Everyone loves horror games, and everyone loves good movies. When you combine the two, you get some pretty intense and unforgettable gaming experiences. Horror games have come a long way, and like the rest of the medium, have gotten a lot stronger with their visuals, mechanics, and storytelling.
A lot of them, especially in the past decade, feel like they’re closer to interactive movies. Alien: Isolation feels like a true sequel to Ridley Scott’s original classic. The Resident Evil games have greatly kept up with the times and iterated accordingly. And then you’ve got games like Until Dawn or Telltale’s The Walking Dead that more or less play like bingeworthy shows you're an active participant in. Here are 8 of the absolute best cinematic horror games.
Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation could’ve been a movie on its own. Or perhaps even a TV show, and it would’ve felt very different from Alien: Earth. The game takes place entirely on the Sevastopol space station, and the level of detail in the art direction makes it feel like something straight out of Ridley Scott’s original. Everything looks as authentic as it could, like the terminals, the blinking lights, the eerie silence of the corridors.
The tension never lets up, and the Xenomorph’s AI is unpredictable enough that no two encounters or playthroughs ever feel the same. Everyone has their own unique experience thanks to its emergent gameplay systems, and you'll likely find yourself pausing the game multiple times to catch your breath. And with developer Creative Assembly announcing a sequel in 2024 for its 10-year anniversary (much to the delight of all fans), everyone’s already looking forward to how they’ll expand on that formula.
Dead Space
When Dead Space first came out back in 2008, it was already cinematic and scary for its time, but the 2023 remake turned it into something even closer to an interactive movie (and doubled down on the horror, too). From the opening sequence where Isaac Clarke steps off the ship into the Ishimura, to the quiet, blood-stained hallways, it feels like you’re in a sci-fi horror film. If you’ve ever seen Event Horizon or Sunshine, you’ll see the inspirations.
The remake also fleshed out Isaac, giving him dialogue that makes the story even more personal and makes him feel more involved since he actually speaks now. The sound design is another great aspect that makes the game feel as cinematic as it does.
Until Dawn
Until Dawn is one of the closest things to a horror movie that you can actually play. It’s literally structured like a slasher flick. The writing isn’t perfect; there’s a lot of cheesiness and bad decisions by characters that you almost come to expect from something of this type, but that’s part of the charm. It’s something that makes it feel like a classic ‘90s horror movie, where you’re yelling at the screen because the characters do something stupid (in the gameplay scenarios where you can’t control what they do).
Any character can live or die depending on quick-time events or dialogue choices, and that makes every playthrough different, with dozens of variations. One small slip of a button press could cost your favorite character their life. Supermassive tried the formula again with several more of their games, including The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology, but Until Dawn still stands as their best work. Even the actual movie adaptation of the game from 2025 couldn't quite get it right.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Before Until Dawn, Telltale first had a unique game design formula with its movie-like storytelling. Season 1 is still considered not just the best game in the series (which expanded to five total games), but probably the best game Telltale ever made. Again, it’s not traditional horror with jump scares, but more about emotional horror in a post-apocalyptic world that’s filled with zombies. The relationships between characters feel real in a way that hits harder than most zombie or horror games.
The story of Lee and Clementine plays out like a TV series across five episodes, but one you can control. The fifth and final episode even felt like the season finale of a show that left you gutted. That’s the magic here, the storytelling and the way it makes you feel. Needless to say, it's one of those things that triumphs over its source material (both the comics and the TV show) and outshines it in more than a few ways.
Silent Hill 2 Remake
The original Silent Hill 2 came after the first three Resident Evil games, but surpassed them all with its far deeper and psychological storytelling and atmosphere. Now, that game was already iconic, but the 2024 remake brought it into the modern era in a way that makes it better in almost every way.
The volumetric fog covered streets, and that constant feeling that something is watching you, it’s all here, but sharper and heavier. The remake also doubled the length of the original with expanded locations and deeper characters, yet somehow the pacing feels just as good. Some players even argue the remake surpasses the original, which is saying a lot considering how beloved the original was.
The Evil Within 2
When people talk about great horror games, the two The Evil Within games don’t always get the credit they deserve. But the second game is the kind of sequel that fixes and improves almost everything from the first game. The playable environments are bigger with a lot of freedom, the game has much smoother pacing, controls, and overall gameplay, with more emphasis on the story. Instead of being a sometimes-confusing puzzle box like the first, this one feels like an actual horror thriller.
The way it blends open-world sections with linear and scripted ones contributes greatly to its pacing and horror vibe. And the game never holds back with its surreal imagery and cool monster designs, some of which can be pretty grotesque.
Resident Evil 7
By the time Resident Evil 7 came out, the series was kind of losing its way. Resident Evil 5 and 6 leaned way more into action than horror with some mixed results, and fans were worried the franchise had forgotten its horror roots.
Then came Resident Evil 7, which was a complete reinvention of the series. It had a lot riding on it. Beyond the switch to first-person and a goodbye to traditional zombies, the game restricted its scope to being trapped in a filthy and rotting farmhouse with the Baker family, and it was absolutely terrifying because of it. It had a found-footage vibe at times, which made it feel intimate and suffocating. This was survival horror stripped back down to basics, but with a modern cinematic twist that worked so well that both Resident Evil 8 and 9 continued to build upon this groundwork.
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 certainly feels less like a traditional horror game and more like a prestige TV series brought to life, although with enough elements that lean into horror. Remedy committed fully into the cinematic design this time, including live-action sequences with in-game storytelling in a way that still feels unique and innovative. The game still continues with its Twin Peaks and David Lynch’s dreamlike horror inspirations (not like the studio has ever hidden those influences).
The story shifts between Alan and new protagonist Saga Anderson, and both storylines play out like different episodes of the same supernatural thriller. Saga’s story, though, is definitely the highlight this time. Alan Wake 2 feels like an interactive series where you’re not just watching the mystery unfold; you’re also piecing it together yourself with hints you’ve collected, thanks to the Mind Place mechanic.