26 BEST Horror Games On Xbox Series X

The Horror genre is popular across all mediums. Whether it be horror movies, series, or even creepy horror music, there’s just some sort of attraction towards it and the adrenaline boost that one gets after a scare. Therefore, it’s no surprise that horror games are also quite popular, and that is also why this list will discuss some of the best horror games (traditional, survival, and multiplayer) out there that can be played on the Xbox Series X and Series S!

Here are the 26 Best Horror Games on Xbox Series X:

Resident Evil Village

The Resident Evil series is perhaps one of the oldest and most iconic series in the horror genre. They always managed to introduce extremely creepy characters, enemies, and just overall scenarios and environments that constantly made you shriek.

Resident Evil Village is a sequel to Resident Evil VII: Biohazard. You play as Ethan Winters from the prequel, and after finally being with your wife, you start a family and have a daughter. But eventually, she gets kidnapped, and you’re led to a creepy village filled with mutants. So, throughout the game, you’re on a quest to find your daughter while also falling into the weird stuff of the Eastern European-styled village.

Although Resident Evil Village does slightly tone down the horror elements from the previous game, it has more than enough moments to keep you on your toes. Throughout the game, you’ll mostly be solving puzzles, shooting enemies, and taking part in boss fights.

Similar to RE7, each big boss tends to have their own area that completely differs from other areas. Almost like an amusement park with different themed areas. And the village serves as the main hub, which you can return to after defeating different bosses. And, of course, all of these areas are overlooked by a giant castle as well.

In general, if you’re a fan of Resident Evil games, then you’ll enjoy Resident Evil Village, especially if you played RE7. Although, if you’re a veteran of the series, then you might want to pump up the difficulty to have a better challenge!

Pros:

• In terms of visuals, Resident Evil Village looks spectacular.
• Resident Evil Village has one of the best character designs compared to other Resident Evil games.
• The combat system is intriguing and well-balanced in Resident Evil Village.
• Every boss battle is unique in Resident Evil Village and provides you with different experiences.
• The controls are solid and distinctive in Resident Evil Village.
• Resident Evil Village nails the scary atmosphere on the head.

Cons:

• The plot is not engaging enough in Resident Evil Village in contrast to Iconic Resident Evil games.
• The combat gets sluggish which ruins the pacing of the game.
• Some battle sequences get extremely monotonous in Resident Evil Village.
• Resident Evil Village gets too dark in some areas which can be frustrating.
• The AI gets repetitive in Resident Evil Village.

Visage

Visage is a psychological horror game that’ll not just make you question so many things but will leave you creeped out and likely too scared to even go to the bathroom. It is heavily inspired by the P.T demo and game that we never got and is on par with games such as Outlast and Resident Evil in terms of horror.

The game literally starts off with a bang as you observe a man shooting his wife and children and then committing suicide. And then you wake up in a creepy room in a suburban home in the 1980s, the same home where the murder happened. Eventually, you realize that the man in the opening was Dwayne Anderson, the same person that you play throughout the game.

But that is not the only thing that you realize; you’ll also start noticing paranormal activities such as lights flickering, hearing noises, and a lot more. The house that you lived in is tormented by supernatural activities that affected not only you but also those that lived there before. Therefore, throughout the game, you explore what happened to the previous 3-4 inhabitants of the house while also trying to escape from it.

The gameplay consists of a first-person view where you solve puzzles to get to different areas and progress in the story. Unlike many other games, Visage doesn’t hold your hand throughout. It often offers just one or two clues that you must use to problem solve, which makes it extremely satisfying when you do get through.

Visage is one of the best horror games on the Xbox Series X and on its game pass, simply due to how amazing the story is, the different areas that are extremely creepy, and the paranormal aspects that are always lingering over you. All of these factors make it a must-play game for any horror lover.

Pros:

• The level design is unique and eye-catching in Visage.
• The atmosphere is chilly which adds to the horror element of the game.
• There is a ton of content besides the main story to tinker around with in Visage.
• Visage puts the player in some genuinely spooky situations.
• Different clues and analyses keep the player engaged throughout the game.

Cons:

• The controls are not very solid in Visage and are rather clunky.
• Visage is filled with hordes of bugs and glitches which is lackluster.
• The puzzles can get illogical and hard to solve in Visage which is really annoying.
• The narrative does not deliver several important answers which leaves the player confused in Visage.

The Quarry

If you’re a fan of interactive storytelling games where your decisions greatly impact the outcome of the story, then The Quarry is the right game for you! Brought to you by the same developers of many other horror storytelling games, such as Until Dawn, The Quarry also throws you on a spooky adventure with an entire group of teenagers.

Nine different teenagers with their own distinct personalities are spending summer camp at Hackett’s Quarry. But as soon as their last night arrives, they begin to notice some supernatural forces/creatures as well as some violent locals that definitely don’t want the teenagers around. It is up to you to control all nine of these characters in different chapters and ensure they survive their last night!

But survival won’t be easy. Most of your gameplay will require you to walk around, interact with items around you, analyze clues and evidence, make decisions, and complete quick time events (QTEs). And all of these directly or indirectly tie into deciding whether your character survives or not.

Choosing the right dialogue, picking the right items, and successfully (or sometimes unsuccessfully) completing all the QTEs can all help you survive. And sometimes, decisions made several chapters ago can come and haunt you again later.

As for horror elements, you can expect to get a good scare from the game. Whether it is the jump scares, being chased by monsters, or the sheer fear of making a wrong decision in an intense moment. Supermassive Games have been making such types of interactive horror games for quite some time now, and they’ve really polished up their formula. Therefore, you can’t really go wrong with playing The Quarry!

Pros:

• The Quarry has some scary moments that will keep you at the edge of your chair at all times.
• The Quarry has some stellar visuals and sound design.
• The cast of characters delivers a strong performance and keeps The Quarry interesting.
• The Storyline is intriguing and well-written in The Quarry.
• The Quarry does a fantastic job of keeping the player in mystery throughout the game.

Cons:

• The gameplay is not challenging enough in The Quarry.
• The Quick Time Events in The Quarry are dull and predictable.
• The Quarry has minor optimization issues.
• The closing chapter and finale are very disappointing in The Quarry.

