It is always a good time to get into the spooky spirit and pull out some fun horror games to play with friends. Fortunately, game developers have done a good job over the last few years pumping out some interesting horror co-op experiences, so there’s something for everyone.

Whether looking for survival experiences, shoot-em-ups, or building to fend off enemies, the best co-op horror games should be able to keep a few friends entertained and scared. The genre comes in so many shapes, sizes, and gameplay styles that there should be something that suits most groups' preferences, be it a craving for fast-paced gunplay or something a bit more deliberate.

Updated June 17, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Galleries have been added for every co-op horror game mentioned in this discussion.

GTFO

Metascore: 78

This game came out of nowhere and has been steadily gaining a loyal fanbase. GTFO has up to four players descending into a secret research facility swarming with zombie-like monsters. They react to sound, noises, and touch, so players must methodically take them out with hammers without waking everyone up. If they do, they must rely on a variety of guns, turrets, bombs, and other tools to fight the waves.

7:03

Related

10 Best Horror Game Protagonists, Ranked

The world of horror gaming is one filled with various stories and incredible heroic (or flawed) characters brought to life.

GTFO feels like a combination of Deadspace and the Last of Us 2. Teamwork is essential as the game is continually tweaked to make solo play impossible. It’s a hybrid of tense stealth and guns-blazing action. The only downside to this title is that the later levels haven’t been finished as it’s in early access, but in the meantime, it’s one of the best horror games to play with friends.

Obscure & Obscure 2 (Or The Aftermath)

Metascore: 66 (Both)

• 	Obscure	Obscure: The Aftermath
  Platform(s)	PS2, Xbox (Original), PC	Wii, PSP, PS2, PC
  Released	2005-04-06	2008-03-25
  Developer	Hydravision Entertainment	Hydravision Entertainment
  Genre(s)	Survival Horror	Survival Horror
  Number of Players	1-2	1-2

With a prophetic title and a lot of charming jank, the Obscure games are fun old-school survival horror romps that take very obvious inspiration from Resident Evil. Both projects follow a group of students as they run around either a high school or college (with a few other smaller areas) as they try to unravel grim mysteries involving human experimentation. Although hardly masterpieces, these projects have a few strong positives in their favor, including championing co-op.

While the campaigns can be played solo, they are designed with two users in mind, to the point that single players will have to contend with AI partners. As the latter are usually frustrating in combat scenarios, the games are way more enjoyable when humans are controlling both sides. Obscure and its sequel also have multiple playable characters (5 and 6 respectively), and they all need to be used at one point or another during the stories.

Unless someone is a die-hard fan of 2000s-era horror co-op games, they probably do not need to rush to pick up the Obscure collection; however, it is available on Steam and can occasionally be found for a steal.

Devour

Steam User Rating: 92%

Released at the beginning of 2021, Devour is a multiplayer game that casts up to four players as cultists trying to reverse a ritual that saw a demon take possession of their leader, Anna. Thrown into one of a few maps, players will need to scour the land in search of items that need to be burdened in order to banish the demon back to where they came from. Unfortunately, this proves to be rather difficult when a few dozen demons are running around.

Devour is an intense game designed to terrify and panic players, and it generally accomplishes its goal. Friends can create a private server to play together, and this is probably the best way to experience this co-op horror game. That said, there is a single-player option for those who want an extra challenge.

Dead By Daylight

Metascore: 71

Dead by Daylight is among the most popular multiplayer horror games of all time. The title's frequent updates have helped cultivate a very active community, and the accessible core gameplay loop has enough depth and nuance to reward committed players without putting off newcomers.

For the most part, the game is known for its online portion; however, Dead by Daylight also supports custom games that allow friends to indulge in private matches. Except for (obviously) paid characters, this mode removes most restrictions, and these matches do not count towards a player's rank.

Dead Rising 2: Off The Record

Metascore: 72

Dead Rising 2, Off the Record, and Dead Rising 3 all support 2-player co-op, and they each should be able to get the job done depending on what somebody is looking for. The latter's faster-paced combat might be more accessible, but the older games have superior atmosphere, stories, and characters.

Off the Record took Dead Rising 2's story and threw Frank West into the mix, which was a net positive at this positive in the franchise. The full campaign can be played in co-op, and there is even a sandbox mode for those who just want to mess around in Capcom's world.

Dead Island 2

Metascore: 76

An argument could be made that none of the Dead Island games qualify as horror since the scariest thing about them is the first title's cinematic trailer, and even that is not all that terrifying. Still, zombies are synonymous with the genre, even if many undead stories focus more on visceral gore than bone-chilling frights. More importantly, Dead Island is a great franchise in general for co-op. The original game and Riptide are both more fun when played with friends, while the same could be argued for their long-awaited sequel. Just to be clear, Dead Island 2 is a blast solo thanks to its awesome gore system and simple but engaging combat, but the mayhem is enhanced when players bring two friends to the City of Angels.

