The 25+ Most Popular Horror Games Of 2021 To Play, Ranked by Fans

If 2021 taught us anything, it’s that horror gamers are fearless, patient, and
extremely committed to getting jump-scared at 2 a.m. While the world was busy
baking sourdough and doomscrolling, horror fans were ranking, replaying, and
streaming some of the scariest games around. From triple-A blockbusters like
Resident Evil Village to weird little indies that keep showing up
in Discord recommendations, 2021 was stacked with terrifying experiences.

This fan-driven list looks at the most popular horror games people were
actually playing in 2021across consoles and PCbased on community polls,
review scores, and what kept popping up in “what should I play next?” threads.
Whether you love psychological dread, co-op chaos, or monster-chasing-you-down-a-hallway
stress, there’s a nightmare here with your name on it.

How This Horror Game Ranking Was Put Together

This isn’t just one critic’s “my favorite spooky games” list. To reflect what
fans loved in 2021, the ranking blends:

• Fan polls and community votes on major gaming and horror sites
• Top-rated horror game lists from big outlets (think general gaming and genre-specific sites)
• User reviews on platforms like Steam, console stores, and community forums
• Which games kept trending around Halloween 2021 and in “best of the year” discussions

The result is a list that mixes 2021 releases with older horror titles that
were still wildly popular that year, constantly showing up in recommendations,
streams, and “you absolutely have to play this” DMs.

The 25+ Most Popular Horror Games Of 2021, Ranked

#1. Resident Evil Village

No surprise hereResident Evil Village dominated 2021 horror
conversations. It blended gothic castle horror, rural folk terror, and wild
B-movie energy into one stylish survival horror ride. Players loved exploring
Lady Dimitrescu’s towering mansion one minute and then getting emotionally
wrecked by a haunted dollhouse the next.

Why fans ranked it so high: memorable villains, gorgeous visuals,
tight gunplay, and a constant sense of unease without sacrificing fun.

#2. Little Nightmares II

Little Nightmares II looks like a dark picture book for kids,
but it plays like a very polite nightmare. You control Mono (and reunite with
Six) as you sneak through warped classrooms, terrifying TV-obsessed citizens,
and a haunting signal tower.

Fans adored the puzzle-platforming, the environmental storytelling, and the
kind of subtle horror that doesn’t just jump out at youit lingers in your
brain for weeks.

#3. Inscryption

On paper, Inscryption is a deck-builder. In reality, it’s a
fourth-wall-breaking horror story disguised as a card game, escape room, and
found-footage mystery. You’re trapped in a cabin playing cards with a very
unsettling opponent who may or may not want to sacrifice you and your deck.

It became a cult favorite because it constantly surprises youmechanically and
narrativelyand makes you feel like the game itself is watching.

#4. Returnal

Returnal may be marketed as a sci-fi roguelike, but horror fans
immediately claimed it. You’re stuck in a time loop on an alien planet, reading
your own audio logs, fighting shapeless creatures, and walking through surreal,
psychological horror vignettes in a house that really doesn’t want to be explored.

The combination of cosmic horror, bullet-hell combat, and looping narrative made
it one of the most talked-about horror-adjacent games of 2021.

#5. Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight didn’t release in 2021, but it stayed insanely
popular that year thanks to constant updates and a roster of killers that reads
like a horror convention guest list. Michael Myers, Pyramid Head, Pinheadif
they haunt your movie nights, they probably chased you around a generator at
some point.

It nailed the “watchable horror” niche: perfect for streaming, screaming, and
yelling at your friends for leaving you on a hook.

#6. Phasmophobia

If you’ve ever wanted to yell “show us a sign” into a mic and then immediately
regret it, Phasmophobia is your game. This co-op ghost-hunting
sim exploded in popularity in 2020 and stayed a fan favorite in 2021 as updates
added new ghosts, maps, and ways to get your team tragically murdered by a
demon in a farmhouse.

#7. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Even in 2021, Resident Evil 7 was still a go-to recommendation
for players who wanted pure, suffocating dread. Its first-person perspective,
decaying Baker estate, and relentless family of maniacs gave it classic
haunted-house energy with modern polish.

Many new fans who discovered Village in 2021 went back to play RE7 and ended up
calling it the scarier of the twojust with fewer nine-foot vampires.

#8. Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is older, but horror fans simply refuse to let
it die (unlike most of the characters in the game). In 2021 it was still topping
“scariest game ever” threads thanks to its unscripted Xenomorph AI, oppressive
atmosphere, and faithful recreation of the original film’s retro-futuristic look.

#9. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

On the surface, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! looks like a
wholesome anime dating sim. That’s… not what it is. The 2021 expanded edition
brought this psychological horror story to consoles, introducing a new wave of
players to its reality-bending meta-terror and emotional gut punches.

It’s the kind of game people urge you to play “blind,” then wait for the moment
you realize something is very wrong.

#10. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach

Security Breach launched late in 2021 and immediately lit up
fan communities. You explore a massive neon-drenched entertainment complex
while avoiding murderous animatronics that really should’ve failed their safety
inspection.

