When it comes to the best scary games to play with friends online, the competition is pretty fierce.
Though many horrors have their own single player story mode – as that’s where horror games typically excel – playing with your buddies can be equally as fun. Here’s the games worth checking out.
Best Scary Games to Play with Friends Online
Horror games are many people’s favourite genre, though there’s a lack of horror multiplayer games in general.
Most of us fell in love with horror due to games from back in the day like Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and even as far back as Zombie Ate My Neighbours on the Amiga; granted not as scary as it was when you were younger, but still scary nonetheless.
A horror genre video game is typically a game designed with a storyline and characters that give you goosebumps, which games like Resident Evil do incredibly well.
They tend to be narrative games with subcategories within the genre to provide scary entertainment, some of the sub-genres we see in horror games include:
– Survival horror
– Action Horror
– Psychological horror
– Reverse horror
– Jumpscare horror
– Co-Op horror
Pre-cursors to horror games include some retro classics like Space Invaders and the text-based adventure game from the 80s Mystery House.
Over the years horror has seen some of the best game releases and most successful franchises within the gaming world.
However, co-op gaming especially in horror seems to be dying out for the most part, which is sad because how better to play horror games than to play with friends?
So, in this article, we will look at some of the best scary games that you can play with your mates online.
Hopefully, by the end of it, you’ll be as psyched about the best multiplayer horror games.
1) Friday the 13th: The Game
Friday the 13th the Game is hard, you are basically a group of camp counselors that must try and survive/defeat Jason. Many players love this game because you can play Jason, or you can play one of the seven counselors.
As Jason, you must plot your tactics to kill the counselors in the goriest fashion possible. Even those that aren’t used to playing the bad guy in games will enjoy, as this game makes it so fun it can even bring out your hidden serial killer side.
As the counselors, you work together to survive, because of the imbalance of seven against one, the game is heavily balanced in Jason’s favour. But if your team works together well enough, you can take down the legend that is Jason.
Overall, it’s a fun game that has pretty entertaining gameplay, even if its not the most complex multiplayer horror with a ton of game features.
Platform:- PS4, Xbox One, and PC | Players: Up to Eight Players
2) Pacify
This game is extremely creepy, especially if you’re freaked out by ghost girls and children in horror though.
You are a paranormal investigator, and you are tasked with investigating a house where a creepy little ghost girl resides.
You and three other players can band together and watch each other’s backs against this menace child though. Finding a co-op horror genre game is surprisingly difficult when you consider their demand.
This is because the co-op of this game is beyond solid, there is a foreboding sense of something lurking around every corner, and the lack of ways to fight the girl makes it even harder/scarier.
It’s a run for your life scenario or pacify the girl temporarily. Ahh, now you get the name of the game, right?
To make it out of this house you need some epic teamwork and communication skills otherwise you get stuck in the house forever.
Platform: PC and Mac | Players: Up to Four Players
3) Hunt: Showdown
Hunt: Showdown is one of the better co-op games I have played in recent years. You enter the game in an online map that contains, for want of a better word, monsters.
These monsters like in every horror game ever, want to kill you. Throughout the game, you collect weapons and other useful gear working your way through killing hordes of lesser monsters in search of targets.
Remember this is a co-op game so the monsters, even the weaker ones are far harder to take down alone than they are with others.
During the game, you don’t just battle your standard NPC’s you also have to fight against real players online making the Co-Op element even more competitive.
This makes it a good multiplayer horror that’s definitely worth playing if you have the time.
Platform: PC, Xbox One and PS4 | Players: Up to Twelve Players
4) Depth
This asymmetrical multiplayer game is a little different from some of the themes you are used to in horror, there is no haunted mansion for one, no cabin in the woods.
In fact, that’s what makes this so good, because it’s a new take on horror. You play one of four treasure hunters, and your job is to find treasure on the ocean floor then take it back to the submarine.
The other two players take on the role of a shark. You must try and eat the divers (because what else would you do as a shark?)..
You start with a set number of lives, and you have to use teamwork to finish your mission before the other team eats you. So, what’s so good about this game?
My Thalassophobia was on another level playing this game, in the depths of the ocean, the vastness of the dark deep body of water.
Death is waiting for you everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The divers have tools to fight the sharks but ultimately it is a shark, and they are faster and deadlier than a guy looking like a seal in a wetsuit.
Platform: PS4
5) Resident Evil 5
Obviously, no article about horror games would be complete without a mention of the most successful horror franchise of all time.
Resident Evil 5 is one of the only remaining games that allow for couch co-op these days. You and your friend play good old Chris Redfield and Shiva Alomar, tasked with hunting bioweapons.
You are in Kijuju, Africa and you come across infected locals where you go into traditional zombie survival mode.
This game is meant to be played in co-op although one player is available you won’t get the full effect allowing AI to control Shiva.
The Resident Evil series is always worth checking out if you’re new to horror games, and if you like Story Mode.
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC and Switch
Best of the Rest
When it comes to multiplayer horror games, there are a fair amount of different options to choose from. Here’s a few more that are probably worth checking out if you’re looking for multiplayer fun.
- Dead Island
- Dead By Daylight (one of the best cross platform mobile games)
- The Blackout Club
- Dying Light
- The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
- Dead Space
- Daylight Dead
- Unfortunate Spacemen
- Night Hunter
- Lunch Lady
Conclusion
In conclusion, horror games are one of the best genres of games available and there is no better way to play them than with friends. Horror will always have a place in gaming, even while co-op seems to be more of a thing of the past.
Hopefully, in this article, you have found something fun and terrifying to try out with your friends. Remember to leave the light on while you play.
