Everyone knows that video games are more fun with your friends. Whether it’s a multiplayer game, going through a story in co-op mode, or having someone sit down next to you while you go through a single-player adventure, having someone else there to go through the experience with you can take an 8/10 game and turn it into a 10/10.
This applies to horror games, too, where a bond is created by going through the game together. Every scare, clutch, or intense moment is magnified by having someone right there in your ear screaming along with you. That’s why we went out and found some of the best horror games to play with friends as we get closer to Halloween.
Dead by Daylight
Have you ever wanted to experience what it’s like to be inside of a horror movie, to feel the fear that runs through your veins as Ghostface, Freddy Kruger, or Michael Myers chase you down? Then Dead by Daylight may be the game for you. This multiplayer game pits four survivors, all player controlled, against one player-controlled killer, and the objective for both sides is quite simple: The survivors need to escape and the killers need to hunt everyone down. While it’s framed as a team game, there isn’t really any penalty for being the lone survivor, but if you help teammates out, then you’ll have a better chance at surviving to the end.
While playing as the killer is plenty of fun, getting a good group of friends and playing together online can be a great time. Communication is a good way to overwhelm most killers, and if you go the extra mile to try and ensure most of the group survives, then you can have some clutch moments where a friend saves someone from the killer’s grasp as you both book it for the exit. I’ve watched one of my friends juke the killer and do exactly this. The exhilaration I felt as we escaped made me jump off my couch in excitement.
Phasmophobia
Who wants to go ghost hunting? You won’t be able to fight the ghosts at all, but you can document them for extra cash which you can then use to buy better ghost hunting equipment. Okay, so that’s only half the fun of Phasmophobia, the other half is letting it chill you to the bone as ghosts do their best to murder you. It’s up to the player to gather enough clues to to figure out what each ghost is before it goes haywire and kills everyone in the building. That said, if you’re sneaky enough and good at hiding, you should be able to survive the ghost attacks if it’s not in the room with you already.
Phasmophobia is at its best with friends. As a suggestion, only play the game through its internal chat, because the way audio works in the game players will sound more distant the farther they are from you, and you have to spend a lot of time talking through walkie-talkies. During hunts, all technological devices like the walkie-talkies shut off merely adding to the horror. You can still talk to anyone close to you, of course, but be wary because the ghost can still hear you.
The Quarry
Like Dead by Daylight, The Quarry is the opportunity for players to play through a horror movie. A spiritual successor to the extremely popular Until Dawn, it lets players control the actions of characters through quick-time events and decision making. It involves a lot of watching, and multiple endings, but the experience is a great time and lives up to the Until Dawn name for a lot of longtime fans.
What makes The Quarry different is that unlike Until Dawn this was designed with multiplayer in mind. Players can either be on the couch or online taking turns controlling different characters. An added benefit that is surely popular with streamers is that others can view in to the game online and make decisions via vote. This makes The Quarry one of those games that can be great to either play with a single friend, or a larger group, and no experience will ever feel the same thanks to the multiple endings. A great multiplayer experience from top to bottom.
Resident Evil 5
If you have ever seen the Resident Evil movies, you know they aren’t exactly scary, but more like campy action movies. The games, meanwhile, have some of the most horrifying moments in all of gaming. That is until Resident Evil 5 came along, made longtime character Chris Redfield the size of an NFL defensive lineman, and gave players a permanent partner throughout the game in Sheva Alomar. It’s not a particularly scary game, especially with some of the more ridiculous setpieces in the later game, but with a friend it’s a co-op masterpiece.
Resident Evil 5 is a ridiculous game. Chris, at one point, punches a boulder because it was in his way and it worked. Get a friend, order a pizza, crack open some drinks, and spend a memorable weekend playing through one of the most ridiculous “horror” games ever made. It’s unfortunately two players only, but you and that friend will surely bond as you go deeper into this game.
State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 is less scary and more stressful. It’s a zombie survival game, so that means resource management, crafting, and looting are all in the cards for anyone that plays through this. The reason it’s fun with friends is that, if you choose to largely ignore the objectives, State of Decay 2 suddenly becomes your own personal Zombieland. Every decision is made to not further along the plot, but instead figure out where you should be spending your time next.
For a month, a group of friends and I picked this up in a sale on Steam and had the time of our lives as we ignored the plot and spent our time trying to find the best cars, the coolest places to live, and figure out fun new ways to mow down zombies. Be careful, though, because if you get too greedy, the horde will have its revenge on you and its curtains.