There is nothing like the shudder of fear and the dilemma of what hides around the dark corner. The thriller is a one-of-a-kind genre that can arouse emotions you won’t find in other categories.

Watching movies or TV series of this genre, you have probably felt like telling the heroes: Are you a crazy person? Or: Don’t go to that room, don’t do that, stop doing that, stop doing that! Of course, watching fictional characters struggle with the unknown is always fun.

But how about thriller suspense games? It is the best opportunity to play as the leading character and deal with the disturbing story on your own! You can put into practice any idea of solving a dark situation. For players looking for tension, we have prepared something special. Here is a list of the best thriller video games with great suspense on Steam – to make your gameplay as memorable and thrilling as possible!

GameReleaseGenreDeveloper
Dying Light 2 2022-02-04 Action Techland Publishing
Dying Light Platinum Edition 2015-01-26 Adventure Techland
Detroit Become Human 2020-06-18 Adventure Quantic Dream
Death Stranding Standard Edition 2020-07-14 Sci-fi Kojima Productions
Resident Evil 8 Village 2021-05-07 Horror Capcom Development Division 1
Days Gone 2021-05-18 Action SIE Bend Studio
La Noire 2011-11-08 Adventure Team Bondi
Hitman Game Of The Year Edition 2016-03-11 Stealth IO Interactive
Hitman Blood Money 2006-05-30 Action & Shooter IO Interactive
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Biohazard 7 Resident Evil 2017-01-23 Horror CAPCOM
Beyond Two Souls 2020-06-18 Action Quantic Dream
Alien Isolation 2014-10-06 Action & Shooter The Creative Assembly
What Remains Of Edith Finch 2017-04-24 Adventure Giant Sparrow
Five Nights At Freddys Security Breach 2021-12-17 Steel Wool Studios
Twelve Minutes 2021-08-19 Luis Antonio
A Plague Tale Innocence 2019-05-14 Adventure Asobo Studio
The Wolf Among Us 2013-10-11 Adventure Telltale Games
Manhunt 2004-04-20 Adventure Rockstar North
The Dark Pictures Anthology Little Hope 2020-10-30 Supermassive Games
Dead Space 2 2011-01-27 Horror Visceral Games
Quantum Break 2016-09-29 Adventure Remedy Entertainment
The Evil Within 2 2017-10-13 Adventure Tango Gameworks
Alan Wake 2012-02-16 Adventure Remedy Entertainment
Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy Remastered 2015-01-28 Adventure Quantic Dream
Outlast 2013-09-04 Adventure Red Barrels
Outlast 2 2017-04-25 Adventure Red Barrels
Sanitarium 1998-04-30 Adventure DreamForge Intertainment
Deadly Premonition Directors Cut 2013-10-29 Adventure Access Games
Kane Lynch 2 Dog Days 2010-08-19 Adventure IO Interactive

Alan Wake

Release:2012-02-16
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Remedy Entertainment

Fancy a little adventure in the style of the Stephen King writing? Then you’ve come to the right place because this unique video game will transform your life from an idyll to a horror. It is a great proposition to play before the release of Alan Wake 2, coming in 2023.

Alan Wake is a famous novelist who suffers from a complete lack of creativity. To find inspiration, he and his wife travel to the peaceful town of Bright Falls. A pleasant adventure changes its character when the writer’s wife mysteriously disappears. A desperate man sets off in search of his beloved and discovers the charming town is the core of all evil. Will he manage to survive? And why do these encountered horrors seem so familiar?

Key features
  • Travel to Bright Falls and get carried away by the suspenseful storyline
  • Explore the town and seek clues to understand the truth
  • Avoid or fight your enemies
  • Search for light sources to survive

Detroit Become Human

Release:2020-06-18
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Quantic Dream

It is a video game that evokes extremely positive emotions among players on Reddit and Steam. But one thing is for sure – this best-selling and award-winning production will remain in your memory forever.

Detroit 2038. Androids and humans live side by side, completing each other in the process of establishing an ideal society for the future. Your protagonists are Kara, Connor, and Markus – androids who accept their place in this idyllic world. By following their stories, you will make choices that will determine the further development of the plot. But be careful – in this adventure, even the slightest wrong decision can make everything fall apart like a house of cards.

Key features
  • Play as an android and witness the robots’ relationship with humans
  • Make decisions and observe their consequences
  • Explore the city to find clues for your investigation
  • Discover the definition of humanity

Fahrenheit

Release:2015-01-28
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Quantic Dream

Imagine a world where a mysterious epidemic is taking over humanity. But no, this time, it is not about zombies, but people murdering each other – for no evident reason.

As more and more crimes occur on the streets of New York, police begin to understand they are dealing with something more urgent than a serial killer. One day Lucas Kane commits a murder and discovers he has lost all memory of the incident. He has to live with dreadful visions, which in no way help to unravel the whole mystery. Follow story-based events and make choices to discover a terrible truth this ruthless world is hiding.

Key features
  • See the stories of four different characters
  • Make decisions and choose dialogue options to follow the rest of the story
  • Try to get to the bottom of the whole secret
  • Enjoy the unusual, cinematic setting

Outlast

Release:2013-09-04
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Red Barrels

It is a survival horror video game for gore and brutal scenes fans. Do you dream of a night trip to an abandoned research facility? Before you bring that idea to life, give it a try in Outlast.