With its free-roaming design, stream-friendly jump scares, and an army of younger
fans, it quickly became one of the most-played horror titles at the tail end of
the year.

#11. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

House of Ashes takes the interactive horror movie formula
undergroundliterally. Set in a buried Sumerian temple during the Iraq War,
it throws a squad of soldiers together with something ancient and hungry.

Fans called it the strongest entry in the anthology so far, praising its
improved controls, better pacing, and wildly stressful co-op decision-making.

#12. Mundaun

Mundaun is the opposite of flashy blockbuster horror. It’s a
hand-penciled, slow-burn folk horror game set in the Swiss Alps. You unravel a
family curse while navigating eerie barns, mountains, and lonely roads rendered
in scratchy, monochrome art.

It became 2021’s “if you know, you know” recommendation for players who wanted
something quietly unsettling rather than loud jump scares.

#13. Tormented Souls

If you miss fixed camera angles and inventory puzzles, Tormented Souls
was basically your love letter from 2021. It channels classic survival horror
energythink early Resident Evil and Silent Hillwith modern tweaks and a very
creepy mansion-hospital hybrid full of twisted enemies.

#14. Chernobylite

Chernobylite blends survival horror, sci-fi, and immersive sim
elements in the radioactive ruins of Chernobyl. You’re dealing with monsters,
armed soldiers, and time-warping anomalies while trying to pull off a high-risk
heist.

Fans loved its mix of base building, stealth, and strange cosmic horror woven
into real-world tragedy.

#15. Scarlet Hollow

Scarlet Hollow is a hand-drawn horror visual novel that
surprised a lot of people in 2021. You head to a dying Appalachian town for a
funeral and quickly discover that the local problems include generational trauma,
creepy mines, and extremely cursed wildlife.

It won fans over with sharp writing, meaningful choices, and horror that feels
uncomfortably human.

#16. The Medium

The Medium leans into psychological horror and retro pacing.
You play a spirit medium walking between two worlds at once, solving puzzles in
a split-screen reality while being stalked by a terrifying entity that whispers
directly into your headphones.

#17. Alan Wake Remastered

2021’s Alan Wake Remastered revived a beloved cult classic for
a new generation. You’re a writer trapped in a Pacific Northwest nightmare,
fighting shadowy enemies with flashlights and flares while your own stories come
to life around you.

While not pure survival horror, its anxiety-soaked atmosphere and twilight
forests made it a favorite replay for horror fans that year.

#18. Hunt: Showdown

Hunt: Showdown continued to thrive in 2021 as one of the most
tense PvPvE experiences around. You and your team track down monsters in
swampy, Southern Gothic maps while other players stalk you, listening
for every careless sound.

#19. Subnautica: Below Zero

Below Zero might look like a cozy underwater exploration game,
but horror fans know: deep water is terrifying. Strange alien fauna, pitch-black
trenches, and the constant threat of drowning give it a different, slower kind
of fear.

It earned a spot on many 2021 lists as a “soft” horror game that’s perfect if
you like dread more than jump scares.

#20. Visage

Visage is heavily inspired by the legendary P.T. demo, and
players in 2021 flocked to it once they realized how effective its pacing and
environmental horror could be. You explore a single house, but it keeps changing
on you, and the ghosts are in no hurry to explain why.

#21. In Sound Mind

In Sound Mind takes you through a series of surreal “case
files,” each one a mind-bending level based on a different patient’s trauma.
It’s a first-person psychological horror game that mixes puzzles, exploration,
and some surprisingly catchy original music.

#22. World of Horror

World of Horror is a 1-bit, Junji-Ito-inspired roguelite
adventure that felt tailor-made for 2021 horror nerds. It’s all weird small-town
rituals, body horror, and apocalyptic omens delivered in crunchy retro style.

#23. Carrion

In Carrion, you are the monster. That twist, plus its
fluid movement and grotesque animations, kept it in rotation for horror fans in
2021. There’s something darkly satisfying about being the creeping red nightmare
in the ventilation system for once.

#24. Amnesia: The Dark Descent (and Collection)

The Amnesia games have been terrorizing players for years, and
they remained popular in 2021 with new fans discovering them through streams
and sales. Their combination of sanity mechanics, physics-based horror, and
“no weapons, just run” gameplay still holds up painfully well.

#25. Devour

Devour is cheap, chaotic, and perfect for co-op horror nights.
You and your friends try to stop a possessed cult leader by performing rituals
while she gets progressively more aggressive. It’s less polished than some games
on this list, but the jump scares and group panic are absolutely top tier.

#26. Murder House

Murder House looks like a lost PS1 slasher tie-in, and that’s
exactly why horror purists loved it. Filmed-crew-vs-masked-killer vibes,
grainy visuals, and brutal chase sequences made it one of the standout lo-fi
horror hits that players couldn’t stop recommending in 2021.

#27. Christmas Massacre

Rounding out the list is Christmas Massacre, a wild,
deliberately trashy holiday horror game. You play as a killer in a Santa suit
on a bloody rampage, with aesthetics that feel like a VHS tape someone really
should’ve thrown away.

