[Top 15] Thriller Games for PC

Updated:

23 Apr 2024

Looking for a thrill? These games deliver!

From haunting atmospheres to jump scares that will leave you on the edge of your seat, we found the thriller games sending tingles down the spines of gamers everywhere.

Things We Love About a Good Thriller Game

Suspenseful Atmosphere: Any good thriller game should draw you in with an atmosphere filled with tension. Atmosphere is critical to capturing the audience's attention, and getting you invested in the game's narrative.
Engaging Story: A captivating storyline is essential to get players invested in continuing a game to its conclusion. A good story will drive the gameplay forward, and create an interesting, and memorable experience.
Heart racing action: A good game must have dynamic gameplay to keep players enjoying the experience. A good mix of stealth, combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving make for a fun gaming experience.
Memorable Characters: Having compelling characters with complexity, and depth is important in any game. Characters with suspicious motives, and mysterious backstories will add to the suspense and enjoyment of the game.

15. Clock Tower: The First Fear

Clock Tower - Reveal Trailer

Mystery and fear are at the center of this point and click game. The game focuses on Jennifer, an orphan lured to the clock tower with her friends in hopes of being adopted. Things swiftly go awry when their escort disappears, along with her friends soon after.

Jennifer is left to search the clock tower alone, pursued by a murderous little boy with large scissors. Throughout the game you will unravel the mysteries of the clock tower, and all those within. Peril is never far, and neither is the Scissorman.

This game is shocking, and will have you wondering what will come next as you guide Jennifer through dangerous puzzles, and defend her from deadly attacks. Can you find your friends, and will you survive this nightmarish place?

TickTock goes the clock, will your time be cut short?

14. Fears to Fathom- Ironbark Lookout

Fears to Fathom - Ironbark Lookout - Official

In this episode of Fears to Fathom you play as 24 year old outdoorsman Jack Nelson as he starts his summertime job, at fire lookout tower 11 in Ironbark State Park.

Jack begins to feel uneasy as soon as he talks to locals, and those feelings exponentially increase as it becomes apparent that he isn't alone in these woods. Can he survive this post? And what devious forces lurk in the darkness?

This game has a unique style, and is a must play for fans of Five Nights at Freddy’s, or Blair Witch. Its style, and plot are a fun spin-off of the thriller genre.

Nowhere is safe, in these woods.

13. Choo Choo Charles

Choo-Choo Charles - Announcement Trailer

If you love campy frights this game is for you! As The Archivist it is your mission to destroy Choo Choo Charles, a man-eating train/spider monstrosity that has been wreaking havoc upon a small island community.

With the help of the remaining residents, and your trusty upgradable locomotive you will face Charles, and his cult set on world domination. If you can find Charles’ eggs you have a chance to face him in his ultimate hell form.

This game is wild, fun, and will have you laughing and screaming as you are pursued by this train from hell. It’s unique concept, and fun gameplay will give players a memorable experience.

Choo Choo! This spider train is coming to get you!

12. Summer of ‘58

Summer of ‘58 - Trailer

Supernatural spooks await you in Summer of ‘58, as you explore Yunost, an abandoned young pioneers camp, located in the former Soviet Union. Play as Alex Morten, a video blogger who explores haunted locations on behalf of her audience.

Throughout your exploration of the camp you will read notes, and find items that allude to the camp’s dark history. If you enjoy mysteries, and looking through well designed environments, you will love this game.

Summer of ‘58 is exploration driven, and genuinely scary at parts. The environments take on a character of their own as you transition from day to night, making for an exciting gaming experience.

This place is haunted by more than just dust bunnies.

11. Paper Bride

In this puzzle game inspired by Chinese folk culture, you will find yourself playing as a groom looking for his missing bride. Players will immediately be thrust into a bizarre, and haunting environment as you realize these strange events have to do with dark and mystic traditions.

You will navigate through immersive puzzles, and a beautifully illustrated point and click format, to uncover what lies at the root of the disappearance of your bride.

Paper Bride has a unique narrative, and the artwork is beautifully spooky. Anyone with an interest in Chinese culture, and traditions will be delighted by this game.

A beautifully puzzling tragedy

10. Welcome to Kowloon

Welcome to Kowloon - Trailer

A truly atmospheric game, Welcome to Kowloon is a photorealistic indie game that delivers on scares, and suspense. Being a student searching for an affordable apartment can be awful in normal conditions, but this game takes that premise to the extreme.

As you wander through the dark cramped corridors of Kowloon, you will see all manner of frightening apparitions that will have you questioning your very sanity. The players will experience firsthand the claustrophobia of these cramped living quarters, and the dangers within.

Kowloon was a real place, and the feelings of desperation and horror this game evokes as you wander its haunted halls is truly unique. If you can handle suspense, and enjoy a good jump-scare this game is for you!

Walk these haunted halls.

9. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter - Story Trailer PS4

Play as the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, and investigate cases that delve into murder, and dark family secrets. Set in the suburbs of London in the 19th century, with Sherlock having adopted a daughter.

Each case will have you piecing together clues through keen observation, and intuition. You will solve challenging puzzles, and collect evidence that will lead to you solving the crimes.

