The Slant team built an AI & it’s awesome

Find the best product instantly

4.7 star rating

GamingPCPC Games

What are the best Survival Horror games on Steam?

15

Options
Considered

33

User
Recs.

Aug 24, 2022

Last
Updated

Find Awesome Games

15 Games Considered

Best Survival Horror games on Steam	Price	Steam Rating	Genre
-- 7 Days to Die	$24.99	Very Positive	Survival / Open World
-- The Forest	$14.99	Very Positive	-
-- Project Zomboid	$14.99	Very Positive	Survival / Open World
-- State of Decay: YOSE	$13.98	Very Positive	Survival / Open World / Action / RPG
-- Darkwood	$14.99	Very Positive	-

7 Days to Die

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Constant sense of vulnerability

As the player makes progress in the game by interacting with the environment, killing zombies or building things, they are rewarded with skill points that can be used to unlock new skills such as combat strength, higher stamina or new crafting options. But even though the skill system can seemingly make the game easier, the severity and size of the zombie hordes will keep increasing with the time spent in game and the progress made by the player, keeping them on the edge and making them feel a constant pressure that an attack may come at any time and that they should be prepared. See More

Top Con

Currently in Early Access

While the game is currently selling for $24.99, it isn't actually finished yet, so there will be bugs. Be sure to adjust your expectations accordingly before making the investment. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Survival / Open World

Controller Support:No

Top Pro

Thoughtful and communicative developers

Even though this is not directly related with the gameplay, it's still important especially for indie and early-access games. The developers behind 7DTD have always been communicative and have heard what the community had to say time and time again, releasing patches with bug fixes and new features in a timely manner. See More

Top Con

Crafting system is constantly getting dumbed down

Even though 7D2D is supposed to be a hard survival game (and most of the time it is), the crafting system is getting constantly dumbed down with new releases. For example, previously you had sticks, planks, and logs. Sticks could not be used to build huge wood log walls or frames. While now there's no more different kinds of wood and you simply punch a bush to get some wood. See More

Top Pro

Unique combination of voxel & polygon models with fun physics

The game is a mix between a voxel world and full polygon models for buildings, making for a versatile survival based world that brings exploration and creation to the zombie survival genre. Structural integrity is a real thing in 7 Days To Die. That means there cannot be unsupported floating blocks. The player can set up traps to take out hordes of zombies with a falling building. Weapons will break and crumble but can also be forged to be awesome, and food will spoil so the player must cook and maintain supplies. See More

Top Con

Really laggy even on high end PCs

Can only get 20 fps on high settings, even on an PC with GTX 960 and Intel i5-4690k. See More

Top Pro

Robust crafting system

Create everything from a chainsaw to various guns to defenses for your fort - the crafting system lists what you can make with the materials you currently have in the player's inventory. See More

Top Pro

Randomly generated open worlds

Recently added in the Alpha 9 release, randomly generated worlds allow the player a new play experience every time they open up the game. This means every server will have a different dynamic based on their layout of the world. See More

Top Pro

What you build is not only for creativity, but also for gameplay purposes

In 7DTD players don't build their homes only as bases or places to sleep in, or build cool looking things just for the fun of it and to test their skills. Every 7 days, a large horde of zombies will attack the player wherever he or she is, trying to destroy them and what stands in the way of the player and the horde. This is why the player needs to think about how to build traps that will help them kill a lot of zombies and how to make a strong enough house that will not be destroyed easily. See More

Top Pro

Great replayability

No matter how many times you start a new game (random gen) you will never get the same experience. The crafting is the same, enemies are the same, game mechanics are the same but the gameplay is not. If you add the mods available for this game then you will have a whole new experience with added/altered crafting, different enemies, more quests etc... See More

Top Pro

Creative mode

The game allows players to make custom maps without zombies attacking to set up scenarios or make player made game types. See More

Top Pro

Single, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay modes

Three different play modes including solo, with friends, or competitively over the internet. See More

