What’s that delightful dread feeling you’re getting? That’ll be GameWatcher looking at the major upcoming horror games creeping up on us all in 2026 and beyond.
Fittingly, the horror genre never truly dies, but right now, it’s in very rude health. From the revival of the big names in the genre, like Silent Hill, to the plethora of inventive indie gems that continue to shape the modern horror space, there’s never been a better time to be a horror game fan.
So here’s an ongoing list of upcoming horror games for 2026 and beyond. We’ll update the list throughout the year as new games and release dates are revealed.
Mewgenics
The long-awaited turn-based strategy RPG from The Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen has the kind of messed-up, grim hilarity synonymous with Isaac, as you build the ultimate cat army.
Yes, an army of cats. Not just any cats. Mutant, multi-generational monsters that can be useful no matter how useless they seem.
Release date: February 10, 2026
Crimson Capes
Crimson Capes is a 2D Souls-like that takes inspiration from the likes of The Witcher. Its pixel art style doesn’t stop the spectacle of blood, guts, and fluid swordplay from catching the eye.
Players take on the role of Milon the Tempest, leader of the witch-hunting squad, the Crimson Capes, as they investigate a sinister force corrupting the kingdom.
Release date: February 12, 2026
Reanimal
Tarsier Studios leaves behind its Little Nightmares series for a brand new, creepy adventure in Reanimal.
Two orphans are searching for their friends on the harrowing island full of twisted monsters. Given Tarsier’s penchant for delightfully grim character and environment design, there could be some ghoulish treats in store.
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse
A surprise follow-up to 2023’s anime-styled horror adventure Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, The Mermaid’s Curse features a brand new cast and story, which will have a tough job rivalling its excellent predecessor, but I’m all for them trying!
Various characters’ stories connect on the remote Japanese island of Kameshima, where local legends of mermaids are just the tip of a supernatural iceberg.
Release date: February 19, 2026
Styx: Blades of Greed
Cyanide Studios’ sneaky goblin is back with a third outing and amplifying the stab-happy heisting.
Blades of Greed features three huge open environments and a box full of tricks to plan Styx’s nefarious robberies. So expect murder, theft, and wicked humour. Oh, and loot, lots of loot.
Release date: February 19, 2026
Resident Evil: Requiem
One name dominates all of horror gaming, and it’s undeniably Resident Evil. So when a brand new entry is coming, it’s usually the tentpole horror game of that given year (unless it’s Resident Evil 6).
Resident Evil: Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in the survival horror series and sees series newcomer Grace Ashcroft joined by stalwart Leon Kennedy in a return to Raccoon City for the first time since Resident Evil 3.
Grace will provide classic survival horror in her sections, while Leon, despite his veteran status, will be kicking infected backside just like he did in Resident Evil 4.
Release date: February 27, 2026
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered
After we got remasters of the Soul Reaver games, Crystal Dynamics’ vampire series is back with a new title on the horizon and a remaster of Legacy of Kain: Defiance.
This time, you get to play as both Kain and Raziel in the final chapter of their epic rivalry.
Release date: March 3, 2026
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake
Fatal Frame 2 has long been revered as one of the best horror games of all time, but very few people have been able to play it in recent years because it’s been left on old hardware, while admittedly lesser games in the series have gotten the remake treatment.
It was a delight to have Fatal Frame 2 remake confirmed last year. The story concerns twin sisters lost in an abandoned village full of deadly ghosts.
Helping them is a special tool called the Camera Obscura, which captures photos that destroy the vengeful spirits.
Release date: March 12, 2026
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
Saber Interactive are back in the co-op horror shooter game, and this time they’ve brought along a horror icon in director John Carpenter.
Toxic Commando takes the mass hordes of Saber’s World War Z and gives players an absurd arsenal to obliterate them. So expect giddy levels of gore splattering about in this pulpy FPS.
Release date: March 12, 2026
Project Songbird
FYRE Games’ Appalachian-forest-set horror game Project Songbird features a musician protagonist seeking the wilderness’s calm to write a new album. But it’s on this list, so you know the calm is going to become all storm.
From the creator of the fascinating We Never Left, and featuring voice talent from What Remains of Edith Finch, Dying Light 2, and Ghost of Tsushima, this dreamlike cinematic narrative horror story could be something special.
