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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →If you mean the best horror games first released in 2024, this shortlist starts with Silent Hill 2, a remake of the 2001 game, followed by four games with very different approaches to fear. The order is an editorial ranking, not an objective award: GamesRadar+ placed Silent Hill 2, Still Wakes the Deep, and Crow Country in its top three, while The Escapist’s selection also included Mouthwashing and Sorry, We’re Closed. Choose by the experience you want—psychological unease, tense escape, puzzle-led survival, or story-first horror.
Best horror games of 2024 at a glance
| Rank | Game | Fear and interaction | Platforms listed in the sources | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silent Hill 2 (2024 remake) | Psychological horror, exploration, and combat | PS5, PC/Steam | A story-heavy remake with modernized exploration and combat |
| 2 | Still Wakes the Deep | First-person creature horror focused on stealth and escape; no weapons | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Environmental tension without fighting |
| 3 | Crow Country | Retro survival horror, puzzles, and exploration | PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch | Classic-style survival-horror structure |
| 4 | Mouthwashing | Bleak, narrative-led psychological horror with relatively little interaction | PC | Story and unease over action |
| 5 | Sorry, We’re Closed | Lo-fi, neon-styled horror combining fixed-camera sections and first-person combat | PC | A distinctive mix of retro presentation and combat |
The platform lists above reflect the cited year-end and official pages; availability can vary by store and region. The list uses first release in 2024 as its eligibility rule, rather than games that were simply popular to play that year.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil Requiem Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $49.99 | 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 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
1. Silent Hill 2 (2024 remake): best for psychological horror
Silent Hill 2 takes the top spot because it pairs a story-driven psychological-horror premise with exploration and combat. James Sunderland travels to the fogbound town after receiving a letter from his late wife. Konami describes the 2024 release as a remake of the 2001 game—not a wholly new story—and says it expands explorable areas, shifts to an over-the-shoulder view, revises combat, and adds cut-scenes. Konami announced the October 8, 2024 release for PS5 and Steam; PlayStation’s PS5 product page also describes its premise and updated presentation.
Choose it if you want dread built around a troubled protagonist, unsettling environments, and encounters that involve fighting as well as exploration. It is less suitable if you specifically want a combat-free horror game. The original game’s 2001 roots matter if you are looking for a story entirely new to the series, but the remake’s changes make it the 2024 release represented here.
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- 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.
Where to play
Konami’s announcement lists PS5 and Steam, and confirms that digital and physical editions were available to preorder at announcement. For a physical option, check the current PS5 edition and stock in your region; PC players can use Steam. PlayStation’s product page currently lists standard and deluxe editions and shows PS Plus Extra catalog access with an offer end date of October 20, 2026. Catalog inclusion and offers can change, so check the page for your territory before relying on access through a subscription.
2. Still Wakes the Deep: best for weapon-free escape horror
Set on a North Sea oil rig, Still Wakes the Deep is a first-person narrative horror game built around surviving a dangerous environment rather than defeating enemies in combat. The official PlayStation description sums up its approach: “No weapons. No powers. Just your wits and determination.” Expect tension centered on stealth, escape, and finding a way through the rig—not an arsenal or combat abilities.
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.
It is the strongest fit here for players who want to feel vulnerable and navigate a hostile place. The PlayStation page lists PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S among its platforms. It also lists visual accessibility options including clear text, large text, color alternatives, and high-contrast visuals.
3. Crow Country: best for retro survival-horror puzzles
Crow Country uses a low-poly retro look, tank-style controls, and an abandoned theme park to evoke classic survival horror. Its emphasis is on exploring, solving puzzles, and managing encounters rather than the more cinematic, over-the-shoulder approach of Silent Hill 2. The Escapist highlights its exploration-led puzzle design and replayability.
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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.
Pick it if you enjoy learning a space, searching for clues, and working through old-school controls. GamesRadar+ lists it for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Switch. Its retro style is a deliberate part of the experience, not an attempt to imitate modern realism.
4. Mouthwashing: best for bleak, story-first horror
Mouthwashing follows the crew of a stranded space freighter in a bleak narrative that moves between past and present. Compared with action-survival horror, it offers relatively little interaction; the appeal is the accumulating psychological unease and the story’s unsettling shifts in perspective.
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.
Both GamesRadar+ and The Escapist included it in their 2024 selections. It is a good choice if you would rather absorb a disturbing narrative than spend much of your time fighting or solving elaborate survival systems. The cited selections list PC.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Sorry, We’re Closed: best for a stylized mix of horror modes
Sorry, We’re Closed broadens the list with a lo-fi, neon-styled take on horror. The Escapist describes a combination of fixed-camera angles and a first-person combat mode, giving it a different rhythm from the more focused escape of Still Wakes the Deep or the puzzle-led exploration of Crow Country.
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- 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.
Consider it if you want an unusual visual identity and are comfortable switching between presentation styles and combat. The Escapist’s selection lists PC.
How to choose the right 2024 horror game
- For psychological horror with combat and exploration: Silent Hill 2.
- For first-person tension and escape without weapons: Still Wakes the Deep.
- For retro controls, puzzles, and survival-horror exploration: Crow Country.
- For a comparatively low-interaction, bleak narrative: Mouthwashing.
- For neon-styled visuals and a combination of camera styles and combat: Sorry, We’re Closed.
These are editorial picks, not a measured consensus. GamesRadar+ ranked the first three here in that order, while The Escapist’s list chose a different set of games and also included several titles on this shortlist. The difference is a reminder that “best” depends on whether you want combat, puzzles, escape, or narrative above all else.
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