10 HORROR GAMES YOU SHOULD
DEFINITELY PLAY BEFORE OCTOBER ENDS
October is here. The nights are getting spookier, and it’s the perfect excuse to turn off the lights, put on your headset, and see how long you can survive a horror game without pausing to catch your breath. Whether you love horror, supernatural mysteries, terrifying creatures, or choices that could get your entire cast killed; PlayStation has something to make your Halloween gaming sessions unforgettable.
A note on ratings: The difficulty scores below are editorial estimates informed by available trophy roadmaps and community estimates. They should not all be treated as verified official ratings.
10. UNTIL DAWN PS5
Interactive Survival Horror | Platinum Difficulty 3/10
Few horror games understand the importance of a bad decision quite like Until Dawn. What begins as a reunion among friends at a remote mountain lodge quickly turns into a fight for survival. With danger lurking in the woods and tension building between the characters, every choice matters. A seemingly harmless decision can have devastating consequences, and even the smallest mistake might determine who makes it to sunrise.
Why is this perfect for October? The announcement of Until Dawn 2, reportedly arriving early next year, makes this a great time to revisit the original.
For the Platinum Hunter: The PS5 remake’s Platinum is relatively approachable, but you will need multiple playthroughs to explore different outcomes and collect clues and totems. Many trophies are missable, and the remake has a separate trophy list from the PS4 original.
9. ALAN WAKE 2 PS5
Psychological and survival horror | Platinum Difficulty 3/10
Imagine being trapped inside a story that is actively trying to destroy you. Alan Wake 2 follows FBI agent Saga Anderson as she investigates a series of ritualistic murders in the Pacific Northwest, while writer Alan Wake struggles to escape a nightmarish reality shaped by his own imagination. Their stories gradually intertwine, creating a mystery that constantly challenges your understanding of what is real.
This game doesn’t rely solely on jump scares. Instead, it gets under your skin by making ordinary places feel wrong. If you enjoy psychological horror with a strong narrative, Alan Wake 2 deserves a spot near the top of your list.
For the Platinum Hunter: The trophy list is relatively manageable because you can play on Story difficulty, but collectibles and weapon upgrades require planning. There is no conventional chapter select, so missing certain content can mean replaying substantial sections.
8. SILENT HILL 2 PS5
Psychological survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 4/10
Some horror games frighten you with monsters. Silent Hill 2 makes you question the person holding the controller. You play as James Sunderland, who travels to the eerie town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife, despite her having died years earlier. What follows is a deeply unsettling journey through fog-covered streets, abandoned buildings, and disturbing encounters that gradually reveal the emotional weight behind his search.
The remake preserves the original game’s psychological depth while bringing its oppressive atmosphere to modern hardware. Its sound design, grotesque creatures, environmental storytelling, and uncomfortable silences make exploration an experience in itself. This is the kind of horror that stays with you after the credits, making it ideal for a late night October session
For the Platinum Hunter: Expect more planning than the action-focused entries on this list. Multiple endings, collectibles, and special completion requirements make a trophy roadmap particularly valuable. You can lower combat and puzzle difficulty, but many trophies are missable because you cannot freely revisit every area.
7. The Quarry (PS4 / PS5)
Interactive cinematic horror | Platinum difficulty: 2/10
Summer camp is supposed to be about making memories, not surviving a night of bloodshed. In The Quarry, a group of camp counsellors finds themselves facing a terrifying night after their plans go horribly wrong. With danger approaching from several directions, your decisions determine who lives, who dies, and which secrets are uncovered before morning.
If you love classic teen horror films, The Quarry feels like an interactive Halloween movie. Its characters, dramatic confrontations, branching choices, and deliberately over the top moments make it entertaining to play with friends, even if only one person holds the controller. You can debate every decision together and blame each other when somebody inevitably makes a terrible choice.
For the Platinum Hunter: The mechanics are accessible, and there are no difficulty-related trophies to worry about. The challenge is the cleanup expect several playthroughs or chapter-select sessions to achieve specific character outcomes, endings, and collectibles.
6. The Evil Within 2 (PS4)
Psychological survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 8/10
Detective Sebastian Castellanos returns in a desperate attempt to save his daughter Lily, by entering a horrifying artificial world known as STEM. What begins as a rescue mission quickly becomes a fight against warped environments, grotesque creatures, and a reality that refuses to obey the rules. The game’s semi-open environments encourage exploration, giving you opportunities to search for supplies and uncover side stories while danger lurks nearby.