The Medium

The Medium is a psychological horror by a studio that has been making horror games for quite some time. You play as Marianne, in a post-Communism Poland, who is a spirit medium and can help spirits pass on to the afterlife. Because of these powers, she can shift herself between the real and the spiritual world. The spiritual world is almost parallel to the real world but a lot spookier, gross, and filled with things right out of a nightmare world.

The game has a really engaging narrative that doesn’t shy away from discussing various topics. But besides just the story, the gameplay is quite unique and offers elements, unlike any other game. The biggest and most iconic gameplay element is the split screen view between the different realms.

Because the spirit world is parallel with slight differences from the real world, it leads to some interesting moments of discovery that help you solve puzzles. In fact, there are many puzzles to be solved in the game. You can even say that puzzle-solving is the majority of the gameplay, as The Medium doesn’t have any combat.

Throughout the game, you’ll be either sneaking around and avoiding enemies, mostly Maw, and trying to solve puzzles, collect items, unlock paths, and a lot more. The game also has some really good scripted moments and chases that’ll leave you out of breath, literally!

And unlike many other horror games, The Medium doesn’t rely on jump scares but focuses on constantly keeping you tense and on edge as you either escape from enemies or are in a rush to solve a puzzle as quickly as you can. Furthermore, the game was initially an exclusive game for the Xbox Series S and Series X, making it one of the forerunners for the best horror games for the platform and definitely worth a try!

Pros:

• Puzzles offer a fun endeavor that entices you to explore the paranormal activities happening in The Medium.
• The narrative expertly maintains the game’s fear factor thanks to a truly dreadful villain who poses a constant threat throughout the game.
• The Medium has some mesmerizing visuals.
• The eerie music intensifies the terror in The Medium.

Cons:

• The plot in The Medium is vague and does not effectively convey its message.
• Some promising elements of The medium are left unchecked.
• The protagonist keeps over-narrating some scenes in The Medium which is really frustrating.

Dark Pictures Anthology: House Of Ashes

We’ve already mentioned one Supermassive interactive game in the list, but because their games are so good, another one of their titles deserves mention on the list of best horror games on the Xbox Series X/S.

Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, better known as just the House of Ashes, is the third installment in the Dark Pictures Anthology series, after Man of Medan and Little Hope. All of the games in the franchise are interactive games that are focused on decision-making with a multilinear narrative and permanent choices.

Like the previous games in the series, you get to experience the story and control five different characters. House of Ashes is set in the 2003 Iraq invasion. Four of the controllable characters are US Armed Forces, whereas the fifth character is an Iraqi working for the Republican Guard of Iraq.

The gameplay mainly consists of wandering around, discovering new items, performing QTEs (quick time events), and choosing dialogue in a limited time slot that can greatly affect the way that the story turns out and even affect your relations with other characters. Additionally, you can’t go back to a previous save, meaning any change or decision that you’ve made is permanent. 

The permanent death of a character adds a lot more to the stakes and definitely makes each moment feel scarier or more stressful. That, combined with the environment design for the game, makes for some really good horrifying moments.

So, if you liked games such as Until Dawn or have never tried a game by Supermassive Games before, Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a great game to play on the Xbox Series X!

Pros:

• The cast of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is extremely good and intriguing.
• Every character has an interesting backstory that keeps the player engaged throughout the campaign.
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes offers some stellar visuals and sound designs.
• The narrative is distinctive and interesting in The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes.

Cons:

• The characters walk very slowly in The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes.
• Sometimes the dialogue gets sloppy in The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes.
• The Quick Time Events in The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes are not polished well and are awful.

Dead By Daylight

Dead by Daylight isn’t a traditional horror game. In fact, it is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game that lets you experience a horror movie for yourself. The main premise of the game is that there are four survivors, and one player acts as the killer on the hunt for these survivors.

For the survivors, it literally feels like a typical horror story where they’re trying to hide, run away, and escape from a murderous monster. As for the killer, you get to feel how the villains of all the horror movies feel as they catch up to the different survivors.

Essentially, two different game modes are happening at once in a single match. The objective of the survivors is to perform tasks that help them escape. These primarily include turning on a number of generators that allow them to open the gates to escape.

Whereas the killer’s objectives are to try and catch all of the survivors and put them on “hooks” that help sacrifice the killers to a demon-like being known as “The Entity.” There are several characters that you can choose to act as the killer.

The constant pressure of time running out tends to affect both the killer and survivors and makes for some really great gameplay. Although the game is old and the graphics seem outdated, it’s still relevant to this day. So, if you’re looking for one of the best co-op or multiplayer survival horror games that you can play on Xbox Series X or Series S, then Dead by Daylight is the game for you!

Pros:

• Dead By Daylight has an intense environment, and there are multiple soundscapes that create substantial tones and act as auditory cues.
• Both killer and survivor have special abilities in Dead By Daylight. You can develop your own tactical approach and add diversity to your character by customizing your killer or survivor.
• Your team can assist you in various ways. You can be unhooked, treated, and given a flashlight by other survivors while they attempt to protect you from the murderer in Dead By Daylight.
• Dead By Daylight provides a great diversity of killers, each with a unique vibe and action.

Cons:

• Dead By Daylight can be harsh and unforgiving to new players.
• In order to play various killers, you will have to buy DLC and different content to unlock them. This makes Dead By Daylight a pay-to-win game.
• Minor bugs and glitches keep occurring throughout the game which is really annoying in Dead By Daylight.

Outlast 2

If you’re a fan of the horror genre in video games, then it’s quite unlikely that you’ve not heard of the Outlast series. In fact, Outlast is so popular that even gamers that don’t play horror games have heard the tales of how frightening it is to the point that players struggle to get to the end of it.

And fortunately (or maybe, unfortunately), all of these claims are true because Outlast and even Outlast 2 do a really great job of scaring you out and putting so much pressure on you that each movement feels like an act of desperation.

In Outlast 2, you play Blake Langermann, a journalist who is investigating the murder of a pregnant woman known as Jane Doe in the Arizona desert. He is accompanied by his wife, Lynn, but soon the both of them get separated after a helicopter crash.

