There's nothing quite like a good scare, especially when you're with friends. It's why co-op horror gaming has become such a big genre within the industry. As co-operative horror continues to branch out in new and terrifying directions, many survival-type games have been released that need you to place trust in your friends. Because let's face it, everything's less scary in numbers...Isn't it?
For those looking for inspiration for their group's next fright night, there's plenty to choose from. Whether you're looking to take down the zombie apocalypse for the umpteenth time or seek escape from a psychological virtual reality nightmare that's sure to have you and your friends screaming out the door. Whatever your poison, here are our picks for the best co-operative, survival horror games around.
10 Friday The 13th The Game
If you're a fan of classic horror, why not experience the frights and thrills of Camp Crystal Lake for yourself in Friday the 13th: The Game. Here, you and your friends must take on the roles of the flippant teen counselors from the films, finding yourselves pursued by the notorious serial killer Jason Voorhees.
Together, you must hide, evade, and survive cinema's most prolific killer in a 7v1 game that if your lucky, could even see you take down the unkillable man for yourselves. The only catch? One of you must play the infamous slasher villain against them. This is one sure to quickly turn friends, into foes.
9 No More Room In Hell
If you're looking for a classic zombie kill-a-thon then you're in luck, with this realistic first-person survival horror that's sure to get your group fired up and working together to survive the onslaught of the undead.
It's great for large friend groups, being able to support 8 players at once with a walkie-talkie system for voice-and-text communication should you stray too far from the herd. Choose to take on missions, or constant waves of zombies in 'survival mode', and above all else, just try to not get bit.
8 The Blackout Club
If you're looking for Stranger Things vibes, fantastic lore, and a completely new, mysterious line of horror; The Blackout Club has you covered. Here, you must work together as a gang of unruly small-town teens investigating the mysterious disappearance of your friend when all the adults around you refuse to believe anything is wrong.
With a vast set of modern-day tools at your disposals such as drones, grappling hooks, and noisemakers you need to outwit the adults and collect evidence to prove your theories. Just be careful not to pique the interest of The Shape, the mysterious, invisible monster that pursues your group throughout your investigations.
7 Resident Evil Revelations 2
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is thought to be one of the best cooperative titles in the franchise. Continuing the series' much-loved survival horror experience with fan-favorites Claire Redfield and Moira Burton, who seek to flee from a remote island with no discernable escape.
But that's not all. As you also follow the journey of Barry Burton, the dad searching the island for his lost daughter, along with Natalia Korda, a young girl he encounters along the way with an eerie sense for the supernatural. So grab a friend and get ready for the ride, as you seek to uncover the mysteries of the island, and try not to lose yourselves in the process.
6 Dying Light
Seen by many to be the best first-person zombie survival game ever released. Dying Light shares similarities with the classic Resident Evil franchise, but manages to branch it all out perfectly into a 4-Player Co-op experience like no other
With unprecedented open-world freedom get ready to journey with friends to take on the undead hordes; whether it be in free-roam mode or taking on the mysteries of the virus within the campaign. Parkour over buildings, get to grips with new and creative combat, scavenge and create new weapons, raid the city for supplies, and try not to get your brains eaten. Easy right?
5 GTFO
This is not your normal horror game. GTFO gives players one of the hardest horror experiences available, with a focus on team-based play and puzzle-solving that makes the atmosphere surrounding it one of the most electric and unforgettable in survival horror.
You and your fellow players are prisoners, investigating a vast underground network for valuable artifacts as well as materials to fashion yourselves weapons and supplies as unsurprisingly, you don't find yourselves down here alone. Filled with some of the most terrifying creatures in gaming, it's an experience that sticks with you, and if you're finding it hard? You're not alone. This game was made for the hard-core.
4 Phasmophobia
Scared of ghosts and ghouls? Then maybe give this one a miss. Phasmophobia isn't for the faint of heart, being an immersive first-person psychological horror experience like no other. In it, you and your friends will hunt down active spirits within some of the creepiest haunted houses around. Quickly becoming the central characters in your own paranormal activity.
So grab your EMF readers, Ouija boards, and Spirit boxes, and get ready to track down some ghosts. Making sure to record the haunting evidence on your night-vision camera in order to sell the case to an expert ghost removal team. Choose to stay in the truck and monitor the CCTV from far away (like a wimp), or get your hands dirty in the house for real. Just remember: your voice attracts the paranormal, and those Revenants are no joke.
3 Left 4 Dead 2
Sometimes, it's hard to beat a classic, and Left 4 Dead 2 remains pretty unbeatable for those looking for some first-person, 4 player, zombie-killing action.
Left 4 Dead 2 feels different in not relying on big scares to juice up the game. Instead, wowing players with fantastic level design, creative zombie-types, and hilarious dialogue that's kept the game fresh since its initial release way back in 2009. It doesn't hurt that it also has a ridiculously dedicated modding community; providing your group new campaign missions as well as some hilarious zombie designs.
2 Dead By Daylight
When looking at 4v1 multiplayer games, Dead By Daylight stands out from the crowd. with 4 players taking on the role of survivors either working together or for their own goals, and the other, the killer, out to find and destroy them.
Dead By Daylight has redefined horror gaming since its release. With constant updates to enhance gameplay along with some recognizable new killers each with their own unique abilities and style. The procedurally generated worlds mean you can never second guess the map, and random spawn points could find you far away from friends, and closer to the killer's grasp. If you're looking for the worst hide and seek of your lives, your search is over.
1 The Forest
If you're looking for a terrifying open-world adventure, you've found it in The Forest. Proving horror doesn't have to be limited to small inescapable rooms, but can instead encompass an entire island.
It's the true pairing of the survival and horror genres, as after a plane crash you and your friends find yourselves needing to survive on your new island home and escape the terrifying beings that found it first. Build shelters and fires to keep warm, create weapons to fight off horrifying, genetically mutated enemies, and maybe even discover just where in the world your son has wandered off to. That is, of course, if the cannibals don't find you first.