We haven’t gotten that far into 2024, yet Halloween this year is already looking promising and earlier than expected. Some of the best horror games coming to Steam have confirmed their release dates this year.
There are familiar faces among them– sequels to old and established frights while there are also new contenders that look to shake up the formula and introduce something new to the genre.
Whether you want to desensitize yourself to the spooks in the upcoming Halloween or wish to bring that atmosphere earlier like the goth you are, we here are the best horror games coming to Steam to add to your wishlist.
Lazaret (February 20)
Picture this: you’re part of a rescue crew responding to a distress signal from the MTS Endurance, a ship lost at sea four years ago. Sounds like a straightforward mission, right? Wrong. Turns out you’re the protagonist in a ghostship story.
The moment you step aboard, things get seriously creepy. Instead of a crew, you find eerie stone statues scattered around like macabre decorations. Now, you’re stuck on this ghost ship. Lazaret is a first-person horror adventure where you’ll need your wits to survive, solve puzzles, and uncover the spine-chilling truth behind the ship’s mysterious disappearance.
Honestly, gaming needs more ghost ships, especially since this one looks like it will make masterful use of lighting (or the lack thereof) similar to games like Amnesia.
Lazaret will be coming to Steam (and to your nightmares) on February 20, 2024.
School Labyrinth (February 22)
Of course, if you don’t want to soil your pants alone, you could always invite some friends or even those with whom you have fond school memories. In School Labyrinth, you can Join forces with up to three friends as you sneak into a school after dark, only to find yourselves trapped within its ever-changing corridors.
Each playthrough offers a fresh challenge with randomly generated stages, keeping you on edge with every step. You and others will have to work together to uncover the emergency exit but trust no one as paranoia sets in. It’s essentially an escape room but darker and with creepier waivers to sign before going in.
Immediately, the game sets itself apart from others due to procedural generation. That’s something you don’t see much in the genre.
School Labyrinth is dropping on Steam on February 22, 2024.
Terror At Oakheart (February 27)
For those craving a bloodier kind of horror, here’s Terror at Oakheart, where the screams are as pixelated as they are spine-chilling.
In this homage to 80s horror flicks, you’ll dive into the blood-soaked streets of the titular Oakheart, plagued by the sinister Teddy. He’s a masked madman with a penchant for, well, slashing his victims. It’s a lovely callback to the Friday the 13th Films, but with a plot twist since it appears they’re adding cosmic horror into the mix.
The 16-bit visual style ought to keep the mood lighter, but at this point, most slasher films are half-comedy anyway.
Terror At Oakheart is set to be released on Steam on February 27, 2024.
Backrooms Rec. (March 6)
We’re slithering on to a contemporary horror meme and creepypasta, the ominous and cryptic Backrooms explored in Backrooms Rec. It’s about time they made a good game about it.
This solo-developed horror game plunges you into a realm where reality blurs and nightmares reign supreme in a brutalist environment. As though you’re in the films, you can explore labyrinthine corridors, uncover dark secrets, and brace yourself for incomprehensible terrors that lurk around every corner.
And yes, it has that signature cheap video camera filter that not only makes the image look more realistic but also more haunting.
Backrooms Rec. is set to be released on March 6, 2024. It will be an early access release initially.
REVEIL (March 7)
Is 1980s slasher hype not doing anything for your primal fear response? Then going back to the 1960s might be more your speed. That’s what REVEIL does.
In REVEIL, you awaken in a disorienting haze, your family missing and memories fragmented. As Walter Thompson, you then delve into the surreal depths of your psyche, haunted by your past at Nelson Bros Circus.
The game’s main attraction is its richly detailed (and often unexplored) world, inspired by the eerie allure of 1960s circus culture. The whole game is a carnival horror house in which you’re the hapless and unfortunate guest.
REVEIL is going to be released on March 7, 2024.
Alone in the Dark (March 20)
While the release dates are getting pushed later for the subsequent entries, they just keep going back further in the past. In this case, Alone in the Dark sets its horror house back in the 1920.
In this remake of the 1990s classic, you will step into the eerie embrace of Derceto Manor, where the whispers of the past intertwine with Southern Gothic dread. A missing uncle sets the stage for a descent into darkness.
With Hollywood talents Jodie Comer and David Harbour breathing life into the protagonists, you’re going to be in for a psychological odyssey that blurs the lines between sanity and nightmare. This is bound to be one of the biggest horror games coming to Steam this year.
Alone in the Dark is going to be out on March 20, 2024.
Little Nightmares 3
In this sequel, prepare to join Low & Alone on their desperate quest through the surreal realm of the Nowhere. They’re trapped within the sinister Spiral, and they must navigate disturbing locales and confront their deepest fears to break free, with your help, of course.
There’s a big co-op component here, thankfully, so you don’t have to face this lucid fever dream alone. And even if you don’t have a human friend, an A.I. companion can help keep you company.
There’s no specific release month or day, but Little Nightmares 3 is slated for 2024.
Post Trauma
Not many games have been able to recreate and emulate Silent Hill 2‘s hellishly psychological hellscape. That’s why Post Trauma looks promising as it appears to take inspiration from the aforementioned horror heavyweight.
In Post Trauma, you play as Roman, a beleaguered train conductor thrust into a nightmarish labyrinth of terror (as if his dead-end blue-collar work wasn’t punishment enough).
With each step, you’ll have to confront twisted landscapes and unearthly puzzles, all while struggling to maintain your sanity. You can bet that the game has the visuals to back up its vision, especially with the Unreal Engine 5 as its base. The game promises a haunting fusion of classic horror elements and cutting-edge visuals.
There’s no official announcement yet, but there’s still a fair chance for the game to be released in 2024.
Tormented Souls 2
Caroline Walker’s torment continues in Tormented Souls 2, plunging players into the disturbing depths of Puerto Miller and old town, a staple of horror media.
Caroline was forced to embrace the supernatural to save her mysteriously ailing sister. Too bad you’ll be doing the heavy lifting for her as you navigate through chilling monasteries and the town’s haunting past, facing grotesque creatures armed only with makeshift weapons.
Resource management is crucial in the game’s pulse-pounding combat similar to Resident Evil games. Tormented Souls 2 will hopefully ensure a spine-tingling journey where survival hinges on courage, cunning, and confronting the darkness within.
Sounds dark, but to lighten the mood, Tormented Souls 2 is coming soon, likely this year.
Paranormal Tales
Remember Paranormal Activity? The horror films that catapulted the found footage sub-genre to its overrated glory these days? Well, here’s a game that evokes that very same nail-biting anxiety, Paranormal Tales.
With graphics now looking more realistic than ever thanks to Unreal Engine 5, Paranormal Tales is looking to take advantage of this new perspective. Paranormal Tales won’t let you just watch horror– you’ll live it. You can select multiple found footage scenarios and step into the shoes of those unfortunate souls.
From bodycams to VHS tapes, you’ll also have to navigate hyper-realistic environments with tricks such as head-bobbing and narrow viewing angles to heighten claustrophobia even in open environments. If this game becomes wildly popular, you can expect more like it to follow suit, just in time for another found footage renaissance.
Looks promising, and Paranormal Tales is about to haunt you soon, especially with its rather populated and busy Steam page.