2024 was a banner year for horror video games, from highly anticipated sequels like Children of the Forest to success against all odds Silent Hill 2 remake. Whether triple-A or indie, physical or psychological, it seems like every big horror game had something new to offer this year.
Still, a select few games have stood out among their peers, boasting immersive atmosphere, unrelenting scares, or fearless dives into the darkest parts of the human psyche. Based on Metacritic scores, praise, and praise Screen speechown assessments, these are some of the best horror games of 2024.
10
Indika is an elegant and surreal iconoclast
Metascore: 80
Brooding, atmospheric and cinematic, Indicates is a narrative-focused game that tells the story of a 19th century nun with a unique set of problems. She is an outcast among the other nuns at her convent, is battling a mysterious illness that she cannot resolve with prayer, and is subject to frequent visions and visits from the Devil himself. Indicates is divided between immersive 3D walking simulator segments, in which the protagonist explores the convent and the world around her and solves simple puzzles, and innovative 8-bit platformer flashbacks to her troubled past.
Indicates It's as disturbing as it is daringpresenting a surreal vision of a relentlessly cruel world. It's artistic and challenging, forcing the player to engage with a pointless system of points and perks to further its nihilistic narrative. It's undeniably a horror game, but it's unlike anything else on this list and must be experienced to be believed. Available now for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Indicates won 80 in Metacriticand a positive rating of 7/10 Screen speech.
9
Pacific Drive is a moody car-based survival game
Metascore: 79
Few things are scarier than the prospect of running out of gas on an isolated stretch of country road. Pacific Drive takes that fear and turns it into an atmospheric gamein which players are tasked with crossing the Olympic Exclusion Zone, a stretch of abandoned highway in the Pacific Northwest marked by inexplicably deadly anomalies. Pacific Drive plays like a standard survival game - players scavenge for resources, maintain their equipment, and seek to understand their environment by clinging to the remains of those who failed to escape, while trying to avoid the same fate themselves.
But of course it's all about keeping your car fueled and running, a prospect that's often harder than it seems. Alternately terrifying, tragic and peaceful, Pacific Drive weave a memorable story. Its innovative mix of survival, horror and driving game genres earned 79 points Metacriticand an excellent rating of 8/10 Screen speech.
8
Slitterhead is an extremely creative body horror RPG
Metascore: 62
Slitterhead is the latest creation by Keiichiro Toyama, creator of silent Hill, Sirenand Gravity Race series. These two series clearly lend a lot of their DNA to Slitterheada bloody body horror game with unique puzzle and platform mechanics. In Slitterheadplayers control a disembodied being called Hyokiusing it to possess innocent civilians. Set among the neon-lit alleys of Kowlong City, it follows Hyoki (nicknamed Night Owl) and the people he possesses as they investigate a series of mysterious murders linked to the sudden appearance of mutant monsters called Slitterheads.
Among its platform sections, Slitterhead plays like an action RPG, with a diverse cast of characters whose skills can be improved throughout the game. Common Metacritic score of 62, it's clear Slitterhead it was divisive. Many critics were irritated by its repetitiveness (which serves a narrative purpose), but praised it for its undeniable and often irresistible originality, which earned it a positive rating of 6/10 out of 10. Screen speech.
7
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is an atmospheric dark fantasy
Metascore: 81
A sequel to Senua's sacrifice 2017, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a dark fantasy game focused on the story of the legendary Team Ninja. It tells the story of Senua, a Viking warrior who faces cannibal invaders and territorial giants. Along the way, she experiences auditory and visual hallucinations that can serve as anything from a distraction to a danger. Stunningly rendered in gruesomely gory detail, Senua's Saga is a darkly fantastic but ultimately hopeful story about the dangers of unbridled power and the malleability of fate.
SenuaThe saga is short but sweet, oscillating between thrilling, no-holds-barred combat sequences and wonderfully scenic exploration scenes, occasionally featuring environmental puzzles. The second Hellblade the game is currently only available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, although like the original, a PlayStation release could follow. Received a score of 81 in Metacritic and a glowing 9/10 rating from Screen speech, praising its widespread improvements over the original game.
6
STALKER 2 marks a triumphant return to the zone
Metascore: 73
The first installment of the new series in over a decade, the release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl It felt like a small miracle. Developed entirely by original Ukrainian studio GSC Game World STALKER 2 It took more than 15 years to make. Follows a new protagonist, Skif, as he investigates the irradiated exclusion zone of Chornobyl to uncover the truth behind an anomalous artifact that destroyed his home. As he explores the vast and deadly region, he discovers all kinds of horrors: mutated creatures, inexplicable phenomena, and, of course, cruelly selfish humans..
Survival is a struggle STALKER 2and not just because of the rampant bugs that have become something of a staple of the series, categorizing it as "Eurojank." Yet, reviewers liked its engaging survival mechanics, gorgeously rendered environments, difficult but fair difficulty, and strong sense of identityobtaining 73 points on Metacritic and an excellent rating of 9/10 Screen speech.
