10 Best Psychological Horror Games on PC (December 2025)

Horror hits harder when it messes with your mind more than jumpscares. Psychological horror games don’t just scare, they stay with you. They’re slow, heavy, and full of things you can’t explain right away. If you’re into the kind of horror that creeps under your skin, you’re in the right place. This list covers the best psychological horror games PC you can try out right now.

What Defines the Best Psychological Horror Game?

This list is based on story depth, atmosphere, sound design, and how well the game messes with your thoughts. Focus is also on gameplay style, creative scares, and how much it sticks in your memory after playing. These games don’t just scare. They leave you thinking long after the screen goes dark.

List of 10 Best Psychological Horror on PC

Each game below is handpicked through personal experience.

10. SOMA

A dark dive into what it means to exist

SOMA sends players into a deep-sea research facility where things have gone horribly strange. From the very start, the atmosphere hooks you. Machines talk as if they’re alive, and human consciousness seems trapped inside metal shells. The story gradually questions what it means to be human without ever spelling things out. Players explore corridors filled with broken technology and eerie echoes of the past. Every area hides fragments of information that deepen the mystery.

Gameplay revolves around stealth, exploration, and discovery. You move through dark sections, avoiding mechanical entities that react to sound and movement. Puzzles depend on observing clues, connecting power sources, and accessing terminals. There are no cheap scares here; it’s all about that creeping realization of being alone among echoes of humanity.

9. Fran Bow

Dark journey through a child’s fragile imagination

Fran Bow begins with a tragic story about a young girl trapped in a mental institution after losing her parents. The world around her appears childlike, yet something sinister lurks beneath the drawings and dolls. The art seems simple at first, but tiny details create an eerie contrast between innocence and horror. Conversations with strange creatures and people often reveal twisted truths about the world she sees. The story never hands you everything directly; instead, you gradually piece together what happened through dialogue and discovery.

Players solve puzzles and explore across different scenes. You examine objects, talk to characters, and uncover clues that connect to the larger mystery. At certain moments, Fran uses a special medicine that alters how she perceives reality. This shift exposes hidden layers of the world filled with unsettling sights and new interactions. Even with its 2D point-and-click style, it delivers one of the best psychological horror experiences on PC.

8. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Explore a cursed castle where light is your only ally

This game places players in the role of a man who wakes up with no memory inside an ancient castle. The Amnesia series is known for its deep psychological approach to horror, but this one stands out for how it uses helplessness to build fear. The darkness is your enemy, yet safety often hides within it. You move through candle-lit corridors, searching for items and clues to uncover what happened. Strange noises echo around, which makes every step uncertain.

You avoid enemies by staying quiet and hiding when danger appears. Light becomes your best friend, yet it fades fast. You must manage oil for your lantern and solve mechanical puzzles that open blocked paths. In darker areas, the character’s sanity drops, twisting the screen and distorting perception. These small details turn it into something deeper than simple horror. It’s slow, unsettling, and cleverly built to keep your mind uneasy.

7. The Outlast Trials

A brutal experiment that tests sanity under extreme fear

Can you handle being trapped inside a twisted experiment designed to shatter your mind? The Outlast Trials throws you into a cruel world where you are nothing more than a test subject. The entire setup revolves around psychological torment. The environment looks filthy, filled with strange equipment and flickering lights that make it impossible to relax. You’re constantly surrounded by screams and unsettling sounds that make you question what’s real. Instead of traditional horror monsters, you face deranged humans and disturbing scenarios that keep you anxious at all times.

You move quietly through dark halls, trying to complete tasks while avoiding enemies who hunt you down. A night vision device helps you see through pitch-black areas, but it drains fast, so you must use it wisely. You can pick up useful tools or hide inside rooms to survive longer. You can enter trials alone or team up with others who share the same nightmare. Altogether, it remains among the best psychological horror PC games for its intense multiplayer experience.

6. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Warrior faces illusions and voices through intense combat and puzzles

In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, the experience pulls you deep into the mind of a warrior haunted by voices that never stop. From the very beginning, you hear whispers that echo around you – warning, mocking, or confusing. The sound design is so detailed that it almost feels like the voices move around your head. The world shifts between calm and terror as Senua faces strange visions that test her sanity. This game isn’t just about what’s in front of you but also about what’s inside her head.

