Cooperative horror games are a unique genre that blends the scares of survival horror with the excitement of multiplayer gaming.
Teaming up with friends, players can experience the terror together and work towards a common goal. With the recent popularity of the horror genre, there are now many excellent games to choose from. Our list provides some of the best coop horror games to play with friends.
What Makes a Good Co-Op Horror Game
Successful co-op horror games typically have the following key elements:
- Atmosphere, as a spooky and immersive environments sets the tone for a thrilling co-op experience.
- Tension, a sense of danger and fear add to the excitement of playing a horror game.
- The game must offer a challenging experience that requires teamwork and communication to overcome.
- The game should have multiple endings or offer different play-through options to keep players coming back for more.
By combining those, co-op horror games can offer a truly memorable and terrifying experience that players won’t soon forget.
Multiplayer and cooperation enhance the horror gaming experience by creating a shared sense of fear and tension among players. Teamwork enables players to bring their unique skills and perspectives to the game, leading to more diverse and unpredictable gameplay. The social aspect of multiplayer gaming also allows players to share their reactions and memories with others.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dead By Daylight | 2016-06-14 | Adventure | Behaviour Interactive |
 | Gtfo | 2019-12-09 | Action | 10 Chambers Collective |
 | Phasmophobia | 2020-09-18 | Horror | Kinetic Games |
 | 7 Days To Die | 2013-12-13 | Adventure | The Fun Pimps |
 | Dead Rising 2 | 2010-09-27 | Horror | Blue Castle Games |
 | Dead Rising 2 Off The Record | 2011-10-11 | Adventure | Capcom Game Studio Vancouver, Inc. |
 | Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition | 2009-09-15 | Adventure | CAPCOM |
 | Left 4 Dead 2 | 2009-11-16 | Action & Shooter | Valve |
 | Hunt Showdown | 2018-02-22 | Action | Crytek Frankfurt |
 | Dead Island Definitive Edition | 2016-05-31 | Action & Shooter | Techland |
 | Dead Island Riptide Definitive Edition | 2016-05-31 | Action & Shooter | Techland |
 | Dying Light 2 | 2022-02-04 | Action | Techland Publishing |
 | The Forest | 2014-05-30 | Adventure | Endnight Games Ltd |
 | Killing Floor 2 | 2016-11-18 | Action & Shooter | Tripwire Interactive |
 | Fear | 2005-10-17 | Horror | Monolith Productions |
 | Fear 3 | 2011-06-23 | Adventure | Day 1 Studios |
Dead by Daylight
| Release date: | 2016-06-14 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Behaviour Interactive |
Dead by Daylight is a horror game where players must survive against a ruthless killer. The game takes place in a spooky environment and features characters from famous horror franchises.
In Dead by Daylight, players can choose to play as either a survivor or the killer. The survivors must work together to repair generators and escape the map while the killer hunts them down. The gameplay is fast-paced and intense, with a focus on strategy and collaboration to survive.
The game features various characters, each with unique abilities and strengths, allowing players to tailor their gameplay experience to their preferences. The atmosphere is intense and suspenseful, as players must constantly stay on their guard in order to survive.
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GTFO
| Release date: | 2019-12-09 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | 10 Chambers Collective |
GTFO is a first-person shooter game set in a dangerous underground facility. Players must work together to complete objectives, survive against hostile creatures and escape the facility.
The game features a dynamic difficulty system that adjusts the challenges based on player performance, and a large variety of weapons and equipment to choose from.
With its intense and unpredictable gameplay, GTFO is a thrilling experience that is perfect for those who enjoy cooperative gaming.
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Phasmophobia
| Release date: | 2020-09-18 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Kinetic Games |
Phasmophobia is a horror survival game where players must identify and capture ghosts in haunted environments using various tools and equipment. The game features realistic graphics, voice recognition, and of course, online multiplayer.
Players must work together to gather evidence and identify the type of ghost haunting a location using available tools and equipment. They can communicate with the ghost using a spirit box, and must be aware of the ghost’s presence by observing environmental changes and the ghost’s behavior.
