Ever since the Resident Evil games skyrocketed to popularity in the 1990s, the horror genre has been a mainstay in video gaming. Every year, the gaming industry pumps out a wide variety of horror games for fans to play, ranging from unnerving indie titles to blood-soaked big budget affairs. 2021 was a particularly strong year for the horror genre, with even more variety in the kinds of horror games available than usual.
There were many high quality horror games launched in 2021, though 10 in particular stand out as especially worth checking out for fans of the genre. Brand new IPs, long-awaited sequels, and new entries in some of the most popular horror game franchises of all time are represented here, and so horror game fans of all kinds should be able to find something that interests them out of the 2021 lineup.
Here are the best horror games of 2021. Keep in mind that this list is in alphabetical order and not ranked by quality.
Chernobylite
Chernobylite is a science-fiction survival game with a healthy dose of horror elements, tasking players with exploring the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in search of their missing fiancee. Players take on the role of Igor Khymynuk, who has to gather supplies, craft items, and fight off enemies to survive. Chernobylite allows players to make important decisions that can completely change the course of the game, all the while dealing with armed opponents and supernatural monsters. Chernobylite has earned some comparisons to the STALKER franchise, and so fans of those games may also want to give it a look.
Little Nightmares 2
The original Little Nightmares game turned heads for its striking art style, terrifying creature designs, and brooding atmosphere. Little Nightmares 2 features all that and more, with even creepier enemies, disturbing scenes, and heart-stopping scares. Little Nightmares 2 is a puzzle/platformer wrapped in a grotesque horror package with a story that will stick with players long after the credits roll. And better yet, it's much more polished than its predecessor gameplay-wise, making for an overall more enjoyable experience for horror game fans.
Mundaun
Out of all the horror games released in 2021, one that deserves some recognition for its unique art style is Mundaun. Mundaun features an interesting "sketchbook" art style that makes it look completely different than most other games and really helps it stand out in terms of its visual presentation. As far as the story and gameplay go, Mundaun stars Curdin, who is investigating the mysterious cirumstances surrounding his grandfather's death. Players explore Mundaun's sketchbook world with a first-person view, solving puzzles and confronting enemies. Mundaun's puzzles are especially tricky, but anyone that's able to overcome them will find a visually-striking horror game that's definitely worth checking out.
Resident Evil 4 VR
Resident Evil 4 is generally considered one of the best action-horror games ever made, earning widespread critical acclaim at the time of its original release in 2005. Since Resident Evil 4 launched in 2005, Capcom has re-released the game on numerous occasions, porting it to PS2 with extra content, bringing it to the Wii with well-received motion controls, and producing an HD version for more modern consoles. However, the latest Resident Evil 4 re-release may very well be the most ambitious and worthwhile to date.
Playing Resident Evil 4 VR for the Oculus Quest 2 is like playing RE4 for the first time all over again. The virtual reality version of the beloved game swaps its innovative third-person, over-the-shoulder camera for a first-person view, putting players directly in Leon S. Kennedy's shoes as he squares off against all kinds of monstrosities in his quest to save the president's daughter. Resident Evil 4 VR is an accurate recreation of the original game in terms of story beats and general gameplay, but the jump to VR allows players to interact with the game world in a fundamentally different way, completely changing how puzzles feel and how combat works.
Gameplay-wise, Resident Evil 4 VR is one of the standout horror games of the year, and one of the best virtual reality games of 2021 as well. And it's set to become an even better experience as time goes on. It's been confirmed that a free update dropping in 2022 will add The Mercenaries game mode to Resident Evil 4 VR, so fans have that to look forward to next year.
Resident Evil Village
2021 marked the 25th anniversary of the Resident Evil franchise, and so lucky fans were treated to multiple new releases in the series. Not only did Resident Evil 4 VR drop in 2021, but so too did Resident Evil Village, the direct sequel to Resident Evil 7 and a tremendous horror game in its own right. Resident Evil Village picks up where Resident Evil 7 left off, following the lives of Ethan Winters and his wife Mia as they try to raise their baby daughter. However, Ethan and Mia's lives are turned upside down when Chris Redfield and his squad break into their house and seemingly kidnap their daughter.