Blake begins searching for his wife but soon comes across a village that is filled with a deranged sect that performs many cult-like activities and believes that the end of days is upon them. There are also a lot of other religious and catholic cult-like activities that the sect is into.

In fact, there’s not just one cult but multiple in the game, and they all tend to oppose each other. But in general, everything that they do will definitely freak you out. Especially the gameplay!

In Outlast 2, you don’t have access to any weapons, and you can’t fight anyone. In fact, you’re so weak that you can get taken out with just one hit. So, your main way of dealing with enemies would be by hiding or sneaking around. But the gameplay fully embraces those mechanics by providing you with many areas to hide in, the ability to hold your breath, and even crawl under areas.

Furthermore, Outlast 2 has a more open design, allowing you to explore bigger areas. Because of that, you can escape a lot easier from your enemies, but they can also sneak up on you too, so it’s a win-lose situation.

Pros:

• Outlast 2 is a hallmark of excellence. It has some stunning graphics.
• The sound design is on top of the shelf in Outlast 2.
• The spooky environment always keeps players on their toes in Outlast 2.
• The camera mechanic is a very important aspect of Outlast 2. The limited supply of batteries maintains the horror element of this game.
• The new heal system is a thrilling add-on to Outlast 2.

Cons:

• The plot is not intriguing and rather dull in Outlast 2.
• A lot of trial and inconsistency.

Observer

If you’re looking for a game that doesn’t rely on cheap tricks such as jump scares or creepy combat to scare you, then Observer might be the best horror game on Xbox Series X. Observer is a psychological horror game that will leave you wanting more.

Set in a futuristic cyberpunk-styled city in 2084, you play as Daniel Lazarski, a Krakowian detective from the Observer police unit. In this futuristic city, the human race is undergoing a digital plague that causes people to use drugs, alter their bodies, and a lot more.

But after a megacorporation took control of Poland, they introduced the Observer unit that is able to hack into people’s minds for interrogation purposes, and that’s exactly what you do throughout the game.

After you get a call from your estranged son, Adam, you get taken to his apartment. But over there, you notice a body with a severed head, and you begin investigating. Most of the game revolves inside the impartment, where you try to get to the bottom of the murder mystery.

However, as you can hack into the brains of people, whether they’re dead or alive, you usually get taken to different areas as you access their memories. The majority of the gameplay consists of you analyzing different clues, hacking into different people, and trying to piece everything together.

But the creepiness and the true horror of the game build up with the beautiful yet eerie environment designs. From creepy visions to cramped areas, you’ll always feel uneasy as you investigate foreign areas. All of that is backed up with music that builds up great tension.

Because there’s no combat in the game, the enemies that you do encounter tend to be in stealth sections, observer truly is a great sci-fi horror game that you can try out, especially if you’re tired of the typical horror elements.

Pros:

• The atmosphere in Observer is immersive and eye-catching.
• The narrative is thrilling in Observer.
• It has solid controls which can be remapped to the player’s taste.
• Observer manages to reframe the terror concepts from Layers of Fear in a more imaginative manner.

Cons:

• Some puzzles that occur during the brain-hacking sequence are really troublesome in Observer.
• Minor bugs may occur in Observer and some technical issue ruins the experience.

Little Nightmares 2

There are many indie games out there. Amongst all of those amazing games, there’s a “little” gem known as Little Nightmares 2. It is the sequel to the first game, Little Nightmares, and you play as a new protagonist, Mono, who is accompanied by the protagonist of the previous game, Six.

You play in a 2.D world where everything else is significantly bigger than you. Whether it be simple items such as a football, or other NPCs in the game, they’re all more sized up, and you’re just a small being in their world.

Your main objective is to simply get across the different areas of the game without getting caught or killed by environmental hazards or the hostile humanoid creatures in the game. Whereas in the first game, the protagonist doesn’t have any means to defend themselves, this time around, Mono can pick up items and attack certain enemies.

However, the majority of the gameplay will consist of you sneaking around, as no matter how much swinging and attacking you do, you’ll never be able to harm the much bigger enemies in the game. And you’ll also have to solve puzzles as well to progress further.

The game has enough horrific moments to keep fulfilling your desires. From creepy arms sticking out of walls to mobs of small enemies suddenly creeping up on you, you’ll always have to be vigilant. But the tensest and most stressful moments are when you’re faced with giant humanoid creatures, as you can never be too sure of what they’d do. Little Nightmares 1 was a great game, and it’s safe to say that Little Nightmares 2 did not disappoint!

Pros:

• The puzzles in Little Nightmares 2 are very intriguing to solve and it captures the player’s undivided attention.
• The sound design is distinctive in Little Nightmares 2.
• The combat mechanics are phenomenal and keeps the player enrolled in Little Nightmares 2.
• The spooky atmosphere adds more excitement to Little Nightmares 2.

Cons:

• Little Nightmares 2 is not a long game.
• In Little Nightmares 2, whenever you are solving a puzzle, the game will start assisting you and give you different clues. This spoils the immersion of puzzle-solving.
• The Controls are weird and clunky in Little Nightmares 2 which can be a drag.

The Evil Within 2

The Evil Within 2 is a sequel to the original The Evil Within game and is a survival horror game played in the third person. The game continues from the events of the previous game by letting you play as Sebastian Castellanos, who is still undergoing the trauma from the previous games.

After discovering that your supposed dead daughter, Lily, is actually alive and is lost in a simulation-type experiment, you head out to where the experiment is being held in hopes of saving her life. In general, the game has a pretty straightforward and easy-to-understand plot, unlike the first game, where things would get confusing.

The game is riddled with monsters and different types of zombies. And at times, it gives a Resident Evil 4 vibe with the inventory management and the way the gunfire and combat work. But it manages to add its own spin by offering different skills and upgrades.

Additionally, like many other horror games, Evil Within 2 does a great job of making you feel uncomfortable throughout the game. Despite having an open-world design, even when you’re exploring, you never truly feel safe.

But the game truly shines with its different bosses and creature designs. It usually falls into a more linear approach during the boss fights, and they work quite well in constantly keeping up the tension. From intense chases, gunfights, and nightmare-styled moments, there’s enough to keep you coming back for more.

