Finding a good horror game is not as hard these days as it used to be. The horror genre is making a pretty significant comeback with the revitalization of Resident Evil and the appearance of new games in the genre. That being said, if you do not have the extra money to buy these games outright, you might have to look towards what is available on Xbox Game Pass. Here are our picks for the best horror games available on Game Pass for console and PC.
Related: The 10 best horror games on Steam
The best horror games to play on Xbox Game Pass
7 Days to Die
7 Days to Die is a survival game centered around surviving a post-apocalyptic zombie landscape. You will work towards gathering resources and building a base that can both protect you and hold back the encroaching hordes of undead that become more violent at night. If you are not one who enjoys playing survival games on your own, you can also play with a few friends and work together in the fight for survival.
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
Unfortunately, the brilliant Remedy Games title Alan Wake is not currently on Game Pass, but its small follow-up for the Xbox 360 at least is. Like the original, you will take on creepy shadow enemies using a flashlight and firepower to survive. This is a much smaller experience than the original game, but if you are looking to jump back into that world before Alan Wake II comes out, this is a good alternative.
Alice: Madness Returns
While more considered an action-adventure game than a horror title, Alice: Madness Returns has a lot of creepy imagery that is good for anyone not looking to be outright scared, but put in a creepy take on Wonderland. Alice returns to the magical world after being placed in an asylum years after her family died in a house fire. You will encounter many of the original Alice in Wonderland characters you know that are distinctly different in this take.
Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation has you play as Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, as she travels to a space station to try and find answers behind the disappearance of her mother in the original movie. As you would expect from a game in this franchise, a Xenomorph appears and is the main threat to you throughout Alien: Isolation. You will constantly sneak through corridors and hide in areas hoping it does not get a whiff of your scent and instantly kill you. You have very little chance to fight back against this beast, so be careful.
Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood is a cooperative shooter that is the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead. You and three other teammates work together to mow your way through hordes of undead creatures called the Ridden. While a large sum of them will be common enemies that run directly to you, you will also encounter mutations that have extraordinary strength and abilities. This is a game that teamwork is everything. You need to work with the other players to ensure everyone makes it to the next safe room.
Dead By Daylight
Dead By Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that has four Survivors trying to escape a trial while being hunted down by a Killer. These supernatural beings include horror icons like Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and even Resident Evil characters like Albert Wesker. There is no shortage of recognizable faces on the roster that goes hand-in-hand with the developer’s original characters. The Survivors work to repair enough generators to escape the area before the Killer hunts them down and sacrifices them to the spider-like Entity.
Dead Space
While there is a remake of this title currently being worked on by EA, the original is still one of the best Xbox 360-era horror titles to go back to and experience. You play as Isaac Clarke on a space station that has been infected with Necromorphs, horrifying and grotesque creatures that can only be defeated by severing their limbs. There is a great deal of horror in this game that is not for the faint of heart, and if you end up enjoying it, you can also download the two sequels to see the complete story.
Kill It With Fire
Kill It With Fire is not actually a horror game by any means with its setting, but if you are someone who hates spiders, you will likely get a few jumpscares out of it. You walk through environments absolutely infested with various spiders. Along the way, you will need to hear their skittering and find their location so you can kill them with any means necessary. Again, we know this is not a horror game, but jumpy people will get a good scare out of seeing spiders jump towards them when least expected.
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season
While we love all of The Walking Dead games made by Telltale, the first one is a must-play for anyone who has not tried it yet. The game takes place in the graphic novel universe made by Robert Kirkman as you play as Lee, a convicted felon on his way to prison when the undead apocalypse breaks out. Along the way, he meets a young girl named Clementine, who immediately becomes the star of the show and seasons moving forward. If you like The Walking Dead, this is easily considered the best game ever from that franchise.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Zombie Army 4: Dead War is the latest spinoff from the Sniper Elite series focused on killing Nazi zombies. This is not particularly like Call of Duty Zombies, which has a similar theme, though. While there are other weapons available, sniping is the main focus of the game here as you work through missions to take down the various enemies that stand in your path. This is a good cooperative shooter to play if you and your friends have already put too much time into Back 4 Blood or the previous Zombie Army Trilogy games.