Combat takes place at close range, where you face enemies that attack one after another. You watch their movements carefully and strike at the right moment to survive. Between fights, you solve rune puzzles by matching symbols hidden in the environment. The puzzles aren’t too hard but keep you engaged. Every sound, voice, and sword clash connects perfectly and creates an unforgettable psychological journey.

5. Phasmophobia

Ghost hunting with friends in dark haunted places

Phasmophobia is a horror game that traps players inside haunted places with unseen spirits. You act as a paranormal investigator who must collect signs of ghostly presence. Tools like EMF readers, cameras, and motion sensors help track strange activity around you. In addition, some ghosts respond to your voice through in-game chat, which creates unexpected moments of fear. The atmosphere alone can scare even without anything attacking you.

In this game, the real challenge hides in observation and teamwork. The group splits to search for hints scattered across rooms. Ghosts behave differently depending on their type, and players must record evidence to figure out what kind of entity haunts the site. You feel the thrill of discovery when the spirit reacts to your actions. Overall, it is another of the best psychological horror games on PC to play with a group of friends.

4. SILENT HILL f

When the fog falls, nothing is ever the same again

Up next on our psychological horror PC games list, we have the recently released Silent Hill f. Set in 1960s Japan, it follows Shimizu Hinako, a schoolgirl living in the quiet town of Ebisugaoka. Her ordinary life takes a strange turn when thick fog covers her hometown. She heads out to meet her friends, unaware that something terrifying is spreading through the streets. The game builds on mystery and personal struggle, and its traditional Japanese setting gives it a distinct identity.

Players step into Hinako’s shoes and explore Ebisugaoka using weapons like a crowbar, bat, knife, and axe to face grotesque creatures. Along the way, they solve strange puzzles that reveal hidden truths about the fog-covered town. Choices matter a lot here, as your decisions can unlock different outcomes in later playthroughs. In short, Silent Hill f creates a world where curiosity constantly pushes you deeper into its mystery.

3. Outlast 2

A camera, a nightmare, and nowhere to feel safe

Outlast 2 places you in the shoes of Blake Langermann, a cameraman who crashes in a rural area after investigating a mysterious case. His wife disappears soon after, leaving him alone among a group of fanatics who believe they are part of a divine plan. From the first moment, the atmosphere is heavy and unsettling. The camera becomes your lifeline, letting you see through pitch darkness with its night vision. You move through fields, houses, and tunnels, trying to stay out of sight.

The experience depends on stealth, awareness, and timing. You hide under beds or inside barrels to avoid being caught. Batteries for the camera are limited, so you’re forced to think before turning it on. There are no weapons, only brief moments to breathe before danger returns. Outlast 2 transforms vulnerability into the heart of its horror.

2. No, I’m not a Human

A strange horror about trust and survival inside four walls

No, I’m not a Human traps you inside a small house that becomes your entire world. Doors stay sealed, windows remain locked, and the only link to the outside comes through the TV screen and radio. You move through short routines that repeat again and again. Days slip by behind closed doors, and when night arrives, strangers start knocking. Some ask for shelter, while others carry darker secrets. You decide who enters and who stays out, never truly certain of what waits behind the next knock.

Once someone steps inside, danger never fully fades. Hidden creatures known as Visitors disguise themselves as humans and can strike without warning. You must watch for signs in their behavior and appearance, using scraps of information from broadcasts and clues gathered from earlier encounters.

1. Silent Hill 2

A journey through guilt, memory, and haunting personal truth

The top game on our psychological horror PC games list has to be this classic that once changed how horror games were seen. The original Silent Hill 2 gave players a deep and emotional experience that was ahead of its time. It brought mystery, emotion, and strange encounters that drew players in with every new discovery. Fans admired how it blended puzzles, exploration, and tension in such a unique way. The monsters, fog, and strange silence created an unforgettable world that left a lasting mark on horror gaming for years.

The remake builds on everything the classic did well and adds new life to it. The camera now stays behind James, giving a closer look at the world and enemies. You move through larger areas and find more spaces to explore. Combat now has better weapon handling, and dodging attacks at the right moment helps avoid danger and make battles more intense.