The Hottest Video Game Releases to Look Forward to in 2025 and Beyond

A fresh year is upon us, and while it promises its own share of terrors, it should be noted that 2025 could also be another standout year for the online gaming horror genre. From new sequels in major flagship franchises to independent titles that you might discover by checking out this overview, the upcoming year of simulated frights is extensive, varied, and decidedly eerie. We have curated more than two dozen horror games for you to preview below, including retailer links so you can wishlist what piques your interest and keep them on your radar.

We have arranged these games in a responsible manner without fixed release dates, although many have not yet been assigned specific dates. Games that have been explicitly stated to launch this year have a “2025” time frame, while others that seem likely to release this year but lack clarity have “TBA” designations for our listings. Here are the most eagerly awaited horror games of 2025 and beyond on PC and consoles.

• Developer: Montraluz
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: January 23

This liminal-space horror game begins our list, but it won’t be the last to be featured. Whereas Below, Rusted Gods (mentioned further down) appears to introduce adversaries to evade, Dreamcore seems to be—at least from its trailers—lacking combat and chase sequences. This is primarily my favorite type of liminal horror experience, but given the essence of such games, more than anything, I am simply along for the ride. With varied settings and a touch of analog horror added for vivid effect, Dreamcore’s narrative hints at considerably more storytelling than this genre typically encompasses, which may help it differentiate itself from the numerous similar games.

• Developer: Perception Engine
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: January 30

With an eerie, dreamlike filter, Dead Letter Dept.’s data-entry and mail-sorting gameplay is already spookier than it might appear upon hearing those terms, but it’s the narrative hinted at in the game’s demo that has me genuinely curious. As you process letters that have reached their dead ends, what occurs when the mail seemingly starts addressing you specifically? I’m unsure if this game serves as a metaphor for the monotony faced by the modern underemployed worker or a surreal hallucination of a former postal employee—or something else entirely—but I’m keen to discover more.

• Developer: Vivi
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: January

Kiosk is arguably the most bizarre game on our list, and that is indeed saying a lot. In it, you operate a small eatery preparing hamburgers, hot dogs, and various dishes, serving them out the window to unusual customers in a rainy city. Is there a monster hiding within this tale? A threat of any form? I’m not entirely certain. But I do know the alluring polygons of the environment and the unsettling atmosphere resonate with me. A demo is available now ahead of the game’s official release, so you can see for yourself if this one sits well with you.

• Developer: Tripwire Interactive
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: March

Killing Floor is a franchise that loudly and unashamedly knows what it is: a cooperative PvE wave-based horde shooter featuring over-the-top enemies and characters slashing and dicing to an exhilarating metal soundtrack. Killing Floor 3 certainly seems to deliver more of that, albeit with potentially greater fidelity and polish than previous installments. For those who have ever felt that Call of Duty’s Zombies mode could be a bit more B-movie in its enemy designs and character quips, Tripwire has exactly the game you’re looking for.

• Developer: FromSouthGames
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: Q1 2025

Below, Rusted Gods is the next entry in the series of liminal-space horror games on this list, and I admit my bias in this regard. I find liminal-space horror experiences to be exceedingly unsettling, whether they feature monsters and adversaries like the variety of Backrooms games available on Steam today or games like Pools, which leave you to grapple with your own thoughts and distressing vibes. Below, Rusted Gods appears to be inspired by Backrooms, but it does not seem to include those iconic yellow walls despite their current wishlist appeal. That implies a confident team behind it, and I’m eager to learn more.

• Developer: Techland
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: Summer 2025

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recreation set aside within the Demise Gentle universe. However, those who possess Demise Gentle 2: Final Version will acquire it at no additional cost. This installment introduces the narrative in a fresh open-world environment, placing you back into the parkour-friendly shoes of Kyle Crane, the main character from the original game. Additionally, it features new foes, drivable vehicles, and brand-new weapons, such as a launcher that shoots UV lights and a flamethrower. It appears to display all the signs of a significant expansion, with the added advantage of functioning as a standalone entry for players new to the franchise.

