2025 has been a terrifyingly good year for horror fans, with some standout titles proving the genre still has plenty of spine-chilling stories left to tell. Whether you’re into psychological mind-benders, classic jump-scares, or the creeping dread of liminal spaces, there’s something here to keep your pulse pounding and lights on all night.
Let’s start with The Complex: Expedition, a masterclass in atmospheric horror. Developed by pgWave, this PC title takes the now-trendy “liminal space” subgenre and elevates it beyond the glut of Backrooms clones. You play an anonymous worker lost in a reality-slipping dimension where nothing is quite right. The visuals shift frequently, and the tension never lets up. It’s not the loudest game on this list, but it might be the one that gets under your skin the most.
At the complete opposite end of the budget spectrum sits Resident Evil 2 (2019), which remains one of the most essential horror remakes of all time. The iconic Raccoon City Police Department feels claustrophobic and dangerous, and the constant looming threat of Mr. X stalking you through the halls transforms familiar survival horror into a nerve-wracking game of cat and mouse. It’s not new, but it remains unmatched in execution.
Then there’s Signalis, an indie gem that mixes 90s survival horror nostalgia with crisp pixel art and a truly oppressive atmosphere. This isn’t about shock value, it’s about slow-building dread and disorientation. Signalis never overwhelms with gore or sound, but instead lets unease simmer with every step through its cold, quiet corridors. It feels like Silent Hill by way of space horror, and it works. You want existential horror? SOMA is still outperforming most of its competition. Developed by Frictional Games, this deep-sea nightmare explores themes of identity and consciousness with disturbing clarity. The monsters in SOMA are terrifying, sure, but the real horror sets in when you start questioning what it means to be human. It’s philosophical horror at its finest.
On a more cinematic front, Until Dawn continues to draw in players who want scares with a side of soap opera. With a remaster coming this October for PS5 and PC, now’s a great time to revisit (or discover) its cabin-in-the-woods terror. Every decision you make can kill or save a character, making it a slasher flick where you call the shots.
Don’t overlook Sylvio 2, either. It’s obscure, but worth the search. You play as a ghost hunter, analysing eerie audio and video recordings. The low-budget feel actually enhances the immersion, especially if you play it in a dark room with headphones. Few games tap into the uncanny quite like this one. Interestingly, the horror boom isn’t confined to traditional video games. The genre is bleeding into online casinos, too. Slots like Reel Spooky King Megaways, Horror Hotel, and Zombie Queen bring the thrill of fear to the reels. These types of popular slots games are usually found at all casinos, and even at any new online casino Canada sites that were recently launched, blending the rush of gaming with a horror twist.
From pixelated nightmares to blood-splattered blockbusters, 2025 is proof that horror is alive, well, and waiting to drag you into the dark.