The graphics are impressive, the story is immersive and enjoyable. The scenes are interesting, and the streets are fun to wander. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, or detective shows, you will have a blast with this game.

Sherlock Holmes is back and ready for some action.

8. Detention

Detention - Launch Trailer

Detention is a truly unique and haunting gaming experience. Set in 1960s Taiwan during the White Terror period, students Wei and Ray find themselves trapped and alone. Their once normal school is now covered in darkness, and haunted by evil spirits.

This game will have you wandering the school’s terrifying halls filled with ominous objects, and puzzles. You will uncover sinister secrets, and eventually reveal the school's dark past.

Detention is a terrifying atmospheric horror side-scroller, with many Taiwanese cultural references that lead to a compelling story. Its beautifully creepy art and unique narrative, will keep you invested till the devastating conclusion.

Cause school wasn’t bad enough already

7. Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Official Trailer

Aliens: Fireteam Elite will have you joining a team of Colonial Marines deployed to the Frontier to contain the rapidly developing Xenomorph threat. This is a cooperative third-person survival shooter where you will be facing down hordes of Xenomorphs.

Through 4 different operations your team will face many different enemy types, as you seek to answer distress calls, rescue survivors, and regain control of the overrun areas. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds your team is all that stands between humanity, and the Xenomorph hive.

This game is thrilling, and contains heart racing action. If you are a fan of the Alien franchise, or shooter games you will enjoy this experience.

They’re here, they’re there, they are everywhere!

6. The Quarry

The Quarry - Official Announce Trailer

The Quarry is an interactive horror/drama game that will have you assuming control of 9 teenage camp counselors working at Hackett’s Quarry for the summer. Your choices, and reactions affect who lives, and dies in this spiritual successor to Until Dawn.

Things devolve into chaos at Hackett’s quarry during the teens last night, when they are stranded for the night with supernatural creatures, and dangerous locals. Each encounter is memorable, and often frightening.

The cast of actors is stacked with fan favorites, the performances are incredible, and conveyed impressively through motion capture. Leading to a cinematic experience, that will have you feel like you are a part of a film rather than a game, which is immersive and fun.

Who can you trust?

5. The Forest

The Forest - Official Trailer

The Forest is a survival horror game that takes place on a remote and heavily forested peninsula. You will face cannibalistic monsters while you search for your son Timmy, after a devastating plane crash.

As you explore you will find all manner of strange things, from signs of a mysterious race of ancient beings, to cannibalistic monstrosities. You will uncover many secrets, nightmarish truths, and discover power beyond your wildest imagination during your search for Timmy.

This game is super intriguing with its Lovecraftian themes, and fun survival gameplay. This is a fun and imaginative take on a first person survival simulator, and fans of the genre will enjoy its innovative take.

Can you survive the forest?

4. Alien Isolation:

Alien Isolation - Cinematic Trailer

In Alien Isolation you will find yourself playing Ellen Ripley’s daughter Amanda, 15 years after the events of Alien (1979). Amanda is trapped on a Xenomorph infested space station, where she must seek answers about her mother’s mysterious disappearance.

Players will face a desperate battle for survival, as you navigate the station. Alien Isolation will have you permanently paranoid as Amanda is hunted relentlessly by the Xenomorphs. You must scavenge, and improvise solutions to survive these harsh conditions.

With its foreboding atmosphere, and its captivating plot, Alien Isolation will have you looking over your shoulder the whole way through. This game takes a big swing, and totally knocks it out of the park.

Even in the shadows the Xenomorph will find you.

3. The Outlast Trials

The Outlast Trials - Official Trailer

The Outlast Trials are set in Cold War era Russia, where you must survive being a human guinea pig, at the merciless hands of the Murkoff Corporation.

The test subjects will face advanced methods of brainwashing, and be forced to their limits to survive. Players can play by themselves or with others in this cooperative first-person survival horror game, although it is far more challenging alone.

This game is demented and twisted in a way that fans of Saw and the other Outlast games will enjoy. If you are hankering for a good scare give this game a try.

Can you outlast these trials?

2. The Last of Us Part 1

The Last of Us Part 1 - Launch Trailer

In The Last of Us Part 1 you play as Joel, a man entrusted with delivering a young girl named Ellie through a post-apocalyptic United States.

Players will face many challenges along the way from the undead, to the living. With an improved combat system, and stunning new graphics, part 1 lets you explore this fan-favorite like never before.

The Last of Us is an iconic game, and in Part 1 we see it brought to life with even better renderings of the motion capture from the original game. This amazing game was due for an update, and with the success of the TV show new and seasoned players alike are revisiting this gaming masterpiece.

Batter up!

1. Resident Evil 4 Remake

Resident Evil 4 Remake Trailer

Set In a secluded village in Spain, 6 years after the biological disaster in Racoon City. Leon is on a mission to rescue the daughter of the president of the United States.

Leon must fight the mysterious Los Illuminados cult and discover what lies at the heart of the strange behavior of the locals before it is too late. This game has captured the hearts of fans with its fast paced combat, and engrossing gameplay.

Resident Evil 4 is a remake you won’t want to miss, this game seeks to perfect a fan-favorite, and bring it to a new generation of players.

With improved visuals, and combat enhancements this is the best version of a fantastic game.