The Evil Within 2 is a great pick for anyone who appreciates a mixture of psychological horror, survival mechanics, and tense action. You will need to make ammunition count, choose your encounters carefully, and decide when stealth is more valuable than a fight. Its mixture of unsettling imagery and desperate survival makes it a fitting addition to an October horror marathon.
For the Platinum Hunter: The challenge comes from higher-difficulty runs and the demanding Classic mode, which restricts manual saves and removes checkpoints. Missable trophies also make it important to plan your route before starting.
5. Dead Space (PS5)
Sci-fi survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 6/10
Space is already terrifying when you’re alone. Now imagine being trapped aboard a mining vessel where the crew has been slaughtered and the dead have returned as horrific creatures. In Dead Space, engineer Isaac Clarke arrives aboard the USG Ishimura expecting a repair mission, only to find himself fighting for survival in the middle of a nightmare. The ship’s dark corridors, disturbing audio logs, and sudden attacks create an atmosphere of constant dread.
This remake is especially effective because it makes you feel vulnerable. Ammunition is precious, and enemies require careful dismemberment rather than ordinary gunfire. Even familiar corridors can become dangerous. The updated visuals and sound design make the Ishimura feel horribly real. If you enjoy horror with a science-fiction twist, this is one of the strongest choices for a dark room gaming session.
For the Platinum Hunter: The main obstacle is completing the game on Impossible difficulty, where death can jeopardize your run, alongside a weapon restricted challenge and New Game Plus requirements. Planning your saves, upgrades, and ammunition is essential.
4. The Outlast Trials (PS4 / PS5)
Multiplayer survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 3/10
If you’ve ever wondered whether your friendships can survive a horror game, The Outlast Trials is the perfect experiment. Set during the Cold War, this prequel to the Outlast series puts you in the hands of the sinister Murkoff Corporation. There, human test subjects are forced to endure disturbing psychological experiments.
What makes this entry stand out is its four player online co-op. You can enter the nightmare with friends, coordinate your escape, revive fallen teammates, and try to keep your cool when an enemy catches up with you. Playing solo is possible, but sharing the terror with a group creates unforgettable moments.
For the Platinum Hunter: The Platinum is more approachable than Outlast 2’s notoriously demanding challenge. Many trophies involve earning in-game grades or badges by performing specific actions across repeated trials. Some objectives may be easier with a group, so having friends available can make the grind more enjoyable.
3. Resident Evil 4 (PS4 / PS5)
Action survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 6/10
Not every horror game needs to leave you helpless. Resident Evil 4 follows Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the president’s daughter from a remote European village. Its inhabitants are anything but welcoming.
The remake balances genuine horror with exhilarating action. Ammunition management, weapon upgrades, tense encounters, and memorable set pieces keep the experience engaging from beginning to end.
For the Platinum Hunter: This is where trophy hunting becomes serious business. You’ll need to complete challenging difficulty and ranking requirements, master combat, and manage resources efficiently. The toughest objectives include high-rank runs with restrictions that discourage simply carrying over a fully upgraded arsenal.
2. Resident Evil Village (PS4 / PS5)
Gothic survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 7/10
Another European village? Well, yes! This one is filled with terrifying creatures, unsettling inhabitants, and secrets that become more disturbing the deeper you go. Resident Evil Village follows Ethan Winters as he searches for his kidnapped daughter. His journey leads him into a nightmare involving a mysterious village and its powerful rulers.
Village is particularly memorable because it blends gothic horror with the survival-action formula of Resident Evil 4. One moment, you’re exploring a beautiful but sinister location. The next, you’re desperately conserving ammunition while facing overwhelming odds.
For the Platinum Hunter: The road to Platinum requires several completion challenges, including speed and difficulty-related objectives, as well as combat tasks in Mercenaries mode. The hardest trophies can demand practice and a good understanding of enemy encounters.
1. The Last of Us Part I (PS5)
Post-apocalyptic survival horror | Platinum difficulty: 4/10
For our final recommendation, we had to include this classic. Not all horror comes from ghosts or supernatural forces. Sometimes, the scariest thing is what humanity becomes when civilization collapses.
The remake elevates the experience with improved visuals, detailed environments, and intense encounters that make stealth and resource management crucial. Clickers remain among gaming’s most nerve-racking enemies, forcing you to listen carefully and move with caution. Beyond the horror, Joel and Ellie’s relationship gives the game a powerful emotional core. It’s an excellent choice for players who want a story that lingers long after the credits.
For the Platinum Hunter: The PS5 remake is a more approachable Platinum than the original PS3 release, which included demanding multiplayer trophies. Expect to work through collectibles, optional conversations, combat-related objectives, and other completion tasks.
So, which horror game are you playing first?