The 20 Best Xbox Horror Games

The bioweapon epidemic kicked off the iconic events of Resident Evil. And it can all be traced back to the horrid pharmaceutical company known as the "Umbrella Corporation." The original adventures that'll introduce you to the expert unit of police officers thrown into action against Umbrella's monstrous creations are available in this two-game compilation. The Resident Evil Origins Collection includes the definitive HD remasters of Resident Evil 0 (which follows the journeys of Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen before the events of the first game) and the unforgettable Nintendo GameCube Resident Evil remake (which follows the initial mansion expedition of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team members Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield).

The original Resident Evil 2 is near perfection as a survival horror game and is acknowledged by many as one of Capcom's most celebrated survival horror games. The 2019 remake of that classic romp through "Racoon City" is worth seeking out as it improves on the original's visuals and modernizes its gameplay to turn it into a captivating third-person shooter. Longtime fans fell in love with the RE2 upon release and recognize it for being one of the best single-player games thanks to its nightmarish jump scares, tense encounters with lab-produced creatures, and an absorbing plot that follows two of the most beloved characters in RE history. Be sure to play through all the campaign scenarios to learn about the trials and tribulations of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield!

The horrific trip to Racoon City that changed Leon and Claire's lives forever just so happened to coincide with the same one Jill fought her way through. The fan-favorite lady officer is forced to escape her zombie-filled hometown while on the run from one of Umbrella's most powerful bioweapons. Now we have to admit - the remake of Resident Evil 3 is way shorter in comparison to the RE2 remake. And sadly, it's missing a few portions of the campaign that was present in the original RE3. Even still, the same quality gunplay of the RE2 remake is still evident here. And alongside shambling zombies, undead dogs, and other bioweapons, the unrelenting "Nemesis" bioweapon hunts you down relentlessly. Run or stand and fight whenever that big brute gets a little too close for comfort.

Leon's heroic efforts during his horrific time spent in Raccoon City set him up to become one of the US President's most trusted security agents. And after learning about the kidnapping of the president's daughter, Leon hops into action to rescue her from a village ruled by the "Los Illuminados" cult and powered by the "Las Plagas" parasite. The original game is one of the best horror games of all time and so is its astonishing remake, which we've chosen to highlight here. Resident Evil 4 features the best parts of the original while matching it up with the retooled third-person shooter mechanics of the last two games on this list. You'll need to stay armed as you contend with vicious villagers, crazed foes that run around with chainsaws, and all sorts of diseased foes that are the purest form of nightmare fuel.

After a disappointing period of Resident Evil games moving away from their survival horror roots and embracing a more action-blockbuster feel, Capcom righted the ship and got the series back to what it was best known for with the seventh installment. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard puts you in the shoes of Ethan Winter, who comes upon a mysterious mansion in hopes of finding his lost girlfriend. His search for her quickly transforms into a fight for his life as he's hunted down by the infected and wholly insane Baker family. From a first-person viewpoint, you'll get even closer to the walking horrors that want to consume you. Cop the Gold Edition to check out all the cool DLC expansions this game offers (End of Zoe is our favorite one for sure!).

Thankfully, Capcom kept the first-person vantage point intact for this follow-up to the game we previously mentioned. Ethan's life is turned upside down once again as he sets off into a village full of supernatural horrors while searching for his missing wife and newborn daughter. You'll have to contend with a collective of terrifying beings powered by a special parasite and make your way to their leader to save your family. Gunning down werewolves, mechanized monstrosities, and so much more feels just as riveting as the gunfights in this game's predecessor. The Gold Edition's content offerings come in the form of a third-person mode, additional characters & stages for "The Mercenaries" side mode, and a playable chapter starring Ethan's daughter Rosemary entitled "Shadows of Rose."