5
Crow Country is a PS1-inspired romp in a haunted theme park
Metascore: 84
Retro horror game fans ate well this year, but one of the most delicious dishes on the buffet was Crow Country. Developed by British studio SFB Games, known for its work on Newgrounds such as Super Flash Bros. Cutting Clips, Crow Country is an absolute throwback to PS1-era horror games in every way. Chunky characters, blocky backgrounds, and clunky gunplay adorn this delightfully simple game. It follows a special agent who arrives at the abandoned theme park in search of its missing founder and the strange characters she meets along the way.
With intensely challenging resource management, old-fashioned gunfights, and terrifying surprises around every corner, Crow Country It's a party in itself. He received an 84 on Metacriticand a 9/10 of Screen speechmaking it one of, if not the best silent Hill-style setback to come out this year.
4
Sons of the Forest is a new and improved survival horror sequel
Metascore: 86
Children of the Forest is the sequence of The Forestand had its full launch in February 2024, after a year of early access. It places players on a remote island inhabited almost exclusively by hungry cannibals and bloodthirsty mutants. Players are tasked with building and defending bases as they complete a series of story missions that bring them closer to the heart of the island's secrets and, ultimately, the hope of escape. Co-op mode is available for up to eight players, so it's possible to share the burden of gathering resources, building new structures, and staying alive.
Children of the Forest is genuinely scary, with lots of tense enemy encounters and a story that occasionally becomes unsettling. With more impressive graphics, more realistic enemy AI, a larger map, and a more linear story, Children of the Forest builds on its predecessor in almost every conceivable way. Won 86 in Metacritic.
3
Alan Wake 2's Lake House DLC Crosses Brilliantly With Control
Metascore: 72
The second part of the DLC for Alan Wake 2, Screen speechthe best horror game of 2023, The Lake House exists primarily to unite the metafictional, reality-warping duology with Remedy Entertainment's other big horror title, Control. Gameplay-wise, it's pretty much the same as the base game: classic survival horror executed almost perfectly, with strictly limited ammo reserves and tense, overwhelming encounters. But The Lake House takes the surreality displayed in the base game and increases it to the maximumwith disorienting, ever-changing environments and some of the most terrifying monsters the series has ever seen.
The Lake House deserves its place on this list, especially because it is more Alan Wake - but even so, it's an excellent DLC in its own right. For its brilliant expansion into the worlds of both Alan Wake and Controlits adrenaline-inducing gameplay and an engaging story that some have interpreted as a biting satire of the art of AI, The Lake House earns 72 in Metacritic.
2
Rinsing your mouth is a disturbing dive into deep space
Metascore: 86
To explain everything you do Mouthwash It would be great to ruin it completely, but here's the gist: it opens with the intentional crash of the Tulpar cargo ship, which causes the protective foam to spread throughout the hull. Lacking sufficient supplies to complete the voyage, the crew resign themselves to their fate, turning on the cargo hold's stocks of ethanol-based mouthwash, and then each other, as dark secrets are revealed and their interpersonal conflicts boil. Just say that the rest of the game is disturbingly surreal, hauntingly atmospheric, and relentlessly dark.
The story is told in a subtle, non-linear manner, often flashing as new information is revealed. Gameplay is basic but effective, with simple environmental puzzles and challenging chase sequences. Its themes can be read in many ways, but everyone formulates their own opinion, and they are all equally unpleasant. It's hard to forget Mouthwasheven after the credits roll. Its memorable characters, evocative soundtrack and surprising twists guarantee that. One of the biggest surprises in horror games this year, Mouthwash score 86 in Metacritic.
1
The Silent Hill 2 Remake is Screen Rant's best horror game of 2024
Metascore: 86
Nobody, least of all silent Hill fans, expected the Silent Hill 2 remake to be good. Remaking any beloved classic is a hard sell, and the marketing of this one didn't help matters. But when it finally launched in October, Bloober team's opinion Silent Hill 2 blew all expectations out of the water. Here was a perfect state-of-the-art recreation of Silent Hill 2with almost all the elements of the original intact, but with many twists. It would never replace the original, but it would constitute an excellent complement and prove that the silent Hill the series still has some energy, even after all these years.
Of course, Silent Hill 2 follows James Sunderland as he arrives in the fog-shrouded city in search of answers about a letter he received from his late wife. Once there, he encounters all sorts of horribly twisted creatures, each of which is a manifestation of his own inner turmoil. A brilliant examination of guilt, grief and trauma, Silent Hill 2 is the series' most enduring classic for a reason, and its remake does it justice in every way possible. As a result, with a Metacritic score of 86 and a rating of 8/10 Screen speechthe Silent Hill 2 remake cements its place as the best horror game of 2024.