Welcome The Biggest Upcoming Horror Games Of 2026

2026 promises to be an amazing year for gaming, with highly anticipated titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 and Wolverine leading the charge. But it’s not just the blockbuster games that are worth looking forward to – the horror genre is poised for a major breakthrough. High-quality horror games and media have been gaining popularity recently, and 2026 will really showcase whether that momentum continues.

Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated horror games scheduled for release in 2026. While exact dates aren’t available for every game, they are all confirmed to launch this year, with some arriving in just a few weeks. If you’re a fan of scary games, this is a roundup of the biggest titles coming out over the next year.

Resident Evil Requiem

The Biggest Horror Gaming Franchise Returns

A new Resident Evil game always generates a lot of excitement, and the latest installment, Resident Evil Requiem, is no exception. This game uniquely blends the first-person perspective of recent titles with the third-person style of the remakes, allowing players to switch between them instantly.

After a long wait since Resident Evil 6, you’ll once again be able to choose between multiple characters. This time, you can play as Grace Ashcroft during the scarier, more suspenseful parts, and as the familiar Leon S. Kennedy in the action-packed sequences. Along with Leon’s return, fans are excited to revisit Raccoon City. The city is in ruins after being bombed following the events of the original outbreak, but it’s still the most famous location in the Resident Evil series, and players are eager to discover what new dangers await.

ONTOS

Back To SOMA

Frictional Games is a name practically synonymous with horror in the gaming world. They’re the creators of popular titles like the Amnesia series (The Dark Descent, Rebirth, and The Bunker), the critically acclaimed SOMA, and the Penumbra series. Their next project appears to be another sci-fi horror experience.

Forget a rundown underwater base – ONTOS takes place in a lunar hotel, but it’s been transformed into something truly bizarre. The game revolves around a central mystery, digging into forbidden experiments, personal family secrets, and a reality that’s falling apart. Featuring the voice of Stellan Skarsgard, and with the combined skills of Frictional Games and its cast, ONTOS looks set to be another successful horror game from the creators of titles like SOMA and Amnesia.

Reanimal

Beasts Of Unusual Size

Tarsier Studios, a Swedish developer known for its unsettling Little Nightmares platformer games, surprised many by letting Bandai Namco take over the franchise, which was then given to Supermassive Games. Instead of continuing with Little Nightmares, Tarsier started creating a new game called Reanimal, which feels like a follow-up in spirit.

Reanimal has all the familiar elements of Little Nightmares: small, vulnerable children in an overwhelmingly large world, unsettlingly proportioned monsters, and the fun of playing with a friend side-by-side. Like Little Nightmares, Reanimal seems to be focusing on telling a compelling story through visuals and atmosphere, rather than relying on spoken words.

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival

Such Sights To Show You

The announcement of a new Hellraiser game from Saber Interactive sparked both enthusiasm and worry among fans. After the 2022 film received mixed reviews, fans have been eager for any new content. Recently, many licensed horror properties have been turned into asymmetrical multiplayer games – titles like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Evil Dead, and Friday the 13th are good examples of this trend.

Initial worries about a potential video game adaptation quickly disappeared with the release of the trailer for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. The trailer revealed a single-player, first-person horror game that perfectly captures the series’ signature gruesome and unsettling style. Players can expect a blend of stealth, fighting, and puzzle-solving, alongside crafting and supernatural powers gained through a new puzzle box called the Genesis Configuration. Hellraiser: Revival appears to be exactly what fans have always wanted in a video game based on the franchise – something that’s quite uncommon these days.

Decrepit

Visceral First-Person Soulslike Combat

Soulslike games are incredibly popular, which is both good and bad. We’re getting lots of challenging and rewarding combat, but the market is becoming crowded. That’s where a game like Decrepit comes in – it stands out with fresh ideas and some truly gruesome visuals.

Decrepit stands out among Souls-like games because it’s played from a first-person viewpoint, but what really grabs your attention is how impactful the combat feels. Every hit connects with a satisfying crunch, and enemies are constantly right in front of you. This perspective makes the combat feel much more intense than in most third-person Souls-like games. It also elevates the horror element; while the enemy designs are similar to those in Dark Souls, seeing them so close up is truly frightening.