Related

8 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In Dead Island 2

Even Dead Island veterans may be surprised about new things that players might have not known they could do in Dead Island 2.

Supporting only online co-op, Dead Island 2's handling of the feature reflects its general attitude: uncomplicated and designed to maximize fun. Other players can jump on board whenever they want once co-op is unlocked roughly 30 minutes into the campaign, and guests retain any progress made while they are not the hosts. Therefore, they can just start where they left off when they switch to single-player.

Barotrauma

Metascore: 81

A 2D survival horror game is unlikely to deliver the same visceral scares as, for example, Resident Evil 7 or Dead Space, but that does not mean they cannot be terrifying in their own right. Barotrauma casts players as the crew of a submarine tasked with investigating an alien world's largely unexplored ocean, and these waters are anything but safe or welcoming.

Allowing for up to 16 participants at a time, players are assigned specific roles within the sub, and they need to complete their tasks if they want to have any chance of a successful mission. Along with just managing the vehicle's many mechanics, the crew must keep an eye out for the ocean's inhabitants, which come in many shapes, sizes, and nightmares.

7 Days To Die

Steam User Rating: 88%

7 Days To Die is a horror experience where up to eight players have seven days to build a base, gather weapons, establish defenses, hoard food, and then fend off a never-ending wave of the undead that comes for the player on the seventh day. It requires a good deal of teamwork, strategy, and planning to have a strong enough base to survive as long as possible.

Related

8 Best Survival Games With Mature 17+ ESRB Ratings

These brutal yet brilliant survival games rightfully deserved their M for Mature 17+ ESRB ratings.

The graphics and gameplay are a bit dated, but the game still holds up to be an enjoyable experience. Players can really flex their creativity and innovation skills in this interesting survival/building game.

Dead Space 3

Metascore: 78

A fairly maligned sequel, Dead Space 3 is generally regarded as the worst entry in the original trilogy. Putting aside the lofty expectations placed on the release by EA, which likely contributed to the franchise's disappearance act, this game is quite a stark departure from its predecessors, particularly the original entry. While not completely removed from the horror genre, Dead Space 3 is primarily an action shooter, albeit one that comes with its share of horrific visuals and takes place in a frozen hellscape. Although worth a run-through to experience Isaac's full story, the 2013 title can be quite disappointing when played solo; however, Dead Space 3 shines considerably brighter in co-op.

For all the criticism that can be thrown at this sequel, Dead Space 3 cannot be accused of halfheartedly implementing 2-player co-op support. Visceral Games introduced John Carver as Isaac's partner, a fleshed-out character who builds a nice rapport with the franchise's lead. He even gets a few unique missions that help make the second player feel like a co-protagonist rather than someone just along for the ride. As a single-player game, Dead Space 3 only warrants a light recommendation; as a co-op horror game, the game is a must-play.

Dying Light & Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Metascore: 74 (Dying Light)

Both Dying Light games have great online co-op, although an argument could be made that the first entry is superior in this respect. Both titles allow up to four players to take on the zombie apocalypse as a unit; however, Dying Light 2 restricts progress to just the host, so the other three players are essentially guests who get to visit another world for a brief time. Conversely, Dying Light allows all four players to save progress made during a co-op session.

Related

12 Beginner Tips For Dying Light 2: Stay Human You Need To Know

These tips will help new players survive in Dying Light 2: Stay Human's The City.

This change slightly hurts the appeal of Dying Light 2's co-op feature, at least in terms of story and progression. That said, the zombie game is still a blast to play with friends since most of the fun comes from exploring this beautifully realized world. Non-host players also gain experience and items, so their time in co-op is not completely fruitless.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 (Zombies)

Metascore: 81

Call of Duty is, obviously, not horror, but the franchise's Zombies at least assumes some of the genre's iconography. This mode is also an awesome co-op experience that is fun in both local and online multiplayer. For the uninitiated, Zombies is effectively a horde mode with objectives.

Players have to work together to resist an undead army while steadily earning points to unlock weapons, benefits, and progress through a map. This mode even has a storyline. Most of the modern entries have decent-to-good Zombies modes, but if forced to highlight one example, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 would have to be it.

The Outlast Trials

Steam User Rating: 93%

Any franchise that decides to shift from predominantly single-player experiences to multiplayer takes the risk of alienating its core fanbase as it tries to attract a new one. The Outlast Trials manages this transition better than many of its peers, although it should be noted that the early access game is not really all that similar to previous entries in the series. While single-player is an option, The Outlast Trials is undoubtedly intended to be played in co-op.

Unlike its predecessors, this project follows a mission-based structure that has players work their way through a few levels as they try to complete objectives. In general, the player's goal is to escape a facility that is conducting human experimentation, all the while avoiding all sorts of creative and creepy entities.

