There’s an art to scaring people, and no, I don’t mean popping out from behind cover with a loud sound, going “boo”, or delaying Grand Theft Auto 6 again. I’m talking about instilling actual living dread into someone; bringing out their worst fears and leveraging them to deliver an experience that causes discomfort, maybe even outright disgust. The sheer range of fears for humanity is near-endless, but crafting an experience that frightens on such a collective front, even if it’s not a typical “scary” game, can be tough.
So it’s all the more impressive that the video game industry, be it triple-A developers, independent studios (even with the backing of major publishers) and smaller creators, can craft such a wide range of terrifying games, year in and year out. While that also means a heaping helping of shovelware – awful releases that wouldn’t even muster a simple yawn – a select few rise above the rabble to dominate.
Here are our nominees for the best horror game of 2025, starting with…
Routine
Between development troubles and even stopping development, only to restart in 2020, it’s almost impressive that Lunar Software’s first game was released at all, much less received such positive praise. Nevertheless, it’s pretty much what we expected – a slow, methodical trip down the retro futuristic rabbit hole in a station filled with killer robots. Even if the story doesn’t quite stick the landing, being immersed in this surreal world and awkwardly feeling your way through is more than worth the price of admission.
Tormented Souls 2
Old-school survival horror with its save rooms, fixed camera angles, and tank controls – you really couldn’t ask more from Dual Effect, especially after the surprising success of Tormented Souls. However, the sequel actually improves a lot, from more intricate puzzles and exploration to far better lighting that adds the oh-so creepy mood. Caroline Walker may never really catch a break, but her escapades make for some tense gameplay, if nothing else.
The Midnight Walk
If there’s one medium that’s adept at portraying adorably terrifying creatures, it’s claymation, and MoonHood uses it to full effect here. There’s an almost Tim Burton-like vibe to this tale of The Burnt One struggling to protect Potboy, who houses an alluring flame, from the various horrors of this mysterious world. The Midnight Walk straddles a fine line between beauty and terror while remaining engaging throughout.
Silent Hill f
Of course, it’s not just about balancing beauty and terror – sometimes, you can find each in the other, as Konami’s latest mainline Silent Hill showcases. Venturing outside the US for the first time, taking place in the fictitious Ebisugaoka in the 1960s, it’s a rural horror unlike anything the franchise has seen thus far. Deeply disturbing and unrelenting with its gore, yet never descending into senseless brutality, it’s a psychological trip that’s worth taking.
Total Chaos
A Doom 2 total conversion turned full-fledged horror by Sam Prebble of Turbo Overkill fame, this essentially captures all the reality-bending horror the former strived for. Between fighting grotesque horrors across Fort Oasis and trying to discover the truth of yourself, you’re crafting rudimentary weapons to fight back – all the while diving even deeper into this surprisingly meaty nightmare.
Hell is Us
While much of the emphasis remained on dungeon diving and getting by without any hand holding, Remi’s journey through the war-torn remains of Hadea isn’t without some disturbing sights. War crimes abound, but even discovering mountains of corpses and gruesome murders all in the name of ancient practices, which all connect back to the country’s bloody history, can get heavy. You won’t have to worry about jump scares or such, but it’s a stressful experience throughout.
Little Nightmares 3
It’s a shame that Supermassive didn’t innovate much on the gameplay because, in terms of the atmosphere and aesthetic, the spiral of Low and Alone through Nowhere is delightfully dreadful. Witness the Carnevale, with its sentient puppets that won’t stop attacking until you crush their heads. Flee the Supervisor, whose smile is almost as frightening as her Candy Factory. The frights may not be as out-and-out, but the sights remain as disturbing as ever.
Sleep Awake
Imagine if sleep were the enemy – the domain of an entity known as The Hush, who spirits away those that can’t resist nap time. Now imagine being one of the last few people on Earth trying to maintain their sanity. It’s an unconventional premise, sure, and Blumhouse Games further reinforces the surreality by mixing full-motion video with some gameplay sequences. Despite the iffy stealth sections and walking sim-like nature, its narrative stands strong.
Dying Light: The Beast
What’s there to be afraid of when my boy Kyle Crane, making his return after years in exile, can now rip apart zombies with his bare hands? As it turns out, when the sun goes down, everything. Volatiles are more ruthless, intelligent and brutal than ever, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s finally an achievement to survive the nighttime, which now looks properly foreboding and oppressive (the makeup of Castor Woods helps as well).
Cronos: The New Dawn
If Bloober Team was under immense pressure to deliver with Silent Hill 2 remake, then you have to wonder how much higher expectations were afterwards. Lo and behold, Cronos is another compelling survival horror – different, sure, especially with its post-apocalyptic body horror, sci-fi leanings, and unique premise, but still unrelentingly, stressfully frightening.
And the winner of the Best Horror Game of 2025 goes to…
Silent Hill f
Much like when Bloober Team was announced to remake Silent Hill 2, many were skeptical that NeoBards Entertainment could deliver a new mainline Silent Hill. Going back to the past is one thing, but forging a new experience forward, especially for a studio known for flops like RE:Verse and Resident Evil: Resistance? It seemed like Konami had lost its mind.
But it also announced that Higurashi no Naku Koro ni writer Ryukishi07 was penning the narrative while the brilliant kera handled the characters and creatures. Slowly and surely, despite skepticism surrounding its combat, Silent Hill f morphed into a compelling product. None of this could prepare anyone, even fans of the series, for what they would expect when stepping into the shoes of Shimizu Hinako. Heck, even Konatsu Kato, her Japanese voice actor, continues to be traumatized in her playthrough (to the entertainment of thousands, of course).
Suffice it to say, this is a masterclass in terror and pacing with grotesquely beautiful creatures that you couldn’t tear your eyes from. It offers a strong narrative with even stronger characterization (and a surprising number of layers thanks to its multiple endings). Did we mention the fantastic sound design and soundtrack? And as noted before, everything that you see, regardless of how brutal and cruel it can be, serves a purpose. It’s not unlike the symbolism seen in the series’s best games – just tackling new and undeniably uncomfortable themes.
I could go on, but the result is a powerful horror experience that makes you almost forget about the above-average combat. As a result, Silent Hill f is our pick for the top horror game of 2025. Walk in with as few spoilers as possible – you won’t regret it (maybe).
