Let’s face it, space is terrifying. If you’re not dealing with aliens, you’re navigating through vast emptiness, isolation from society, and being cramped in spaceships — creating the perfect recipe for a nightmare. So, it’s no surprise that sci-fi horror is a pretty common genre.
While there are plenty of films, such as Alien and Event Horizon, that take advantage of this sub-genre, video games have been no stranger to it either. In fact, you could spend a good couple of months just playing sci-fi horror video games alone. But which of these spooky sci-fi experiences are most worth your time?
Updated October 6, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: The terrifying isolation of space is something that media has used to great effect for some stellar horror experiences. This is quite true in the context of video games, where the agency of the player also contributes to this creepy sensation in its own way. Trying to combat and run away from the many horrors in the bowels of space can prove to be quite a harrowing endeavor, and the following games do a brilliant job of conveying just how alone and horrifying the galaxy really is.
23 Space Beast Terror Fright - A Space Horror Game Hybrid
If there’s one genre that’s seen even more of a boom in recent years than survival horror, it’s the roguelike. Roguelikes emphasize death as a natural part of their gameplay loop: you’ll start with few skills and little knowledge of the enemies you’ll encounter, and battle through randomized levels in the hope of making it through the game in one piece. Each time you die, you’ll carry over some skills and weaponry, allowing you to go further on each run.
It’s an ideal setup for a horror game, and Space Beast Terror Fright combines roguelike structure with terrifying first-person alien battling, making for one of the tensest and challenging experiences in this universe.
22 We Went Back - A Slow-Paced Sci-Fi Haunt
P.T. was one of the biggest — and most infamous — horror hits of the last decade, despite only being a short game that was intended as a playable teaser for a since-cancelled Silent Hill title. The game’s looping structure and creeping sense of dread have influenced many others in the years since its launch, and We Went Back is one of its most interesting descendants.
Rather than taking place in a corrupted domestic atmosphere, We Went Back casts you as an astronaut on a space station where something has gone horribly wrong. You need to explore the station to find your way out, but you’ll notice that the rooms eventually start to repeat, while empty space suits turn to stare at you as pass. We Went Back uses the vastness of space to emphasize its tense atmosphere.
21 Deliver Us The Moon - An Eerie, Contemplative Thriller
While many space horror games will focus on combat with aliens, Deliver Us The Moon tells a decidedly more grounded story. The game casts you as an intrepid astronaut who’s sent to a defunct mining colony on the moon, tasked with figuring out what happened to the colonists. You’ll have to solve puzzles and explore the deteriorating settlement to bring it back online and save humanity.
Though its slow pace lacks the sheer terror of other games on this list, Deliver Us The Moon emphasizes a sense of existential loneliness that invokes a different kind of creeping dread.
20 Observation - A Cybernetic Space Horror Game
It’s easy to create cosmic terror by casting players as lone explorers navigating an inhospitable universe. It’s harder to do so when you’re playing as a non-human character, but Observation proves that it’s still possible. In this spooky adventure, you’ll play as S.A.M., an A.I. aboard the space station Observation.
The station has been knocked out of its orbit and only one of the human crew is still alive; you’ll have to team up with her to figure out what went wrong, and the two of you will slowly uncover an unsettling plot revolving around the very nature of humanity.
19 Solipsis - Short, Sweet, And Spooky
Part of the second Dread X Collection of horror games by indie developers, Solipsis overcomes its short length with a surreal, spooky atmosphere and incredible sound design. You play as an astronaut sent to the moon to take gravity readings. Shortly after the game begins, you find yourself trapped, with no choice but to explore the strange and inhuman landscape.
The game uses a top-down view and a unique ‘Rationalization’ mechanic — where you try to fit the strange things you’re experiencing into the astronaut’s preconceptions about the world — to create an unsettling, oppressive vibe.
18 Pollen - Space Horror On Saturn
The scariest element in Pollen is its ever-present sense of mystery. It’s more of an exploration game than straight-up horror, but the feeling that something is lurking around the corner is enough to get your heart racing.
Pollen is set on a research station on Saturn’s moon, Titan; you’ll have to interact with objects and solve puzzles to figure out ways to escape tight situations. It’s a slow-burning style of horror that helps its intriguing story stand out.
17 Caffeine - Oddball, Jittery Sci-Fi Scares
Though its premise is a little strange — involving the mining of caffeine — this indie horror title is still spooky as heck, since you play as a boy who finds himself on a seemingly abandoned mining ship. The gameplay consists entirely of roaming empty halls and figuring out where the rest of the crew went.
Caffeine’s level design is its greatest accomplishment, as it communicates an eerie sense of foreboding to the player. It’s definitely repetitive in many places, but the overall mystery of the situation remains gripping to the very end.
16 Hellpoint - A Space Horror Game Meets A Soulslike
Taking place on a space station filled with vicious monsters, Hellpoint’s gameplay is comparable to the Dark Souls series. There’s no real subtlety to be found here, as the aim is to slash at the numerous enemies coming your way.
Still, there’s a sense of satisfaction at being empowered in a horror game, especially since most other games in the subgenre strip you of your power. For this reason alone, Hellpoint is worth a go.
