10 best multiplayer and co-op horror games to play this fall, ranked

One of the most awaited events of the year is Halloween. Many activities themed around this event take place every year, including Halloween parties and binge-watching horror movies or series with family, friends, or loved ones.

But another Halloween-themed activity you can do is play horror video games. Not just can you engage with those spooky visuals and sound effects but to experience playing something scary and terrifying.

Here is our list of the 10 best multiplayer and co-op horror games to play this fall, ranked based on gameplay, design, and the fun they can bring to you and your friends.

10 best multiplayer and co-op horror games to play this fall, ranked

10) Devour

If you want to go up against a cult, then Devour is for you. This co-op survival horror game allows up to four players to work together to prevent a group of evil and possessed cultists.

As you progress in the game, you’ll face more evil and menacing foes, ranging from zombie and mummy-like creatures to white ladies with large mouths and fangs. You can also get a handful of relics and ritual artifacts, which can stop the cult ritual that calls on the presence of these supernatural creatures. But an interesting fact is that you have no weapons to use in Devour, and a flashlight is your only friend at hand.

9) Dead Space 3

The 2013 classic by Visceral Games and EA, Dead Space 3 is one example of a game that has a sci-fi take on the horror and survival genre. Though it garnered some negative reviews, especially with how it was regarded as an action game rather than the horror and survival genre, Dead Space 3 is still fun to play.

Dead Space 3 is a shooter game, meaning you will need to use guns and fire enemies along the way. This already gives an action-packed vibe for a survival horror title, especially with how the space-themed gameplay is integrated into the game. Its predecessors could be dubbed as the better games. But graphics-wise, as well as the more horrifying experience in terms of visuals and audio, Dead Space 3 is the best choice in all of the games in the series.

8) The Forest

The Forest’s pre-game background is already horrifying. Before you indulge in the action of the game, you will start your adventure as a plane crash survivor that landed in the middle of a dark forest with no materials and supplies. And once you figure out that your son is missing, things will become even scarier.

As you go along in The Forest, you need to craft your own weapons and other equipment from scratch by using the available materials and resources around you. You also need to establish a camp where defense is your priority. This will help you prepare for the cannibalistic creatures coming your way as you progress in the game.

7) Back 4 Blood

Fans and critics could rank Back 4 Blood lower on this list. But in terms of the experience and thrill it can provide as a survival horror co-op game, Back 4 Blood is an exciting and engaging thriller shooter.

In the game, there are eight unique characters players can choose from. These characters have various weapons that depict a certain playstyle, from a melee to a ranged attacker. For those who love Left 4 Dead, you may consider playing this because of some similarities, especially with the core gameplay of killing zombies, monsters, and other supernatural creatures.

6) Pacify

If you want to try something where the poster alone is already frightening, then Pacify is for you. The ghost lady with the covered mouth is a menacing, haunted creature that gives players the ultimate horror gameplay but the excitement to take this ghost hunting experience to the next level.

The best way to play Pacify is by taking advantage of its multiplayer mode, where up to four players can play together. Hunting down the grueling white lady is the game’s main objective while helping the Paranormal Activity Helpers or PAH to know her history. But don’t be confused since the lady is sometimes good or evil, depending on her mood.

5) Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight allows players to play as survivors or killers. Four players become the survivors while one killer is tasked to hunt them down. The former is more of a protagonist role, where the main goal is to do tasks and challenges to find and take down the killer and other aspects of survival. On the other hand, the latter is solely focused on killing as many survivors as possible.

The game is a more in-depth and visual representation of the traditional game ‘Find the Killer.’ But here, you’ll get to experience the closest experience of what it could feel like if you are a survivor or a killer. Despite the Dead by Daylight’s release more than six years ago, the game is still receiving a handful of new content up to this date, making its horror and survival still relevant and creative.

4) Hunt: Showdown

If you want a more classic approach to the survival and horror genre where you can play alongside your friends, you can try Hunt: Showdown. This game is set in 1895, and players take on the role of a hunter who goes on to hunt and kills various types of grueling monsters and supernatural creatures. A kill can give you a bounty, which is beneficial as you progress in the game.

Hunt: Showdown allows up to 12 players to play simultaneously. Here, they can play and work together, or be an opponent to each other, depending on the mission or creature. The weapon options are also big, allowing players to find the right piece that suits their playstyle.

3) Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is the latest game on our list, released in February 2022. This game is the sequel to the 2015 survival horror game of the same name by Techland, which features the player in a first-person perspective. Here, players take on the role of the main protagonist, Aiden Caldwell. He goes on an adventure filled with parkour as he tries to discover his sister’s location after a catastrophic zombie outbreak.

In Dying Light 2 Stay Human, you can play as the host where other players join you on your quest. You can also help other hosts, though the host’s progress will be the only one that will be updated and saved. There are numerous challenges along the way, such as fighting off zombies and other post-apocalyptic supernatural creatures.

2) Left 4 Dead 2

One of the most popular and classic survival horror games of all time, Left 4 Dead 2 is a must-have on our list. Developed by Valve, this game is one of the earliest to introduce the four-player setup in the survival horror genre, allowing multiplayer to do tasks and challenges together. Its game modes are iconic, especially the campaign and versus modes.

Left 4 Dead 2 also introduced some of the most popular zombies in the history of gaming, known as The Infected. This includes Boomer, Hunter, and Smoker, all of which have been regarded as gruesome enemies players can face in every game mode of Left 4 Dead 2. Indeed, Left 4 Dead 2 cemented itself as one of the most popular games in the survival horror genre and can be enjoyed by almost any gamer.

1) Phasmophobia

The top spot on the list goes to the 2020 investigative psychological horror game, Phasmophobia. This game is not your typical survival horror title where you need to use weapons and kill monsters and other creatures as part of the gameplay. But the action Phasmophobia can give more than just fighting, yet something that is creepy and horrifying just by ghost hunting.

Up to four players can play the game together, and you will be tasked with various challenges and objectives that you need to do to progress in this ghost-hunting thriller experience. You can do a variety of elements in Phasmophobia, such as going through the dark with just a flashlight in hand or talking to the dead using an Ouija Board.

The game’s graphics are also realistic, giving fans a close-to-reality ghost hunting extravaganza without the fear of being possessed. Phasmophobia deserves the No. 1 spot on our list and is undoubtedly the best horror multiplayer and co-op game available.