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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIf you want to play as the monster instead of running from it, CARRION is the clearest solo choice: it is explicitly presented as reverse horror, with you controlling a creature escaping captivity. For a multiplayer killer role, try Dead by Daylight, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Friday the 13th: The Game, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, or Evil Dead: The Game. Those games put you on the antagonist side of an uneven contest, rather than offering the same kind of solo monster fantasy.
This is a curated six-game list, not a ranked top ten: the available official descriptions establish these six villain-side roles, but do not support a reliable ranking of ten or confirm current online service and availability for every title.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil Requiem Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Project Songbird - PlayStation 5 | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Cronos - PlayStation 5 | $28.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Resident Evil 4 - PS5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition - PlayStation 5 | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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What counts as a horror game where you play as the villain?
There are two distinct ways to be the threat. In reverse horror, you control a monster directly and the fear comes from being pursued, contained, or opposed. In asymmetrical multiplayer horror, you take the killer or antagonist role against players on the other side. The first is a solo creature power fantasy; the second is a competitive or cooperative match with both hunter and prey roles.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →“Villain” is an imperfect label for some games. In CARRION, for example, the creature is also an imprisoned being trying to escape. The games below are included because they let you play the monster, killer, or antagonist—not because each presents that character as unambiguously evil.
#1 Best Overall
- Amazon Exclusive - 2 sided poster included in every game!
- Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily scared, representing a new type of character for the Resident Evil series. Grace will experience horror from the same perspective as the player as she learns to overcome her fears throughout the course of the story.
- For the first time ever in Resident Evil history, players will be able to freely switch between both first- and third-person perspectives throughout the game.
- An Anniversary to Remember: With March 2026 marking the Resident Evil series’ 30-year anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem marks its own milestone in the franchise.
- Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem are now open, with the bonus of Grace’s costume: Apocalypse. Please note that the picture weapon does not come with the costume, but it can be obtained in-game.
Best horror games where you play as the monster or killer
| Game | Playable role | Format and distinguishing appeal |
|---|---|---|
| CARRION | Amorphous creature | Single-player reverse horror; direct monster control. |
| Dead by Daylight | Killer | Asymmetrical multiplayer against a team of four Survivors. |
| Predator: Hunting Grounds | Predator | Multiplayer alien hunt against prey. |
| Friday the 13th: The Game | Jason Voorhees | Horror survival with Jason and teen-counselor roles. |
| Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game | Killer Klowns | Asymmetrical alien-versus-survivor teams with a campier tone. |
| Evil Dead: The Game | Kandarian Demon | Supernatural antagonist role alongside survivor play. |
CARRION: best for a solo reverse-horror experience
CARRION is the most direct answer if you want to play as the monster without relying on a multiplayer match. Steam describes it as a reverse-horror game in which you control an amorphous creature stalking and consuming the people who imprisoned it, and identifies the game as single-player. Its premise turns the familiar horror setup around: you are the creature trying to get out, not a human trying to survive it. (Steam store page)
The label “villain” deserves a qualification here: the creature is also portrayed as an imprisoned being seeking escape. Choose CARRION for direct, solo monster control, rather than for a multiplayer killer-versus-survivors format.
Rank #2
- A dark, enthralling 4-5 hour narrative to keep you hooked and guessing until the end. Gorgeous visuals as you traverse numerous and diverse environments, presented with a cinematic, film-like aesthetic. Ranged and melee combat with upgradeable weapons to help you survive your nightmarish journey.
- A stellar voice cast, starring Valerie Rose Lohman (What Remains of Edith Finch, Wolfenstein: Youngblood), Jonah Scott (Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Date Everything), and Aleks Le (Persona 3: Reload, Marvel Rivals, Ghost of Yotei).
- A beautifully dynamic and haunting soundtrack composed and performed by Jacob Noska, and Jonah Henthorne: members of the band Auric Echoes.
- The puzzles you encounter are more than your standard key hunt. Project Songbird rewards those with an eye for detail, making each puzzle a challenge of creativity and wits.
- The combat of Project Songbird offers a variety of approaches inspired by the classics of the survival horror genre. Melee and gunplay is slow and weighty, and ammo is incredibly scarce. However, combat isn't your only option, as you have a multitude of tools at your disposal to aid in sneaking past any creatures that wish to do you harm.