When an abandoned mental asylum is suddenly bought by a mystery company, no one knows what that might mean. Journalist Miles Upshur decides to visit the center to examine the case. But what he finds there will surpass his wildest expectations. Will you have the courage to complete this investigation?

Key features
  • Play as a journalist exploring an abandoned mental asylum
  • Explore the facility, sneak and avoid confrontation with enemies
  • Solve puzzles to continue your journey
  • Collect clues and find out what secret this dark building hides

Sanitarium

Release:1998-04-30
Genre:Adventure
Developer:DreamForge Intertainment

Welcome to the disturbing adventure video game from 1998 that has been successfully scaring masses of delighted players for years. It is a priceless gem for horror and a sense of uncertainty enthusiasts.

A car accident causes you to wake up in a completely unfamiliar place that soon turns out as an abandoned psychiatric hospital. To find out the answers to your questions, you must investigate this sinister facility and all its secrets. The gameplay offers you to learn several different stories and will grip you from the very beginning to start questioning the differences between the truth and the inventions of a sick mind.

Key features
  • Discover various surreal worlds
  • Explore the area and solve challenging puzzles
  • Examine the scraps of mystery that intertwines all the stories
  • Get carried away by the gloomy setting

Deadly Premonition

Release:2013-10-29
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Access Games

There is nothing like small American towns, grim locals, and omnipresent secrets. This open-world adventure video game is one of the best recommendations for fans of twisted investigation-themed thrillers.

A young woman dies under mysterious circumstances, and an FBI agent York arrives to solve the case. Soon after, more murders occur, and terror falls on the peaceful town of Greenvale. Only your wisdom and judgment will be able to help you solve this puzzle. Especially that, in addition to unhelpful locals, the fog is also hiding mysterious nightmares.

Key features
  • Explore the town and lead an investigation
  • Chat with locals and collect valuable clues
  • Fight your enemies and investigate the crime scenes
  • Solve challenging puzzles

Manhunt

Release:2004-04-20
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Rockstar North

What is it like to become prey? And a delight for the audience at the same time? Check it yourself and play Manhunt, a brutal action game from Rockstar Games where the slightest wrong move can betray you.

James Cash avoided the death sentence when movie director Lionel Starkweather hired him for his popular reality show. From now on, his only task is to survive and eliminate the coming assassins. And all this to the delight of bored crowds, hungry only for blood and barbaric spectacle. Awaken the primal call of survival and prove that you are more than just a frightened prey. It is a game only for people aged 18 and over.

Key features
  • Play as James Cash and take part in a cruel reality show
  • Experience incredibly realistic murder scenes
  • Use the available weapons and defeat other competitors
  • Sneak and plan your actions

Transference

Release:2018
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Ubisoft

It is a dark walking simulator with psychological thriller elements from a Ubisoft Montreal department, founded by Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Josh C. Waller. Follow the digital life of a family, recreated by a mad man who just wanted to make everything right.

Transference
Image credit: Ubisoft

Discover the secrets hidden by three family members and solve their problems. But is it even possible? This digital world is a trap with no way out, and you can get stuck forever surrounded only by the chaotic remains of insane people’s memories. Solve all puzzles and make decisions to end this crazy experiment.

Key features
  • Enter a digital simulation built from the memories of a broken family
  • View pieces from their conversations and thoughts
  • Explore the house for the clues
  • Solve puzzles to see the rest of the story

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

Release:2010-08-19
Genre:Adventure
Developer:IO Interactive

It is a video game for adult fans of thrilling stories who enjoy exceptionally graphic scenes of violence. See the tale of two ex-convicts and make them find peace in their lives.

Tormented by guilt and tragic memories, Kane and Lynch set off on another mission – this time to Shanghai. The job was supposed to be quick and easy, but the events drew both heroes into the Chinese criminal underworld conflict. In this unforgiving world, both men have to fight for their lives, chased by the demons of the past.

Key features
  • Play as Lynch and face your schizophrenic visions
  • Choose the difficulty level and try to survive
  • Use the available weapons and eliminate your enemies
  • Play solo or in multiplayer

Twin Mirror

Release:2020-12-01
Genre:Action-adventure
Developer:Dontnod Entertainment

It is a story-driven adventure video game from the creators of games like Life is Strange – perfect for fans of a good storyline. Play as Sam Higgs and travel back to your hometown to say goodbye to your gone friend.

Sam returns to his hometown, and when he wakes up in a T-shirt covered in blood, he cannot recall what happened. But Basswood hides much more than just this one secret. Who will you become – a valuable community member or a suspicious outsider? Embark on a journey to your Mind Palace and ask yourself.

Key features
  • Play as a journalist who returns to his hometown for a friend’s funeral
  • Explore the town and chat with the locals
  • Reconstruct past events in your mind
  • Make decisions and follow their consequences

A solved mystery is the most delicious icing on the cake for any fan of the best thriller games for PC. Emotions drop, and the satisfaction from a well-done job arouses. But with them comes the sadness and the hunger for more secrets!

That’s the way it is – adrenaline is quite an addictive food for the brain. Fear not, this list of suspenseful games will satisfy your most urgent thriller needs for a long time. But if you finish all the psychological thriller video games or become hungry for a more intense experience, we highly recommend checking out the best horror games on Steam. Many of them include the features of a mystery or a puzzle, enriched with a slightly darker setting. In this category, everyone will find something for themselves!