Pros:

• Scenery-wise, The Evil Within 2 is gorgeous.
• A sophisticated and moving story is portrayed through strong writing and an enhanced storyline in The Evil Within 2.
• Several creepy scenes in The Evil Within 2 that frightens you make for fantastic horrors.
• The combat system including stealth is engaging in The Evil Within 2.
• Solid controls benefit you in various ways throughout the game.

Cons:

• Backtracking can be tedious in The Evil Within 2, and there are bizarre pacing problems and discrepancies in several of the chapters.
• The plot is not intriguing enough for new players in The Evil Within 2.
• The open world appears sluggish in some scenes in The Evil Within 2.

Fatal Frame: Maiden Of Black Water

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is the fifth entry in the Fatal Frame series. It was initially released for the Wii U but then later got remastered for the current generation consoles. Fatal Frame (Project Zero): Maiden of Black Water is a third-person survival horror game that has some unique elements that we haven’t seen much in other games.

You get to play as three different protagonists in the lands of Hikami Mountain, which is filled with ruined buildings and dark forests. The place is also known for paranormal activities and is a hotspot for suicides.

Despite playing as three different protagonists, Yuri Kozukata is essentially the main character. She has the ability to connect people from the spiritual world to the real world. The characters are on a quest to discover a missing person in the Hikami Mountains and to control the Black Water while trying to survive all the paranormal dangers ahead.

The majority of your gameplay will consist of you avoiding all sorts of different ghosts while trying to complete different objectives that get you closer to the endgame. Although the story is great, the gameplay is what makes Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water stand out from the rest of the games.

If you’re a fan of the Fatal Frame series or are looking for a great entry point, then Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a really good game to start off with. With the remastered version, it’s the most modern way of experiencing a Fatal Frame game! The Fatal Frame series is quite old.

Pros:

• The world-building and lore are exceptional in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.
• The combat system is extremely enjoyable and keeps the players invested in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.
• The creepy environment is well-designed and adds to the horror element of the game.

Cons:

• In Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, the movement seems to be very janky and inflexible.
• There are just too many functions assigned to the ZR button which is absurd in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.
• The cast of characters is dull and boring.

Maid Of Sker

Maid of Sker is a first-person horror game that includes certain types of enemies that we’ve seen in other games, but it manages to incorporate them so well that it feels like a fresh take.

You play Thomas Evans on a fictional island known as Sker Island. It’s the year 1898, and you get a call from your lover, Elisabeth Williams, asking for help. She says that something odd is happening in the Sker Hotel, and her family has been acting strange.

As soon as you get to the place, the general atmospheric vibe is enough to indicate that something is definitely wrong. Soon you encounter cult followers known as “The Quiet Ones,” that have taken over the Sker Hotel, and it is up to you to help Elisabeth get out of there.

These cult followers have been blinded and only rely on sound to move around and detect you. And as you don’t have any means of completing taking them down, your main option is to sneak around while creating as few disturbances as possible to avoid drawing attention. Especially considering it only takes 3 hits for you to die.

The game also introduces environmental effects, such as dusty areas that can cause Thomas to cough. In such instances, holding your breath can be quite useful. And performing certain necessary actions like opening a door or pulling a lever can also cause noise which you have to be cautious of.

Pros:

• In terms of visuals, Maid of Sker is quite impressive.
• The intense atmosphere adds tension to the game.
• Wales Interactive invested a great deal of effort in creating Maid of Sker’s soundtrack and they did not disappoint.
• Maid of Sker promotes the stealth game plan which is eye candy for aficionados of this genre.

Cons:

• Some minor functional issues make the Maid of Sker unplayable.
• The controls are not the best in Maid of Sker.
• Maid of Sker has terrible optimization on PC.

MADiSON

The P.T demo caught a lot of attention when it came out. In fact, it was so popular and well-received that it helped shape a lot of future horror games. MADiSON is one of those first-person horror games that take inspiration from P.T and nails the general vibe.

You play as a 16-year-old boy, Luca, who receives an instant camera for his 16^th birthday. However, that camera belonged to a serial killer 30 years ago, and through the camera, the killer contacts Luca and causes things around him to go haywire.

One day MADiSON wakes up to find that no one is home. In fact, he is stuck inside his home as paranormal activities are happening around him. And now, it’s up to Luca to perform and put an end to a macabre ritual to successfully escape all the horrors.

Most of your gameplay will revolve around puzzle-solving while avoiding enemies, as you have no way of harming them. As you move around the big creepy house filled with blood-spattered walls, you’ll uncover items that can help you in solving puzzles.

Additionally, the house does a great job of keeping you alert. As you move from one area to another, you can never be too sure of what you’ll encounter as the house keeps shape-shifting. Did you see a door behind you? Well, by the time you get back to it, it might be completely gone.

Or, if you’re about to enter a basement, you can either get extremely unlucky and end up at a murder scene or just a regular creepy basement. Because of this, the game always feels fresh and doesn’t get too boring. And the jump scares are also unpredictable and keep changing the way they scare you so that you don’t get immune to them.

With great puzzles that never get boring by constantly challenging you, a creepy environment design and a house that doesn’t want you to escape, MADiSON is among the best P.T inspired horror games that you can play on the Xbox Series S or Series X. 

Pros:

• The storyline is impressive and the lore keeps the player engaged throughout the game.
• The sound design is absolutely terrific promoting the horror element.
• Horror scenes are well-designed and keep the player on the edge.

Cons:

• Little to no support in puzzle solving even in the Normal mode which is lackluster.
• The Backtracking is irritating for some players.
• Inventory management is horrendous.
• Luca’s dialogues can get annoying at times.

Tormented Souls

Classic horror games had a certain vibe to them that was enough to scare you for days. From the low lighting to the camera angles that restrict you, keeping you oblivious to whatever is ahead, all these factors helped make such games creepy.

Tormented Souls adapts all of those philosophies in an attempt to create a modern classical horror game, and it definitely nails it. You play as Caroline Walker as she investigates the disappearance of twin girls in a creepy hospital that used to be a mansion.

As you explore the mansion, you begin to discover creepy elements and supernatural enemies that try to hunt you. The blood-splattered walls, creepy paintings, and off-putting items in the game are enough to scare you. But that, combined with the restricted camera angle, makes for some really intense moments.