Grave Seasons

The Stardew Valley Of Your Nightmares

If you enjoy farming games but are looking for a slightly spooky twist, Grave Seasons might be perfect. It has a pixel art style similar to Stardew Valley, but this seemingly charming town hides a dark secret. While you’re building up your farm, a series of murders begins to occur.

Beyond managing your farm and selling produce, you’ll also be solving a series of murders and trying to find the person responsible. Similar to Stardew Valley, you’ll complete tasks for the townspeople, build relationships (and even find romance!), and expand your farm. You might even be able to romance the killer! What makes Grave Seasons really unique is that your choices – everything from completing quests to selling crops – will directly impact the story.

I Hate This Place

Cel-Shaded, Isometric, Open-World Horror

With its unique cartoon-like graphics and overhead view, I Hate This Place feels similar to games like Borderlands and Darkwood, but it quickly sets itself apart. It’s an open-world horror game where crafting is key. You’ll spend a lot of time searching abandoned buildings for supplies, carefully trying to avoid whatever dangers are hiding within while you’re low on resources.

The game features a day-night cycle that adds pressure, making you scavenge for supplies during the day and find secure shelter at night. Nighttime is much more dangerous, with tougher and more numerous enemies, so it’s best to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary. Instead of direct fights, you’ll mostly rely on stealth and traps to distract enemies and create opportunities to escape or move forward. With its striking visuals and emphasis on stealth and crafting, I Hate This Place is successfully carving out a unique space for itself within the horror genre.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake

The Return Of A Classic

Okay, so I finally played the remake of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly, and wow, it totally lives up to the hype! Everyone says it’s one of the best horror games ever, and I can see why. The story is pretty much the same as the original, which is great, but everything else is completely new. They didn’t just touch it up – they rebuilt the whole thing from scratch. The graphics, the sound, how it plays… it’s a full-on remake, not just a remaster with a few extra bits thrown in. It feels completely fresh!

I’ve been hooked on the story of the twin sisters lost in that creepy Japanese village for years, and like so many other gamers, I always come back to Fatal Frame 2. But what really makes it special for me is the Camera Obscura – it’s such a brilliant idea! You have to literally look your enemies in the eye – photograph them – to defeat them, which is terrifying and awesome. This remake is expanding on everything I loved about the original with extra side quests and areas to discover. It feels like a perfect way for both longtime fans like me and new players to experience this classic horror game.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020

Supermassive Goes Sci-Fi

The Dark Pictures Anthology stands out in the horror game genre. Instead of focusing on action, these games are story-driven experiences, similar to titles from Telltale Games, but with a strong emphasis on horror. The upcoming installment, Directive 8020, will be the fifth game in the series and introduces a science fiction setting for its scares.

In Directive 8020, you play as one of five crew members aboard the Casseopia as they explore Tau Ceti f, a distant planet that represents humanity’s last chance after Earth begins to fail. But they aren’t alone on this new world. This installment of the Dark Pictures series is different – for the first time, you directly control your characters’ actions, and can even use an inventory system and tools like a flashlight and scanner to investigate. A unique “Turning Point” feature lets you rewind key decisions if things don’t go as planned, similar to the rewind mechanic in Life is Strange. Directive 8020 appears to be the most ambitious Dark Pictures game yet, and that’s exciting!

Onimusha: Way Of The Sword

Samurai Survival Horror

Although not a typical horror game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword clearly draws inspiration from the horror genre in its striking visuals. The game takes place in a dark, fantastical version of Japan’s Edo period, and follows the story of swordsman Miyamoto Musashi as he fights demons. He uses a magical Oni gauntlet that gains power by absorbing the souls of those he defeats.

I’m really excited about the new Onimusha! From what I’ve seen, the combat is taking inspiration from games like Dark Souls, with light and heavy attacks, parries, and dodging. But it’s not just copying those games – Onimusha seems to be focusing on a more realistic and strategic feel. The coolest part? You can actually control where enemies move after a successful parry, letting you position them for attacks or to create openings. It’s looking more like Ghost of Tsushima in terms of flow, and less like the faster, more complex combat of Nioh. If you love a brutal, satisfying fight against terrifying demons, Onimusha: Way of the Sword seems like it’s going to be amazing!

2026-01-24 04:07