Video games have a long history with spooky content. From truly terrifying games with forces that the player can't ever defeat to action horror games complete with monster-blasting from wall to wall, some of the best games of all time play with fear in one way or another.
Unfortunately, horror is also a genre that has plenty of less than stellar entries. But discerning gamers need to look no farther than the aggregate site Metacritic to find the best of the best. These games stand elevated above the rest as shining examples of what horror in video games can be capable of.
10 Left 4 Dead 2 Is One Of The Greatest Multiplayer Games Of All Time (89)
This post-apocalypse game set the standard for team-based FPS games and remains a tough benchmark for modern games to eclipse. Its tight gunplay, incredible atmosphere, and terrifying enemies make it one of the best zombie games of all time.
Few games achieve the longevity and replayability of Left 4 Dead 2, as it is fun to pick up and play to this day. With a wide arsenal of weapons to scrounge up, there's no limit to the zombie-blasting action this game offers.
9 Metro 2033: Redux Puts The Terror Underground (90)
This game blends survival horror with FPS mechanics for a game that is as frightening as it is exciting. Set in the irradiated remains of Moscow, the main character Artyom must delve into the tunnels of the Metro, infested with enemies both human and mutant. The game has superb shooter mechanics and a wide variety of melee and ranged weapons.
It uses a very minimal HUD, instead of relying on the player's own awareness of their surroundings. A sparse spread of ammo and supplies really enforce the survival portion of survival horror.
8 Limbo Is Quiet Dread (90)
Limbo does horror much differenly from the action FPS game, but it is no less scary. The player controls a young boy as he enters a shadowy world in search of his sister. Horrific danger lurks around every corner, with giant spiders, brain-eating worms, and choking depths of water all threatening the boy's safety.
It is a puzzle game with plenty of trial and error, meaning the player will see all manner of gruesome fates for the boy. It is a simple game, but one dripping with atmosphere and style that is sure to keep players on the edge of their seats.
7 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Brings Vampires To The Future (91)
The third installment in the Castlevania series, Aria of Sorrow uses one of the greatest horror villains of all time: Count Dracula. Taking place in the year 2035, 36 years after Dracula is defeated, this game is a sidescrolling platformer true to the Metroidvania genre that it lends its name to.
It stands out from many of the other games in the series by utilizing a more futuristic setting, though classic vampiric action is here in spades. In 2021, the game was released as part of the Castlevania Advance collection on a variety of consoles, making it easy to get ahold of.
6 Inside Is Even Better Than Its Predecessor (91)
Developed by the same studio behind Limbo, Inside is a similarly dark puzzle platform game. It includes a whole host of new ways to be gruesomely killed, including torn to pieces by vicious guard dogs or torn to pieces by explosions. Inside features even more graphic depictions of this violence, and it has a Mature rating.
Inside's ending plants it solidly in the realm of body horror, with a giant mass of human limbs making up a creature known only as The Huddle. Inside is a triumph, improving on the formula created with Limbo and making a game even more worth playing.
5 Resident Evil 2 Carries The Torch (93)
The second installment in arguably the greatest horror video game franchise of all time, Resident Evil 2 is a prime example of survival horror. It features general improvements on its predecessor in nearly every way, with a distinct focus on exploration, puzzles, and combat.
It features two-player characters, with branching paths and unique storylines for each. Perhaps this game's greatest achievement is cementing Resident Evil as not a one-off hit, but rather a continuous franchise that would remain high-quality decades on down the line.
4 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night Is Peak Metroidvania (93)
With two entries in the top ten horror games of all time, the Castlevania franchise has well earned its place in the video game hall of fame. In Symphony of the Night, the player actually plays the son of the famed vampire Dracula as he searches for his former partner Richter Belmont in the newly reappeared castle of Count Dracula.
It features classic 2D sidescrolling action, with a combination of items and weapons as well as vampiric powers to be discovered and unlocked, allowing access to new areas of the game.
3 The Last of Us Is A Masterpiece Of Storytelling (95)
Zombies make another appearance in the top horror games of all time, this time in the adventure/survival horror game by Naughty Dog. The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world beset by a fungal plague that turns people and animals into cannibalistic monsters. The player must traverse this hellish landscape to escort the young Ellie to a safehouse.
The Last of Us is well renowned for its storytelling, and this continued in its 2020 sequel. With a great plot and engaging gameplay, it's no wonder this game ranks so high for so many people.
2 Bioshock Started A Franchise (96)
Spawning a series of a number of much-beloved games, Bioshock has the player delving into a sunken and failed utopia filled with genetic experiments gone wrong. The underwater atmosphere makes this game scary enough, but the enemies, like the hulking diving suit-clad Big Daddies and the eerie Little Sisters are the icing on the cake.
The Bioshock series is known for quality, and this is the game that started it all. It holds up well and had a remaster to keep it up to date in the visual department.
1 Resident Evil 4 Tops It All Off (96)
The crown jewel of an already prestigious franchise, Resident Evil 4 is everything a horror game can be. It follows one of the protagonists of the second game, Leon S. Kennedy, sent to rescue the president's daughter from a kidnapping. It features a greater emphasis on gunplay than previous entries in the series, and the gunplay is exceptional for its time.
With a host of bizarre mutant creatures to face off against, along with hordes of zombie-like villagers, it's no wonder this game is the top-ranked horror game of all time.