9 Co-op Horror Games That Don’t Rely On Cheap Scares

Whether it’s a lovely Halloween night or just a random weekend where you and your crew feel like testing your nerves (and fears), there’s nothing quite like diving into a good co-op horror game together, right?

However, today we’re not talking about just any horror title, but only those that make everyone’s palms sweat for the right reasons, and not because of cheap jump scares and predictable scary moments.

Don’t get me wrong, we all love an intense jump scare once in a while, but when a horror game manages to build tension with its atmosphere or mechanics alone, it’s something else – especially when it’s a cooperative experience, since the best way to face (or run from) your fears is with a friend.

So, grab your bravest friends (or the ones you’re willing to sacrifice) and get ready, because we made a selection of 9 great co-op horror games that prove true terror doesn’t need cheap jump scares to keep you on edge.

9

Little Nightmares III

Play It If You Need Some Hand Holding (Literally)

Ever since I played Little Nightmares for the first time, I couldn’t stop thinking about how even more incredible it would be if the experience had a co-op mode. Fast-forward almost a decade (I’m feeling a bit old), and Little Nightmares III finally makes that dream a reality.

And it’s pretty much how I imagined it would be back then! It keeps basically everything that made us come to love this weird (and terrifyingly cute) universe, where its atmosphere-building is so intense that it is almost like a character on its own.

That leads us to practically zero jump scares, since progressing through each room makes you brace for encountering a bizarre creature or an unsettling environment.

To sum up, it is a lovely and unpretentious horror experience to share with a friend, but it is kind of short and limited when compared to other contenders on this list, so it earns the last spot.

8

Resident Evil 5

Punching Boulders And Killing Infected Together

Really, what’s more terrifying than punching a giant boulder with your bare hands, right? Jokes aside, Resident Evil 5 might be one of Capcom’s most divisive entries in the series, but I have to admit – it completely won me over thanks to its shared experience.

For better or for worse (depending on the point of view), the game sure leans much more into action than traditional survival horror, so you won’t have to worry about random jump scares every five minutes.

Instead, it basically delivers tension through chaos, teamwork, and those classic over-the-top moments that only Resident Evil can pull off. Still, don’t be fooled, it sure has plenty of creepy moments, such as the intro where Chris and Sheva accidentally alert an entire horde of parasite-infected villagers (I still have nightmares over this one).

So, yeah, it may not be the scariest game in the franchise, but it’s entertaining enough for horror fans to grab the 8th spot on this list.

7

Remnant II

The Perfect Co-Op Chaos

Just like the previous entry on this list, Remnant II is also a nice pick for anyone who loves a shooter that balances horror and action – with a quite generous dose of boss fights (which, I’ll admit, are totally my weakness).

At its core, it is basically a co-op shooter wrapped in a quite disturbingly obscure atmosphere, set in a post-apocalyptic world where grotesque creatures (many of them way too large for comfort, I must add) roam freely as humanity fights to survive.

So, with up to two other friends by your side, you are set to explore a sequence of worlds that constantly push you into new and unsettling environments. And each location offers a glimpse into a civilization on the edge of collapse, which can send shivers down your spine.

Since it delivers a solid blend of horror and action, but other contenders dive even deeper into the scary side, Remnant II claims a well-deserved 7th place.

6

Hunt: Showdown 1896

Mud, Mosquitos, And Existential Terror

Developed by the creators of Crysis, Hunt: Showdown 1896 is probably one of the most intriguing extraction shooters I have come across so far.

It basically combines the main particularities of the genre, such as high-stakes teamwork and PvP tension, and places them in an immersive, slow-burn horror setting, where the atmosphere is so intense you feel like it could swallow you whole at any moment.

With up to two friends, you must prepare to hunt monstrous bosses, claim some bounties, and try to extract safely – if you can survive long enough, that is!

However, I must warn that the game features a steep and quite brutal learning curve, and its current player base is mostly seasoned veterans. That makes it less suited to the casual “pick-up-and-play style”, which is usually common in co-op horror, which is why it lands at 6th place.

5

Project Zomboid

The Sims Meets The End Of The World

One day, a friend described Project Zomboid to me as “The Sims with zombies,” and I didn’t quite get it – until I finally played it. It really does feel like a simulator of what the beginning of a zombie apocalypse would actually be like, with “freedom” as its main pillar.

Despite its rather simple top-down perspective, the game manages to deliver genuinely tense and terrifying moments. You’re literally thrown into an open world with no guidance and have to find a way to look for supplies, improve your skills, find weapons, and basically desperately try to survive. You’ll get what I mean when you face your first massive horde. Trust me!

The best part is that you don’t have to face this challenging experience alone and can team up with friends to share the chaos, with literally hundreds of hours of content to explore (and to get scared, of course).

It’s a totally worthwhile experience, and it gets the 5th spot mainly because its open-world survival approach makes it a bit more niche.

4

Lethal Company

Laughing And Dying Together In Space

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I love recommending Lethal Company because it is the kind of horror game that you can suggest even to people who don’t usually like horror, and they’ll probably still have a blast – that’s why it’s 4th on our list.

It is basically a co-op experience about scavenging scrap from abandoned moons to sell to “The Company”, and its clunky mechanics and intentionally rough visuals somehow make it both creepy and hilarious.

Atmosphere is pretty much everything here, and sometimes, the scariest thing is the silence itself due to the fear of not knowing what’s lurking around the corner (since it could be a massive creature), so the game prioritizes teamwork and tension over jump scares.

3

Back 4 Blood

Only Four Survivors, But Infinite Screams

As a lovely throwback to the legacy of the classic Left 4 Dead franchise, Back 4 Blood is an awesome and fun way to get scared by vampires – and with your friends by your side.

And it’s not a throwback only due to the fact that it was made by the same creators at Turtle Rock Studios, but also because it perfectly recaptures that same tense atmosphere and endless waves of enemies we all know and love.

Sure, it might have a few scares when facing the bigger, nastier enemies, but most of the tension comes from the action itself, since the gory gameplay, the chaotic environments, and the loud, panicked screams (of teammates and monsters, obviously) are what really intensify the experience.

2

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Family Dinner Has Never Been So Terrifying

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I have always had a soft spot for asymmetrical multiplayer games, especially the horror ones – and when that formula meets a legendary horror franchise from cinema? Even better!

That’s exactly what The Texas Chain Saw Massacre delivers. For me, it arrived just in time to fill the void left by Friday the 13th: The Game when it shut down its servers (may it rest in peace), offering a new brutal playground of terror and teamwork.

Here, three players take control of Leatherface and his twisted family, while four others desperately try to escape (with all their limbs still attached, preferably). The result is a perfect blend of intense chases, destructible environments, and a lot of tension.

And while you can jump in with random players, nothing beats getting a full group of friends together to scream, laugh, and betray each other, right?! So a nice 2nd place for this one.

1

Phasmophobia

Gather Your Scooby Gang!

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Taking the top spot, Phasmophobia stands as a must-play co-op horror experience, and for very good reasons.

With up to three friends by your side, you take on the role of ghost investigators, entering haunted houses to uncover what kind of spirit lurks within. And you basically have to go through all of this without much guidance from the game – and that’s its main charm.

And it isn’t about cheap scares; it’s about tension and psychological fear, blending puzzle-solving with atmospheric horror so that every investigation feels like a mix of strategy and sheer panic when the ghosts start hunting you down.

So it is basically perfect to reunite some friends and pretend you’re a new Scooby-Doo gang, making it the best co-op horror experience you can play right now that’s more than just a few cheap scares cobbled together. .