Those horrifically deformed "Necromorhps" are way more bloodcurdling thanks to the HD upgrade job produced by this remake of the very first Dead Space. This new and improved version of the survival horror classic marks the return of space engineer Isaac Clarke (who talks here!) and forces players to relive their time spent battling everything crawling around the "USG Ishimura." With the graphical uplift and introduction of side missions, this Dead Space remake gets all the kudos in the world for being one of the greatest survival horror remakes we've ever played. Blasting the limbs off vicious Necromorphs is always a great time, especially in this new and improved version of Dead Space. You can only play this one on Xbox Series X|S, by the way!

Shinji Mikami is considered video game royalty thanks to his time spent at Capcom working on the Resident Evil series, so it comes as no surprise when you learn that everyone looked forward to his latest survival horror project when it was announced. Once it finally launched, RE fans were more than pleased with the final product. The Evil Within delves into the twisted mental expanse of a disturbed individual whose memories come to life in the form of horrifying creatures & unsettling locales. The general gameplay feels produced here comes off like a refined version of everything introduced in Resident Evil 4, so you'll have the time of your life gunning down hideous creatures from a third-person viewpoint. Just prepare yourself for some jump scares and chase sequences that will screw up your sleep schedule...

Now if you took our advice and checked out the last game we just mentioned, you'll be more than happy to know that its sequel is bigger and better in every way possible. The Evil Within 2 upgrades on the original game's formula via the addition of open-world exploration that lets you freely move around than ever before. Kudos are also afforded to this follow-up's visuals, which go the extra mile to make its main character Sebastion and all the unsightly creatures that he confronts look even better than the ones in this sequel's predecessor. The new batch of boss battles, chase sequences, and highly unstable baddies Sebastian must confront all come together wonderfully for a sequel that goes above & beyond to achieve greatness.

If the Dead Space remake hit all the right notes for you as a space horror fan, then this game on our list of Xbox horror games should satisfy you as well. Taking a classic franchise back to its roots is Alien: Isolation, credited with not just being a good horror game of the bunch but an incredible licensed game that does right by its source material. Set on a space station, this final pick on our list challenges players to navigate its many dark corners while the threat of death is breathing down your neck. From a first-person perspective, you play as Amanda Ripley, and along with the main obvious enemy are hostile humans and androids, who will always keep you on your toes. Taking on this game's relentless "Xenomorph" alien provides an unforgettable experience that will make you think twice about walking a dark hallway for the rest of your life.

The Little Nightmares series does an awesome job of marrying platforming exploration with traditional survival horror vibes. Both games in the series can be experienced via a bundle, which is the preferred way to experience all the moments of side-scrolling terror that erupts at several intervals in both games. Little Nightmares focuses on a little girl named Six, who embarks on a great escape from an iron vessel filled with deformed horrors that want her dead. And once you've helped her see her mission through to completion, check out Little Nightmares II next so you can help Six and her new buddy Mono avoid the terrible creatures that inhabit "Pale City."

Up next on our list of the best Xbox horror games is another series compilation that's tailor-made for an all-night Halloween playthrough. Red Barrels' first-person horror games come in the form of the Outlast series, which is more focused on avoiding direct contact with the insane opposition that wants to end your life as quickly as possible. Outlast Trinity features the first game in the series, its Whistleblower DLC expansion, and Outlast 2. All three doses of this bloodcurdling franchise take place within dark and dreary areas where the main character's only useful item is a camcorder, which can be used to illuminate what's in front of you via night vision mode. But that only be done for a limited amount of time before the batteries go out and you're forced to wade through the dark while insane enemies move ever so closer to your location.

Frictional Games is another quality development studio that has some experience putting together top-tier horror games. One of their most superb works is SOMA, a survival horror adventure that traps players in an underwater remote research facility. As Simon Jarrett, you'll need to figure out why you're there, how'd you get there in the first place, and sneak around to stay out of the way of blood-curdling monsters. It pays to be stealthy here since direct combat with those creatures isn't exactly the smartest move to make. Everything in SOMA is hostile toward you, so it's up to you to figure out the best methods needed to deal with them and escape with your life still intact.

