneaking and hiding as she gets constantly stalked by a grotesque, long-haired monstrosity. The game will also take players back to Raccoon City, so maybe this might allude to an appearance from everyone’s favourite Leon Kennedy? One can only dream.
Reanimal
Release Date: Q1 2026
Genre: Horror platformer
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Fans of the horror platforming franchise Little Nightmares might have already received their fix with this year’s Little Nightmares III, but the latest sequel in the popular series was actually helmed by Supermassive Games instead of the developer of the first two games, Tarsier Studios. Those itching to find out what the original developer has in store can look forward to the studio’s next project, Reanimal, which looks to play almost identically to Little Nightmares, and honestly, that’s not a bad thing.
Players will follow a brother and sister duo as they work to escape a hellish version of their home while rescuing their friends, all while being hunted by mutated animals and hellish beings alike. Fans can look forward to that familiar mix of environmental puzzle-solving and creepy atmosphere, with the game also supporting both single-player and two-player online co-op, just like Little Nightmares III, except unlike that title, Reanimal will also have local couch co-op, which is nice to see.
Halloween
Release Date: 9 September 2026
Genre: 1v4 asymmetrical multiplayer
Developer: Illfonic
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
It seems Michael Myers simply won’t die, as the terrifying masked killer is back in video game format with the upcoming asymmetrical multiplayer title, Halloween. Much like other gaming adaptations of classic horror titles, including Friday the 13th: The Game, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game and Evil Dead: The Game, the game once again pits a team of four “Hero” players against one taking on the role of Myers.
Myers can use a range of “nightmarish” abilities as well as using the shadows for stealth to hunt down his prey, while the Heroes can also wield weapons and alert local authorities, apart from simply running away. What’s cool, though, is that the game will actually include a standalone single-player story mode, letting players embody the famed killer as they play out the events of the original 1978 film.
Directive 8020
Release Date: 2026
Genre: Interactive drama/survival horror
Developer: Supermassive Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
If you think that being stuck in space with a bunch of shapeshifting aliens sounds like the perfect horror story, you’re in luck, as Supermassive Games, experts in the interactive horror drama genre, are tackling this exact premise with their upcoming title, Directive 8020.
After crash landing on a distant planet, the crew of the colony ship Cassiopeia must survive an unknown threat from extraterrestrials that can take any form, meaning players will need to be careful who they trust throughout the game, which will feature the studio’s signature branching narratives and heavy decision-making, alongside stealth segments and even live combat in between cutscenes. Additionally, the game will also feature Turning Points, a system which allows players to rewind their decisions to see each different path, similar to how Life Is Strange handled things with its time rewind mechanic.
That game conveniently locked the system during pivotal moments, however, so it remains to be seen if Directive 8020 will do the same.
End of Abyss
Release Date: 2026
Genre: Metroidvania/Twin-stick shooter
Developer: Section 9
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
On first glance, End of Abyss definitely seems inspired by Little Nightmares, and rightfully so, as it’s being made by Section 9, a studio formed by veterans behind the latter. But instead of creeping through corridors or being chased by warped beings, this upcoming game lets you fight back, as it’s a mix of a Metroidvania and a twin-stick shooter.
Don’t expect the run-and-gun nature of other action titles in the twin-stick shooter genre, though, as this is still a horror title, meaning players will have to explore an unsettling derelict space station, encountering monstrosities that they must dispatch carefully while managing limited ammo in true survival horror fashion. In a way, it sounds like someone took Dead Space and turned it into an isometric shooter, and we’re all for it.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake
Release Date: 2026
Genre: Third-person survival horror
Developer: Koei Tecmo Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
The ghostly photo-taking horror franchise is back, and to no one’s surprise, it’s a remake of the 2003 sequel, Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly.
For the uninitiated, players will follow the twin sisters Mio and Mayu Amakura as they encounter a mysterious village that doesn’t appear on any map, one filled with vengeful spirits and a never-ending night. Using the series’ signature Camera Obscura, players will combat all manner of spirits by, you guessed it, taking pictures of them, with additional “damage” dealt based on how well the ghost is framed. The remake will not only feature enhanced visuals, but also updated gameplay features and a new hand-holding feature between the sisters… for some reason.
