Best Multiplayer Horror Games to Play with Friends

🎯 Why Multiplayer Horror Hits Different With Friends

Horror is scarier—and funnier—when you’re not alone. The best multiplayer horror games use shared tension to turn small moments (a door creak, a radio hiss) into team stories you’ll retell for months. Co-op ghost hunts, 4v1 predator vs survivors, survival sandboxes with night raids, or social deduction mayhem—each mode asks your team to act differently. The real value isn’t jump scares; it’s decision-making under pressure: who scouts, who saves, who kites the monster while the rest finish the objective. That’s why these games explode on Discord nights and streams; they generate natural drama and, when designed well, leave space for jokes and chaos.

If you’re building a new game night from scratch, pair this guide with our Best Co-Op Indie Games on Steam for 2025 for more budget-friendly options, and keep Top 10 Indie Games of 2025 bookmarked to rotate fresh co-op picks as your group evolves. For quick mobile sessions between PC nights, borrow habits from Mobile Gaming Tips: How to Dominate on Your Phone to keep your reflexes sharp.

💡 Before you buy, decide your group’s vibe: ✅ teamwork & puzzles, ✅ sweaty chase scenes, or ✅ social bluffing. Your answer picks your game.

🧠 How to Choose (Modes, Intensity, and Group Fit)

Not all horror nights are the same. Start with mode and intensity. Co-op objective games (ghost hunts, exorcisms) are great “everyone participates” choices—low blame, high teamwork. Asymmetrical 4v1 games crank adrenaline; they’re perfect for friends who like chase mechanics and highlight reels. Survival worlds add crafting/building and long arcs. Social deduction titles deliver the best voice-chat chaos, but rely on your group’s appetite for mind games.

Then consider mic needs, match length, and difficulty. Some games demand shot-calling and clear roles; others are “vibes with consequences.” If you love retro tension and shorter sessions, you might also appreciate the curation in Top 10 Retro Games Worth Replaying—many classics shine in couch co-op or shared-screen sessions with spooky ambience.

💡 Pick one primary game and one palette cleanser (lighter chaos). Rotate every two weeks to keep the scare factor fresh.

🧾 60-Second Party Planning Checklist

After reading this paragraph, copy the checklist and pick your top 2 priorities:

• Mode: Co-op | 4v1 | Survival | Social Deduction

• Session length: 20–30 min | 45–60 min | 2+ hrs

• Mic intensity: Calm coordination | Shot-calling | Trash-talk

• Fear curve: Spooky ambience | Panic chases | Sustained dread

• Progression: Cosmetics | Loadouts | Base-building | Story unlocks

• Platform: PC only | Cross-platform | Console-friendly

• Budget: Free/low | Mid | Full-price

💡 If you’re hosting, do the first 10 minutes as a tutorial lobby—set keybinds, test mics, pick roles.

🏆 The Shortlist (At-a-Glance Mini-Comparison)

• Best social panic & scrap-run chaos: Lethal Company — co-op scrounging missions with proximity chat, quota deadlines, and sudden monster wipes. Early Access but wildly replayable.

• Best “we’re being hunted” co-op: Phasmophobia — four-player ghost-hunting with evidence tools and voice-reactive entities. A modern co-op classic.

• Best 4v1 chase game with endless content: Dead by Daylight — iconic asymmetrical horror, killer powers vs survivor teamwork, seasonal updates.

• Best co-op campaign horror: The Outlast Trials — up to four prisoners enduring Murkoff “experiments,” designed for solo or team terror.

• Best budget exorcism loop: DEVOUR — compact, 1–4 player exorcism maps with escalating pressure and quick runs.

• Best hardcore tactical fear: GTFO — four-player stealth-first shooter where comms and discipline are survival.

• Best survival sandbox horror: Sons of the Forest — open-world cannibal island with building, caves, and 8-player co-op.

• Best licensed 3v4 slasher: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre — family vs victims, stealth and teamwork heavy.

• Best social deduction horror: Deceit 2 — 6–9 players, hidden Terrors, tasks, and betrayals with in-game voice.

• Best free-to-play facility mayhem: SCP: Secret Laboratory — F2P multiplayer within a breached SCP site—escape, contain, or wreak havoc.

💡 If two games tie, pick the one with easier onboarding for your least experienced friend.