Phasmophobia

Steam User Rating: 96%

Phasmophobia has gained a reputation as one of those great online horror games to play with friends. Up to four players can team up as ghost hunters to enter a haunted area and gather clues as to the nature of the haunting.

It’s unique in that players aren’t meant to banish, pacify, or subdue the ghost. The only goal is to identify what it is and get out alive. There are various types of ghosts with their own characteristics and dangers. There are passive Spirits, Yurei that can damage sanity faster, hard-to-find Shades, nearly silent Mylings, and the aggressive Demons that hunt players anywhere on the map.

Sons Of The Forest

Metascore: 83

Endnight Games struck gold with The Forest, a great open-world project that should satisfy both survival and horror fans. Naturally, a sequel seemed like only a matter of time, and expectations were high. Remarkably, Sons of the Forest is arguably an even better game than its predecessor, fine-tuning and expanding nearly everything that worked in the original to craft a similar but improved overall campaign. Ultimately, the core appeal remains the same: surviving on an uncharted island filled with cannibals. This time around, players are sent to search for a missing family, an expedition that quickly goes sideways. Before long, they will be struggling to meet their basic resources, build bases, interact with the complex locals, and explore horrifying caves.

Related

Sons Of The Forest: Best Ways To Get Food

Food is essential to survival in Sons of the Forest. Here's how to keep your supply from running out.

Sons of the Forest's co-op enables eight players to jump on the same server, allowing them to work together to survive the island's terrors. An argument could be made the single-player experience complements the narrative, setting, and tone a bit better; however, solo survivors will still have two companions, so it is not a huge departure from playing Sons of the Forest with friends. If nothing else, most players should be more useful than Kelvin.

Content Warning

Steam User Rating: 93%

Considering it was essentially released as an April Fool's joke, Content Warning is not only surprisingly great but is also showing way more longevity than typical for these types of projects. The concept is beautifully simple: film a scary viral video. That is largely it, and the game gives players enough tool to create short and memorable clips. The gameplay loop involves going down to the Old World and recording as many terrifying scenes as possible, which are then uploaded to an in-game version of YouTube.

While not especially terrifying, Content Warning does have a couple of inspired monsters and a few visual flares that add an element of spookiness. This game is naturally intended to be played with a couple of friends, ideally while streaming on a platform like Twitch.

Lethal Company

Steam User Rating: 97%

One of 2023's most surprising hits, Lethal Company is already among the best co-op horror games despite still being on Steam Early Access. As part of the eponymous company, players are charged with exploring moons to collect resources (scrap) while avoiding a few less-than-welcoming monsters. The game's missions are structured somewhat like an extraction shooter, albeit with the "shooter" element downplayed in favor of traditional survival horror ingredients.

Related

7 Tips For Surviving If You're The Last One Alive in Lethal Company

Become a master at avoiding monsters during situations where a clutch is needed, and escape the facility with little to no pressure in Lethal Company.

While perhaps not conventionally scary, Lethal Company is consistently intense as it strips players of most defensive options, all the while still providing tools that can save someone's life if used wisely. Although single-player is supported, Lethal Company is 100% meant to be played in co-op. Communication is central to the gameplay loop, including the option for a player to remain on the ship so they can monitor surveillance footage and guide their coworkers who are trying to stay alive.

Resident Evil 5

Metascore: 86

A lot of players have mixed feelings about Resident Evil 5, but the two-player co-op experience is a lot of fun. Two friends can fight through the campaign together or jump into a short Mercenaries Mode that functions like horde mode but on a timer.

Related

The 10 Best Horror Games Of The Current Generation, Ranked

The horror genre has seen fantastic entries in the current generation of video games, and these ten feature some of the top scares for gamers.

If a player can get over an annoying inventory management system, they will find that RE5 has a lot to offer for those who want to shoot through hordes of the undead and experience a decent story while doing it. The Mercenaries Mode is also nice if someone only has a few minutes to play.

Killing Floor 2

Metascore: 79

If a group of friends wants to get together and play a horror game then Killing Floor 2 should be in contention. It supports up to six players and tasks them with eradicating the undead, a process that entails meeting objectives and pumping lead into the enemy.

Killing Floor 2 also has a Versus mode that supports a whopping 12 players going head-to-head in teams of six with survivors versus zeds. This is a great party co-op horror game and versus is way too fun for its own good.

Left 4 Dead 2

Metascore: 89

Left 4 Dead 2 is one of the older co-op horror games, and Valve's first-person shooter has aged beautifully. In campaign mode, up to four players are tasked with navigating the city of New Orleans to find safety and escape the hordes of mutating zombies.

In Versus mode, eight players can go head-to-head in teams of four, with one side playing the humans struggling to survive and the other playing the ravenous special infected trying to take them down. This game is fast-paced and loads of fun both as humans and special infected.

More

Sons Of The Forest: Tips And Tricks For Beginners

These tips and tricks make surviving in Sons of the Forest easier for beginners.