October is the month everyone goes looking for a game to scare them, and 2026 has been generous. In a little over a year we got Resident Evil Requiem, Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall, with Hellraiser arriving next week. Add the modern classics that are still unbeatable, and the list of great horror games has never been longer.
To make the choice easier, we picked the 10 best to play this Halloween, each with a different kind of fear: survival with scarce resources, psychological horror, cosmic dread and even group scares with friends. All of them are on PC, and most are on consoles too.
1. Resident Evil Requiem
The ninth mainline entry launched in February 2026 and is the essential starting point this October. Capcom went back to pure horror, with a vulnerable protagonist, scarce resources and hallways where every sound matters. If you only know Resident Evil for its recent action, Requiem is a reminder of why the series defined the genre.
Who it is for: players who want the most complete, current survival horror out there.
2. Silent Hill f
Released in September 2025, Silent Hill f takes the series to 1960s Japan. You follow Hinako through a fog-swallowed town full of grotesque monsters and eerie puzzles, in a story written by Ryukishi07 of Higurashi fame. It is beautiful and disturbing in equal measure.
Who it is for: fans of psychological horror and stories that stay with you long after you quit.
3. Silent Hill 2
Bloober Team's 2024 remake is the definitive way to experience one of the most important horror games ever made. James Sunderland returns to Silent Hill after a letter from his late wife and finds a ghost town full of fog and guilt. The remake keeps the original's mood while modernizing the camera and combat.
Who it is for: anyone who never played the classic or wants to revisit it with modern visuals.
4. Silent Hill: Townfall
The series' newest entry arrived in September 2026 from Screen Burn. Simon Ordell returns to an island town to put things right and sinks into a mix of tense evasion, confrontations and puzzles. If you are starting out, our Silent Hill: Townfall beginner's guide helps with the first hours.
Who it is for: players who finished the others and want the newest Silent Hill.
5. Dead Space
The 2023 remake rebuilt the space horror classic from scratch. Isaac Clarke has to survive aboard a mining ship overrun by Necromorphs, creatures that only die when you sever their limbs. Its sound design is among the best in the genre, and the loading-free ship keeps the tension constant.
Who it is for: players who like horror with action and a good arsenal.
6. Resident Evil 4
The 2023 remake is both one of the best action games and a great horror game. Leon heads to a European village to rescue the president's daughter and finds something very wrong with the locals. It is the easiest entry point on this list: it scares, but it is fun from start to finish.
Who it is for: newcomers who want to try horror without too much distress.
7. Still Wakes the Deep
From The Chinese Room, Still Wakes the Deep is set in 1975 on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland that starts falling apart when something impossible rises from the deep. There are no weapons: you run, hide and try to save your crew. It won three BAFTA Games Awards and is short enough to finish in a weekend.
Who it is for: players who love a strong story and do not need combat.
8. Mouthwashing
The 2024 indie sensation is short, strange and unforgettable. Five crew members are stranded on a drifting ship in space, and the game slowly reveals, out of order, what really happened there. There is no monster to flee: the horror is in the people and what they hide.
Who it is for: anyone who wants something different to play in a single night.
9. Phasmophobia
The best way to spend Halloween with friends. In groups of up to four, you become ghost hunters, enter haunted houses with equipment and have to identify the entity before it attacks. The scares land so much better when someone screams over voice chat.
Who it is for: groups who want co-op horror and nervous laughter.
10. Lethal Company
Another co-op hit. You and your friends work for a company that sends crews to scavenge scrap on abandoned moons full of creatures that should not be there. It is funny, chaotic and scary at the same time, and it runs on almost any PC.
Who it is for: friend groups with modest PCs who want guaranteed fun.
Coming soon: Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival
If you want a fresh release this Halloween, Hellraiser: Revival launches on October 8 from Saber Interactive. It is first-person action horror in Clive Barker's universe, where you wield the powers of the puzzle box to survive your bargain with the Cenobites. It is too early to say whether it is good, but it is the month's big horror release.
How to pick yours
- Want the scariest: Resident Evil Requiem or Silent Hill 2
- Want psychological horror: Silent Hill f or Mouthwashing
- Want action with scares: Dead Space or Resident Evil 4
- Want to play with friends: Phasmophobia or Lethal Company
- Short on time: Still Wakes the Deep or Mouthwashing
- Modest PC: Lethal Company or Mouthwashing
Our take
Horror is in its best shape in more than a decade. Big publishers are investing in the genre again, as the new Resident Evil and Silent Hill games show, and indies have proven a short, cheap game can scare more than any blockbuster. If you have never played anything on this list, start with Resident Evil 4 and work your way up to Silent Hill 2.
One more tip: many of these games tend to go on sale around Halloween. Add them to your wishlist and keep an eye out.
FAQ
What is the best horror game of 2026? Resident Evil Requiem is the year's big horror release, and Silent Hill: Townfall arrived in September.
What is the best horror game to play with friends? Phasmophobia and Lethal Company are the most popular group picks.
Which horror game is good for beginners? Resident Evil 4 is the most approachable: it scares, but it has plenty of action and is not punishing.
What is the shortest game on the list? Mouthwashing and Still Wakes the Deep can be finished in a night or a weekend.