It’s not subtle, but that’s the pointfans who love grindhouse energy and
unapologetically weird horror kept this one circulating in late-year “what
should I play for Christmas?” threads.

What 2021’s Horror Game Obsessions Tell Us

Looking at what fans actually played in 2021, a few big trends stand out:

• Hybrid genres ruled. Many of the most popular titles mixed horror with roguelikes, co-op shooters, deck-builders, or immersive sims.
• Psychological horror made a comeback. Games like Inscryption, Scarlet Hollow, and The Medium favored creeping unease over cheap jump scares.
• Old favorites stayed strong. Alien: Isolation, Resident Evil 7, and classic Amnesia were still recommended constantly alongside brand-new releases.
• Indies held their own. Low-budget, high-personality games like Mundaun, Murder House, and Devour proved you don’t need a massive budget to terrify people.

For horror fans, 2021 wasn’t just about a single game of the year. It was a
buffet of scarescozy haunted villages, cosmic nightmares, cursed towns, VHS-style
killers, and weird card games that know a little too much about you.

Player Experiences: How To Get The Most Out Of These Horror Games (Bonus Deep Dive)

Rankings are fun, but what really matters is how these games feel to
play. Here are some experience-based tips and observations to help you squeeze
the most delicious terror out of 2021’s fan-favorite horror hits.

1. Set Up Your “Horror Ritual”

Horror gaming hits different when you treat it like an event. Dim the lights,
grab a good pair of headphones, and put your phone face-down. Games like
Resident Evil Village, Returnal, and
The Medium are cinematic enough that they deserve your full
attention. Even relatively quiet momentslike walking down a hallway or
listening to background audio logsdo a ton of emotional heavy lifting that you
miss if you’re half-watching a second screen.

2. Decide Your Fear Level: Solo or Co-Op?

Some of the most popular horror games of 2021 are completely different
experiences depending on whether you play alone or with friends. In
Phasmophobia, for instance, solo runs are tense and methodical:
you’ll creep through empty halls, second-guess every sound, and question whether
you really heard that ghost whisper. Add a few friends, and suddenly it’s chaos:
someone is joking, someone is panicking, and someone is bravely hiding in the van.

The same goes for Devour and Dead by Daylight.
If you crave pure dread, try them solo or with just one trusted friend. If you
want maximum entertainment value, stack a full squad and accept that half the
horror will come from your own team.

3. Embrace “Story First” in Narrative Horror

Games like Scarlet Hollow, World of Horror,
and Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! shine when you lean into
their storytelling. Don’t rush through dialog; pay attention to flavor text,
background details, and throwaway linesthose often foreshadow the worst (in the
best way). Many of these games reward multiple playthroughs or alternate choices,
so treating them like playable horror novellas can make them more satisfying than
just chasing the “true ending.”

4. Know Your Limits (and Your Triggers)

Horror is extremely personal. Some players can handle cosmic monsters just fine
but tap out at realistic abuse or certain psychological themes. 2021’s lineup
included a bit of everythingfrom slightly goofy slasher vibes in
Murder House to genuinely heavy material in more grounded
stories. Before diving into anything you’re unsure about, it’s totally fair to
skim content warnings or watch a brief, spoiler-light gameplay clip.

There’s no “failure” in bouncing off a horror game that doesn’t sit right with
you. With so many options, you can absolutely find something scary that doesn’t
cross your personal lines.

5. Take BreaksYour Brain Needs It

Long sessions of sustained tension can wear you out more than you realize. Games
like Alien: Isolation, Amnesia, and
Visage are designed to keep you on edge for extended periods.
When you catch yourself quick-saving every 30 seconds or circling a door because
you’re scared to open it, that’s your cue for a break.

A 10-minute resetstretching, grabbing water, looking at literally anything that
is not a haunted hallwaycan make the next hour feel exciting again instead of
exhausting.

6. Let the Community Make It Better

One of the reasons these horror games stayed so popular in 2021 is the way
communities formed around them. Strategy guides for Hunt: Showdown,
lore breakdowns for Returnal and Inscryption,
speedruns of Resident Evil Village, cosplay of
Little Nightmares II, “first reaction” compilations for
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!watching others experience the
same scares adds a second layer of fun.

If you finish a game and can’t stop thinking about it, diving into fan theories,
art, and discussions can turn a single playthrough into a much bigger experience.

7. Start Where You Are

Maybe you’re a veteran who’s played every Resident Evil since the PS1 era.
Maybe you’re a new fan who just heard “you have to try this card game called
Inscryption.” Either way, there’s no wrong entry point.

If you’re new to horror, consider starting with something atmospheric but not
overwhelminglike Little Nightmares II, Subnautica:
Below Zero, or World of Horror with frequent breaks.
If you’re already desensitized and want the full panic-attack-in-a-box
experience, go straight for Alien: Isolation,
Visage, or a late-night Phasmophobia session
with friends who enjoy screaming into microphones.

However you approach them, the 25+ horror games fans embraced in 2021 prove one
thing very clearly: fear, when safely contained inside a game, can be one of the
most fun emotions you’ll ever chase.

SEO metadata in JSON