# The best horror games of 2026 so far

**October 31, 2026 · Perthro**

The best horror game of 2026 so far is Resident Evil Requiem. It holds an 89 on both Metacritic and OpenCritic, with 95% of critics recommending it, and nothing else in the genre this year comes close. Behind it are two smaller surprises: Silver Pines, a debut from a new studio that scores 83 on Metacritic, and Reanimal, a co-op nightmare from the makers of Little Nightmares at 80.

Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, The Sinking City, The Dark Pictures and Hellraiser all released new games this year too. This list covers the nine best-reviewed horror releases from January to October 2026, grouped into big-budget games, indie horror and games to play with a friend. Scores were taken at the time of writing and may still move.

If you want something spooky that won't keep you up at night, our list of [horror games for people who don't like horror](/blog/2026-09-30-horror-games-for-people-who-dont-like-horror) is the gentler place to start. This one is for people who want to be scared.

## 2026 horror games at a glance

| Game | Release date | Platforms | Metacritic | OpenCritic | Length (per reviews) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Resident Evil Requiem | February 27 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch 2 | 89 | 89, 95% recommend | About 10 hours |
| Silver Pines | October 8 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2 | 83 | 84, 93% recommend | Not stated in reviews |
| Reanimal | February 13 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch 2 | 80 | 80, 82% recommend | 6 to 8 hours |
| Silent Hill: Townfall | September 24 | PS5, PC | 79 | 80, 78% recommend | About 13 hours |
| The Sinking City 2 | August 18 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch 2 | 78 | 80, 75% recommend | About 14 hours |
| Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake | March 12 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch 2 | 74 | 76, 70% recommend | About 20 hours |
| Crisol: Theater of Idols | February 10 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S | 74 | 74, 72% recommend | About 14 hours |
| Directive 8020 | May 12 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC | 72 | 72, 53% recommend | About 10 hours |
| Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival | October 8 | PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch 2 | 69 | 73, 66% recommend | About 9 hours |

Lengths are one critic's playthrough, not a promise.

## The best big-budget horror games of 2026

### Resident Evil Requiem

Capcom's ninth mainline Resident Evil splits its story between new FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and series veteran Leon S. Kennedy. Grace's chapters are slow, underpowered survival horror. Leon's are an action film. Metacritic counts 97% of its reviews as positive.

IGN's Tristan Ogilvie (9/10) found "some of the most frightening encounters I've experienced in the series to date" in its opening hours. His one reservation is balance: the scares are front-loaded, and the back half is more "bullet-riddled." He finished the campaign in roughly 10 hours. More in our [Resident Evil Requiem review deep dive](/blog/2026-06-11-resident-evil-requiem-review-deep-dive-critics), and if you're new to the series, see [which Resident Evil to play first](/blog/2026-10-18-resident-evil-games-in-order-where-to-start).

### Silent Hill: Townfall

Townfall is from Screen Burn, published by Konami and Annapurna Interactive. You play Simon Ordell, who washes up in St. Amelia, a deserted Scottish town, and spends most of the game in a stealthy crouch with a motion-sensing gadget called the CRTV that spots hidden enemies.

IGN's Tristan Ogilvie (8/10) calls it "Konami's seminal survival horror series returning to what it does best" after the more action-focused Silent Hill f, and singles out its puzzles. PC Gamer's Elie Gould (89) says it's "just the right mix of old and new." The catch, per IGN, is that the CRTV can blunt the early scares. Both reviewers finished in about 13 hours. Full scores are in our [Silent Hill: Townfall review roundup](/blog/2026-09-24-control-resonant-silent-hill-townfall-review-roundup).

![Silent Hill: Townfall screenshot: a resident of St. Amelia in the fog](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/b3a819c767a8e10f.jpg)

### Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake

Team Ninja's remake of the 2003 cult classic follows twin sisters Mio and Mayu Amakura through a village that has vanished from the map, fighting ghosts with a camera. It's the longest game here: IGN's Will Borger took about 20 hours.

Borger calls the original the greatest horror game ever made, so his 8/10 is a considered one. He finds the remake artistically stunning and terrifying, but says its extra options and power make the horror "more artificial, and less intimate." His summary: "The end result is still a great game, but a slightly different one than I remember." Game Informer was cooler at 6/10.

### Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival

Saber Interactive's first-person Hellraiser game has Doug Bradley back as Pinhead, and it divides critics. OpenCritic scores range from Nintendo Life's 4/10 to GameSpot's 8/10.

TheSixthAxis's Steve C praises the atmosphere, saying trips to the Labyrinth "are as disorientating and terrifying as you might hope." IGN's Tristan Ogilvie (6/10) says it "often struggles to sustain tension," with repeated boss fights and chases bloating its roughly nine-hour story. Both reviews warn that its gore and sexual content are extreme. More in our [Hellraiser: Revival review roundup](/blog/2026-10-09-hellraiser-revival-dragons-dogma-2-kingdom-hearts-reviews).

## The best indie horror games of 2026

### Silver Pines

Silver Pines is the first game from Wych Elm, published by Team17. It's a 2.5D survival horror game with Metroidvania-style exploration: detective Walker searches for a missing musician in a strange, abandoned town, unlocking new routes as he finds new tools. It's presented in black and white with splashes of red.

TheSixthAxis's Steve C (9/10) compares it to "a fever dream fusion of Silent Hill" and Twin Peaks, and says he was "blown away by an almost-perfect 2.5D take on survival horror." GamesRadar+'s Max Williams (4.5/5) calls it "a dive into mystery that's hard to put down." His one gripe is that none of the endings quite land. It costs $24.99 on Steam.

![Silver Pines screenshot: a shotgun blast in a wrecked, black-and-white room](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/ae7ce0a1f36b821b.jpg)

### The Sinking City 2

Frogwares turned its Lovecraftian detective series into a straight survival horror game. You play occultist Calvin Rafferty in a flooded 1929 Arkham, Massachusetts.

IGN's Len Hafer (8/10) puts it bluntly: "this is Resident Evil in a fedora," and he means it as a compliment, calling it "a praiseworthy imitation of its main inspirations." He wanted tougher detective work, and was surprised a Cthulhu game has no sanity mechanic. GameSpew's Richard Seagrave says it will keep you hooked for its "14-hour or so running time." Our [Sinking City 2 review deep dive](/blog/2026-08-22-the-sinking-city-2-review-critics-split-reinvention) has more.

### Crisol: Theater of Idols

Crisol comes from Spanish studio Vermila Studios and is published by Blumhouse Games. It's a first-person shooter set in a dark version of Spanish history and folklore, built around one idea: your blood is your ammunition, so every reload costs you health.

GamingTrend calls that blood mechanic "novel and engaging," though it adds that "the action takes some time to really get going." Gamereactor's Alfredo Pavez took about 14 hours to finish and says "I can't help but recommend Crisol," despite a few puzzle glitches. Not everyone agrees: GamesRadar+ gave it 2.5/5 and GameSpot 6/10.

## The best co-op horror games of 2026

### Reanimal

Tarsier Studios, the team behind Little Nightmares, made Reanimal for two players, in local or online co-op. A brother and sister travel by boat through a flooded, ruined world, solving puzzles and fleeing monsters.

IGN's Will Borger (9/10) played with a partner and says "what kept me going was playing it with another person." Eurogamer's Matt Wales (4/5) played solo, felt the game was "flattened down into something more simplistic," and was left "a little bit unfulfilled." The lesson is to bring a friend. At six to eight hours, it's an easy Halloween weekend game.

![Reanimal screenshot: figures waiting at a lit bus shelter in the rain](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/aa8533dfa955ec3c.jpg)

### Directive 8020

Supermassive's Directive 8020 opens the second season of The Dark Pictures Anthology. It's a choice-driven horror story set on a deep-space mission, and its Steam page lists online co-op and shared-screen play. It splits critics more than anything else here: only 53% recommend it on OpenCritic.

IGN's Len Hafer (8/10) calls it "a chilling and impressive start to the second season of the anthology," with sharp writing and a big twist. He finished in about 10 hours and counts 44 possible character deaths. His warning: the in-game scene tree, which shows every path, can spoil the tension. Game Informer and GameSpot both gave it 5/10. Our [Directive 8020 reviews section](/blog/2026-06-15-forza-horizon-6-lego-batman-review-roundup) has more.

