Summary
- Multiplayer horror games add excitement and fear by necessitating teamwork in scary scenarios.
- Various multiplayer horror games offer unique experiences, from dungeon crawling to hunting.
- Whilst AAA horror can be a great source for spooks, seek out Indies for a more thrilling horror experience.
Some horror games on your own can be downright terrifying, but when you’re paired up with a pal, sometimes that need of having to rely on someone in a stressful and scary situation can make things all the more frightening.
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The paranoia of having to rely on someone else to help when it hits the fan can make for exciting and frightening moments and a lot of great multiplayer horror games have caught on to this. There is a plethora of them out there and each one can send shivers down your spine and screams throughout your house. Even though it can often be difficult to find the gold within the huge piles of copy-paste clones, there are some brilliant ones worth checking out. So with that in mind here are some of the best horror games out there to play with friends.
Updated December 30, 2024 By Matthew Mckeown: Horror games on your own are pretty spooky, but when you pack in some pals the terror only escalates. Groups of people are shown to be more psychologically panicky and certain games really lean into this.
From your typical haunted house adventure, to cryptid hunting in the woods, there’s a lot of great horror games out there worth hunting down. But if you don’t have the time, or have no idea where to start then worry not, here’s an updated look at the best horror games to play with friends.
Nuclear Nightmare
Arctic Based Body Horror
Strap on your Parka, keep that radio close and don’t take your eyes off the guide line. It’s a tense and terrifying affair in Nuclear Nightmare from BG Productions, this nightmarish horror game takes huge inspirations from The Thing and boy does it land well.
You and your friends play as a group of elite extraction team members. Your goal is to recover classified materials left behind on an Arctic research site, but there’s worse than blizzards waiting out there. A strange alien presence lurks in the snow drifts, releasing ear splitting screams and tearing team members limb from limb. Avoid them if you can, just make sure you complete your mission.
Pit Of Goblin
Channel Your Inner Gobbo
A great game that lets you and your group go into literal Goblin Mode, Pit of Goblin from Friendly Foe comes highly recommended. This quirky Early Access game sets you and your scrappy crew of gobbos off in search of monsters to feed the starving Goblin King.
In your way are dangerous traps, plunging pitfalls and chaotic climbs. Overall it’s a very fun and lighthearted romp into anarchy that has a ton of updates coming down the line. If you want something that’s going to have you cracking up every few minutes, then grab Pit of Goblin. You won’t regret it.
Zort
Escape, If You Can
An odd horror adventure for a crew of four, Zort from Londer Software sets you and buds off on an adventure into a dark and twisting land full of strange occurrences and oddities. It’s an Early Access game with a lot of charm and it’s headed in the right direction with the horror community.
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The premise is super simple. You’re dropped on a spooky map, and you just need to get out in order to cross over to the next one. Sounds easy, but in your way are so many strange threats and tasks that you’ll be stopped in your tracks quicker than you think. There’s always something weird just around the next corner and having the chaos work so well for a crew of people is just the icing on the top. If you want a night of high energy horror, stick Zort on your radar.
Kletka
Running The Worlds Hungriest Elevator
Kletka from Callback and In404 is a multiplayer indie horror game that deserves a lot more eyes on it. This innovative game uses what makes other spooky titles like Lethal Company tick and puts its own unique spin on things.
Here you and a group of up six are tasked with feeding the living elevator you’re trapped inside in a post-apocalyptic looking world. All you can do is descend and grab whatever food you can find, but the further down you go, the deadlier it gets. Foul monsters, strange traps, and other bizarre otherworldly creatures await in the dark and all it takes is one wrong step to end up on the dinner menu. A great game with some interesting resource management mechanics, Kletka comes highly recommended.
Sub Terror
Breaking Into Biodomes With Your Buds
If you enjoyed Lethal Company, but wanted something a bit more nautical then check out Sub Terror from Team Monumental. This quirky Early Access game gives you and your group of friends control of a sub to travel to abandoned ocean floor Biospheres for treasure.
But those abyssal refuges are far from vacant. Monsters, mutants and worse prowl the halls in those deep dwellings and you better not leave empty handed as there’s a quota to fill. There’s some fun gimmicks and the art style is cutesy yet bathed in all sorts of unsettling atmosphere. If you like games that bring a lot of feelings of dread, then Sub Terror is worth checking out.
Whilst there are a lot of Lethal Company clones out there, this is perhaps the best iteration of them that you’re going to find.
Hellbreach: Vegas
Old School Zombie Shooter Vibes In Vegas
A solo dev project that’s just drowning in classic Call Of Duty Zombie energy, Hellbreach: Vegas from Infinity Ape Studio is worth putting on your radar. It’s got all the things that made the old school COD Zombie mode great, plus a few new things to keep it fresh.