The goal is to complete tasks and gather evidence while trying to survive the ghostly encounters.
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7 Days To Die
| Release date: | 2013-12-13 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | The Fun Pimps |
7 Days to Die is a survival horror game set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies. Players must scavenge resources, build fortifications, and fend off the undead horde to survive.
7 Days to Die features a dynamic weather system and day/night cycle that affects gameplay, as well as a crafting system that allows players to make weapons, tools, and fortifications.
Players can also improve their skills over time and interact with both friendly and hostile NPC settlements. The game can be played in offline mode, but for the best experience, the Co-Op mode is recommended.
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Dead Rising 2
| Release date: | 2010-09-27 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Blue Castle Games |
Dead Rising 2 is a survival horror video game set in a zombie-infested fictional city called Fortune City. The main character, Chuck Greene, must navigate through the city and find a way to escape while fighting off hordes of zombies.
Dead Rising 2 provides an open-world environment where players explore and fight against hordes of zombies. The game’s combat system allows using various weapons and items found throughout the game world to defend themselves.
Players must also complete missions and scavenge for supplies to progress through the game. In comparison with the previous adaptation, Dead Rising 2 includes a multiplayer mode, enriching the gameplay.
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Resident Evil 5
| Release date: | 2009-09-15 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | CAPCOM |
Resident Evil 5 is a survival-horror game set in Africa, where players must battle against hordes of zombies and other enemies while uncovering the truth behind a mysterious bioterrorism incident.
The game features intense action, puzzle-solving, and resource management, as well as a compelling storyline that builds on the Resident Evil franchise’s rich mythology. Its AI system ensures that each playthrough is unique, as enemies and events are generated randomly. The upgrade system allows players to customize their weapons and abilities, providing a more personalized experience.
The game’s story is rich and detailed, providing players with a deep and immersive world to explore and the Co-Op mode, allows players to join forces with a partner to tackle the game’s challenges together and share the experience.
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SCP: Secret Laboratory
| Release date: | 2017-28-12 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Northwood Studios |
SCP: Secret Laboratory is a multiplayer game based on the SCP Foundation, a fictional organization dedicated to containing and studying anomalous individuals and objects
The game features various SCP entities, each with its unique abilities, and tasks players with surviving and escaping the facility while navigating the tension between different factions vying for control.
Players explore the facility, complete tasks, avoid or overcome SCP entities, and work with or against other players in a constantly changing and unpredictable environment.
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Left 4 Dead 2
| Release date: | 2009-11-16 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Valve |
Left 4 Dead 2 is a first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world flooded zombies. Players take on the role of survivors fighting their way through hordes of zombies to reach safety, facing new challenges and obstacles along the way.
The game features fast-paced, action-packed gameplay with a focus on intense combat, exploration, and survival. In the game’s campaign mode, players work together to complete a series of objectives and reach a safe zone. The survival mode challenges players to endure as long as they can against waves of increasingly difficult zombies.
Left 4 Dead 2 is also known for a challenging AI director that adjusts the difficulty and environment based on player performance.In the game, player can find various zombies, each with their own unique abilities, which require different tactics to defeat.
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Hunt: Showdown
| Release date: | 2018-02-22 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Crytek Frankfurt |
Hunt: Showdown is set in a brutal and dangerous Wild West-inspired world. Players take on the role of bounty hunters, competing against each other to take down deadly monsters and claim the bounties on their heads.
The objective is to complete objectives, such as finding and capturing a boss monster, while surviving the challenges of the map, such as environmental hazards and enemy players.
The game features both PvE and PvP elements, adding a high level of tension and risk to each match. With its unique blend of survival, shooter, and bounty hunting mechanics, Hunt: Showdown offers a fast-paced and intense gameplay experience.
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Dead Island
| Release date: | 2016-05-31 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Techland |
Dead Island is set on an island paradise taken over by zombies. Taking control of one of several characters, players must survive the zombie horde while uncovering the cause of the outbreak. The game received positive reviews for its atmosphere and attention to detail.
