Looking for the best VR horror games on Oculus Quest and other VR headsets? Dare yourself to read our list below.
The Oculus Quest is a smashing success in the VR space for lots of reasons, but one of the main contributors is the stellar library of content. And as it turns out, some of the very best VR games out on Quest are also some of the very best VR horror games available. In this list, we’ll go over the best Oculus Quest horror games and also titles for PSVR and PC VR.
Note: This list was originally published in August 2020
Playing VR horror games is a totally different prospect than playing one outside of VR on a normal, flat monitor screen. The growing sense of dread, terror, and tension is palpable as you feel the chills run down your spine while twisting your head all around in search of what’s stalking you.
All of these horror games are excellent at making you terrified to even open your eyes. If you’re after a good fright on Oculus Quest, then look no further. This is our definitive list, as of May 2021, of the best VR horror games on Oculus Quest and other headsets. You can grab these games over on the Oculus Store, Steam or PlayStation Store.
Best VR Horror Games – Oculus Quest
Affected: The Manor (Also On PC VR And PSVR)
While Affected: The Manor has been around for years and years, first releasing way back on the Gear VR, it still earns a spot on this list due in no small part to its sheer adaptability. Despite showing its age a bit now visually, it still manages to kick up a solid scare and is an excellent introductory VR experience for fans of horror. You can complete the whole thing in well under an hour and it nails that sense of atmospheric exploration that so few VR horror games really do.
Additionally, it just got a new update recently that adds a “Gauntlet” mode as a sort of horror-themed speedrun through a series of haunted hallways. It’s fun to try and get through as quickly as possible and rank on the leaderboard as a fun diversion. If you’re the type of person that shows off VR to friends and family often, Affected should be a staple of your Quest library.
Face Your Fears II
Unlike its predecessor, which was a collection of bite-sized vignettes rather than full VR horror games, Face Your Fears II is a proper single-player narratively-driven campaign that’s laced with frights from top to bottom. You’ll explore a dark, haunting world full of classic horror tropes such as giant spiders, creepy old houses, and spooky graveyards.
If you’re the type of gamer that wants something meatier that will take at least a few hours to get through and can’t be beaten in a single go, then this is right up your alley — especially if you’re down for some jump scares. This is one of the scariest VR games out there and one of the best Oculus Quest horror games for sure.
Jurassic World: Aftermath
Jurassic World: Aftermath falls somewhere between two genres – it’s mostly a stealth game, but there’s certainly elements of horror that make it worthy of being on the list. Certain segments, mainly in the middle of the game, take a bigger turn towards horror, but even the stealthy segments can still be pretty frightening.
Fans of the Jurassic Park/World franchise will be pleased and no doubt have fun hiding from the different types of dinosaurs. Overall, it’s a visually stunning game that falls a bit short of being excellent and isn’t complete just yet – the game currently only has part one included, with part two supposedly available sometime later this year as paid DLC.
The Exorcist: Legion VR (Also On PC VR And PSVR)
This is without a doubt one of the scariest VR games to date and the Quest port does a fine job of translating over the experience. Visually it’s a bit paired down, as expected, but you can hardly tell since the PC VR version wasn’t much of a looker anyway. In it you take on the role of an investigator that’s looking for answers following a series of strange happenings that first kickoff in a large chapel. The game spans multiple episodes and culminates in a final set piece moment worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster horror film.
You can finish the whole thing in a few hours, but it’s full of tense moments and chilling scenes. There’s one particular level that utilizes a possessed baby and mannequin dolls to great effect — two of my absolute most triggering things in horror media. Highly recommended, despite the relative brevity, and easily one of the best VR horror games.
Lies Beneath
This is the most robust Oculus Quest game on the list in terms of single-player story-driven content. The narrative is both rich with details and well-acted complete with a strong campaign full of twists and turns. Visually it features striking cel-shaded art style with comic book panels for narrative moments that really make you feel like you’re living out the pages of a graphic novel. Gameplay is split between using guns like shotguns and revolves and relying on melee weapons to fend off the hordes of monsters.