💡 Lethal Company — Scrap-Runs, Screams, and Quotas (Co-op Survival) ✅

This is the viral co-op of recent years: you and up to three friends land on procedurally generated exomoons to salvage scrap and meet a rising profit quota—while traps, anomalies, and creatures hunt you. Proximity chat sells the experience; hearing a teammate’s voice panic and cut out as doors slam is half the fun. Sessions are 20–45 minutes, perfect for weeknight scares, and the loop rewards improvisation: who scouts, who hauls, who calls time to run before midnight? It’s Early Access, but the bones are solid, and the emergent stories are top-tier.

Why it’s great with friends: the open comms and quota deadlines force hilarious risk vs reward decisions. Lose track of time and you’ll watch your ship leave as everyone screams.
Keep in mind: it’s PC-only (for now), and EA means updates can shuffle balance—embrace the chaos.

💡 Assign one “timekeeper” with ship comms—10-minute and 5-minute warnings prevent wipe-by-greed.

👻 Phasmophobia — Team Ghost-Hunting With Real Tools (Co-op) 🧠

Phasmophobia turns your party into paranormal investigators. Bring EMF readers, spirit boxes, thermometers—then collect evidence to identify the ghost type before it decides your fate. What elevates it is how systems overlap: voice recognition and environmental cues make every house feel personal, and the equipment economy adds stakes between runs. It’s scary, yes, but it’s also one of the easiest horror games to teach: everyone has a role, progress is obvious, and failures turn into great stories.

Why it’s great with friends: clear roles (talker, reader, camera), constant chatter, and that perfect mix of “we’re smart” and “we screamed.”
Keep in mind: tense audio is the point—play with good headsets and agree on no talk-over policy during hunts.

💡 Save a “learner kit” loadout (cheap tools) so new players can crash a run without risking your best gear.

🔪 Dead by Daylight — The 4v1 Icon (Asymmetrical Chase) 💬

In DBD, one Killer hunts four Survivors. Survivors repair generators to power exits; Killers use unique powers to pressure the map and down victims. The game thrives on mind games—jukes, pallets, line-of-sight tricks—and has become the template for the modern 4v1. Content cadence is constant; licensed chapters and balance passes keep the meta fresh. It’s the definitive pick if your group loves adrenaline and highlight reels.

Why it’s great with friends: short, intense matches; rotating who plays Killer keeps the night varied.
Keep in mind: there’s a learning curve (perks, maps). Consider a “no sweat” night first—limit perk complexity and focus on fun chases.

💡 Pick one killer perk and one survivor perk per person for your first hour. Fewer choices = more laughs.

🧪 The Outlast Trials — Cooperative Suffering (Campaign Co-op)

You’re unwilling test subjects in Murkoff’s twisted program, tackling Trials solo or with 2–4 players. It’s pure Outlast: stealth, chase, and resource scarcity—but built for co-op, with challenges that reward coordination. Clever modifiers and role tools (like healing incense or rig abilities) let you tune difficulty, and cross-platform modes broaden the friend pool. If you want a campaign-ish horror night with setpieces and progress, this is the pick.

Why it’s great with friends: screaming together, reviving each other, and debating risk vs objective in real time.
Keep in mind: Outlast is intense. Build breaks into your session—rotate lighter games between Trials.

💡 Agree on a safe word to pause the run. “Water break” beats silent panic quitting.

🔥 DEVOUR — Tight Exorcism Loops (1–4 Player Co-op) ✅

DEVOUR is small-team horror done right: enter a cursed locale, gather ritual items, dodge the increasingly aggressive antagonist, and banish. Runs are bite-sized (15–35 minutes), the objective clarity is high, and the difficulty ramp keeps veterans engaged while newcomers can still contribute. Because maps are compact and the rules are simple, it’s the perfect warm-up (or closer) for a longer horror night.

Why it’s great with friends: clear jobs (“you kite, we cleanse”), repeatable maps that never feel identical, satisfying victories.
Keep in mind: voice comms are essential—plan call-outs (item spawns, pathing) to tame higher difficulties.

💡 Assign a runner to stash ritual items near the altar early—endgame chaos gets easier.

🎯 GTFO — Hardcore Co-op Where Comms = Life

GTFO is a four-player tactical horror shooter emphasizing stealth, discipline, and communication. Objectives (collect data, retrieve items, survive waves) require squads to plan, mark targets, and time melee to avoid waking nests. When chaos hits, it’s intense but fair—teams that talk and adapt thrive. If your group wants something sweaty and skillful with a grim sci-fi setting, GTFO is the gold standard.