The player takes on the role of one of four survivors, each with unique skills and abilities, as they try to escape the island. The game features open-world exploration, allowing players to scavenge for resources and weapons as they navigate the island.
Combat is a mix of melee and ranged weapons, and players must use strategy and cunning to defeat the hordes of zombies. The game includes elements of role-playing, as players can upgrade their skills and weapons as they progress through the game.
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Dying Light 2
| Release date: | 2022-02-04 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Techland Publishing |
Dying Light 2 is a survival horror action role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world. It is the sequel to the 2015 game Dying Light. The game features a dynamic branching story, where player choices and actions have significant impact on the world and its factions. It has been released for PS4, PS5, Win, XONE, XSXS at the same time.
Dying Light 2 features fast-paced and brutal first-person combat against zombies and other enemies. The player can also make use of parkour movements to traverse the game’s environment and evade enemies.
The day-night cycle also plays a major role in the gameplay, as the player must use stealth and strategy to survive during the night when zombies become stronger and more aggressive.
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The Forest
| Release date: | 2014-05-30 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Endnight Games Ltd |
The Forest provides a dense forest inhabited by cannibalistic mutants, where players take on the role of survivors who must gather resources, build a shelter, and defend themselves against the mutants.
The game features open-world exploration, crafting, and survival elements. The player must maintain their health and hunger, as well as avoid dangerous wildlife and environmental hazards.
The Forest offers a unique blend of survival and horror elements, challenging players to survive in a hostile environment while facing unpredictable dangers.
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Killing Floor 2
| Release date: | 2016-11-18 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Tripwire Interactive |
Killing Floor 2 is a first-person shooter game set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. It features cooperative multiplayer gameplay, with players working together to survive waves of increasingly difficult enemies.
In Killing Floor 2 can make use of various weapons and upgrades and impersonate unique character classes with distinct abilities. The game also features a persistent progression system, allowing players to earn experience points and unlock new weapons and abilities.
The game’s environments are designed to be destructible so that players can use the environment to their advantage. Killing Floor 2 is known for its intense action and challenging difficulty, providing a scary experience for players.
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FEAR
| Release date: | 2005-10-17 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Monolith Productions |
FEAR (First Encounter Assault Recon) is a survival horror first-person shooter game. The story takes place in a supernatural-filled world. Players take on the role of a special forces soldier tasked with investigating a series of strange occurrences.
The game’s story is revealed through a series of flashbacks and cutscenes, creating a suspenseful and immersive experience.
FEAR also provides fast-paced and intense combat, as well as stealth and survival elements. The player must navigate a world filled with supernatural enemies, including ghostly apparitions and psychic soldiers.
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Dont Starve Together
| Release date: | 2016-04-21 |
| Genre: | Economy |
| Developer: | Klei Entertainment |
Don’t Starve Together is a sequel to the popular local version of the survival game Don’t Starve, and tasks players with surviving in a strange and hostile world.
Players must gather resources, craft items, and build a shelter to survive, all while avoiding dangerous creatures and environmental hazards. The game features a unique and hand-drawn art style, as well as procedurally generated worlds, providing a new experience with each playthrough.
Don’t Starve Together offers both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, allowing players to team up or challenge each other. With its challenging gameplay, immersive world, and unique art style, Dont Starve Together is a popular and engaging game for players on Steam.
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Conclusion
Co-op horror games are important because they offer a unique and thrilling experience that combines the scares of survival horror with the excitement of multiplayer gaming. Players must work together to overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and escape danger, fostering a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. The unpredictability of other players also adds an element of surprise, making each playthrough unique and intensifying the fear factor. The combination of multiplayer and cooperation is a crucial component of the horror gaming genre, enhancing excitement and fear while creating an unforgettable experience.
The games from the list feature spooky environments, challenging gameplay, and a strong emphasis on cooperation, making them perfect for a night of terror with friends.
So grab your friends, turn off the lights, and get ready to face your fears in one of the best horror Co-Op games. The thrills, chills, and scares are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Happy gaming!