• Developer: Supermassive Games
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: 2025

For those closely tracking The Dark Pictures Anthology, you may have been treated to a new cinematic horror-adventure game roughly every year for several years now. Including the spiritual spin-offs The Quarry and The Casting of Frank Stone, Supermassive has been producing Hollywood-inspired scares since 2019 without a single year off. The next entry in The Dark Pictures series ventures into sci-fi horror, with a plot that feels reminiscent of Match Horizon—showcasing madness and body horror. The entire genre thrives on expectations you would hope for.

• Developer: Vincent Adinolfi
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: 2025

Numerous games have pursued the aesthetics and themes of classic survival-horror titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, yet most have drawn inspiration from the PS2 era. Heartworm takes a step further back in time, offering a horror narrative heavily influenced by PS1-era games. You will still gather items and navigate through hallways framed by fixed camera angles, but you won’t be battling zombies with firearms. Instead, you will confront apparitions using a camera. I’ve experienced a few demos of this game over the last year, and I have genuinely enjoyed the soundtrack and atmosphere, along with the nostalgic fetch room melodies.

• Developer: Supermassive
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: 2025

Little Nightmares 3 is an intriguing title to include on this list. Firstly, it comes from Supermassive, which is already represented here with the previously mentioned Directive 8020. This makes the studio the only one to feature twice. However, this is also the first installment in the eerie series not developed by Tarsier. Yet, Tarsier has contributed a dissimilar game on this list that bears a striking resemblance to Little Nightmares. Setting aside all that background, LN3 also introduces co-op to a gameplay style that I am certainly not fatigued with. A demo I experienced last year indicated that adding a friend does not lessen the challenge factor.

• Developer: Twin Surrender
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: 2025

The original Tormented Souls has quietly emerged as a genre favorite for a few years now. It is clearly constructed from the Resident Evil mold, even placing you in a mansion full of dead ends and doors “locked from the other side.” As I’ve noted in other segments in this roundup, that is exactly what many gamers desire. The sequel changes the setting while bringing back its playable character for another nightmarish series of events to endure, complete with various intricate locking mechanisms.

• Developer: Tarsier Studios
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: 2025

I previously mentioned Reanimal in this roundup because it is the latest creation from the original Little Nightmares team. At first glance, it does resemble Little Nightmares, broadly speaking, with its quirky, Laika-inspired character designs and artistic direction. Nevertheless, the world the team has crafted is distinctly different from their previous games. This time, it features unusual animal-like monstrosities and can be played cooperatively or with an AI companion. Tarsier seems committed to staying within the horror genre, and with such creative monster design, I would argue they have found their niche.

• Developer: Pulsatrix Studios
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: TBA

A.I.L.A. is a first-person horror game that feels reminiscent of a chilling episode of Black Mirror. For those who may have seen the episode titled Playtest and thought, “I would love to experience that,” this game is for you. It places players in the role of a playtester exploring an incredibly realistic VR realm. In this scenario, however, the nature of the horrors seems to vary widely, as the simulation navigates through numerous horror narratives. Regardless of your favorite subgenre of thrill, A.I.L.A. will keep you entertained.

• Developer: Bloober Team
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: TBA

Cronos is the upcoming project from Bloober Team, which made headlines the same week the much-anticipated Silent Hill 2 remake surfaced online. That was a monumental week for the Polish horror studio. In an interview last year, a Bloober Team developer mentioned the studio is finished making “shitty” games and that SH2 should not be perceived as an anomaly or a brief period of high quality. The team is keen on Cronos, which merges elements from Dead Space and Netflix’s Dark to present a sci-fi horror narrative.

with a time-warping twist.