Why it’s great with friends: no one can carry—everyone’s role matters, and success feels earned.
Keep in mind: difficulty is high. Treat your first night like a training op—one expedition, low expectations, lots of laughs.

💡 Use numbered call-outs (“charge on 3”) and a default fallback point when things go loud.

🌲 Sons of the Forest — Build by Day, Fear the Caves by Night (Survival)

Prefer long-form co-op? Sons of the Forest drops up to 8 players on a cannibal-infested island where you’ll build shelters, scavenge, and explore terrifying caves. It’s equal parts chill base-building and spikes of real dread—especially underground. Great for friend groups who want a persistent world with inside jokes (that one treehouse), but still crave moments of panic.

Why it’s great with friends: a mix of creative building and shared scares makes marathon weekends fly.
Keep in mind: the survival layer needs a group that enjoys crafting and logistics as much as fighting.

💡 Appoint a “quartermaster” to label storage and ration food—late-night raids get cleaner.

🪚 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre — Family vs Victims (3v4 Stealth-Slasher)

This licensed asymmetric horror flips the usual formula with 3 killers (the Family) vs 4 Victims. It’s heavy on stealth and sound discipline: Victims sneak, unlock, and escape; Family coordinate to herd and maim. Matches are brisk and map knowledge matters, making it a great “take turns” party game. If you love the cat-and-mouse of DBD but want a fresh dynamic, try this.

Why it’s great with friends: communication and role picks (Tracker, Controller, Bruiser) create “we almost made it” stories.
Keep in mind: tension is constant; it rewards patient teams more than solo heroics.

💡 Rotate Family/Victim every match to keep energy high and teach both sides’ tricks.

🎭 Deceit 2 — Trust No One (Social Deduction Horror)

Nine players enter; some are Terrors hiding in plain sight. During “human” phases you complete tasks and observe behavior; in the In-Between, Terrors transform and hunt. Roles and items add chaos, and in-game voice makes accusations deliciously messy. This is your pick if your group lives for mind games and clipped betrayals. Cross-platform options make it easy to fill lobbies.

Why it’s great with friends: every session becomes a social experiment with receipts.
Keep in mind: bluffing fatigue is real—mix with co-op titles to reset vibes.

💡 Set a “no hard meta” rule: no instant votes on flimsy cues for the first 60 seconds each round.

🧪 Secret Laboratory — Free-to-Play Facility Mayhem

Set in an SCP facility breach, players spawn as one of several factions (Class-D, Scientists, Security, Chaos Insurgency, or an SCP itself). Objectives conflict—escape, re-contain, or eliminate—and the result is a rollicking, role-driven match with VOIP antics. It’s free to play on PC, constantly updated, and perfect for big-friend-group nights when you want chaos on tap.

Why it’s great with friends: huge player counts, varied roles, and emergent stories—even failures are funny.
Keep in mind: public servers can be unpredictable; consider hosting your own for curated vibes.

💡 Establish “comms etiquette” (short call-outs, no mic-spam) before dropping into busy servers.

🎚️ “Best For” Cheat Sheet (Pick in 60 Seconds)

• Short sessions / maximum screams: Lethal Company, DEVOUR.

• Iconic chase nights: Dead by Daylight, Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

• Campaign-style co-op: The Outlast Trials.

• Hardcore teamwork: GTFO.

• Long-form survival world: Sons of the Forest.

• Social deception chaos: Deceit 2, SCP: Secret Laboratory (F2P).

🧯 Troubleshooting: Make Your Horror Night Actually Fun

Great games can flop if the session design is off. Match session length to attention spans. If people are new, start with DEVOUR or Phasmophobia to build confidence; save GTFO for when everyone is warmed up. Rotate voice leaders so the same friend isn’t shot-calling all night. If anyone’s easily startled, queue an intermission round of something cozy or micro-competitive—our lists in Best Co-Op Indie Games on Steam for 2025 and Top 10 Indie Games of 2025 have perfect palette cleansers.

For tech sanity: test mic levels in-game, set push-to-talk where needed, and add a quick graphics preset card to your Discord (each game’s “good enough” settings). If you’re curious where the future is headed, The AI Revolution in Gaming explores how AI-driven NPCs and procedural horror might reshape these experiences next.

💡 Set a safety emoji (🫶) in chat. Anyone can drop it to request a breather—no questions asked.