Project Zomboid

Add Video or Image

Top Con

Weapon and weapon crafting systems could use some work

The weapons (mostly guns) in the game could use some work. They are oversimplified compared to the rest of the mechanics in the game. For example, to repair used guns the player uses other guns, which feels wrong. It would make much more sense to use cleaning kits to maintain them. See More

Top Pro

Zombies pose an actual threat

Unlike many other games in the genre, Project Zomboid manages to instill fear of zombies pretty quickly. You are considerably outnumbered and the smartest move in many cases is to run away from an encounter. You're not superhuman in this game, zombies will overwhelm if you're not careful. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Survival / Open World

Controller Support:Partial

Top Con

Slow development prone to setbacks

Projest Zomboid development has been going on for several years now and has hit quit a few snags that have set back it's full release. See More

Top Pro

Feels more realistic compared to other survival horror games

Project Zomboid feels less arcadey compared to similar games. You are not an all-powerful character capable of carrying the town's arsenal in your backpack and taking on hordes of enemies alone. If you break a window to get into a house, you might get cut, if you decide to stock up on food and not use it, it will rot, etc. See More

Top Pro

Can truly challenge your survival skills

While you can turn the difficulty down, PZ can present a true survival horror experience for those that are interested in it. In PZ zombies pose and actual threat, crafting is not easy, fortifying your shelter is hard and a the tiniest mistake can be fatal. And there are so many tiny mistakes you can make - forgetting to change your bandage might get your wounds infected, leaving the stove on could burn your house down. The odds are stacked against you and you won't win, but let's see how long can you survive. See More

Top Pro

Easily adjustable difficulty

You can adjust the difficulty in sandbox mode, which can greatly impact the way the game plays. You could make it extremely easy to survive, but the opposite can also be accomplished with the with a more difficult setting. See More

Top Pro

Weather systems which affect gameplay

There is randomly generated weather in the game which can affect your character such as getting sick from being wet and cold. See More

Top Pro

Developers listen to and engage with the community

The Zomboid developers constantly engage with the community and listen to their suggestions. See More

Top Pro

True sandbox gameplay

There are no missions in Project Zomboid, meaning the player can do anything they can think up at anytime they want. See More

Top Pro

Well realized bleak atmosphere

You truly feel like you're survival is at stake. You are constantly reminded of the ever-present danger of zombies everywhere with sound cues. And even though it's a top-down game, your field of view is limited - zombies could sneak up on you or you might run into one around a corner. Any move you make could be your last one. See More

State of Decay: YOSE

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Bases can be compartmentally upgraded

Scavanged materials can be used to upgrade parts of the players base such as infirmaries or sleeping quarters. See More

Top Con

Poor collision detection

Combat is not the best, poor collision detection means more button mashing than skill is needed. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Survival / Open World / Action / RPG

Controller Support:Full

Top Pro

Semi real time world clock

There is a somewhat real time clock to the game that even has events that happen when the player is not even logged in. See More

Top Pro

A variety of in game tasks

There are many different tasks a player can take on that gives the game a good bit of variety to the gameplay. See More

Darkwood

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Terrifying

The game is really dark, has a lot of atmospheric tension, and is randomly generated to keep it from being to predictable. See More

Top Con

Poor tutorials

The short tutorials in the game do not do a good job of explaining certain aspects of the game such as cooking or leveling. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Beautiful top down graphics

Darkwood is a top down game that has dark murky graphics with misty fog that fit the mood really well and awesome lighting effects from the players flashlight. See More

Top Pro

Immersive sound effects

Sound in horror games can really make the difference on whether it’s scary or not and Darkwood's has really awesome sound. See More

Top Pro

Optional permadeath

If you die and don't want to start from the beginning losing all of your progress you don't have to. See More

Don't Starve

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Randomly generated worlds

Don't Starve generates a completely new game world for every new game, and since you only get one life per game, you will be seeing a lot of different worlds. All of the lands and items will be totally new on every try. See More

Top Con

Constant restarts can be drawn out and boring

The beginning of a playthrough starts out pretty slow, which is exacerbated by the fact that the player will need to restart many many times as the game is a rouguelike, so permanent death is something that will be encountered often. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Survival / Open World / Sandbox / Indie