• Developer: Targon Studios
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: TBA

Darkwater is a multiplayer horror experience centered around an extraction gameplay cycle where players navigate eerie, uninviting environments in search of resources. This makes it the latest entry in a series of Lethal Company-inspired titles. However, I don’t intend to suggest that as a negative point. Indie games often influence similar titles, yet the best among them manage to be distinctive in their own right—much like how Amnesia likely inspired Outlast. If it can maintain the unpredictability of its source of inspiration, Darkwater may well be worth a dive into the deep waters.

• Developer: We Have Always Lived In The Woods
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: TBA

DarkwebStreamer (styled as darwebSTREAMER) appears set to explore a theme that has become prevalent in various media recently, such as the film We’re All Going To The World’s Fair or the novel We Had To Remove This Post. This theme delves into the dark recesses of the internet and its psychological impact on us. According to its developer, DarkwebStreamer is described as “a narrative roguelite, a psychological horror, a self-evolving story that alters each time, a made-up genre, it’s a crazy attempt at something NEW.” Count me in.

• Developer: Variable State
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: TBA

Deepest Fear might be one of the most mainstream-friendly titles on this list, despite its peculiar initial plot. It is an immersive-sim horror game with metroidvania elements, which sounds quite intriguing. However, it specifically hails from Variable State, a team known for its Twin Peaks-inspired walking sim, Virginia. Since then, the team has proven hard to categorize, following Virginia with a Telltale-styled adventure and now a PvP shooter. It’s challenging to find an indie team willing to showcase such a broad range, but I’m hopeful that Deepest Fear fits snugly into their evidently strong wheelhouse.

• Developer: Sonka
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: TBA

Holstin bears a resemblance to Heartworm in that it will offer something engaging for fans of retro horror games, yet it also does various things in its unique style. Exploration is viewed in third-person, but from a zoomed-out, isometric perspective in levels that resemble boxed dioramas, lending it an almost 2D appearance. Combat shifts the viewpoint to over-the-shoulder gameplay, providing a dynamic point of view throughout the game. Set in a grim Polish town during the 1990s, it promises to be dark and haunting, which is something I always look forward to.

• Developer: Saber Interactive
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: TBA

Dinosaur horror is a genre that has been underserved since Dino Crisis disappeared long ago. Some recent indie titles on PC have explored this idea, but if anyone is going to bring it back in a grand way, it’s Jurassic Park. This first-person game goes much further than the dangers portrayed in the somewhat family-friendly films and delves deep into the terror of being hunted by resurrected dinosaurs. Saber has developed multiple horror games based on licensed horror properties, making them a natural fit to adapt Jurassic Park in this captivating manner.

• Developer: Broken Rooster Games
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: TBA

I have frequently written about the surge of games that P.T. inspired. Luto is not an unusual concept, but it is quite effective, and sometimes that is enough. A post-2014 first-person claustrophobic horror game like Luto undeniably showcases its inspiration prominently, yet a game can be both derivative and terrifying, can’t it? Playing the demo gave me that impression a year or two ago. Hopefully, this will be the year we unveil the full tragic narrative of Luto.

• Developer: DCE Projects
• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: TBA, pre-alpha available now

For the final liminal horror game on this list, I present a game that is explicitly stated to be not a horror game. Paradise Nowhere’s Steam page notes that the “game isn’t intended as a horror experience, [but] your feelings towards liminal spaces might make it one.” I genuinely belong to that camp, and if you do too, this is one to keep an eye on. If Below, Rusted Gods represents the liminal horror with monsters, and Dreamcore is the one with a hidden story to tell, this one appears to be purely atmosphere-driven.

• Developer: Crimson Soul Games
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Release Date: TBA

Post Trauma was featured in this list last year but was postponed to 2025 as of last October. It’s unfortunate it wasn’t available for the Halloween season, yet horror fans are generally not picky about when new entries to the genre arrive. Unlike numerous Resident Evil-inspired titles, this one does not blend combat and puzzle elements with retro graphics. Instead, it opts for a contemporary appearance, allowing players to view all of its nightmarish monsters in high definition.

• Developer: Ha