🧠 Gear & Games That Boost Scares (and Fun)

Want a frictionless horror night? Anchor your cart with one multiplayer horror pick from this guide, then add a USB mic for the squad lead and a comfortable headset for everyone (footsteps matter). If you’re shopping Steam keys or console editions, grab from reputable stores and look for cross-play notes. We may earn a small commission if you buy via our links—at no extra cost to you. We only recommend games and gear we’d play with our own friends.

🧭 Session OS: How to Host a Frictionless Horror Night

Great games fall flat when the session is messy. Treat game night like a tiny production: one host, a short run-of-show, and preflight checks. Start with a 5-minute lobby warm-up where you set voice rules (push-to-talk or proximity), test mics inside the game (not just Discord), and agree on a safe word or “🫶 emoji” for quick breaks. Nominate a timekeeper who calls intermissions every 60–90 minutes; horror fatigue is real, and swapping to a lighter title keeps tension sharp. Keep a shared doc (or pinned Discord message) with “good enough” graphics presets for each game so new PCs don’t spend 20 minutes tweaking shadows. If part of your crew plays on mobile between PC nights, pull a couple of controller/aim tips from Mobile Gaming Tips: How to Dominate on Your Phone so they can keep their reflexes polished on the go.

Fast checklist (use after reading):

• Host assigns roles (leader/timekeeper/clipper).

• Test in-game VOIP and Discord; pick one.

• Pin graphic presets + keybind cheatsheet.

• Add a “cool-down” mini-game to the rotation (see Add-On #5).

💡 Run your lobby like a restaurant: seat fast, serve first course in 10 minutes, adjust seasoning as you go.

🔊 Audio & Comms That Actually Make You Scarier (in a Good Way)

Sound carries the fear. In-game proximity chat (Lethal Company, SCP servers) multiplies tension because the world muffles voices; Discord keeps clarity but kills diegetic immersion. Decide intentionally: if the night is about team puzzles and call-outs, Discord with light noise gates wins. If it’s about panic and storytelling, use the game’s VOIP and keep your rooms quiet. On headsets, a small EQ tweak helps budget gear: −1 dB at 3 kHz (tames harsh screams), +1–2 dB below 80 Hz (footsteps/doors feel weighty). Enable any “night mode”/dynamic range compression if your building has quiet hours; you’ll hear whispers without spiking jumpscares. For folks on phone headsets, borrow mic gain/positioning tips from Mobile Gaming Tips to reduce breathing pops.

Do this once:

• Create a “Comms Charter” (no talk-over during hunts; call directions, not essays).

• Save a Horror EQ and a Calm chat preset on your mixer or in Windows sound.

💡 Call-outs should be location + action: “Basement stairs—run!”

♿ Comfort & Accessibility (So Everyone Actually Enjoys It)

Horror doesn’t have to equal nausea. Agree that anyone can request comfort tweaks without judgment: increase FOV a touch (but not so wide you distort), turn off head bob/motion blur, and set a stable frame cap (VRR helps, but consistency helps more). Use built-in brightness/gamma sliders so caves are navigable without nuking atmosphere. Subtitles on by default, with speaker labels if the game supports it. If your group includes players sensitive to certain content (e.g., body horror, insects), check content settings where available and schedule around those maps. For retro-curious nights, softer scares from the classics in Top 10 Retro Games Worth Replaying can be a great middle ground.

Comfort pass (5 minutes):

• FOV +5–10° over default, motion blur off, head bob low/off.

• Gamma until dark corners are visible but not gray.

• Subtitles + sizable UI/text where available.

💡 “Scary” should mean fun scary—opt-in tension beats peer pressure.

🕹️ Cross-Play & Platform Planning Without Guesswork

Mixed hardware kills momentum if you wing it. Before game night, check cross-play and progression support for your chosen titles; if a game locks cosmetics or progress per platform, set expectations so nobody feels punished for switching devices. Agree on voice platform per game (game VOIP vs Discord) and make a one-liner: “DBD = Discord, Trials = in-game.” If someone is on a last-gen console or a laptop with integrated graphics, choose settings-light maps first and keep crowded lobbies (e.g., SCP:SL public servers) for later, when everyone’s warmed. If your group rotates a lot of indie co-ops, keep Best Co-Op Indie Games on Steam for 2025 and Top 10 Indie Games of 2025 handy as a “bench” so you can swap in a new title when a patch breaks cross-play.

💡 Plan for the weakest device—the session moves at the speed of its slowest load screen.