Taking inspiration from games like Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark series, resource management is a huge part of the game. You do have access to weapons such as a gun, but you cannot always just run and gun your way through levels, as you’ll eventually run out of ammo.

The environments have a great design, with dimly lit corridors and clustered hallways that give you a sense of urgency of just getting to the other end. The game makes the darkness a mechanic by hurting the player if they remain in the darkness for too long.

Although the puzzles can be hard at times, the pacing of the game is pretty good to keep you engaged for a really long time. So, if you’re tired of typical modern horror games, then Tormented Souls is the best classical experience that you can have on the Xbox Series X/S. 

Pros:

• The lighting is great in Tormented Souls.
• Visuals are exquisitely detailed in Tormented Souls with an excellent atmospheric layout which is a plus one.
• There is a different variety of monsters in Tormented Souls which keeps the player invested throughout the game.
• The combat system is promising and makes Tormented Souls more interesting to play.
• The gameplay is nostalgic and addictive hence increasing the replay value of Tormented Souls.

Cons:

• Tormented Souls gets repetitive over time which is disappointing.
• The animations get stiff in Tormented Souls making it unbearable to progress through the game.
• The time travel aspect is heavily ignored in Tormented Souls which has left some players confused.
• Sometimes enemy positioning is not very well planned in Tormented Souls.
• The ending is a little anticlimactic which is lackluster in Tormented Souls.

Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel

Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel is an indie horror game that takes a lot of inspiration from the modern Resident Evil games. You play an amateur journalist, Roberto Leite Lopes, as he writes a piece on mysterious sightings in the town of Treze Trilhas.

Roberto decides to stay at St. Dinfa Hotel, where he begins to notice supernatural activities, even a sort of cult, human experiments, apparitions roaming the hall, and a lot more. So, it’s now up to him to not just write a piece but also find a way out of the creepy hotel.

The majority of the game is spent solving various puzzles and using gun combat to fight enemies. The puzzles can be used to progress the game and also to get certain rewards such as ammo or upgrade materials.

The game isn’t too on the survival horror side, as you’ll usually have enough ammo to deal with most enemies. And if you shoot them in their core, you can usually take them out with one shot.

Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel also incorporates the idea of different timelines and dimensions. These are used for problem-solving in certain designated areas that let you peek into the other dimensions. Although it’s not as intricate as The Medium’s dimension-hopping, it still provides some unique moments.

So, if you’re looking for an indie game that captures a resident evil vibe while also adding its own spin, then Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel is worth trying out! Some of the most memorable games tend to be adventure games.

Pros:

• Fans of Classic Resident Evil games will fall in love with Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel.
• The atmosphere in Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel is breathtaking.
• The game’s finest elements are its writing and theme.
• As the gameplay enables players to switch between realms and other timeframes in the hotel, players are able to play as a different character after the first hour or so in Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel.
• Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel offers solid puzzle-solving sequences.
• The sound design and character development are well done in Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel.

Cons:

• The combat system needs to be improved and is rather dull and mundane in Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel.
• In Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel, the horror dissipates as you progress through the game which is lackluster.
• The narrative falls to pieces by the end in Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel.
• The monsters become less challenging after a while in Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel.

Alien: Isolation

Horror games that tend to put you up against a strong enemy that can’t be killed tend to be the best because you truly feel dreadful and scared as they approach you. And that’s exactly what Alien: Isolation is all about.

A lot of other games on the list have also incorporated such a mechanic by stripping away your combat abilities. But Alien: Isolation makes you feel helpless despite arming you with weapons such that you can take out low-level enemies, but when it comes to the main monster of the game, you usually have no chance against it.

Alien: Isolation is based on the original Alien movies and lets you play Amanda Ripley, who is on a quest to discover what happened to her mother on the space station Sevastopol. But as soon as Amanda gets onboard the space station, she soon discovers that it has been taken over by a hostile alien creature and must find a way back to Earth.

The alien can detect you through sight, but more scarily, through the noises that you make. Whether it be running around, bumping into objects, or even using devices that make noises, such as the alien detector, it can detect you through almost any noise. So, when the alien is on the hunt for you, you have to be extra careful by hiding under objects, sneaking into vents, or remaining hidden in empty lockers.

Besides just the alien, there are other enemies on board, too, such as hostile human survivors and androids. But you’re not useless against them as you’ll have weapons such as a revolver, shotgun, and even a stun baton that you can use to eliminate them.

Alien: Isolation sometimes heavily encourages you to use stealth in certain scenarios, especially when faced with the Alien itself.

Pros:

• Alien: Isolation is an excellent utilization of the original film.
• Alien: Isolation is a very lengthy game.
• In terms of graphics and sound design, Alien Isolation is on top of the shelf in contrast to other games of this genre.
• The lighting is splendid which enriches the horror element of Alien: Isolation.
• The stealth gameplay is intriguing in Alien: Isolation.

Cons:

• Several sequences of Alien: Isolation are a little too stretched which impacts the pacing of the game. This is tiresome for many players.
• The AI alien can get irritating to deal with sometimes in Alien: Isolation.
• The animation of some characters gets stiff in some situations in Alien: Isolation.
• The combat system of Alien: Isolation is sluggish which is lackluster.

Evil Dead: The Game

It’s hard to nail a co-op horror game, but Evil Dead: The Game does a good job of capturing everything that the movie got right and also creating an enjoyable game in the process.

Evil Dead: The Game is an asymmetrical survival horror game that is mostly focused on PvP, where you can either play as one of the survivors or the demon hunting the survivors. The game also features a single-player mode that requires an internet connection.

Although the single-player mode isn’t anything special and mostly makes you live out certain scenes from the movie, the PvP mode is where it truly shines. The gameplay feels solid as you take out enemies, perform melee attacks, finishers, and a lot more. Each hit feels powerful, especially when bits of enemies, such as zombie meat or skeleton bones, fly in different directions.

The main objective of the survivors is to find a map that’ll reveal the location of the Necronomicon pages and the Kandarian Dagger that can be used to banish the dark ones. This leads to an all-out skirmish as you group together to take out the different enemies.

