Horror games in 2024 are delivering everything we could hope for: spine-chilling atmospheres, immersive storylines, and plenty of heart-pounding moments. Whether you’re into survival horror, supernatural investigations, or psychological thrillers, this year’s lineup has it all. From indie gems pushing creative boundaries to highly anticipated remakes of beloved classics, 2024 is ensuring that fans of the genre will have no shortage of terrifying experiences to dive into. Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting horror game releases this year, guaranteed to leave you sleeping with the lights on.
New Video Game Releases of 2024
Outlast Trials
Release date: March 5, 2024
Developer: Red Barrels
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Serving as a prequel to the previous two iterations, Outlast Trials takes place in 1959 when the trans-national Murkoff Corporations is using a recruitment agency to target lonely people with no family and recruit them to become test subjects in experiments to make the perfect sleeper agent. These reagents undergo terrible physical and psychological trials that condition them for perfect obedience before they are released back into the world, waiting to be triggered at any moment.
The game offers both solo and multiplayer options to face this horror extravaganza. The game consists of five levels featuring the psychotic puppeteer Mother Gooseberry and sadistic Officer Coyle, along with other minor antagonists, hunting you down with cunning and lethal AI. Furthermore, after completing each trial, the players can upgrade their characters for the horrors to come. The game doesn’t feature a combat system, and you must rely on stealth and cunning to survive each trial. Outlast Trials features one opening and ending cut with plenty of lore to pick up in classified documents for players familiar with the series. So grab your homies, wear your hoodies, and head out to play it.
Still Wakes the Deep
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Developer: The Chinese Room
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
The game is set in the 1970s and follows Cameron McLeary, also known as Caz, an electrician hired to work on the Beira D, an oil drilling platform in the North Sea. After learning about Caz’s troubled past, his boss, Rennick, fires him and calls a helicopter to take Caz back to the mainland, but before he can board, a drilling attempt — despite known issues with the apparatus — causes the rig to shake violently. Caz, along with several other men, falls into the sea, though he is the only one rescued, barely surviving hypothermia.
Upon his recovery, Caz discovers that the rig is falling apart and that mysterious tendrils have begun to infest the structure, infecting those who come into contact with the contaminated oil. These infected individuals mutate into grotesque Cronenbergian monsters that now hunt the remaining crew. Still Wakes the Deep is designed to make players feel powerless, heightening the impact of their decisions. This is emphasized by the absence of a combat system; the only way forward is through stealth. Prepare to solve puzzles and save your crew from an otherworldly horror that defies all logic and reality.
Zoochosis
Release date: September 30, 2024
Developer: Clapperheads
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
In Zoochosis, you play as a night-shift zookeeper tasked with caring for the animals. Your daily duties include feeding them, cleaning their enclosures, and restocking supplies. However, one night, something strange happens — the animals become infected. It’s now up to you to create a vaccine and cure them.
The game is played from a body-cam perspective and offers multiple endings depending on which animals you choose to save, which you avoid, and whether you survive. You likely won’t be able to save all the animals, so be prepared for some tough choices — and maybe keep some tissues nearby.
Chuxie
Release date: July 28, 2024
Developers: LC Gaming
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
If you are a horror game fan, you may have seen some streamers frantically shooting at ghosts and mysterious apparitions running towards them. Well, despair no more because now is your chance also to play Chuxie, a first-person horror shooting game developed by LC Gaming.
The player will assume the role of a paranormal investigator responsible for investigating supernatural phenomena and eliminating demons. In this particular instance, evil creatures are incubating more powerful spirits, and the player will have to find a way to destroy these evil eggs to prevent powerful evil spirits from causing havoc in the world.
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication
Release date: May 9, 2024
Developers: SOFTSTAR
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication continues the chilling saga from the first game and the Bridge Curse film series. In this sequel, you take on the roles of four distinct characters: university students Rich, A-Hai, and Doc, who are attempting to recreate a grisly murder case on campus for a horror film, and reporter Sue Lian, who is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a student named Huang Ting-Ting. Unbeknownst to them, they become trapped in an alternate dimension.