🧩 Ready-Made “Session Recipes” (2 Hours Each, Plug & Play)

Variety beats burnout. Drop one of these pre-planned playlists into your calendar and stop bikeshedding.

Recipe A — “Warm-Up + Screams + Cool-Down”
Open with DEVOUR (15–30 min runs) to get comms flowing; shift to Lethal Company for quota-driven chaos; end with Phasmophobia for slower, story-rich tension.
Why it works: escalating intensity, then a measured finish that leaves people wanting one more run.

Recipe B — “Chase Night”
Alternate Dead by Daylight and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre every match; rotate roles so everyone tries Killer/Family at least once.
Why it works: two flavors of cat-and-mouse keep adrenaline high without meta fatigue.

Recipe C — “Long-Form Weekend”
Sons of the Forest base-building block (60–90 min), cave run (30 min), then a Deceit 2 social round (20–30 min) as a palette cleanser.
Why it works: persistence + one high-stakes social burst = memorable nights.

💡 Put the recipe in the calendar invite; decision made = fun gained.

🪪 Role Cards & Call-Outs (Print or Pin in Discord)

Nothing kills a scare like confusion. Give new players role cards so they contribute from minute one.

How to use: Read this once in the lobby, then pin it.

• Phasmophobia: Talker (spirit box/ghost name), Reader (EMF/thermo), Camera (evidence/photos), Base (journal/time). Call-outs: “Freezing breath in kitchen,” “EMF 5 garage.”

• DEVOUR: Kiter (stuns/loops), Runner (ritual item ferry), Cleanser (map prep), Safety (revives/calls phase). Call-outs: “Battery on altar,” “Stash done—start endgame.”

• DBD/Texas: Runner (loop/pallets), Objective (gens/locks), Intel (totems/switches), Support (rescues/body blocks). Call-outs: “Killer at shack,” “Door 70%—quiet.”

• Lethal Company: Timekeeper (ship), Scout, Hauler, Lookout. Call-outs: “10 mins to dustoff,” “Creature left wing.”

💡 Keep call-outs short and location-first. Panic later, info now.

🧯 House Rules & Safety (Keep It Fun for Every Personality)

Horror pulls big emotions; house rules protect friendships. Agree on no scream trolling (e.g., intentionally jump-scaring in VOIP), no meta-shaming (new players learn by failing), and a simple break protocol (anyone can type 🫶 to pause without explaining). If you stream or record, get explicit consent and use “Streamer Mode” where games expose player names or server info. In social deduction rounds (Deceit 2, SCP chaos), adopt a “no hard meta” opening minute so new players can speak before they’re voted out. Want a softer palate? Drop one cozy or retro round between heavy maps; Top 10 Retro Games Worth Replaying has great vibe resets that still keep a group together.

“Tonight’s goal is laughs + spooky stories. If you need a break, just say the word. No call-out shaming; we learn and move.”

💡 Scary ≠ mean. Kind rules make bold plays.

🎥 Clips, Highlights & After-Action Review (AAR)

Half the joy is reliving the chaos. Assign a clipper (or enable Instant Replay) and keep a shared folder for the funniest wipes and clutches. After the session, run a 3-minute AAR: one win, one fix, one new rule for next time (“stash items earlier,” “timekeeper calls 5-min hard exit”). If you’re experimenting with AI tools for highlight reels or NPC commentary, skim The AI Revolution in Gaming to see how emerging tech can auto-tag moments and level up your recap. For groups that swap titles often, archive presets and role cards per game so your next switch is two clicks.

AAR template:

• Win: “Scout call-outs saved a wipe in LC Moon X.”

• Fix: “Too many talk-overs during hunts; try push-to-talk.”

• New rule: “Rotate Killer every match.”

💡 Save one 30-second clip per session. Traditions keep groups together.

🧠 Nerd Verdict

Pick by mode + session length, not hype. For quick chaos, run Lethal Company or DEVOUR; for iconic chases, queue Dead by Daylight (sprinkle in Texas Chain Saw to vary roles); for long weekends, settle into Sons of the Forest; for campaign scares, Outlast Trials; for hardcore teams, GTFO; for party-chat betrayals, Deceit 2; for big free nights, SCP:SL. Rotate two titles and your group won’t burn out.

❓ FAQ: Nerds Ask, We Answer

💬 Would You Bite?

What’s your group’s vibe—co-op puzzles, sweaty chases, or social deception—and how long do you usually play?
Drop your answer and platform, and I’ll sketch a 3-game rotation you can run for the next month. 👇