Controller Support:Full

Top Pro

Easily customized to adjust difficulty

The game gives you a lot of world customization options. You can change the length of day, weather patterns, how much of each monster or resource spawns, etc. This effectively allows you to adjust how difficult you wish the game to be. See More

Top Pro

Uniquely atmospheric art style

Don't Starve has a very unique art style, using two dimensional or 2d characters and items in a 3d world gives a very interesting artsy feel to the game. The hand drawn look and feel to the graphics are a nice change of pace from ultra realistic games, but it doesnt take away from the suspense. See More

Top Pro

Challenging arcade style game play, with permadeath

Don't Starve is a classic example of "Easy to play, tough to master". The game play is very easy to learn, in fact Don't Starve doesn't really tell you how to play, you just point and click. Some items will be clickable, exploration leads to discoveries, and discoveries lead to longer survival, but death and a new game are always right around the corner. See More

Top Pro

There's never a dull moment

As the game progresses, it offers more and more mechanics that require constant attention to function properly. It becomes a constant re-evaluation of risk and reward. See More

Top Pro

Pleasantly twisted sense of humor

Random quips from characters, info, text and the world itself (such as the existence of werepigs) show glimpses of a dark sense of humor throughout. See More

Top Pro

Very active modding community with numerous mods available

Using the Steam Workshop, Don't Starve has a very active modding community. With nearly 800 mods currently available, there are unlimited ways you can change your Don't Starve experience. See More

Detention

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Balanced and intuitive puzzles

The puzzles are pretty straightforward and intuitive. Most items will serve practical purpose, rather than relying on the absurd logic that some other adventure games suffer from. For example, wire cutters are used to cut gates, paint thinner is used to dissolve paint, etc. Most puzzle items are used in the general area of where you pick them up, so there's not a whole lot of running around. While most of the early puzzles are fairly easy, some of the later puzzles can be quite tricky. However, they are still perfectly solvable with a little brain power. All in all, from an adventure gaming standpoint, it's certainly balanced. See More

Top Con

No auto saving can result in frustration

Saving can only be done at specified save points. Forgetting to manually save is quite common when you're wrapped up in the creepy atmosphere and story. When you die, it's rather frustrating to have to replay large sections of content. See More

Specs

Genre:Survival Horror, Adventure

Top Pro

Creepy horror atmosphere

Jump scares are few and far between. Detention focuses more on atmospheric horror through it's rather oppressive and bleak environment. To emphasize the dread, most of the game's artwork consists only of dark shades and washed out textures. Almost everything is depressing and bleak - the story, artwork, and sound design - resulting in a real horrific atmosphere. Roaming through the dark halls of a deserted school and its flooded grounds while being hunted by disturbing looking ghosts results in some downright terrifying moments. See More

Top Con

Some minor pixel hunting

Some items are hard to find, resulting in a bit of pixel hunting from time to time. While this is the norm for seasoned adventure gamers, some may be frustrated by having to repeatedly backtrack and search areas for missed items. See More

Top Pro

Dread-inducing sound design

The soundtrack isn't a typical soundtrack. Rather, it is purely environmental ambience and effects. There are no gentle melodies or soothing tracks at all. Rather, the audio itself involves a lot of screaming, scratching, moaning, humming, and strange otherwordly tones. Forgoing music for strange ambience was an interesting design choice, but it definitely pays off here as it makes you feel entirely uncomfortable, and the sense of dread is captured incredibly well. See More

Top Con

Very short

The whole game can be played in about 3-5 hours. See More

Top Pro

Horror elements incorporate Taiwan's real life history to disturbing effect

Detention takes place in 1960s, a time period in which Taiwan was under martial law. The story focuses heavily on the social struggles of the time. Much of the game's horror elements are heavily inspired by the atrocities committed during this time. The creepy and disturbing factor is amplified due to the fact many of the notes and items scattered throughout the game are based on real historical events. The hopelessness and despair is felt throughout, especially when experienced through the eyes of the young and innocent protagonist, Wei. See More

