In theworld of horror games, survival horror takes the spotlight for being nearly the scariest of them all. There are endless amounts of terrifying figures lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to attack, not to mention how quickly you have to put your survival tactics to use in the most dire moments. Even when you only have a mere second, being swift is vital to making it out alive.
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Survival horror has been around for decades. With the term first being coined in 1989 with the iconic RPG, Sweet Home, survival horror has transformed into something bigger over time. Constantly challenging you to do what must be done to make it out alive, here are the best survival horror games to keep you up at night.
Updated by Leah Donato on June 07, 2025:Survival horror is a genre that is far from dying out. With classics that keep us on our toes to modern games that dare us to venture through unknown horrors, survival horror has an impressive range. We’ve added a few more remarkable survival horror games to this list that remind us that utter terror could be right around the corner.
Metacritic: 64
Dead by Daylight
Although most games in this genre are story-driven, Dead By Daylight is a special exception to this norm. Nearly every aspect of this survival horror is unique, from how often the environment changes to deciding whether to play as a survivor or the killer.
Dead By Daylight explores different realms of horror that show that it’s more than your run-of-the-mill slasher game with its range of strange murderers. You’re encouraged to work with others to make it out alive, but the adrenaline from escaping on your own is an exciting feat. However, after a bit of time, it might start to feel a bit repetitive because of the lack of content.
14Haunting Ground
Metacritic: 67
Haunting Ground
Haunting Ground holds an important place in the hearts of many. As the spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series, this rare survival horror is a gem in the community. It’s a masterpiece that explores morality and the tale of a young woman wrongfully trapped in an inescapable nightmare.
Likely due to its negative feedback from critics at the time, Haunting Ground is hard to get your hands on as fewer copies were produced — which is incredibly heartbreaking, as it’s a unique tale centered around fascinating characters who all become consumed by the grim environment around them. At the end of the day, Haunting Ground is a worthwhile female-led survival horror game with a chilling story.
13The Evil Within 2
Metacritic: 76
The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2is a wonderful example of a sequel to an already fantastic horror game done right. It focuses more on the heart-pumping action that comes with horror games, and the story itself is a haunting tale that slowly unveils itself to us. Visually, everything puts you in a fight-or-flight mindset.
The first time you play The Evil Within 2, you’ll get put into a mental spin that endlessly spooks you. But the game’s scares can also lose their effect after your first playthrough since you already know how to make it out alive. Regardless, the pacing and atmosphere will have you constantly looking for how to escape the terror that lurks about.
12Alien: Isolation
Metacritic: 79
Alien: Isolation
Although it’s critically acclaimed,Alien: Isolationdidn’t get the commercial success it deserved. In other words, the game is worthy of getting the same amount of love that many other survival horror video games have. This especially applies when it comes tosci-fi horror games.
Centered around constant dread and terrifying isolation, Alien: Isolation takes the frightening essence of the iconicAlienfilm series and takes it on an even more intense ride. Taking place fifteen years after the events in the original Alien film, Amanda Ripley (Ellen Ripley’s daughter) finds herself in an eerie place in search of her mother while being confronted by the very thing that separated them.
11Clock Tower (1996/1997)
Metacritic: TBD
Clock Tower
Known in Japan as Clock Tower 2, this PlayStation 1 survival horror featured a cinematic atmosphere that intrigued many horror fans. Clock Tower is on the lines of being more of an interactive film, rather than a video game, offeringa point-and-click adventurethat keeps you on edge. Being an older game, and one with a devoted cult following, makes it difficult to get your hands on a copy of it.
Compared to other survival games, the pacing in this game is noticeably slow. However, this slow burn isn’t a weakness but a powerful tool that cements it’s uniquely creepy atmosphere. While it might be a sequel to the first Clock Tower, its bloody-good story makes it a worthy introduction to newcomers to the series.
10Until Dawn
Until Dawn
The release ofUntil Dawnseemed to bring back the trend of campiness in a classic horror story told through a video game. Constantly putting you in terrifying situations that require you to make a choice without a second thought, Until Dawn has a profound impact on many players with its supernatural and uncanny elements.
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Following eight friends who become trapped in a remote mountain retreat, everything about their experience is less than a perfect getaway for the group.With multiple endingsbased on who makes it out of the grim snowy mountains alive, the horror of surviving is a vital part of the game’s narrative. Overall, the life and death of the characters are determined by your own hand.
Metacritic: 80
Pinpointing whyOutlastis such an excellent survival horror is no easy feat. It’s a game that future survival horror games should look toward when thinking about how they can make their games feel all the more effective. In essence, it’s not how you fight your way out of these terrors but how you can be restrained from doing so.
Outlast creates an immersive experience that consumes us whole. It has unique gameplay that doesn’t let you fully defend yourself, and rather wants you to feel utterly helpless. All things considered, it’s the element of taking away your sense of control that makes Outlast a must-play for any survival horror fans.
8Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
Metacritic: 81
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterly
This sequel showed off what theFatal Frameseries could fully accomplish. The original game, Fatal Frame, is a survival horror icon on its own. But,Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterflychanged its already wonderfully unbearable horror into a new unique form. With it already being in development before players could even finish the first game, it’s clear that this sequel was going to be a rollercoaster from the start.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly follows twin sisters, Mio and Mayu, who explore an abandoned village with paranormal figures haunting them left and right. With only a camera at your disposal to exorcise the spirits, there’s no other means of escaping from the game’s layers of horror.
Metacritic: 84
Developed by the creative team behindAmnesia: The Dark Descent,Somais a survival horror with a remarkable sense of pacing and storytelling. The game doesn’t strive to scare you but instead to provide a playthrough that embodies our questions of existence.
Taking place deep beneath the dark ocean, you’re pushed into venturing through the unknown depths of an isolated facility. Lurking about are terrifying monsters that you have to either outsmart or outrun to make it through alive. On the surface, it might seem like your average horror walking sim, but the deeper into the story you get, the more you realize it’s so much more than that.
6Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Metacritic: 85
Amnesia 1986
Relying on psychological horror, this game is cemented in being a masterpiece for years to come. Not only because of its impact on Youtube gamers back in the early 2010s, but also because of how nostalgicAmnesia: The Dark Descentis as a whole. It’s fun and creepy and never misses a beat at proving its classic survival horror status.
Putting you in the control of Daniel who’s suddenly woken up in a dark castle, you must do everything you’re able to to avoid the unknown terrors that easily creep up on you. From the moment you open your eyes in this unearthly castle, there’s no turning back from being plunged into a ruthless world.