As for the demon, their job isn’t a walk in the park, either. They have to be really active on the map, set traps, and find different ways to increase the fear meter of the players. This can be done by possessing different items in the game, such as trees to give jump scares or even the survivor’s getaway vehicle to torment them. And the more time passes, the stronger you get as the demon.

If you love playing with your friends and want to experience a horror movie in a game, then Evil Dead: The Game is the best multiplayer horror survival game on the Xbox Series X and Series S! Sometimes, you might even get to snipe in the game.

Pros:

• Evil Dead: The Game features Sam Raimi which is eye candy for his fans.
• Evil Dead: The Game is the stellar representation of the Classic Evil Dead movie.
• A big branch of perks that you can acquire by perfecting a character allows you to further modify each character’s playstyle and set of special abilities in Evil Dead: The Game.
• The gameplay cycle of Evil Dead: The Game is highly entertaining.
• The power curve system is incredibly intriguing in Evil Dead: The Game.
• The maps are massive and available in diversity.

Cons:

• The gameplay gets repetitive which is lackluster in Evil Dead: The Game.
• Too many systems can get confusing and troublesome for new players in Evil Dead: The Game.
• The environment can be a little hard to get used to in Evil Dead: The Game.
• The Demon can be a little tricky to deal with sometimes.

Alan Wake: Remastered

Brought to you by the same developers as Control, Alan Wake is a psychological horror game that focuses a lot on elements of light and darkness. You play Alan Wake, who visits the small mountain town of Bright Falls with his wife in hopes of getting over writer’s block.

But eventually, his wife gets taken by a mysterious force, and the town’s people get possessed by something called the “darkness.” All those that are possessed get referred to as the “Taken,” and they’re all trying to take down Alan Wake.

So, it’s up to you to defend yourself from all of these “Taken” enemies while also trying to find your wife. The game is mostly a linear experience split into many episodic chapters. Your adventure leads you through many different areas, such as forests, national parks, and even farms, during the night.

The game never lets you feel safe, especially in darker areas, as even objects can get animated and try to harm you. And using things such as flashlights to help you out is all fine and dandy until you run out of batteries or need to recharge. In those moments, you have to rely heavily on your environment and utilize things such as streetlamps, searchlights, and a lot more.

The game has a really good narrative and even follows a subplot where you discover manuscripts from a book that is supposedly written by Alan Wake, but he doesn’t remember any of it. If you want to experience a linear horror game, then Alan Wake is can be considered the best-remastered game that you can play on the Xbox Series X!

Pros:

• In terms of visuals, Alan Wake: Remastered is a huge step up compared to the original game. The scenery is simply incredible.
• The combat system is distinctive and quite engaging which improves the overall experience of Alan Wake: Remastered.
• The soundtrack is extremely well done in Alan Wake: Remastered.
• Alan Wake: Remastered does a wonderful job of executing a strong plot and immersive storyline which keeps the player embroiled throughout the game.

Cons:

• The lack of HDR is the major flaw to be found in Alan Wake: Remastered.
• At often times, the controls get gimmicky which is underwhelming in Alan Wake: Remastered.
• The combat gets repetitive.

Agony

Do you know what makes for a good setting in a horror game? Hell. The damned souls, and the creepy atmosphere it’s enough to give you the chills. That’s exactly what Agony tries to achieve by letting you play as a tormented soul in hell without any memory.

The only thing that you know is that you need to find and follow a red goddess while surviving the horrors of hell. Besides that, there’s absolutely no background story of your soul. The game achieves a lot of stressful and tense moments with its environment design and different types of enemies.

In terms of visuals, the game truly is stunning as you explore the linear yet really big levels of the game. There’s a wide variety of areas, from dimly lit to trippy colorful areas.

Solving puzzles is an intricate part of progressing into further areas of the game. These can be challenging as the game doesn’t hold your hand too much, and you have to figure out most of the things on your own.

You can’t really fight enemies, but you have the ability to possess other souls. This can be useful in solving certain puzzles or even coming back to life after you die. And there’s a chance that you’ll die quite often because there’s a good number of enemies out to get you.

The game keeps you on your toes with a lot of edgy visuals that definitely will make you feel gross enough to shower. And the game is definitely for mature audiences, as the visuals can get a little too much at times. So, if that sounds like your type of game, then Agony is perhaps the game that you’ve been looking for!

Pros:

• The atmosphere is exceptionally good and has a huge impact on the overall experience of Agony.
• Agony offers some intriguing possession mechanics.
• Demons in Agony have distinctive powers and attributes.

Cons:

• The pacing of Agony is tedious in many ways.
• The gameplay design is aimless which is a big turn-off in Agony.
• The puzzles get repetitive which is lackluster.
• The save system is notoriously bad in Agony.
• Enemy design is not groundbreaking compared to the tormented environment in Agony.
• The gameplay is very slow.
• The voice acting is unfailingly corny in Agony.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Resident Evil 7 is the first game that made a major change in how Resident Evil games were played. Instead of a third-person view, you’d now play in first-person. And instead of taking on hordes of enemies and gunning down them, things got a lot desperate, ammo became scarcer, and fights became more intense.

You play Ethan Winters as he searches for his missing wife in the Derelict Estate. But as soon as you reach there, you begin to notice weird things, especially with the estate’s inhabitants, the Baker family. Not only that, but a weird sort of fungus has taken over the entire estate and creates “molded” creatures and takes over humans to take you down.

Inventory management is also a vital part of the game, as you can’t carry everything that you want with you. So, sometimes you have to choose between having more healing power or attacking power, which truly gives survival horror vibes.

Whether it be solving a puzzle before an enemy catches up to you or trying to land that final killing blow on an enemy, you’ll always have something to keep you pumped with adrenaline.

Pros:

• Resident 7 has some spectacular voice actors.
• Resident Evil 7 does a phenomenal job of recreating itself while turning to the series’ roots.
• Players don’t have to play other Resident Evil games in order to experience the narrative of Resident Evil 7.
• Resident Evil 7 mainly focuses on the horror element as that is the criterion of classic Resident Evil titles.
• It has some of the best graphics in contrast to other Resident Evil games in the series.
• Widely distinct enemies are prowling in the creepy house in Resident Evil 7.