Open up to four players, you find yourself in sunny Las Vegas but filled with an insurmountable number of demons and undead. There’s multiple modes including an endless Survivor and tighter focused Trapped challenge that puts you on a much smaller map. And generally it’s a brilliant and satisfyingly arcadey feeling zombie wave shooter. Modern COD Zombies may be missing the mark, but Hellbreach: Vegas definitely scratches that itch.
The Anomaly Project
Spot The Difference, Or Do It All Again
If you’ve ever wanted to test your observation and memory skills with a group in a horror setting then The Anomaly Project from Kekdot needs to be in your Steam library. The idea is simple in this Early Access game. Explore strange, spooky and unnerving areas, take note of what you see, and try to find the things that don’t match.
Guess right and you go to the next level, get it wrong and you start over. Up to eight can play at once, so you can bring a lot of back up as the anomalies can range from the obvious and glaring, to the subtle and hard to spot. There’s 10 zones in total to beat, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Patience and paying attention are key to making your escape. A good time on your own, but very enjoyable with friends, grab The Anomaly Project whilst you can.
Murky Divers
Covering Up Corporate Crimes
Play your part in covering up corporate exploitation and inhuman experiments in Murky Divers from Embers. This unique underwater horror game puts you and a group of up to eight friends in charge of a very large submarine as you go from site to site sweeping the crimes of your Corpo Overlords under the rug.
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It’s an Early Access indie horror game with a lot of charm and interesting mechanics to keep you coming back. For example, everyone on the sub has a role. Whether that’s manning sonar, steering, or scanning for the cops, teamwork is actively encouraged. There’s a lot of moving parts to go wrong and plenty of big monsters and cops cruising about under the waves, so it’s up to your crew to weave around all that and clean up your boss’s mess.
Crawl
Chaotic Cooperative Dungeon Crawling Carnage
Normally in a dungeon crawler everyone is working together, in Crawl from Powerhoof it’s the opposite. Only one can be the hero that makes it to glory at the end of the level and it’s up to everyone else in the party as hostile ghosts to try and take them down.
What follows is a chaotic and hilarious mix of anarchy, backstabbing and monster possession that never gets old and is great for a few sweet short sessions. There’s over 60 monsters with unique powers to control and a savage amount of spells and powers to unlock. Brilliant for pulling out at parties, Crawl is one of those rare must-play multiplayer horror games.
Each round is at max 30 minutes long, so don’t worry about being stuck in a game for the long haul.
Pilgrim
Push Your Problems Away
If you enjoy Early Access horror games then put Pilgrim by Desperate Measures on your radar. This cooperative survival horror game gives you and your friends one simple task, get the Wagon to the end of the road.
Ahead of you lies a long and winding road into dark and foreboding woods filled with giants, ghouls, and trap-filled Dungeons. For your exploits, you’ll earn fuel for the Wagon and other trinkets that will help keep you alive in this dark and dangerous world. Just don’t stray too far from the Wagon when night falls.
If you run out of fuel, just jump out of the Wagon and push it from the rear. It’s very slow, but it’s better than nothing.
Once Human
Open-World Body Horror
- Released
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July 9, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Starry Studio
- Publisher(s)
-
Starry Studio
, NetEase, Inc.
A massive multiplayer horror game from Starry Studio, Once Human presents you with a post-apocalyptic future where nature has been twisted beyond recognition. After infestation by an alien presence known as Stardust, man, machine, plants, and animals have become blended together.
Bizarre creatures stalk the land and it’s up to you to try and make a home in this weird wilderness. The survival mechanics are pretty intense and there are enough unique items to find and big bosses to beat to keep your group entertained for hours. Maintain your sanity, customize your gear, build up your territory, and get to the bottom of the mystery behind this alien invader.
Once Human is free to play.
Oh Deer
An Indie Worth Your Bucks
A delightful game with a dark sense of humor, Oh Deer from Cozy Cabin Studios is a hide-and-seek hunting game with a difference. One side plays the Hunter, the other are the Deer and it’s up to the antler squad to blend in or die.
There’s AI-controlled Deer spread throughout the map, the Hunter only has three arrows and a Trail Cam to help them find the proverbial Wolves amongst the Sheep. If the Hunter runs out of Sanity or arrows then the tables turn, the Deer become Wendigos and it’s a mad dash to safety for the Hunter. Great on your own but heavily recommended to play with a party, Oh Deer deserves a shout-out.
Mannequin
Strike A Pose
A quirky VR game from Fast Travel Games that will test your ability to stay as still as possible, Mannequin will make you paranoid. It’s two versus three, the Hunters are heavily armed and it’s up to the hiders to pose as immobile NPCs throughout the map.
The mannequins can shapeshift into different models to ambush the hunters, but the Agents hot on their tail have some handy tech to spot their suspects amongst the statues. The goal is simple, the last team standing wins, so hold still and pick a pose.
You can pose yourself however you like, just try to make it believable. For example, hip-thrusts are a dead giveaway.
