The horror game market continues to thrive and 2025’s schedule is lining up a multi-course meal of fear-inducing, hair-reducing cowering and crying. 2025 has a myriad of big horror games from well-known sequels to potential breakout hits.
I find horror in games makes films look like child’s play—and I don’t mean any dangerous dolls. A movie forces you to watch what happens, whereas in a game, you are responsible for the action unfolding. You have to push your character along, advance the narrative, and trigger jumpscares and premeditated psychological horror.
It’s daunting when you think about it, yet players can’t get enough. To appease the morbid curiosity in all of us, here’s a list of the biggest upcoming horror games in 2025, sure to scare and scar you one way or another.
Biggest Horror Games Releasing in 2025
Many of these 2025 horror game release dates could be subject to change. The volatility of the game industry and sudden technical problems means any title is a delay away from a 2026 or 2027 release date. That being said, let’s get into it.
Directive 8020
Supermassive Games is one of the pioneers of the horror genre in the last 15 years. The acclaimed Until Dawn kickstarted this Hall of Fame-worthy horror march. Directive 8020 is the latest in The Dark Pictures Anthology—featuring The Quarry, Little Hope, and others—and features the series’ trademarks. Expect to tackle sudden quick-time events and critical story-changing decisions while you explore the unknown of the Cassiopeia.
Dying Light The Beast
Dying Light The Beast brings back OG protagonist Kyle Crane as we embark on another adventure of parkour and parasitical purgatory. The Beast is a separate sequel from Dying Light 2, and Techland is looking to bring together a more compact and equally chaotic experience. As before, Dying Light The Beast’s world is a terrifying ordeal during the day and almost unsurvivable at night. You’ll need to unlock the beast within to help Crane rise high.
Killing Floor 3
Imagine Call of Duty Zombies’ renowned round-based gameplay, but with even faster, more vicious, and grotesque enemies. Killing Floor 3 is the meaner and nastier undead sibling in the zombies family and builds on Killing Floor 2’s good work. The M.E.A.T system is back to delight and disgust, and the new Zed design is likely to put you off your tea—sick bags on stand by.
Little Nightmares 3
2025 is proving to be a big year for Supermassive Games as the developer is pulling double duty. Developer Tarsier Studios has moved onto pastures new, and someone needed to pick up the remnants of the beloved franchise. In steps Supermassive Games to deliver Little Nightmares 3 and bring co-op multiplayer in a series first. We have a new developer, new main characters in Low and Alone, and reasons to be thankful and fearful.
Reanimal
We segue nicely to Reanimal—the new IP from Little Nightmares 1 and 2 developer Tarsier Studios. Even from the screenshot above you can see an uncanny resemblance and deliberate inspiration for the horror title. Unsurprisingly, you need to solve puzzles, escape and avoid unspeakable enemies, and it also includes co-operative play in case you need to squeeze the hand of the person next to you.
State of Decay 3
Full disclosure: State of Decay 3 MIGHT not be releasing in 2025.
It’s currently the only entry on this list in serious jeopardy of this deadline. A potential delay to 2026 or 2027 is on the cards, so bear this in mind, but no one truly knows. If it releases in 2025, developer Undead Labs has likely put all its infected blood, sweat, and tears into it. There’s a healthy development cycle between each State of Decay release, and the 2024 Xbox Showcase footage we saw of State of Decay 3 heightens survival, and the game demands your time, respect, and attention.
The Midnight Walk
Just looking at The Midnight Walk makes me anxious. It’s ingenious, stop-motion clay-orientated horror works so well because it’s seldom seen. Its art styles alone make me want to play it. If you dare to jump into The Midnight Walk, you’ll need to do more than walk around to survive the antagonistic threat of monsters.
The Sinking City 2
The Sinking City 2 is a sequel and another special loveletter to Lovecraftian themes. Unlike escape and survival, like many entries on our best and biggest horror games 2025 list, you can attack in The Sinking City 2. But you also need to venture into the deepest recesses of your brain to engage your deductive reasoning senses. The sequel builds upon the original’s detective mechanics, and happens to throw a 200ft monster or two at you in the process. Sherlock Holmes didn’t have to deal with this!
Are there any big-time horror hitters I’ve missed from this list nailed on for 2025? How many of these petrifying propositions are on your wanted list? Please drop a comment to let us know why horror keeps you coming back.
We have more fun lists to check out at Insider Gaming: Best co-op games like It Takes Two & Split Fiction, All Xbox Exclusive Games coming to PlayStation, and the biggest PlayStation games coming in 2025.
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