The students must reunite to rescue Sue Lian while solving intricate puzzles to fend off malevolent entities and escape the sinister realm. The story unfolds across five interconnected chapters, each adding layers to the central mystery that players must unravel as they progress.
The game is lauded for its unique incorporation of Chinese cultural elements and folklore, particularly its eerie, unforgettable mad-ballerina scene.
It also lightens the tension with clever reference jokes and easter eggs to balance the fear factor. With a runtime of 5 hours and the atmospheric Wen Hua University campus as its backdrop after dark, this game delivers an unsettling yet captivating experience you won’t want to miss.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game
Release Date: May 28, 2024
Developers: IllFonic
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, and Microsoft Windows
Based on the 1988 cult classic horror film Killer Klowns from Outer Space, this game offers an asymmetrical multiplayer horror experience, pitting seven human survivors against three murderous alien clowns. Though the Klowns appear as goofy as their name suggests, they are not to be trifled with. Armed with ray guns that turn humans into cotton candy sacks, balloon hounds that track victims, and invisible cars for running them over, they relentlessly hunt their terrified prey. Meanwhile, the humans desperately search for an exit, but only a limited number of players can escape.
As a human player, you’ll have the opportunity to fight back by scavenging for weapons and coordinating ambushes with your teammates. If you manage to evade your clownish yet terrifying pursuers, you can engage in carnival-themed mini-games that offer rewards, such as tools or health items to aid your fellow survivors.
Alternatively, you can assume the role of a Klown, selecting a class like Tank Klown or Tracker Klown to upgrade your abilities. Unlike humans, Klowns don’t need to loot to grow stronger—they have unlimited ammo and respawn after a minute when defeated. Humans, however, must contend with scarce resources: melee weapons break after just a few swings, and ammunition is limited. Players are categorized into archetypes that boost their stats, making teamwork essential for survival. Those who can form a more cohesive unit are most likely to triumph.
Despite borrowing elements from other successful games in the genre, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game offers a blend of goofy yet genuinely unsettling horror that will keep you and your friends entertained for hours.
Hollowbody
Release Date: September 12, 2024
Developers: Headwear Games
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Hollowbody is an indie tech-noir short story game set in a dilapidated British city, where the player assumes the role of Mica, an unlicensed black-market shipper whose partner, Sasha, disappeared 12 days ago.
Once Mica enters the exclusion zone, something happens, and her nav loses altitude, starts spinning, and eventually crashes. You find yourself in a dilapidated city full of corpses and must find a way to survive and get out. You will have to find your way through the ruins that were once homes by solving puzzles, managing resources, and facing terrifying monsters that lurk in the dark.
Alan Wake 2: Night Springs
Release Date: June 8, 2024
Developers: Remedy Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Alan Wake 2: Night Springs is a DLC expansion that takes players back to the eerie town of Bright Falls and presents three interconnected stories. Each episode offers a unique gameplay experience while expanding on Alan Wake’s lore.
The first episode centers on Rose Marigold, Alan Wake’s obsessive fan, who responds to an SOS from the missing writer. Armed with an automatic shotgun and nearly endless ammunition, Rose’s chapter focuses more on action-packed combat rather than traditional survival mechanics or light-based fights. This shift delivers a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled experience that contrasts with the series’ usual tension.
In the second episode, Jesse Faden from Control makes a guest appearance to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her brother. This chapter returns to the classic Alan Wake combat mechanics, equipping Jesse with a standard gun and a flashlight as she confronts shadowy figures in the unsettling Coffee World theme park, a location familiar to players fromAlan Wake II. This story emphasizes puzzle-solving and ramps up the tension, offering a more cerebral experience than the first episode’s straightforward action.
The final episode is perhaps the most unconventional, casting players as real-life actor Shawn Ashmore, reprising his role as Sheriff Breaker from Alan Wake II. Directed by Sam Lake, Remedy Entertainment’s creative director, this chapter blurs the line between reality and fiction as Ashmore is thrown into surreal, shifting environments. Players navigate through ominous forest paths and looping hotel corridors, all while the visual style shifts between monochrome TV scenes and vividly colored comic book panels, culminating in a mind-bending conclusion to the DLC.