Boo Men
Smash And Grab With Spirits
Twisted Corridors take on a home invasion from hell, Boo Men is an Early Access Indie horror game that’s a little rough around the edges but has a bucket load of charm. You and your friends play as a crime crew looking to burgle homes that just so happen to be horribly haunted.
Get in and grab the valuables from those spooky specters, just don’t get cornered when the lights go out. There’s a set list of items you need to grab before you can go home and it changes with each new job. Each burglar for hire has their own unique skills, and with layers of customization available for each new gig there’s plenty of scares to be had.
If you get tired of working as a team, there’s also a PvP mode for up to five Ghosts.
Content Warning
- Released
-
April 1, 2024
- Developer
-
Skog, Zorro, Wilnyl, Philip, thePetHen
- Publisher(s)
-
Landfall Publishing
- Number of Players
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1-4
Content by name, content by nature. Coming from a small group of devs, Content Warning, like Lethal Company, is one of those games that just blew up overnight. Spread mainly through word of mouth and the ability to create Social Media-esque ‘Content’ posts ingame, Content Warning is one of those rare bottled lightning type of games.
The goal is simple, grab your friends, pick a piece of film equipment, go underground to a monster realm and make a movie. What follows is often Found Footage chaos filled with screaming, laughing, and plenty of great memories. If you want an enjoyable night, Content Warning comes highly recommended.
You can unlock and upgrade your gear in Content Warning and it’s worth doing so. It gives you access to more filming equipment so you can form a proper movie crew.
Kill It With Fire 2
Aggressive Arachnophobia Assault
A sequel to the classic arcade Arachnophobia simulator, Kill It With Fire 2 takes what made the original fun and runs it through a cartoon sci-fi filter. The bugs are back and this time they’re even bigger, but so are the toys you can use to splat them.
This time around you’ll be waging a war through time and space against the eight-legged creepy crawlies. The multiverse has been infested, but there’s money to be made lending out your extermination skills. There are multiple modes including a Spider Hunt versus and of course plenty of co-op carnage to create as your crew scours every surface for spiders.
The Spiders and their animations will set off some Arachnophobic feelings, so Aracnophobes you have been warned.
Buckshot Roulette
Test Your Luck With Buckshot
Before we go diving into Buckshot Roulette from Mike Klubnika it’s worth briefly saying that whilst this is a single-player game, the community and developer have encouraged LAN play. Matches are fast, there are only three of them and there’s a leaderboard. So it’s very easy to just rotate in another player, take turns, and just have fun with it.
The loop is simple, it’s Russian Roulette with a 12-gauge. Either you win and the dealer dies, or you lobotomize yourself with Buckshot, simple. The setting is very spooky and it’s a very darkly humorous and creative arena that you find yourself in. There are upgrades to unlock and a high score to climb up, that’s your bag so go grab your Shotgun and start pulling that trigger.
Each session takes around 15 to 20 minutes, so each player gets a good run that’s not too long.
Panicore
Urban Exploration With Permadeath
A multiplayer survival horror game with permadeath, Panicore pits you and up to five friends against AI-controlled monsters that are relentless, brutal, and smarter than you think. Coming hot from ZTEK Studio, Panicore has you playing the role of Urban Explorers in a very dangerous place.
What’s first thought to be an abandoned building will quickly become your tomb if your team can’t find the key items they need to escape. But you’re not alone in there as large and horrible-looking monsters roam the halls to stop you from solving puzzles and finding the items you need. Death is permanent, so don’t screw up.
If you’re not fully sold on Panicore, there is a demo available on their Steam page.
Nightmare Kart
Legally Distinct Bloodborne Racing
A meme that got a little out of control before some absolute genius turned it into a real thing, Nightmare Kart (formerly Bloodborne Kart) is a labor of love from LWMedia who also brought us Bloodborne PSX. Also known as the Bloodborne: Demake.
Combining the non-copyright nightmare beasts of Bloodborne with the chaos of Mario Kart, Nightmare Kart is a highly recommended creative game that guarantees a great night. Whilst online multiplayer is still to be added, LAN with split-screen is available. Plus, Nightmare Kart is available for completely free on Itch.io. So you can grab it now.
Whilst you can pick up the game for free, you should still tip the developer for all their hard work. It helps for their next project after all.
Hunt Together
Hiding Escapades In A Haunted Mansion
A mix of Hide And Seek meets Phasmophobia with a healthy chunk of Prop Hunt and you’ve got Hunt Together. This spooky search game pits you against up to three of your friends in a spooky Haunted Mansion. The building is crumbling and its halls are filled with moaning specters and ghoulish decor.
There are two sides, the Hunter and the Ghosts and it’s up to the resident Ghost Buster to take down the resident abominations from the Other Side. The Hunter has a range of items and Ghost-catching gadgets to seal away those pesky Ghouls, whilst the Undead team can use various supernatural powers and abilities to deter the warm-blooded interloper.
Hunt Together is only available in VR, but it has to be as there are a lot of objects that require using your hands to operate or use.