Horror games tap into the innate anxieties (both physical and existential) that are shared among people, allowing players to interact with and face their fears in a way no other medium can. The past year has been chock-full of greathorror games, proving that the genre continues to thrive no matter the era. And while 2024 was host to some brand-new horror experiences that are pushing the envelope for the genre, a lot of great games were those that captured PS1 aesthetics and the greatness of the past.
Aside from newer, atmospheric indie horror games, though, 2024 brought one of the most anticipated game remakes (horror or otherwise) withBloober Team’sSilent Hill 2. More than just a visual uplift of a beloved classic, Bloober Team’s remake is nothing short of a win for the team, immediately earning its place as not just one of the year’s best horror games but one of the year’s best games, period. Together with the smaller titles delivered from talented indie studios,Silent Hill 2and the other genre highlights of the year told compelling stories that urged players to come face to face with the darker aspects of life, if they were brave enough.Presented in alphabetical order, these are the 10 best horror games of 2024.
Conscript
Atmospheric World War I Survival Horror
The debut title from solo developer Jordan Mochi,Conscriptimmediately sets itself apart thanks to its real-world setting and emphasis on psychological horror. Taking place during the infamous Battle of Verdun in World War I, players inConscriptassume the role of a young conscripted French soldier as they fight against the German advance and search for their missing younger brother. With its eye-catchingPS1-style visualsand oppressive atmosphere,Conscriptis largely carried by its setting and presentation, but its classic survival horror gameplay completes the package to make it one of the year’s best retro-inspired survival horror titles.
Crow Country
SFB Games’Crow Countryis a concise game that proves big things can come in small packages, providing one of the more true-to-form retro survival horror experiences of the year. As FBI Agent Mara Forest, players head to the abandoned titular amusement park to track down its mysterious owner, Edward Crow. In addition to providing a classically-styled survival horror experience without an ounce of bloat,Crow Country’s storygradually reveals itself in layers to be one of the year’s simultaneously strangest, and most heartfelt, horror narratives.
Fear the Spotlight
Branching out from its place as one of the premier studios working on horror films,Blumhouse has opened a games divisionaimed at producing horror games with a similar eye for production values and mass appeal.Fear the Spotlightis one of those games that ticks all the boxes for what players would expect from a classic survival horror experience, complete with some strong puzzle design and a compelling narrative that draws players into the game’s mystery. And, likeCrow Country,Fear the Spotlightis a tight experience that never comes close to overstaying its welcome.
Home Safety Hotline
Early 90s Analog Horror
Another of the year’s best horror games and yet another debut title from an indie studio,Home Safety Hotlineended up being one of2024’s early highlights in the horror genre. The premise is fairly straightforward, with players assuming the role of an emergency operator fielding calls from concerned citizens regarding incidents occurring in their homes. But in execution,Home Safety Hotlinequickly distorts reality and upends player expectations by devolving into aToo Many Cooks-style psychedelic nightmare that sets a high bar for the future of analog horror games.
Mouthwashing
Mind-Bending Psychological Horror
Every so often, a survival horror game comes along that presents a challenging narrative, forcing players to confront the dark underbelly of human existence.Mouthwashingis undoubtedly one of those titles, presenting a story of sexual assault and survivor’s guilt that treats both its subject matter and its audience with the respect both deserve. At a basic level,Mouthwashingis a hallucinatorywalking simulatorwith strong horror elements, but its narrative and character development are so strong as to stick with players long after rolling credits.
Silent Hill 2 Remake
LikeResident Evil 2before it, the remake ofSilent Hill 2takes a beloved classic in the survival horror genre and almost perfectly reimagines it for a modern audience. There were doubts about Bloober Team’s ability to handle remaking such a beloved game in the genre, which makes its careful “threading of the needle” with the remake all the more worth celebrating.Silent Hill 2improves on the visuals and combat of the original, and the ways it honors and enhances the best-in-class narrative of its source material set an example that future video game remakes should follow.
Sorry, We’re Closed
Neon-Soaked Persona-Meets-Silent Hill Survival Horror
The most recent PS1-style survival horror to release in 2024,Sorry, We’re Closedis an entirely different type of experience from contemporaries such asCrow CountryorConscript. Adopting a vibrant visual palette and a sense of humor and sensuality befittingthePersonaseries,Sorry, We’re Closedis a survival horror title with equal parts style and substance. Together with a unique combat system that switches from third-person navigation to first-person shooting,Sorry, We’re Closedis an indie title with a narrative and gameplay that punch well above their weight.
Still Wakes The Deep
Claustrophobic Eldritch Nightmare Fuel
Still Wakes The Deepmight be an experience on the shorter side, but the sheer amount of tension and thrills it offers in its roughly 4-hour campaign is arguably worth the price of admission. Dealing with an oil refinery in the middle of an ocean,Still Wakes The Deepputs players into a creaky, claustrophobic setting and pits them against aLovecraftian monster, forcing players to question their own sanity as reality seemingly crumbles around them. It’s a tightly-paced and atmospheric title that ends up being one of the year’s most engrossing games despite its shorter runtime.
Tormenture
An 8-Bit Horror Take on The Neverending Story
Croxel Studios’Tormentureis a game that should be talked about by more horror game fans, delivering one of the year’s most compelling setups for the genre. Imagining what would happen ifJumanjireplaced its board game with a haunted 8-bit game cartridge,Tormentureuses itsAtariaesthetic to great effect. The concept of a haunted or cursed game cartridge allowsTormentureto bring the schoolyard urban legends of childhood to life.
Zero Protocol
Survival Horror-Meets-Immersive Sim At an Abandoned Antarctic Facility
Best described as “System Shockcrossed withSignalis,“Zero Protocolis a game many players might have missed despite it being one of the year’s stronger survival horror games. The low-poly visuals and setting reminiscent of John Carpenter’sThe Thingmay lead to players thinking they know what to expect fromZero Protocol.But to its credit, R_Games will continually find ways to surprise players, creating some genuine scares even if they think they’ve seen all the genre has to offer.
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover the secrets of the IAS Antarctic Research Complex and fight for your survival in this immersive first-person sci-fi thriller.Focus on ExploringChoose passwords for doors, search for access cards to terminals, repair damaged equipment, and combine items. Think with your head, this game will not lead you by the hand!Intense battlesYou have a gun, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe. The enemies here are deadly, and not all of them can be killed…The atmosphere of cold lonelinessGraphics inspired by classic 3D games such as Zero Tolerance, System Shock, and Half-Life, combined with atmospheric sound effects, make the game world even darker and more inhospitable.Nonlinear and Multiple EndingsBalance between clarity and madness, make conscious or unconscious decisions, and find out where they lead!