ILL
Release Date: TBC
Genre: First-person action horror
Developer: Team Clout
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
ILL is the perfect example of a game that looked so good that when initial gameplay footage appeared online, people immediately thought it was fake or a tech demo. It’s only when developer Team Clout, made by individuals with horror film experience from projects like Longlegs, V/H/S/Beyond and It: Welcome to Derry, released the first official trailer for the game that everyone’s interest was piqued, with its highly realistic visuals, visceral violence and grotesque creatures eliciting a collective internal gasp from all survival horror fans… probably.
What’s more, the team has teased some elaborate systems to coincide with the already impressive-looking first-person combat and exploration, including physics-based environmental interaction for puzzle solving and in combat, monsters that dynamically change their behaviour depending on a player’s actions, and an intricate weapon management system that requires checking for gun malfunctions for maintenance and upgrading them by installing modifications, and of course, limited ammo and an emphasis on inventory management. That gasp just turned into a squeal of excitement.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival
Release Date: TBC
Genre: First-person action horror/body horror
Developer: Saber Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
It’s the second classic horror film franchise being turned into a video game on this list, and this time, it’s Clive Barker’s iconic supernatural series Hellraiser, and much like the movies, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival looks to be disgustingly depraved in all the best ways.
Played out in a first-person perspective for maximum immersion in the depravity, Hellraiser: Revival looks to be a mix of titles like Outlast and more action-oriented ones like Resident Evil Village, with players spending as much time running away from the iconic Cenobites as they do violently dispatching all sorts of masochistic enemies.
Expect lots of blood, gore, dismemberment, graphic nudity, body horror, and, as a cherry on top, the appearance by OG Pinhead voice actor Doug Bradley, who returns to reprise the role.
State of Decay 3
Release Date: TBC
Genre: Third-person survival horror/simulation
Developer: Undead Labs
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
One of the best zombie survival simulation games is making a return, as Undead Labs’ threequel, State of Decay 3, is set to evolve the series for the modern console generation.
Like the two games that came before, State of Decay 3 will once again task players with building a community of survivors amidst a zombie apocalypse, controlling various members of the group as they head out on resource-gathering runs, all while being surrounded by hordes of the undead. There’s a real risk here along with the reward, as death is permanent, and rushing headfirst into a tricky situation can lead to losing the most powerful character in your settlement forever, and this is exactly what fans are dying for more of.
OD
Release Date: TBC
Genre: TBC
Developer: Kojima Productions
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
This list just wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Hideo Kojima’s OD, which is being co-written by Jordan Peele.
To be honest, nothing is really known about the game, although its reveal trailer did feature some rather impressive facial capture technology capturing the likeness of actors Sophia Lillis, Udo Kier and Hunter Schafer. Apart from that, Kojima did describe the title as one that will “explore the concept of testing your fear threshold, and what it means to OD on fear”, and that’s about it. Still, this is Kojima we are talking about, a genius when it comes to video game narrative experiences, so leave it to him to craft something truly special in the horror genre. Maybe he will figure out a way to measure a player’s heart rate and delete their save files when they get jump-scared, who knows?
BONUS: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
Release Date: 2026
Genre: First-person horde shooter
Developer: Saber Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
To be fair, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando isn’t a horror title per se, but it does come from the mind of the horror genius behind Halloween, The Thing, and They Live, as its name suggests, so it does deserve a special mention on this list.
The game itself is set to be a co-op horde shooter, the likes of Left 4 Dead and World War Z, which might cause some eyes to roll, but one can argue that after the disappointment of Back 4 Blood, the world really needs a good new zombie shooter right now, and Toxic Commando looks eager to claim that title, featuring brutal first-person gunplay against waves of undead monsters, the ability to mow them down in vehicles, and all manner of special infected archetypes to shake things up. Yes, this does sound similar to most horde shooters that came before, but if Toxic Commando pulls it off well, then it has the potential to be another shooter for genre fans to sink hundreds of hours into.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