Top Pro

Tense gameplay

There is no combat or weapons in this game, making an encounter with the many ghosts a tense and frightening experience. Since you have no way of fighting directly or defending yourself, your only survival options are to use stealth and trickery. In order to sneak past a ghost, you will have to hold your breath and slowly creep by. You can't be detected when holding your breath, but managing your air supply while sneaking can be pretty suspenseful when a ghost is right next to you and starts to give chase. If you absolutely can't get past despite your best sneaking efforts, you can lure a ghost away from it's spot with a food offering placed on the ground. But, even in this case, you'll have to be very careful you're not seen when the ghost comes looking for the treat. See More

Top Pro

An altogether tense horror experience

Detention does a great job of ensuring a tense horror experience from start to finish. The entire atmosphere is just downright creepy, often washed in dark with very few light sources. The ghosts look absolutely horrific. Having to sneak by them can create some of the most tense moments in the game. The story intertwines pieces of Taiwan's tragic real life history with the in-game narrative which gives it a historically accurate, but disturbing feel. On top of all this, the screaming and otherworldly sound effects which play in the background give you a constant sense of unease. See More

Don't Knock Twice

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Constant sense of tension due to creative use of a phone

As you wander around the mansion as Jess, you will occasionally get a text message from your daughter Chloe. It's quite a decent jump scare when you're exploring a dark, silent room, only to have the silence broken by your phone buzzing and vibrating with a loud text. The little burst of fear and subsequent jump you get each time the phone rings in the darkness is a great way to add an extra layer of tension to the game. The messages themselves are rather cryptic and creepy with Chloe often telling us she wishes we were dead. You're never quite sure when or where the phone is going to go off, making it unpredictable and tense for the duration of the game. See More

Top Con

Generic story probably won't hold your interest

It's just another copy and paste paranormal story that doesn't really add anything new or exciting. You play as a mother named Jess, as she is attempting to reconnect with her estranged daughter Chloe. However, Chloe is on the run from some strange paranormal forces who are trying to harm her. In order to help her, you must search a mansion for pieces of a relic that can summon an evil witch. It's about as nonsensical as it sounds. Don't Knock Twice is based on the movie of the same name which was not well received. See More

Specs

Genre:First-Person Survival Horror

Top Pro

Creepy experience thanks to the setting

Exploring the mansion itself is a tense and creepy experience. Everything is unfamiliar, and there's a generous amount of disturbing moments like a bathtub filled with a sticky black substance or watching a shadowy figure get sucked out of a window. Rooms and hallways are incredibly dark, with a lot of ominous corners and shadowy spaces. Occasional scratches and tapping noises can be heard in far off rooms, making it seem like you are not entirely alone. Pictures fall off the walls and windows suddenly explode into showers of glass. There are plenty of carefully placed jump scares that create tension in all the right moments. There is no doubt you are playing a horror game, and the setting enables a very disturbing experience overall. See More

Top Con

Very short

The whole game can be completed in an hour, which is a far cry from the developers' claim of a "full length experience". See More

Top Con

Managing the axe is tedious

In your hand, you carry an important axe that is used to chop through locked doors and other barriers. In order to use or interact with items, sometimes you have to put down your axe. There is no inventory system, so if you put your axe down to do something else, you will have to remember to pick it up again. If you forgot you where you left it, you are left scrambling around to look for it. This is a very poorly designed system that can result in loads of frustration, tedious and unnecessary button presses, and tons of wasted time. It's also important to note that since it's very possible to forget where you left your axe, and some rooms seal off after you've explored them, it's entirely possible to hit a dead end runthrough and be forced to restart. See More

Top Con

Extremely linear gameplay

The game mainly consists of going from room to room, dealing with the frights and puzzles within, and then moving onto the next room. Puzzles are basic, with the solution usually being found within the same general area. The whole game feels like it's on rails, with rooms often sealing off once you've moved to the next one. While the setting and atmosphere is highly creepy, the gameplay itself is almost like a walking simulator with added jump scares. See More

2Dark

RickZeeland's Experience

Now on offer on Steam for only 2,49€ See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

