Thrill-seekers and gaming fans alike, I introduce to you the world of horror adventure games. Combining the aspects of classic horror with jumpscares and lurking monsters with the thrill of adventure as you explore and craft as you please.
Now what makes these games so darn irresistible? Whether you’re playing alone or with a friend, these games have you playing as the hero (and sometimes the helpless victim) as you navigate through horrifying elements, solve puzzles, craft materials to help you survive, and face terrifying creatures that don’t even exist in your worst nightmares.
The real element that keeps players, like yourselves, coming back for more isn’t just the scares (though, there are plenty of those). It’s the sense of adventure as you survive against impossible odds, discover hidden places, scavenge for supplies, and uncover a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
So, whether you’re a hardcore fan of horror or looking to get into the genre, we’ve combined a list of the best horror adventure games for PC.
11. Sons of The Forest
Sons of the Forest - Official Gameplay Trailer
Sons of the Forest, sequel to The Forest, is a horror game where you can play alone or with friends as you survive a plane crash in a world riddled with mutant cannibals and monsters. To survive, you have to build shelters, collect materials, and uncover the secrets that lurk in the darkest corners of the forest to escape with your lives.
The game takes place in, you guessed it, a forest! There are mountains and caves you can explore teeming with hostile wildlife and disgusting mutants that can form into giants and terrifying mobs (some even with wings!). The atmosphere is tense, as you never know what’s lurking behind the trees or in the darkness.
The primary goal of Sons of the Forest is survival. You and your team do everything you can to prepare a base to protect yourselves from the monsters, while making sure you find new materials to craft weapons, food, and anything else you’ll need.
While you fight for your survival, you are also allowed to explore as you please, which really brings out the adventuring genre of this horror game. You can venture into the forest and find puzzles to solve which eventually lead to different endings, giving each player a different experience depending on the choices of gameplay they make. At the same time, the game offers the horror elements with horrifying sounds in the night time as you struggle to keep yourselves hidden and safe, which you never really are. With its compelling storyline, intense horror elements, and great visuals, Sons of the Forest promises to be a must-play for horror fans and adventurists alike.
10. Lethal Company
Lethal Company - Trailer
Lethal Company begins with you and a group of friends taking on the role of astronauts. You travel to different moons and bring back scrap like motors, to the big bad “company”, a.k.a your boss. Don’t deliver and you’ll pay with your life.
The game begins on your ship, but you ultimately decide where to go as different moons are available to explore. Some moons are like a dry desert and others are rich and diverse forests. On each of these moons there are different hazards to worry about. Some have giant man-eating sand worms and others have creepy toys or loot bugs.
The main goal of Lethal Company is to bring back as much loot as you can to meet your quota for the company. Ultimately, it requires your survival to work together or stick it out alone against horrific monsters, harsh elements, and the mysterious company that keeps you running back for more scrap.
The game combines both horror and adventure as you explore different moons and discover new creatures as long as you meet your quota. However, it doesn’t come without its dangers. You have to stock up on equipment to make sure you can make it through the different bases on each moon, because different moons have different difficulty levels. You can discover cool secrets and different artifacts the more you explore, making the reward system a great reason to play. If you’re interested in a game that you can play with friends that’ll keep you on your toes, Lethal Company is certainly for you.
You might need more than just a flashlight...
9. The Forest
The Forest -Official Trailer
The Forest was released before Sons of the Forest, but still remains a classic in the horror adventure genre. Once again set after a plane crash (I hope you aren’t planning on flying anytime soon), players have to survive on an island and battle those horrific mutants.
The game is set in that familiar forest that is so eerie. While it may appear beautiful and peaceful during the day, the dangers that stalk you at night are never at bay.
The primary goal of The Forest is once again survival, but also escape. You must craft materials, gather supplies, and fend off those cannibal mutants as you struggle to make your way back to civilization with your son.
This game offers players a unique blend of survival horror and open-world adventure. The horror elements come from its tense atmosphere and terrifying monsters, while its adventure elements come from crafting, exploration, and base-building mechanics. Players must constantly balance their need for resources with the dangers that lurk on the island in order to survive. With mystery and dangers on every inch of the island, The Forest is a fantastic game for those who like a foreboding sense of adventure.
8. REMNANT II
REMNANT II - Co-Op Gameplay Trailer
REMNANT II is the sequel to the critically acclaimed REMNANT: From The Ashes. Set in a world overrun by otherworldly creatures and infected monsters, players fight against god-like bosses either solo or co-op.
The game is set in a bleak and desolate world ravaged by these plagued beings. The players jump through different realms of ruined cities, twisted dungeons, and scorched landscapes that harbor their own difficulties. There are puzzles and secrets to solve in each realm that reveal the story of the game as you move forward.
The goal of REMNANT II is to prevent humanity’s extinction by fighting off infected hordes, all while discovering what caused this great infection in the first place. To survive, you’ll need to rely on your skills and those of your team to overcome dark souls level challenges.