The Casting of Frank Stone (Dead by Daylight)
Release Date: September 3, 2024
Developers: Supermassive Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, and Microsoft Windows
Supermassive Games joins the world of Dead by Daylight to bring you a new immersive, narrative horror story where your decisions matter. The story in this game follows two sets of characters across different timelines, whose fates depend on the player’s decisions. Accompany this new group of characters in their journey through Cedar Hills, a town haunted by the shadow of killer Frank Stone and his bloody legacy. Get ready to explore this expansion of the weird universe of Dead by Daylight.
Most Anticipated Horror Games
Silent Hill 2 (Remake)
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Developers: Bloober Team
Platforms: PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Windows
Silent Hill 2, developed by Bloober Team, is a remake of the iconic horror game that debuted in 2001. The story follows James Sunderland, a grieving widower who travels to Silent Hill after receiving a mysterious letter from his deceased wife, claiming she is waiting for him there.
The remake introduces several new features that differentiate it from the original. Players can now break through windows and weak spots in walls, adding a layer of interactivity to exploration. Additionally, there are more areas in Silent Hill to discover, and melee weapons have been given increased utility outside of combat, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
For longtime fans of Silent Hill, this remake offers a nostalgic yet refreshed take on a beloved classic.
Until Dawn (Remake)
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Developers: Supermassive Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Windows
Until Dawn, a game that became a horror classic and solidified Supermassive Games’ reputation, is finally coming to PS5 and Microsoft Windows. The story follows a group of friends who play a cruel prank on their friend Hannah, humiliating her and leading her to flee into a dark, creepy forest. Her sister Beth chases after her, but both tragically fall off a cliff and are presumed dead.
One year later, their brother Josh invites the same group of friends back to the cabin. What begins as a tense reunion soon spirals into a nightmare, as the characters find themselves hunted by a deranged killer and stalked by a mysterious creature lurking in the shadows.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
Release Date: October 17, 2024
Developers: Stormind Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
The Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a first-person horror game set in the world of The Quiet Place, following a female protagonist who must survive in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by aliens that will hunt and kill anything that produces sound. The game is set to release on October 17th, so don’t miss it!
Post Trauma
Release Date: October 29, 2024
Developers: RED SOUL GAMES
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Inspired by the classics of the horror genre, Post Trauma gives these tropes a modern spin as we follow the story of Roman, a truck driver who wakes up in a surreal, horrifying dimension after a panic attack. Faced with terrifying monsters and architecture, Roman can choose to defend himself with an array of weapons or pick the path of least resistance. The blend of camera angles and visuals through Unreal Engine 5 truly creates a spooky and creepy atmosphere that will definitely enhance your gameplay experience.
Slitterheads
Release Date: November 8, 2024
Developers: Bokeh Game Studio
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Slitterheads is an action-horror game set in a world infested by human-mimicking creatures known as Slitterheads. The protagonist, Hyoki, is a mysterious and bodiless entity with no memory of his past but one singular goal: to annihilate every last Slitterhead. Hyoki combats these creatures by possessing human bodies, using their life force to forge deadly blood weapons, and discarding his vessels only when they become too severely damaged. His possession ability also allows him to traverse great distances and infiltrate powerful organizations, making him a relentless and resourceful force. Slitterheads promises to captivate players with its fresh, gripping storyline, ensuring an immersive experience that keeps them engaged for hours.
The Spookiest Season
2024 is an exciting year for horror game enthusiasts, with a rich blend of indie innovations and big-name releases. Whether it’s the psychological dread of Outlast Trials or the nostalgic chills of Silent Hill 2 and Until Dawn remakes, there’s something to terrify and thrill every kind of player. These games push the boundaries of storytelling and gameplay, offering fresh mechanics, immersive atmospheres, and gripping narratives. From survival horror to action-packed ghost hunts like Chuxie, these titles promise to keep us on the edge of our seats. Be sure to check out the demos and trailers to find your next nightmare-inducing adventure!
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