## Which 2026 horror game should you play?

- **For the best horror game of the year:** Resident Evil Requiem. It's the safest pick on every platform.
- **For classic, slow-burn Silent Hill dread:** Silent Hill: Townfall, or Silver Pines if you want it in 2.5D and cheaper.
- **For a night in with a friend:** Reanimal. It's short and built for two.
- **For a long game to sink into:** Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, at about 20 hours.
- **For something different:** Crisol, for its blood-as-ammo shooting.
- **For fans only:** Hellraiser: Revival and Directive 8020. Both have real fans among critics, and both have serious detractors.

Most of these are 10 to 14 hours, which makes them easy to fit in before GTA 6 arrives on November 19. If a few have landed on your wishlist at once, a [backlog tracker](/backlog-tracker) like Perthro can help you keep the order straight and note what you thought of each one.

### Sources

- [Metacritic: Resident Evil Requiem](https://www.metacritic.com/game/resident-evil-requiem/)
- [OpenCritic: Resident Evil Requiem](https://opencritic.com/game/18716/resident-evil-requiem)
- [Metacritic: Silver Pines](https://www.metacritic.com/game/silver-pines/)
- [OpenCritic: Silver Pines](https://opencritic.com/game/21402/silver-pines)
- [Metacritic: Reanimal](https://www.metacritic.com/game/reanimal/)
- [OpenCritic: Reanimal](https://opencritic.com/game/19727/reanimal)
- [Metacritic: Silent Hill: Townfall](https://www.metacritic.com/game/silent-hill-townfall/)
- [OpenCritic: Silent Hill: Townfall](https://opencritic.com/game/20763/silent-hill-townfall)
- [Metacritic: The Sinking City 2](https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-sinking-city-2/)
- [OpenCritic: The Sinking City 2](https://opencritic.com/game/20806/the-sinking-city-2)
- [Metacritic: Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake](https://www.metacritic.com/game/fatal-frame-ii-crimson-butterfly-remake/)
- [OpenCritic: Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake](https://opencritic.com/game/19728/fatal-frame-ii-crimson-butterfly-remake)
- [Metacritic: Crisol: Theater of Idols](https://www.metacritic.com/game/crisol-theater-of-idols/)
- [OpenCritic: Crisol: Theater of Idols](https://opencritic.com/game/20031/crisol-theater-of-idols)
- [Metacritic: Directive 8020](https://www.metacritic.com/game/directive-8020/)
- [OpenCritic: Directive 8020](https://opencritic.com/game/18114/the-dark-pictures-anthology-directive-8020)
- [Metacritic: Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival](https://www.metacritic.com/game/clive-barkers-hellraiser-revival/)
- [OpenCritic: Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival](https://opencritic.com/game/21457/clive-barkers-hellraiser-revival)
- [Steam: Directive 8020](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2255370/Directive_8020/)
- [Steam: Reanimal](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2129530/REANIMAL/)
- [Steam: Silver Pines](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2333000/Silver_Pines/)
- [SVG: Best horror games of 2026 so far](https://www.svg.com/2253733/best-horror-games-2026/)
- Resident Evil Requiem reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/resident-evil-requiem-review)
- Silent Hill: Townfall reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/silent-hill-townfall-review), [PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/silent-hill-townfall-review/)
- Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/fatal-frame-ii-crimson-butterfly-remake-review)
- Hellraiser: Revival reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/hellraiser-revival-review), [TheSixthAxis](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2026/10/08/hellraiser-revival-review-we-have-such-things-to-show-you/)
- Silver Pines reviews: [TheSixthAxis](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2026/10/08/silver-pines-review-silent-hill-reimagined-by-david-lynch/), [GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/survival-horror/silver-pines-review/)
- The Sinking City 2 reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/the-sinking-city-2-review), [GameSpew](https://www.gamespew.com/2026/08/the-sinking-city-2-review/)
- Crisol: Theater of Idols reviews: [GamingTrend](https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/crisol-theater-of-idols-review/), [Gamereactor](https://www.gamereactor.eu/review-crisol-theater-of-idols-a-little-bit-of-bioshock-a-little-bit-of-resident-evil-and-a-whole-lot-of-spanish-talent-1672203/)
- Reanimal reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/reanimal-review), [Eurogamer](https://www.eurogamer.net/reanimal-review)
- Directive 8020 reviews: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/directive-8020-review)