Release date: March 26, 2026
Legacy of Kain: Ascendance
The Legacy of Kain blowout also includes a 2D action platformer from Bit Bot Media that has inadvertently been announced around the same time as a new 2D Castlevania.
There’s a visual distinction, however, as Ascendance takes on moreof a pixel art style akin to the SNES era.
Release date: March 31, 2026
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
This psychological horror game takes us into the Pacific abyss to investigate some Lovecraft-flavoured goings on.
Set in 2025, the threat of the occult is everywhere, and Earth is suffering for it. With resources dwindling, humanity turns to the ocean depths, where, of course, bad things await.
Release date: April 16, 2026
Directive 8020
Supermassive Games took a break from its Dark Pictures anthology series, but this year it returns with a first sci-fi-flavored entry in Directive 8020.
Taking inspiration from genre classics like The Thing, the game will offer up a choice-based, narrative-driven horror where stranded spacefarers come up against an alien organism that can mimic its prey. Your level of trust in the crew will determine how the story ends.
Release date: May 12, 2026
Gothic: Remake
Alkimia Interactive brings back a classic dark fantasy RPG this year with a remake of Gothic.
We’ll be returning to the Kingdom of Myrtana, which has been invaded by a relentless horde of bloodthirsty orcs. Expect a faithful ground-up recreation of the original game, and if you fancy an early taste, a demo is currently available on Steam for the Nyras Prologue.
Release date: June 5, 2026
Halloween: The Game
It’s kind of wild that we haven’t had a proper Halloween game for this long, but here we are, nearly 50 years on from John Carpenter’s killer classic, IllFonic is bringing Michael Myers home.
While the focus is on an asymmetrical multiplayer experience, there’s a standalone single-player story mode where you can slip on the white mask and stalk the streets of Haddonfield as Myers himself.
Release date: September 8, 2026
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival
While we got a taste of Pinhead in Dead by Daylight, there has yet to be a modern Hellraiser game, but 2026 will correct that.
The first-person survival horror game from Saber Interactive (World War Z) sees players as Aidan, who must use the power of a mysterious puzzle box – the Genesis Configuration – to help his girlfriend, Sunny, escape from the otherworldly hellscape of the Labyrinth.
We’ll get to wield the powers of the box to survive the terrible bargain with the infamous Pinhead and do battle with the horrific cult devoted to the Cenobites. It’s looking intimately grisly already, which is perfect for a Hellraiser game.
Release date: 2026
Tenebris Somnia
Combining the 2D look of classic Clock Tower with the puzzling of PlayStation’s survival horror icons, and live-action cutscenes full of nifty practical effects, Andres Borghi’s Tenebris Somnia immediately captured horror fans’ attention. Expect puzzles, chases, and all manner of freakish creatures to gawp in terror at.
Partnered with New Blood Interactive, this small-scale scarefest could be a horror hit in 2026.
Release date: 2026
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Having put Castlevania inside its hit 2D metroidvania Dead Cells, Motion Twin gets a shot at actually rebirthing the Castlevania series with Belmont’s Curse.
A 2.5D follow-up to Dracula’s Curse, Belmont’s Curse takes place in 1400s Paris, and sees a descendant of Trevor Belmont bring the iconic whip to deal out bloody justice to all kinds of nefarious creatures.
Release date: 2026
Onimusha: Way of the Sword
The demon-slaying slash ‘em up series is finally making a return. Can Capcom work its revival magic on yet another of its famous franchises?
In Way of the Sword, the action takes place in Edo-era Kyoto, and sees players in the role of a samurai wielding the power of the Oni Gauntlet, a mystical artifact that helps its bearer to take down the demonic Genma.
Release Date: 2026
Silent Hill Townfall
Thank goodness for the success of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill f. The future of the revered psychological horror series looked worse than James’ beard in Return to Silent Hill until those games turned its fortunes around.
Now, with a promise of yearly Silent Hill games for the foreseeable future, the 2026 entry will surely be Silent Hill Townfall by Screen Burn (formerly No Code). It was announced alongside Silent Hill f, and both were shrouded in mystery at the time.
