This article is part of a directory: Complete guide to the Xbox Series X
Table of contents

We might be biased but, for our money, there's nothing scarier than a truly terrifying game - they trump books and movies because of how immersive and self-driven a good game can feel.

So, if you've got an Xbox Series X or Series S at home and you want to be frightened while having a good time, then look no further. We've gathered some of the very best horror games for both consoles, right here.

If you're on the lookout for other genres of game, do check out our other lists in the table below.

Dead Space review 7
Dead Space
1. Best overall

Amazing horror

An amazing horror experience that has been rebuilt from the ground up and plays like a dream, while looking and sounding incredible.

Pros
  • Incredible action
  • Simply gorgeous
  • Amazing level design
Cons
  • Familiar for fans

An amazing remake that upgrades every single facet of the Dead Space experience, with gorgeous new graphics and non-existant loading times. The sound design is simply amazing if you use a headset, and it's super-scary.

This is action-horror at the top of its game, terrifying and stressful but with enough moments of explosive carnage that you're not dying of nerves at every single turn.

Best horror games on Xbox Series X/S: Amazing scary games for your Xbox photo 2
Resident Evil Village
2. Best tone

Top pick

A brilliant horror-action game that manages both genres superbly.

Pros
  • Action-packed
  • Some terrifying sequences
  • Pulpy story
Cons
  • Hard to take seriously

Resident Evil Village is a cacophonous bit of fun, a horror game that is able to both terrify in slow and tense sections but also go crazy with huge tension-busting action moments, and it has a really fun approach to the genre.

You'll still be juggling scarce resources and hiding from scary villains, but the zaniness of it all is infectious and we think it demonstrates that Resident Evil is a modern franchise even despite its retro roots.

Best horror games on Xbox Series X/S: Amazing scary games for your Xbox photo 3
A Plague Tale: Requiem
3. Best for visuals

Also superb

An excellent sequel that builds to a mighty crescendo.

Pros
  • Looks jaw-dropping
  • Much expanded scope
  • Fun stealth
Cons
  • Occasionally too punishing

We really liked the first Plague Tale game, but Requiem builds on it in every way to craft a seriously sublime sequel that ups the ante with a more characterful story and bigger set pieces. It's also one of the very best-looking games you can play on your Xbox hardware.

The sight of medieval towns and cities, plus the ravaging hordes of rats that inevitably descend them, is regularly breathtaking, and the fact that the story is so well told makes Requiem a must-play. It's also on Game Pass for easy access.

Best horror games on PlayStation 5: Check out these terrifying PS5 games photo 7
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
4. Best creeping fear

Brilliant tension

A super scary psychological thriller that masquerades as something far more innocent.

Pros
  • Incredibly dark
  • A heck of a ride
  • Keeps you guessing
Cons
  • Fundamentally not that interactive

This visual novel is extremely deceptive - we don't want to spoil the surprise too much, and recommend going in completely blind, but suffice to say that things go off the rails in this story in some truly horrendous ways.

It'll have you cringing and praying that its twists are some sort of evil joke, all in vain. This is a singular horror experience that everyone who loves the genre should try once, and it only takes a few hours to play through.

Signalis image 1
Signalis
5. Best for retro-vibes

Creepy retro

A great retro-styled horror game that gets nice and creepy before its interesting conclusion.

Pros
  • Retro visuals
  • Interesting story
  • Real survival vibes
Cons
  • Sometimes janky controls

Delightful isn't a word you associate with horror games much, but Signalis is such an impressive package that it really does apply. It's a retro title that brings visuals that will throw you back to days of yore.

The controls are a lot better than older games, though, and the story is just as disturbing as anything the genre has to offer, with some characters that you'll be sad to see suffer. Best of all, it's on Game Pass at the time of writing.

Best horror games on Xbox Series X/S: Amazing scary games for your Xbox photo 5
Resident Evil 2 (2019)
6. Best classic game

Classic reborn

A classic game that's completely reborn and becomes vintage in its own right.

Pros
  • Looks great
  • Classic pulpy story
  • Really thrilling
Cons
  • Some control quirks
  • Occasionally obtuse puzzles

Another great title in the Resident Evil series, this excellent remake of the old second game is a textbook example of how to update old material reverentially. It's had a patch to unlock its performance on Xbox Series X and S, too, so looks better than ever.

You'll play as Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they try to survive a zombie outbreak in Raccoon City, fleeing from a terrifying unkillable monster along the way. It's tense and gorgeous, and available really affordably.

Best horror games on Xbox Series X/S: Amazing scary games for your Xbox photo 7
The Quarry
7. Best performances

Cinematic flair

Like a super gory interactive movie, this is a great slice of horror fun.

Pros
  • Really fun cast
  • Well-acted scares
  • Great choices under pressure
Cons
  • A bit tropey
  • Not too surprising

This incredibly fun game is more like an interactive movie at times - both because of the production value, which is high, and the star talent attached to it. It's a classic horror story of teens trapped with a mysterious killer.

You get to control a wide cast of characters, make loads of decisions with major impacts on the story, and see how many of them you can steer to survival. The first time you try it, we're pretty confident the answer will be somewhere between "none" and "not enough".