A combination of deep-storytelling and atmospheric world-building makes REMNANT II a staple in adventure horror games. The horror elements come from its formidable enemies and tense encounters. Where its adventure elements come from the player's abilities to travel between realms and the discovery of the evil that remains there. Players have to adapt, work together, and overcome in order to survive, making the game replayable and fun for those who enjoy a challenging adventure with good scares around every corner.
7. The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us Part I - Launch Trailer
Undoubtedly the most popular on this list, The Last of Us Part I is set in a post-apocalyptic future overrun by a deadly fungal infection that turns humans into different stages of monsters. The story follows a mourning father, Joel, and his search to protect and deliver a young girl named Ellie who is immune to the virus. They fight through deadly terraign, anarchists, and hordes all while bonding together along the way.
The game takes place in the United States, as the two travel across the country that’s ravaged by the Cordyceps virus that affects the brain. There are stages of this virus that start people as average zombies with the ability to run quickly and devour anything in their sight. As years move forward, they adapt and develop into clickers and bombers with their own dangers you have to look out for. Because of these infected, streets and once lively cities lay in decay with abandoned buildings and trees overflowing the streets; leaving a cruel reminder of what the world once was.
The primary goal of The Last of Us Part I is to escort Ellie to a group of scientists who believe she may have a cure for the deadly fungal virus. You fight for your lives through monsters and other characters who have their own motivations and agenda, who you must decide to help or not. In turn, they may be able to help you.
The main horror elements of the game come from your pure survival. You have to learn to adapt from the different types of infected and hope they don’t hear you or see you, depending on what you’re dealing with. If they do, you can try running for your lives or fight your way out with weapons and firepower. As you travel, you also feel that sense of dread as you see what the world has become with an extremely realistic zombie infection. You can also get that adventure element by exploring the country with a character-driven narrative. You’ll also become extremely attached to your characters with hours of gameplay as you begin to learn everything about them. The Last of Us is one of the best zombie games around with an intense storyline that everyone should experience if you love horror, adventure, and heartbreak.
6. The Callisto Protocol
The Callisto Protocol - Official Extended Gameplay Trailer (Director's Cut)
The Callisto Protocol takes place in the distant future of 2320 on a lunar prison colony. The game follows a group of prisoners and guards as they struggle to survive against horrific creatures that are unleashed by a mysterious force. The main character you play as is Jacob Lee, a prisoner of the Black Iron Prison on the colony. As you explore the dark facility, you must face your fears in order to uncover the secrets and escape with your lives.
The game is set on Callisto, which is one of Jupiter’s moons that is stuck in a state of decay. A spiraling prison complex is located there with some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy. When something strange and powerful infiltrates the facility, chaos ensues and the prison becomes overrun with mutated horrors and grotesque monsters. The environment is often claustrophobic and oppressive as you crawl through vents, abandoned corridors, and empty cells; making you feel entirely alone and afraid.
The primary goal of The Callisto Protocol is to survive the vicious monsters and escape with your life. You must scavenge through desolation for resources, solve puzzles, and battle waves of enemies. The further you make it in the game, the more secrets you begin to uncover about the mysterious and powerful United Jupiter Company.
A spine-chilling mix of horror and adventure is clearly present in the game as you struggle to maintain your composure against these horrific creatures. There are many different types, some that stalk you and others that rush against you when you least expect it. The otherwise quiet and eerie atmosphere against these monsters truly makes the game tense with fear and suspense. While its adventure elements come from the exploration of the moon as you test your skills in puzzle solving with a great storyline to pair it. You have to constantly be on guard as you explore, never knowing where the next monster may appear. With its haunting gameplay, The Callisto Protocol is bound to be a pulse-pounding experience for both horror fans and adventure enthusiasts alike.
5. Alone in the Dark Remake
Alone in the Dark - Official Extended Gameplay Trailer
Alone in the Dark is the reimagined remake of the classic horror game that was originally released in 1992. The game follows Emily Hartwood alongside a private investigator named Edward Carnby as the two explore a mansion filled with unspeakable horrors.
The game is a combination of lovecraftian horror and a noir-setting in the gothic American south set in 1930. You eventually arrive at the Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally fatigued in hopes of finding Emily’s missing uncle. The two will encounter strange phenomena from demonic entities, to restless spirits, each more terrifying than the last.
The main goal of Alone in the Dark is to uncover the truth behind this mysterious mansion and escape with your life. Many different challenges and obstacles will be thrown your way, each testing your wits and nerves. Ultimately, your objective is to survive enemies and anything else you encounter to escape the mansion before it consumes you entirely.