Cons:

• The first-person perspective might not be the cup of tea for some old Resident Evil players.
• Several Boss Battles get more annoying rather than getting intriguing in Resident Evil 7.
• Some of the Story points don’t have the potential effect on the storyline of Resident Evil 7.
• A significant amount of jumpscares occur in Resident Evil 7 which makes it unplayable for some players.

Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice

Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice is a linear experience that effectively combines elements of action adventure, psychological horror, puzzle solving, and melee combat. The game is heavily inspired by Norse mythology and Celtic culture, as it creates a dark fantasy world.

You play as Senua, a Pict warrior who is on her way to Helheim in hopes of saving the soul of her dead lover. Along the way, you face many challenges and encounter otherworldly entities that definitely don’t want you around. The game has a really good environmental design and creates the perfect horror atmosphere by making the world around you all gross and gloomy.

There is a huge emphasis on puzzle solving, roaming around to discover story elements, and combat. To progress the story, you’ll usually have to solve different puzzles. They can be quite unique when they incorporate Senua’s “focus,” which allows her to notice patterns that others can’t, allowing her to solve puzzles efficiently. As for the moment-to-moment combat, it’s structured quite well.

Things get even weirder when you realize that Senua has psychosis, which causes her to hear a lot of voices that even you can hear as well. The voice acting in such moments is phenomenal, and with a pretty intricate 3D sound design, it almost feels as if the voices are in your head as well. And that’s one reason why you need to play the game with headphones on!

Pros:

• Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice has some of the most astounding visuals and sound designs among various Triple-A titles.
• The combat system is very unique and highly satisfying in Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice.
• Different kinds of puzzles keep the player constantly engaged throughout the saga of Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice.
• The diversity in enemies and bosses makes Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice extremely fun to play.
• Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice provides innovative design to enhance the gameplay and plot.

Cons:

• The combat system may not be to everyone’s appetite as it takes some time to get used to in Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice.
• The lack of a navigation system makes it very hard to explore the vast world of Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice.
• Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice has too ambiguous goals and instructions that may slow down the pacing of the game.

Plague Tale: Innocence

Unlike every other game on the list, Plague Tale: Innocence isn’t exactly a horror game. You don’t have a lot of weird monsters, and there’s no post-apocalyptic world, no haunted house, or any demon trying to get to you.

Plague Tale Innocence is about a French sister, Amicia de Rune, and a brother, Hugo, whom both are trying to survive during the war between England and France. All of this is also takes place during the black plague, which has been slightly exaggerated for the purpose of the game.

The black plague is what really makes the game feel creepy and borderline a horror game. The plague is spread through rats, and the game does a fantastic job of showcasing hordes of rats. It’s almost mind-blowing to imagine how the developers managed to fit so many rats on the screen at once, but they somehow made it work really well.

Many sections of the game will consist of hordes of rats surrounding you as you use light sources to clear yourself a path or solve some puzzle to get to a safe place from the rats. But sometimes, these rats can be useful for dealing with other enemies in the game.

Overall, the dark and gloomy atmosphere mixed with the rats that just make your skin crawl makes for an interesting game. If you enjoy story-based linear horror games, then you’ll definitely enjoy Plague Tale: Innocence! And sometimes you can get it on the Xbox series X game pass, too, making it truly a great horror game with an amazing story on the next-gen consoles.

Pros:

• The combat system brings something refreshing and is quite unique in A Plague Tale: Innocence.
• The Storyline is on top of the shelf in all aspects of the game.
• In terms of graphics, A Plague Tale: Innocence is simply phenomenal.
• Controlling a swarm of rats is hugely satisfying in A Plague Tale: Innocence.
• There is plenty of rarity in the combat system and overall exploration of A Plague Tale: Innocence.

Cons:

• The enemies get unoriginal after some time in A Plague Tale: Innocence.
• Sometimes, the story gets dull and predictable in A Plague Tale: Innocence.
• Combat experiences get monotonous and quite predictable over time when progressing throughout the game.
• The voice acting gets inconsistent hence making the story less intriguing in A Plague Tale: Innocence.

Metro Exodus

If you’re a fan of Metro games, then you’ll definitely like Metro Exodus as it expands upon the typical Metro elements while adding things of its own. But if you’re new to the game, then you’ll find yourself in a pretty great first-person survival horror shooter game.

The continues from the events of Metro: Last Light by taking place in the year 2035, one year after the previous game. After a nuclear war, most of the survivors live in a post-apocalyptic world filled with all sorts of monsters.

Artyom, the protagonist, leaves the safe areas from the previous games in hopes of finding other survivors in the world. He eventually finds himself on a train known as the Aurora. Things go wrong, and you find yourself being on a rescue mission instead.

Metro Exodus made a slight adjustment from previous Metro games by incorporating a semi-open world. Although some were concerned that it might cause the tension and stressful situation to get dilated, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Metro Exodus.

And the open world ties in nicely with the game as well. You can explore certain areas, such as caves and camps, in hopes of finding upgrades that can help improve your weapons and character as well. The world follows a day-and-night cycle that changes the way enemies work and when the creepy monsters come out at night.

If you’re a general fan of Metro games then you’ll definitely, enjoy Metro Exodus. And if you’re interested in survival shooter horror games, then Metro Exodus is certainly worth trying on the Xbox Series X. 

Pros:

• Despite the genre clichés, the world-building in Metro Exodus is excellent and the stories are compelling altogether.
• The weapon customization and crafting system are solid in Metro Exodus.
• Metro Exodus is simultaneously dazzling and captivating.
• You feel more connected to the group and the voyage thanks to charming characters and genuine interactions in Metro Exodus.
• Metro Exodus offers a satisfying single-player first-person campaign.

Cons:

• Even after encouraging stealth gameplay, Metro Exodus enforces frontal fights with extremely challenging bosses.
• Open sandbox zones can be challenging to explore and a little barren in Metro Exodus.
• Artyom doesn’t speak throughout gameplay; only during load screens in Metro Exodus.

Prey

Prey isn’t exactly a horror game. In fact, it isn’t any one genre as it combines different things such as RPG, action-adventure, sci-fi, and light horror. Taking place in an alternate timeline, mankind has excelled at space travel and has gained access to its own orbital stations.

