Whether you’re looking for survival experiences, shoot-em-ups, or building to fend off the enemy gameplay, here are all the games you should think about getting into this Halloween.
Updated on October 15, 2022, by Mark Sammut:Halloween is right around the corner, which means it is time to bring a few friends together for a good old-fashioned scare. Horror movies tend to be the safer pick for these types of events, but it can be fun to shake things up with one of the best co-op horror games. Most of these titles support online multiplayer, making it simpler than ever to meet up.
16 GTFO
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.
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.
15 Pacify
Pacify is a horror co-op that has four players working together to subdue and capture a terrifying little girl capable of immense evil. Players need to explore the house, and gather keys, clues, and any tools they can to appease the malevolent evil.
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While it can be played solo it’s designed to be one of those scary games to play with friends. This game was created by the developers of Emily Wants To Play which means while it’s simplistic, it’s solid. Few moments are as terrifying as turning a corner only to have an enraged floating little girl in your face.
14 Phasmophobia
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.
13 Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood is a fun co-op horror game for fans of titles like Left 4 Dead. Built by the same minds who created Valve’s franchise, this game is a worthy successor to co-op zombie horde action.
With multiple characters to choose from, a variety of weapons to wield, and terrifying Ridden enemies this is a great game to play for the Halloween season. Some feel the AI may need a little tweaking, but the guts of the game are solid and anyone who enjoyed Left 4 Dead or its sequel should have a blast with this one.
12 Dead By Daylight
Dead By Daylight gives four players the task of escaping a nightmarish map as Survivors while a fifth player acting as the Killer tries to take them out before they can get away. There are four generators that must be repaired before the doors will open, and the Killer will be busy knocking down players and placing them on hooks to feed them to the mysterious Entity.
It’s a fun and fast-paced experience that has you lurking in the shadows, employing some interesting skills, and having a wicked good time terrifying your friends as the Killer.
11 7 Days To Die
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 you 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.
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.
10 Ghost Watchers
In Early Access, Ghost Watchers takes a familiar concept and throws a co-op twist. Either alone or with companions, players have to explore a haunted house in order to identify the ghost and then hunt them. The former component is probably the most interesting part of the game since it emphasizes exploration and investigation.
Ghost Watchers is still rough-around-the-edges, and the scares die down after a few playthroughs. Nevertheless, this is a solid co-op horror option.
9 Dying Light & Dying Light 2 Stay Human
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.
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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.
8 Left 4 Dead 2
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.
7 Remnant: From The Ashes
Remnant: From The Ashes is ludicrously fun. Supporting up to three players, people join forces to rid the world of otherworldly creatures known as the Root. This requires players to explore other dimensions and find the source of the terrible swarm.
Each player has their own unique character with varying skills and abilities to help everyone survive. If someone enjoys tough games like Bloodborne but wants guns and a multiplayer campaign, Remnant: From The Ashes is the way to go.
6 Resident Evil 5
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.
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.
5 Killing Floor 2
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.
4 Dead Space 3
Dead Space 3 received a lot of flak for being more action-oriented than horror, but its multiplayer has certainly made up for it. Two players can join forces to bring down the Necromorphs on Tau Volantis, and the co-op campaign follows the same story as the solo version. It also has an ingenious game mechanic that causes one player to see things that aren’t there for the other player.
If players want to see their friend freak out and shoot at empty air or question why their partner can’t see the blood-soaked walls too, then Dead Space 3 is a great game to play this Halloween.
3 Deceit
Deceit is a game about human behavior. Six players awaken in a mysterious room, and while four people are tasked with escaping, the other two are infected and will look to take out the innocent parties.
The game is all about deception as the “good” players try to figure out who isn’t human and kill those they suspect of being enemies. Deceit has been known to be a friendship breaker so make sure to take breaks when people start taking things too seriously.
2 World War Z
World War Z flew under the radar when it came out, but it’s a fun and engaging experience if players don’t mind the lack of a decent story. Four players can join forces to bring down a swarm of zombies. Just like the 2013 movie, the game’s zombies will clamber on top of each other to surmount obstacles and overwhelm any humans they find.
If a group of friends are looking to gun down as many zombies as possible in a run-and-gun style of play then absolutely grab a copy of World War Z.
1 The Forest
In The Forest, players can theoretically play with as many people as they want thanks to dedicated servers, but eight is the recommended max. As survivors of a plane crash, players are tasked with establishing a shelter and defenses, while also gathering weapons to help them find the small child that was kidnaped by a group of primitive cannibals living in the area.
Even with eight players, people will find it a struggle to survive as cannibals will pick off survivors, monsters will bash through defenses, and diving into the dark caverns for supplies and to look for the kid is a harrowing experience.
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