That worked wonders for how players approached Silent Hill f, so there will be delight in tucking into a fresh foggy tale from an interesting developer.
Release date: 2026
Alien: Isolation 2
During the ‘lean’ years of big-budget horror games, Creative Assembly’s Alien: Isolation came along and put the frighteners back into the genre to the point it’s still regarded as a high-water mark for the 2010s in horror of any medium.
With the years going by, the chances of a sequel seemed slimmer and slimmer, but on the 10-year anniversary of the first game, Creative Assembly announced a follow-up was indeed in the works.
Unfortunately, we don’t know much else other than that the developer had long wanted to do a sequel, but it took Disney buying 20th Century Fox to finally get it greenlit.
With Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth revitalising the Alien name since Isolation, and horror gaming being in a better place, a sequel could be very successful.
Release date: TBC
Forest 3
It was pretty surprising to have a follow-up to Sons of the Forest announced at the end of 2025, but even more surprising was the direction this new instalment takes.
This time, we’re getting a sci-fi horror game set on an alien planet. This naturally brings a tech-focused approach to survival compared to previous games, and while getting some distance from cannibals is nice, those tentacle monsters don’t look much more welcoming.
Release date: TBC
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
Not content with searing eyeballs and stealing time with Vampire Survivors, poncle is taking the next compelling step with Vampire Crawlers.
This casual, turn-based deckbuilder (with roguelite elements) puts a 3D dungeoneering spin on the Vampire Survivors dazzling, engrossing spectacle.
Release date: TBC
Ontos
Frictional Games has been very active in the 2020’s with two new Amnesia games and now a return to sci-fi horror in its next game, Ontos. It sees a mystery play out, Samsara, a moon hotel being used for some frankly disturbing body horror nightmares.
Its previous stab at sci-fi was 2016’s superb SOMA, so expectations will be high.
Release date: TBC
ILL
Team Clout Inc’s iggly wiggly goopy gory action horror game certainly catches the eye any time it gets shown off. Realistic visuals and physics, freakish monstrosities, and punchy combat make this look like it’ll be a hellishly intense thrill ride.
The creators have an extensive history creating cinematic ghouls in movies and shows such as Longlegs and IT: Welcome to Derry, so even though we’ve seen all manner of demented creatures already, it’s a safe bet there’s still more grisly surprises in store.
Hopefully, we’ll get a release date this year and see how close we are to finding out.
Release date: TBC
OD
Kojima Productions has been keeping busy with new projects, giving Hiudeo Kojima the perfect excuse to meet all the actors and musicians he wants, maybe even getting them to feature in those projects.
It certainly worked for the mysterious Xbox project OD, which features a genre-flavored cast of Sophia Lilis (IT), Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo) and the late Udo Kier (Flesh for Frankenstein) and created in collaboration with modern horror heavyweight Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope).
The official title is rumoured to be Overdose, and Kojima hinted at an anthology-style game with different directors writing for each chapter. Kojima appears to be directing Sophia Lilis’ chapter, seen in last year’s ‘Knock’ trailer.
Could there be a P.T. reunion in there with Guillermo del Toro as a guest director? Hopefully, we won’t have long to wait to uncover the mysteries of OD.
Release date: TBC
Silent Hill Remake
Bloober Team proved its detractors wrong with a critically and commercially successful remake of the beloved Silent Hill 2, so it’s only fair that it gets to tackle the first game, too.
It’s tough to play the original Silent Hill in 2026, so a remake has been needed for it far more than its sequel has. The recent success of Silent Hill f means the classic horror series is following in the footsteps of Capcom’s Resident Evil series and bringing fresh versions of its classic titles to new audiences alongside brand new entries.
It’ll be a little while until we get this one, though.
Release date: TBC
The Sinking City 2
Ukrainian developer Frogwares has been through a lot since The Sinking City, and it feels like it needed to return to its cosmic horror alt-history 1920s USA.
Powered by Unreal Engine 5, The Sinking City 2 takes to the city of Arkham, where the sprawling labyrinth of dilapidated mansions and waterlogged alleyways hide all manner of eldritch horrors.
There will be a mixture of traditional Lovecraft creations and brand new monstrosities to blast, and Frogwares promises a classic survival horror experience.
Release date: TBC
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