The Fifth Day

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Crafting

Crafting seems to be the main goal in The Fifth Day, using things found through scavenging and hacking the player can the start building shelters, which is the key to survival. See More

Top Con

Lots of walking

Like most open world survival games, there is a lot of walking in what is mostly an empty world. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Negative

Controller Support:No

Top Pro

Hacking system that feels real

A command prompt is used in game during the hacking of robots, giving a cool real like feel to the feature. See More

Top Con

Jarring volume levels

Being an early access game, there is no music yet which means vast moments of only low level ambient environmental sounds to then be contrasted with extremely loud encounters. See More

Narcosis

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Brilliant ending

Without revealing any kind of spoilers, the ending has a great twist that makes perfect sense in the context of the story while also managing to be a surprise. It's one of those incredibly clever endings that has you sitting there in awe at how well it was pulled off, and sits in your head for days after playing. People who enjoy a great story will definitely appreciate the finale. See More

Top Con

Character walks incredibly slow

Underwater in a heavy dive suit, every step is painfully slow and it takes a while to turn around. While this may be realistic, this slow walking is tiresome when translated to gameplay and makes navigation a hassle. The suit does have a boost which acts as a sprint of sorts, but the boosters are limited and need time to recharge. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Genre:Survival Horror, Adventure

Top Pro

Great narration and storytelling

As you navigate the environment, the story is told as a voice-over retrospective with the narrator telling of the events as they unfold. It's revealed a little bit at a time - just enough to make you keep pushing forward and engaged in the story. The voice acting itself is spot on, and you can hear a real sense of dread and panic in his words, which makes the events in the story that much more impactful and disturbing. Altogether, the storytelling in Narcosis is incredibly effective and paced well. See More

Top Con

Awkward and frustrating platforming

There are some areas where first-person platforming puzzles are required to advance. A clunky control scheme coupled with a low visibility environment and underwater physics make these a chore. As such, this adds very frustrating element to gameplay since platforming just doesn't work in first-person games. See More

Top Pro

Little details that aid immersion

Most of the in-game audio is either the bubbling of water, the click of the air tank, or your own breathing within the diving suit. Whenever your character becomes scared, the breathing intensifies and uses up your oxygen supply at an alarming rate, which in turn, may make you a little panicked. The mask also fogs up with each breath, and your vision becomes blurry when you're low on oxygen. Little things like this really help make it an immersive experience. See More

Top Con

No direction with objectives

It's often unclear what exactly you're supposed to be doing or where you're supposed to go within the collapsed underwater drilling facility. There are no clearly outlined objectives or goals, so it's a lot trial and error getting from one area to the next. As a result, a lot of time is spent wandering around confused and lost in a dark environment. While this definitely adds to the atmosphere of feeling alone and trapped, it doesn't translate well to gameplay where it's easy to get stuck and have no clue what you're supposed to be accomplishing. See More

Top Pro

Key survival elements really add to the feeling of hopelessness

Narcosis has two very important resources that need to be managed - oxygen and flares - and both add to the tension of trying to stay alive in a dangerous environment where the odds are truly stacked against you. Oxygen can be replenished in various ways, but it's always a concern. Seeing something that frightens your character will cause you to use oxygen faster, so even how much you consume is constantly in flux. Watching your gauge quickly tick away with no refill tank in sight can be pretty tense, and is a constant reminder of the need to keep pressing on if you want to survive. Dangers lurk in the dark such as hidden enemies and sudden drop-offs into the watery abyss. As such, flares are needed to see in some dark areas, but you can only carry 10 at a time. Furthermore, flares are pretty rare, so debating whether or not you really need to light the room up or save them for later will require you to make some on the fly decisions - for better or worse. Overall, having to manage both of these limited resources really adds a layer of hopelessness to the already devastating situation of being trapped and alone miles under the ocean's surface. See More

Top Con

Movement controls are clunky

You can't turn or change direction with the mouse, and have to turn using WASD keymapping. This control scheme is very unconventional for a first-person game and, as a result, it's hard to get accustomed to and causes problems in areas where precise movement is mandatory. See More