This leads to Ethan finding himself in the titular "village," a rural European area that just so happens to be populated by werewolf-like monsters and a group of extremely powerful beings. The headlining creature Ethan squares off against is Lady Dimitrescu, an abnormally tall vampire who has quickly become one of the Resident Evil franchise's most popular villains. Lady Dimitrescu really stole the show in Resident Evil Village, but there are plenty of other horrific monsters for players to contend with as well.
Returnal
Housemarque has consistently put out high-quality shoot 'em up games for years, but it takes things to the next level with Returnal. Returnal was one of many timeloop games that released in 2021, but its take on the gimmick is decidedly more disturbing than most. In Returnal, protagonist Selene finds herself stranded on a hostile alien planet full of relentless and deadly creatures. Selene is able to acquire a variety of weapons and other items to give her an edge over these beasts, but one wrong move and she can die.
When Selene dies in Returnal, she simply returns to the beginning of the game, trapped in a loop where she can never leave the planet. Being stuck in a strange world without even being able to escape through death is upsetting enough, but Selene also has to contend with her inner demons and explore a creepy house. Returnal is all action gameplay-wise, but the game certainly has enough psychological horror elements to still appeal to horror fans.
Scarlet Hollow
Interactive visual novels may not be for everyone, but one of the better visual novels released in 2021 was Scarlet Hollow. Developed by Black Tabby Games, Scarlet Hollow is technically in early access at the time of this writing, with two out of seven episodes currently available (and episode 2 having released in 2021, which is why Scarlet Hollow qualifies for this list). But even though horror fans can't get the full Scarlet Hollow experience just yet, what's there is already excellent. Scarlet Hollow has players investigating a supernatural mystery and unearthing the secrets of the titular Appalachian town Scarlet Hollow, and it will leave players hooked and anxious to see where the story will go next.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
Ever since rising to fame with Until Dawn, Supermassive Games has been putting out similar horror gaming experiences with its Dark Pictures Anthology. Each installment in The Dark Pictures Anthology has improved on the previous one from a gameplay standpoint, with The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes the most polished of the bunch so far. The celebrity guest star in this installment is Ashley Tisdale, who plays Rachel King, trapped in an ancient underground temple in the midst of the Iraq War. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes retains the co-op gameplay of its predecessors and once again allows players to change the course of the story based on their choices, giving it a decent amount of replay value in the process.
The Medium
Bloober Team has made a name for itself in the horror gaming space as a studio to watch, delivering well-received horror games like the Layers of Fear games and the Blair Witch video game adaptation. Most of Bloober Team's horror game efforts have stuck with a first-person viewpoint, but the studio stepped outside its comfort zone with The Medium, an ambitious next-generation horror game that takes its cues from classic horror titles like Silent Hill.
The Medium uses classic horror game elements like somewhat-fixed camera angles, exploration, and puzzle solving to create an experience that is both familiar and new at the same time. Its main gameplay hook is that the protagonist can exist in two different planes of existence at once, which factors into enemy encounters as well as some of the game's puzzles. The Medium was an Xbox Game Pass day one game at the time of its launch and is one of the only horror games released to date that's only playable on PS5 or Xbox Series X, making it one of the first true next-gen horror experiences out here.
Tormented Souls
Many horror games have attempted to replicate the style of 90s horror hits like the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but few have actually been successful at it. Tormented Souls is one of the better attempts at this, delivering an experience that should greatly appeal to old-school horror game fans. Tormented Souls has players exploring a spooky hospital as one Caroline Walker, who is investigating the disappearance of two young girls, and finds herself face to face with all kinds of unspeakable horrors.