15 Dispatcher - Sneaking Around In Space
In Dispatcher, you’re trapped on a space station that’s been infiltrated by mysterious, deadly monsters. The game makes ample use of divisive jump-scare tactics, which might not be for everyone, but it definitely leads to an atmosphere soaked in tension and terror.
Dispatcher’s greatest strength is its stealthy gameplay; it disempowers you, so you’ll have to be quiet in order to survive the creatures and escape the station.
14 The White Chamber - A Chilling Point-And-Click Adventure
Point-and-click games were all the rage at one point, and this was around the same time that The White Chamber was released. For a freeware title, it was genuinely impressive to see just how much work and effort were put into developing this title.
You control a mysterious woman who wakes up in a coffin, only to realize that she’s trapped in a space station. You’ll need to solve puzzles and uncover the mysteries of this game before heading to the titular white chamber and discovering what lies within.
13 The Nightjar - In Space, No One Can See You Escape
The Nightjar is one of the most unique games on this list thanks to its simple, ingenious premise: you’re trapped on the spaceship, the Nightjar, with no visual feedback to help you survive. Instead, you’ll have to follow a guiding voice — Benedict Cumberbatch’s, specifically — as you escape to safety.
Gameplay is based fully on trusting the voice’s guidance, with the screen only showing the voice’s signals. It’s an original concept that keeps you on your toes.
12 Syndrome - Uncover Secrets And Stay Alive
In this spooky psychological horror game, you play as Chief Technician Galen, who wakes up from cyro-sleep on the spaceship, Valkenburg to discover that their entire crew is dead. Whoever or whatever killed them in still on the ship, and it’s your job to find out what happened… and to survive.
In true survival-horror fashion, you’ll be able to find weapons, but ammo is always in short supply. So you’ll have to sneak around and avoid enemy encounters in order to make it through.
11 Martian Gothic: Unification - A Retro Space Horror Game That Deserves A Second Chance
Martian Gothic: Unification is a bit of an oldie, having launched in 2000 for the PS1 and Windows. It’s been compared to the Resident Evil series in terms of feel and mechanics.
The game features an interesting, spooky story — you follow three astronauts as they explore what appears to be a totally abandoned human settlement on Mars. But soon, you’ll discover that the settlement has been overrun by the undead.
10 Solarix - Zombies In Space. Need We Say More?
Launched in 2015, Solarix is a stealth-based first-person shooter that takes place in humanity’s first interstellar space colony. It is actually quite similar to Martian Gothic: Unification, since you’ll have to fight and hide from zombie-like creatures.
Solarix is clearly inspired by old-school survival-horror tales, but it updates that classic framework with graphics that actually look like they’re from this century.
9 Echo Night: Beyond - A Haunting Sci-Fi Ghost Story
This might be one of the most overlooked games for the PlayStation 2. Echo Night: Beyond, the final installment in the underappreciated Echo Night series, departs from its predecessors by adding science-fiction elements to its ghost story framework.
You play as a newlywed, heading to the moon for their honeymoon. However, your vessel crashes, and you get separated from your spouse. You’ll have to explore an abandoned research base — and guess what — it’s haunted.
8 Stasis - Point-And-Click Scares On A Silent Spaceship
Stasis stands out a little differently than others on this list because it utilizes point-and-click mechanics instead of third or first-person perspectives.
You play a man named John Maracheck, who awakens from stasis on a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. The gameplay includes puzzle solving and exploration, surrounded by a spooky atmosphere.
7 System Shock 2 - A Pioneering Space Shocker
1999’s System Shock 2 is the oldest game on this list. This pioneering immersive sim has influenced many games since its launch, including the massively successful BioShock series. It has earned its place as one of the best games ever made.
Though the original System Shock is spooky enough on its own, the sequel is even scarier. If you’re looking for boundary-breaking spills and chills in the great unknown, this is the game for you.
6 Prey - A Paranoia-Inducing Alien Tale
Prey, Arkane Studios’ immersive cult classic — not the 2008 title — was released in 2017, and is clearly inspired by the likes of System Shock 2. It’s set in an alternate timeline where the Space Race took place much faster than in our reality, leading to some interesting sci-fi world-building.
But then you’ll have to factor in the hostile alien enemies that can shape-shift into inanimate objects, which can quickly lead to paranoia. You’ll find yourself asking, “Were there always three chairs in this room?”
5 Doom 3 - Hell On Mars
Set in the year 2145, Doom 3 continues the Doom series’ obsession with occult imagery. It begins when a literal gate to hell opens and releases demons upon a Martian research station. No big deal, right? Playing as the iconic Doomguy, you’ll have to battle the demonic horde with everything you’ve got.
Though some would argue it is too action-oriented for horror fans, its creatures and atmosphere are downright nightmare-inducing.
4 Dead Space 2 - A Beloved Mix Of Combat And Horror
Dead Space 2 was a sequel to the popular first game which was hailed by many as a masterpiece. While the first game had more of an emphasis on horror, Dead Space 2 did prioritize its action sequences at times and did so with great finesse.
The best part about this was that Dead Space 2 managed to have a greater focus on action without sacrificing the things that made it terrifying in the first place. While some people find the first game to be scarier, there’s no denying that Dead Space 2 holds a special place in the hearts of many horror fans too.