Top Pro

Atmosphere captures despair well

Narcosis captures the despair of being trapped miles under the ocean incredibly well through its great atmosphere. Everything is dark and gloomy, with low visibility and small, claustrophobic corridors within the underwater facility. It's very easy to get lost, and when you don't know where you'll find your next tank of oxygen, this can be devastating and stressful. The darkness itself permeates everywhere, so you're never quite sure what kind of horror is even in the same room as you, let alone through that sealed door at the end of the hall. Overall, the game aims to make you feel trapped and confused, and certainly succeeds. See More

Top Con

Combat is horrible

From time to time, you will need to defend yourself from dangerous sea life such as predatory fish or squid. Your only tool to combat this is a knife, which feels very heavy and useless in water. Swinging a small knife underwater in a very constrictive, slow-turning suit doesn't result in the most fluid combat. Trying to position yourself and aim your swings is usually a futile and frustrating exercise with fast moving enemies. See More

The Walking Dead: Season 2

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Choice of protagonist increases emotional impact

Viewing the story through the eyes of Clementine, a young child from the first season, is an interesting choice and makes some of the decisions you have to make even more heartbreaking. Not only is she growing up, she is growing up in the midst of a brutal zombie apocalypse where survival is rough, and life or death choices have to be made on the fly. Experiencing some of the game's situations from the viewpoint a young girl make them even more disturbing and troubling, increasing their emotional impact. See More

Top Con

May distress some people

There is a lot of violence, gore, and very disturbing situations. Some people may not react well to some of the scenes. Despite the fact that the main character in this game is a young girl, this is a game for adults. See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Narrative, Survival Horror

Top Pro

Gripping and emotional story

TWD: Season 2 continues the story about the struggle to survive during a brutal zombie apocalypse. You play as Clementine, a young girl from the first season, who is growing up in a cruel world. Food and resources are scarce, and people will do whatever they feel they must do to survive. Not only are the hordes of zombies a constant threat, but people are also dangerous with hidden motives. The story does a really good job showcasing the lengths people will go to to survive, and constantly offers up interesting and tough decisions for you to make. It hits on every emotional level. There are moments of horror, sadness, tragedy, and even a little humor thrown in. Through meaningful dialogue and character interactions, the game is able to flawlessly switch gears between them creating a very gripping and emotional story. See More

Top Con

Some obnoxious quicktime events

While this game is almost fully story based, there are still some fairly long and annoying quicktime events during action sequences. There are a few in particular that feel like they drag on a bit too long, and if you hit the wrong key/button at any point, you'll have to restart the event. See More

Top Pro

A huge amount of replayability

Resembling an interactive novel, TWD: S2 plays out as a series of dialogue choices or decisions that result in specific actions. It's pretty interesting to replay the game many times and choose all the different ways of handling situations just to see how they play out. See More

Top Pro

Stellar voice acting brings the characters to life

Voice actors deliver their lines with a lot of emotion, never feeling forced or fake. This excellent acting really helps draw you into the story and its characters. There's a lot of great chemistry between the various voice actors as well, resulting in conversations that flow well and sound very natural. See More

Top Pro

Standlone story makes it accessible for all

Even if you don't read the comic or watch the TV show, you can still play and enjoy this game. It's a completely standalone story. While there are some mild easter eggs for fans of the show/comic, you can still understand the game just fine without any prior knowledge of The Walking Dead. See More

Top Pro

Dynamic and impactful decisions

Surviving in the midst of a zombie apocalypse is hard, and oftentimes decisions will require you to make heart-wrenching choices to progress the story. In most cases, there are no easy or pleasant solutions to most of the scenarios the story places you in. However every choice you make, be it through dialogue or an action, will influence the story playing out in a new way. Characters will also remember your past interactions with them, which results in the story playing out in dynamic ways. For example, at times you can choose whether or not to help other characters. If you do, they may remember your kindness later in the game. If you don't, they may not trust you in the long run. Characters also remember your dialogue choices, and it will always influence later events. See More

GET EVEN

Add Video or Image

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Built By the Slant team

Find the best product instantly.

4.7 star rating

Try it now - it's free

Vetted.ai illustration