Dead by Daylight: best for a recurring multiplayer Killer role
Dead by Daylight lets you take the Killer side of an asymmetrical match, stalking and attacking a team of four Survivors trying to escape. It is the clearest fit if you want to play a horror antagonist repeatedly in multiplayer, with the game’s structure built around opposing roles. It is not a solo campaign about being a villain: the official description frames the experience as Killer versus Survivors. (Dead by Daylight official game page)
Predator: Hunting Grounds: best for playing the alien hunter
Predator: Hunting Grounds gives players the option to play as the Predator and hunt prey using alien technology. It suits anyone drawn to the hunter’s role and the tension of pursuing human opponents, rather than controlling a creature in a solo reverse-horror story. The cited PlayStation description establishes the playable Predator role, but not present-day platform coverage or online-service status. (PlayStation game page)
Rank #3
- Cronos: The New Dawn is a brutal third-person survival horror where you fight for the future by salvaging the past. Burn monsters before they merge. Extract souls from the living. Adapt or die.
- Set in a grim world where Eastern European brutalism meets retro-futurist technology, Cronos: The New Dawn lets you experience a gripping story that straddles the line between past and future.
- The enemies you’ll encounter are nightmarish creatures, born from the remnants of humanity – defeating them will require you to make full use of your arsenal.
- The creatures you kill won’t stay dead for long. Fallen enemies can be absorbed by others - through a grotesque process called Merging - to become faster, tougher, and far deadlier.
- This physical edition of Cronos: The New Dawn comes with bonus in-game content and a set of collectible stickers.
Friday the 13th: The Game: best for a Jason role
Friday the 13th: The Game is a third-person horror survival game that assigns players either to teen counselors or to Jason Voorhees. That role split makes it a straightforward pick if you want the iconic slasher’s side of a horror scenario. The game’s description establishes the roles, but does not establish whether online play or specific platforms remain available now; check the relevant platform’s current store and service information before choosing it for multiplayer. (Gun Interactive game page)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game: best for campy alien antagonists
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game lets players join the alien Klowns to plan an invasion and harvest humans, or take the survivor side. Its team-based premise gives the list a more campy, film-inspired option than the direct creature escape in CARRION. The Steam listing establishes these roles, but the information cited here does not confirm current service status or platform availability. (Steam store page)
Rank #4
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
Evil Dead: The Game: best for a supernatural antagonist role
Evil Dead: The Game offers survivor play as well as the option to play as the Kandarian Demon. That makes it the supernatural choice among the multiplayer-focused entries: you can take the demonic antagonist role rather than join the survivor side. Its official description supports the role, but does not by itself establish current platform or online availability. (Official game site)
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- Want to play alone? Choose CARRION, the only game in this list directly established as a single-player reverse-horror experience.
- Want to face human opponents as a killer? Dead by Daylight explicitly pits a Killer against four Survivors. The other multiplayer entries offer their own monster-versus-opponent role splits.
- Want a specific horror icon? Pick the Predator, Jason Voorhees, Killer Klowns, or Kandarian Demon game according to the antagonist you want to control.
- Prefer a more campy premise? The alien invasion setup of Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is distinct from CARRION’s creature-escape premise.
The official descriptions establish the roles and broad premises, not a shared review standard that proves one definitive “best” game. They also do not confirm present-day online service or platform availability for every title, so verify those details on the relevant storefront or publisher page before buying specifically for online play.
Best Value
- FEAR COMES HOME -- Fear, combat, exploration, and item management: these are the four pillars of survival horror, a genre that has never been more masterfully executed than in the gameplay of Resident Evil. The horror continues in the ground-breaking Resident Evil 7. Step into the new Isolated View and experience true survival horror in a world created by the all-new RE Engine.
- DEEP IN THE BAYOU - When Ethan Winters opened his inbox, the last thing he expected was to find an email from his wife; she had been missing for three years. The message was simple: "Come get me," and an address in Louisiana. This leads Ethan to a decrepit mansion in the heart of the bayou. The place has a seriously creepy vibe, but Ethan continues his search – until a stranger attacks him and knocks him unconscious. Ethan has no idea what awaits him when he wakes up...for he is now in the clutches of the Baker family.
- A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- In RESIDENT EVIL 7, we're changing the way you interact with the world. For this next major entry in the series, play from a first-person point of view, dramatically increasing your ability to become fully absorbed in the world we have created.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
Why this list has six games, not ten
The evidence supports six direct matches, but does not establish ten games with equal confidence. Expanding the list merely to meet the number in the headline would blur the genre boundary. Maneater, for instance, is sometimes grouped with games about playing as a monster, but the descriptions available here do not establish it as a horror game; it is better treated as horror-adjacent rather than presented as a direct match.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
