10 Greatest Co-Op Horror Games To Play With Friends

Published Oct 16, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

Spooky season is officially upon us and Halloween 2026 is building up to be bigger and better than ever before. Whether you're a fan of movies, TV, video games, or all three, there's going to be a little something out there for everyone that's looking for a safe scare.

In the video game department, there are plenty of options, but sometimes it's nice to feel not quite so isolated if you're going into a scary release. That's where co-op titles come into play, allowing us to bring a few friends along for the unpleasant ride, as we conquer ghosts, ghouls, demons, and cosmic entities, all in the name of fun.

Happily, we've collated ten of the very best options out there, if you're looking for something to play with your pals as we barrel towards the end of the month.

Phasmophobia

If you've ever seen those TV shows where people wander around old and abandoned buildings to see if they can catch any ghosts and thought "I'd like to give that a go," then Phasmophobia is the game for you. You and your friends head to a location to see if you can work out what's haunting it, using different equipment to gather evidence and deduce what kind of spirit or demon infests the halls. It's brilliant fun, and proximity chat makes the game all the more isolating in bigger locations.

Lethal Company

In a theme that you'll see crop up a few times throughout this list, Lethal Company tasks players with scavenging abandoned moons to sell scrap to a mysterious entity known only as the Company. The general formula is that the higher the risk, the higher the reward, and it's a great lesson in building tension. It's also a game that really stresses the working together part of the formula a lot, and it's all the better for it.

The Outlast Trials

The first Outlast game really blew everyone out of the water with the amount of terror it managed to generate within its relatively short runtime. In The Outlast Trials, the players take on the role of guinea pigs in a twisted initiative from the ever-nefarious Murkoff Corporation. Your ultimate goal is to complete every trial in front of you to earn your freedom, but this is much more of an inviting prospect with friends, even though it can be confronted solo (if you're brave enough.)

R.E.P.O.

In a game for up to six players, R.E.P.O. tasks you with heading out and securing valuable items from the vestiges of a ruined humanity, all while under the employ of a mysterious computer intelligence. Co-ordination is key and proximity chat rears its head again here, meaning things can quickly get out of hand when the bad things appear to stop you doing your job.

Content Warning

Content Warning has a fascinating premise, in so far as it isn't like anything else on this list. Essentially, the goal is to film your friends doing scary stuff to become SpöökTube famous. After you've managed to do so, you'll also need to escape to make sure you can upload the footage, and the whole thing really feels like a bit of a commentary on where we're at right now as humans. While it isn't the outright scariest game on this list, it is one of the most unique, and great fun to play with friends.

Mimesis

Similarly to R.E.P.O., Mimesis tasks you with heading out to secure items of value, which you can then sell. In this case, that gives you access to additional equipment and the like, but that isn't what keeps you playing in this case. Here, the real USP is an advanced AI that literally has the ability to mimic you and your friends. That means someone who looks like an ally might follow you around for a while, repeating common phrases in your friend's voices. It's spectacularly unnerving to hear, and the shine doesn't wear off, even after spending some hours playing.

Sons Of The Forest

The Forest's formula is to put players in frightening environments to force them to fend for themselves. That's also true of Sons of the Forest, where you are trying to find a missing billionaire on a remote island. Unfortunately, packs of cannibals got there first, and it's up to you and your friends to live through that, all while dealing with traditional survival mechanics like the need for food, water and shelter. If you liked the original release, then you'll almost certainly enjoy what's on offer here.

Reanimal

The creators of Little Nightmares I & II returned with Reanimal, and as you might expect on those credentials, it's a beautiful release that's more than deserving of your attention. It follows a brother & sister as they go through hell to rescue their missing friends, in what is essentially an adventure game where you'll be doing a lot of running and hiding, rather than shooting and blowing things up. There's a lot more story here than in other games on the list, which likely makes it the best pick if that's what you prioritize.

Little Nightmares III

Speaking of Little Nightmares, the third game brings two-player co-op to the fore, as you attempt to solve puzzles and survive in the terrifying world laid out in the first couple of games. While it can be played with an AI companion, having another person there is really the way to go, and it's a fantastically atmospheric game, even if it does have a few flaws on the gameplay front.

Resident Evil 5

The Umbrella Corporation are back and up to no good again, so who better to call in than Chris Redfield once again. Resident Evil 5 supports both couch co-op and online multiplayer, with one player taking control of Redfield and the other his companion, Sheva Alomar. While it isn't the best game in the series, there is a lot of competition for that, and it remains a brilliant way to spend some time with a friend, all within the confines of a beloved franchise.

That's the list! All of the games above should serve as great ways to spend a few hours over the next few weeks, though you might have a difficult job persuading some of your friends to join in, particularly if they haven't got the stomach for scares.