With mysterious entities like walking skeletons or wide-mouthed giant lizards, the game keeps you on edge. Sometimes you’ll even begin questioning yourself and your psyche as the game draws you forward and deeper into the mansion. Your sense of adventure comes from exploring the mansion, uncovering any secrets that lay within that slowly uncover the truth and dark past behind it. You will have to combine your smarts with your courage to survive the night, or else you’ll become another missing person lost to the mansion. With its haunting atmosphere and gripping storyline, Alone in the Dark Remake promises to be a must-play for any fans of the classic and anyone looking for a good scare.
4. STALCRAFT
STALCRAFT - Steam Launch Trailer
STALCRAFT is a unique combination of horror, MMO, FPS, and adventure all wrapped into a multiplayer open-world game that you can play alone or with your friends.
Set in the mutated world of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, STALCRAFT has you fighting for your lives from other players, harsh elements, and terrible monsters.
In this game, you can choose your own goal. You can hunt artifacts, hunt mutants, explore creepy laboratories, scavenge wastelands, or even become a cold-blooded killer who hunts down other players. There’s also an underlining story that you can discover as you play with unpredictable side quests and natural consequences. And if that still wasn’t enough for you, there are plenty of opportunities for side quests and stories.
Adventuring is a main part of STALCRAFT as you determine how your own story will go by exploring wherever you please. It doesn’t come without a cost though, as you fight against deadly monsters that were once innocent creatures, now affected by leaked radiation. You can also try to build a team of other players, but you’ll have to watch your back, because anyone can betray you. STALCRAFT is a great combination of horror, survival, and exploration as you do whatever you can to survive the desolate wasteland or conquer it for good.
3. Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus - Official Gameplay Trailer
Metro Exodus is another first person shooter that is story driven. It blends deadly combat with stealth, exploration, and survival. The game follows the story of Artyom as they embark on a perilous journey, and it’s your job to make sure they make it out alive.
The game is set in the ruins of Moscow after the world was devastated in 2013 by an apocalyptic event. In 2033, you are raised underground and one fateful event sparks a desperate mission as you travel from forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above.
Your main goal is to guide Artyom and his companions to a new home safe from the hazards of post-apocalyptic Russia.
Metro Exodus is known for its narrative-driven exploration, but also its unexpected horrors that lurk on the surface. The storyline is full of twists and turns as you embark on this journey and uncover secrets in the wasteland. The horror element comes from a world of uncertainty and peril as you do your best to keep Artyom alive, especially the more you become attached to them. So take up arms against mutants, sandstorms, factions, and more as you explore the wonderful world of Metro.
2. The Sinking City
The Sinking City - Gameplay Trailer
Returning to Lovecraftian horror, The Sinking City follows a detective by the name of Charles Reed who is investigating a city’s mysterious flooding and the eldritch horrors that lurk beneath the water.
The game is set in the city of Oakmont during the 1920s. The city was once a prosperous metropolis now plagued by a flood, and the deeper you investigate, the sooner you’ll find the madness that rests beneath the surface.
The primary goal of The Sinking City is to uncover the truth behind the city’s flooding and ultimately escape with your life. As you investigate flooded streets and abandoned buildings, you‘ll begin questioning your own sanity with the monsters you’ll encounter. You will have to piece together evidence and test your skills against cult followers, huge monsters, and horrors beyond your imagination.
You’ll get the thrill of adventure from traveling by boat through water-filled streets and exploring any building you please, all in a dreary atmosphere that will send chills down your spine. Not only is The Sinking City a horror game, but in common Lovecraftian fashion, it follows a psychological thriller pathway as well, which will lead both you and your character into insanity. While following the story and solving mysteries, you’ll be scared out of your wits as the monsters seem to get scarier the further you progress. If you’re a fan of exploration, investigation, and intimidation, The Sinking City is certainly for you!
1. Control
Control - Official Gameplay Trailer
Control is a supernatural action-adventure game where you take on the role of Jesse Fadan, a young woman with abilities who will become the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC).
The game is set in New York after an otherworldly threat takes over the headquarters of the FBC. You’ll uncover hidden chambers and mysterious dimensions that alter your sense of reality as you begin to uncover the truth behind these mysterious foes.
Your primary goal is to defeat these enemies and uncover the truth behind the attack at headquarters, all while trying to master your supernatural abilities. You’ll be shifting through corridors of the building and unlocking new abilities that will progress the story. Along the way, you’ll also encounter new characters that will have you questioning who to trust. In the end, you are trying to restore order and prevent this evil from leaking out and driving the world into chaos.
As you navigate a world of secrets and surprises, you’ll uncover soon enough why Control considers itself a horror game. There are unexpected enemies around every corner and you’ll begin to realize, despite its title, you are completely out of control. The atmosphere is that of complete dread as you dive deeper into the real reason you’re here. You will also have a fun time with the action and adventure side of the game as you use your mysterious powers for good, running through buildings and solving puzzles with new abilities you gain. Control is an extremely immersive experience that anyone who enjoys horror, adventure, and butt-kicking action should play.