You play as Morgan Yu on the Talos I space station. The space station is holding and researching Typhon, an alien force that exhibits physical and psychic powers. They eventually break free, and now you have to survive on the space station all alone.

Prey takes a lot of inspiration from games such as BioShock, Deus Ex, and Dishonored, and it reflects a lot in the gameplay. You’ll have access to a lot of different sci-fi weapons with their own different quirks and mechanisms.

But gunplay is not the only form of combat. In a similar fashion to how powers worked on BioShock, you’ll have access to different powers that you can steal from the Typhoon and use for yourself. These powers consist of telekinesis, kinetic powers, and a lot more.

But as you progress through the game, the loneliness truly starts getting to you. Especially when you’re constantly being bombarded with different alien enemies, these enemies can morph into regular objects, making them hard to detect. Whereas it gets a lot easier for them to get the jump on you and startle you at times, even when you’re at a higher level.

So, if you’re looking for a great sci-fi horror game on the Xbox Series X, then you definitely need to try out Prey. From the different aliens to the creepy atmosphere, you’ll never feel easy walking through the space station’s hallways. Prey certainly feels lonely at times, making it not the best multiplayer horror game on Xbox Series X.

Pros:

• Prey has an intriguing and one-of-a-kind archaic visual design.
• Prey provides solid puzzles to keep you occupied throughout the game.
• One of the best and most fluid systems.

Cons:

• The combat system is rather disappointing in Prey.
• Excessive difficulty escalation in Prey hinders the final quarter of the game.
• The pacing gets inconsistent.
• Minor technical issues occur throughout the game which is lackluster in Prey.
• Prey has an absolute lack of enduring personalities in the main narrative.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

If you were a fan of the 1998 Resident Evil 2, or never experienced a single Resident Evil game, then Resident Evil 2 is perhaps one of the greatest starting points in the series. Resident Evil 2 is a total remake and takes everything that was great with Resident Evil 7 and implements it into the game.

With better inventory management, smoother gameplay, good item placements, and absolutely stunning graphics, Resident Evil 2 is perhaps one of the greatest-looking Resident Evil games. All of this, combined with a third-person view, makes for a really good survival horror feel, sometimes even better than the first-person view of the modern Resident Evil games.

Resident Evil 2 does a great job of being a survival horror by constantly making you feel like you don’t have enough healing. And at most times, it feels like there are way more enemies than the number of bullets. That, combined with the new mechanism of knives breaking after use, can sometimes leave you totally defenseless and helpless.

And the zombies in the game are extremely well-designed. They feel like some of the most realistic zombies in any game thus far. Their relentless and unpredictable behavior makes them quite tough to deal with, and at times you have to rely heavily on stealth, especially when you’re running low on ammo.

And let’s not forget the iconic Mr. X! He’s always chasing you, and even when you can’t see him, you can hear his footsteps which are enough to make you grip your controller out of fear.

Pros:

• Resident Evil 2 Remake has some gorgeous visuals and sound design in contrast to other Resident Evil titles.
• You can play as two different protagonists and experience massively different scenarios in Resident Evil 2 Remake.
• There is a number of unlockables and different game modes you can mess around with after finishing Resident Evil 2 Remake.
• Resident Evil 2 Remake does a fantastic job of reinventing all the extraordinary events that happen in the Iconic game.
• The environment is even more immersive and frightening in Resident Evil 2 Remake compared to the Original game.

Cons:

• Some segments in Resident Evil 2 Remake get troublesome because of the constant pacing issues.
• The movement speed feels a little clunky and could have been better in Resident Evil 2 Remake.
• A few discrepancies occur during the story mode which impacts the pace of Resident Evil 2 Remake.

Chernobylite

What started out as a simple Kickstarter ended up becoming one of the greatest survival sci-fi games with certain elements of psychological horror involved. You play in a post-nuclear setting as Igor Khymuk, who is in search of his wife who got lost in the Chornobyl Exclusion zone.

In fact, the entire game is based on the Chornobyl disaster with addition fictional elements, interesting weapons, and a lot of monsters known as Stalkers. The game also delves into sci-fi topics such as wormholes, radiations, portals, and a whole lot more.

The game has an interesting methodology of slowly creeping you out through its sanity system. In the plot of the game, Igor is a simple man, a scientist at most, and definitely not some sort of combat-trained veteran.

So, whenever Igor kills any enemy, it affects his sanity and slowly makes him insane to the point where he begins to hallucinate. And these hallucinations can get really trippy and enough to make you question everything around you.

The game also relies on survival-styled gameplay. You’ll constantly be looking for materials and ammo. And when you don’t have anything for combat, you’ll have to rely on stealth. The world of Chernobylite is progressive. Meaning each time you sleep and the next day arrives, things change around the world, new objectives appear/disappear, and a lot more!

Chernobylite truly is for those that love sci-fi elements and post-apocalyptic settings. Therefore, if you want a good mix of stealth, survival horror, shooting, and a lot more, then Chernobylite is among the best survival horror games on the Xbox Series X/S.

Pros:

• The sci-fi storyline is captivating in Chernobylite.
• The atmosphere is heavily well done in Chernobylite.
• Chernobylite provides some great art direction.
• The survival gameplay is entertaining and well-structured in terms of balancing in Chernobylite.
• Chernobylite offers a smooth experience throughout the game.

Cons:

• The AI in Chernobylite gets janky sometimes which is disappointing.
• Chernobylite has numerous bugs and glitches on the console version. It needs to be fixed in order to enjoy the experience to its fullest.
• The character development in Chernobylite is not solid enough to keep the audience invested throughout the game.
• To be able to progress the storyline, missions in Chernobylite get repetitive and mundane.
• The combat system does not include the hip-firing mechanic in Chernobylite which is underwhelming.

With that, we’ve come to an end to our picks for some of the best horror games on the Xbox Series X, whether they be survival horror, multiplayer, or other types! As always, it’s worth considering that there are just so many amazing games out there, and if your favorite pick didn’t make the cut, that doesn’t declare it as any lesser than the games on our list!

Up Next: BEST Single Player Xbox One Games