Lies Beneath may have very well ended up in the top spot on this list were it not for the purely concentrated doses of distilled tension the top spot offers, but make no mistake: Lies Beneath is a deeply immersive and incredibly unsettling adventure all horror fans owe to themselves to try out.
Cosmodread (Also on PC VR)
From the developer that made Dreadhalls, the cult-classic grandfather of horror VR games, Cosmodread is a worthy successor and another one of the best Oculus Quest horror games.
Visually, it leaves a bit to be desired and it employs a roguelike design that can sometimes feel a bit repetitive. However, it makes up for those faults completely with its use of VR horror. “Although it doesn’t do a whole lot to push the genre forward in many meaningful ways, it absolutely nails the suffocating terror, incredibly immersive atmosphere, and unnerving tension that makes VR horror so powerful,” we said in our review.
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is a new VR entry in the World of Darkness series (that otherwise consists of horror-themed tabletop RPGs) that takes a psychological approach to horror instead of relying on just jump scares. It builds tension through atmosphere and tells a compelling story about a photographer, Ed, who is called to Barclay Mansion where things quickly take a turn for the worse.
It’s a slower-paced horror game that might not be for everyone, but it uses horror in the way that plays to VR’s strengths very well, making it an essential part of the Quest’s horror collection.
Five Nights At Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted
Did you even have a doubt in your mind? Five Nights at Freddy’s VR is an excellent example of how to focus in on a core, specific idea and knock it out of the park. The premise here is that you are a caretaker for a chain of pizzerias similar to Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, however, after hours the animatronic characters come to life and hunt you. Staying alive is your goal and it’s much easier said than done.
Five Nights at Freddy’s VR is mostly a series of mini-games, but they’re each paced so well that it’s nearly impossible not to jump, scream, and/or rip the headset off over bouts of unbridled anxiety. If you think you’ve got nerves of steel, I dare you to take more than a few minutes of this one without suffering from the chills.
Best VR Horror Games – PC VR And PSVR
Alien: Isolation (Unofficial VR Mod) – PC VR
It might not be an official VR game, but Alien: Isolation’s VR mod is too good not to mention. Isolation is a horror classic and is easily the best game based on the iconic sci-fi horror film franchise to date. In this game you must evade Xenomorphs by any means necessary and the sheer sense of terror it produces as you’re hiding, looking around corners, and trying not to get mauled is a fantastic thrill.
The installation process is pretty easy too, so that’s always nice.
Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul – PSVR, PC VR
Paranormal Activity is known for cheap popcorn scares that leave your heart racing. The VR experience is no different; it’s an unashamedly jumpy bit of VR fluff and we wouldn’t have it any other way. If you like you VR horror to be a slow burn then this isn’t for you. But if you want your heart racing around every corner? This is an easy pick for the best VR horror games.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – PSVR
Sometimes we wish Resident Evil 7 wasn’t a horror game. Because, scares and screams aside, it’s genuinely one of the most polished, high-budget experiences you can have in VR.
Nearly three years on from launch, we’ve still got our fingers crossed that Capcom brings the VR support to other headsets.
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood – PSVR
How do you translate the narrative-driven terror of Until Dawn to VR? Why, you turn it into a scream-happy roller coaster ride, of course. Thus, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood was born.
This silly spin-off has remained one of PSVR’s most enduring experiences. It’s full of the usual cliches, but VR gives you a fresh pair of eyes to enjoy them with all over again.
Those are our picks for the best VR horror games on Oculus Quest and other headsets, but what are yours? Let us know in the comments.
We’re always updating our lists and writing new ones for various VR platforms and game genres — keep an eye out for more in the near future. In the meantime, check out our list of the 5 best shooters on Quest and our list of the top 25 games and experiences on Quest.
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