There sure are a lot of great first-person horror games out there, huh? Killer Frequency is another pick from that sub-genre and it comes from the publisher/developer known as Team17. Set in 1987, players take on the role of a DJ that must aid his fellow townspeople by taking their calls to help them steer clear of a maniacal serial killer. You'll need to become their most essential lifeline as you take their phone calls and help them find the solutions to all the puzzling problems that arise for them. This playable murder mystery's time period, unique locale, and clever puzzle-solving definitely qualify it as one of the best Xbox horror games.

We got another compilation for you folks to consider on this list of the best horror games on Xbox. And just like the Outlast series, the Amnesia games are played from a first-person perspective and require you to stay ahead of whatever's trying to kill you instead of confronting it (the quick release of death will follow the moment you come face-to-face with all those night terrors). You'll experience true fear in this collection that features Amnesia: The Dark Descent, its Justine DLC expansion, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. If you're fully prepared to explore horrifying locales from a first-person viewpoint, then Amnesia: Collection will provide you with plenty of hours of entertainment.

After you've made your way through every part of the Amnesia: Collection, seek out the next entry in the long-running franchise via Amnesia: The Bunker. This time around, you take on the role of a French soldier trapped within a mysterious bunker during World War I. Armed with a revolver, a shotgun, grenades, and flares, you'll need to keep track of your scarce ammo and keep the lights on as much as possible while you're forced to defend yourself from something terrible that's simply known as "The Beast." When the bunker's generators will run out of fuel, darkness takes over your surroundings and the hunt for your life begins in earnest!

On the asymmetrical multiplayer front, the premiere game that still dominates the charts when it comes to a huge player base is Dead by Daylight. If you haven't checked it out by now, then here's a quick breakdown of its main gameplay loop - four players step into the role of "Survivors" and do everything in their power to steer clear of the one player that adopts the role of the "Killer." The Survivors are tasked with turning on generators to open up the exit gates, while the Killer must sacrifice those same players in order to appease an evil being known as the "Entity." Each match is an incredibly tense affair that will keep you coming back for more. With licensed content from horror movie staples such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Hellraiser, Dead by Daylight should definitely appeal to you.

And to bring this collection of the best horror games on Xbox to a close, we're going show a whole lot of love to the independent game development studio SadSquare Studio. Its most revered work to date is the first-person psychological horror game Visage, which whisks players off to a troubled home that makes your character relive some incredibly dreadful memories. This highly atmospheric experience is a definite slow-burner that hits hard at just the right moments. No spoilers here, folks! Just play it and wander through the dark as you figure out why you're in this game's downtrodden house in the first place. Seek out the Enhanced Edition on Xbox Series X|S to confront the horrors of this game while basking in its 4K and 60FPs-powered visual sheen!

The horror genre and asymmetrical multiplayer games have enjoyed a fruitful marriage these past few years. After taking a look at the general concept behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre films, it made all the sense in the world for it to be transformed into a tense multiplayer gameplay experience. Two teams square off during every match this game throws you into - three members of the Slaughter Family set out to catch & further punish their victims, while the four victims themselves make an attempt at finally escaping the grasp of their crazed captors. The Slaughter Family House, the gas station, and the infamous slaughterhouse from the original 1974 film all play the part of the maps that throw all seven players into quite a horrifying predicament for the players who are focusing on surviving.

Developer Supermassive Games has earned a stellar reputation for crafting the types of adventure games that do a great job of keeping players on edge thanks to their blood-curdling themes. We'd implore you to check Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology to get a good idea of what Supermassive's games play like so you'll know what you're getting into once you check out The Quarry. What separates The Quarry from its predecessors is its usage of big-name actors and actresses, such as David Arquette, Justice Smith, and Ariel Winter, to really bring its teen slasher/monster cinematic vibes to life in the best way possible. Players will be tasked with watching over a group of nine teens who find themselves in great danger during their night stay at the "Hackett's Quarry" camping site. Major decisions will be made, random frights will pop up every now & then, and people will die on your watch if you take the story in unexpected directions, so be ready for any & all outcomes!