There’s something fun about experiencing terror and being scared together. Playing horror games alone can be really intense, but when you add friends, it becomes a mix of fear and laughter. Let’s look at ten of the best co-op horror games you can play with friends right now, from zombie shooters to ghost-hunting adventures!
Table of Contents
10. Dead Island 2
| Release Date | April 21st, 2023 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series XS, and PC |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 1 – 3 players co-op |
Dead Island 2 is back, and it’s all about fun zombie-smashing action. The game doesn’t try to change the zombie genre, but it does a great job of being entertaining. It’s best played in co-op with up to two friends, where you can team up and cause chaos together. The game’s gore system is detailed — zombies can be burned, sliced, and their flesh breaks down in realistic ways. Weapons all feel different, and you can use the environment to set traps for zombies, adding more ways to fight.
What really makes it fun is the simple joy of taking down zombies with friends in a bright California setting. The sunny beaches and palm trees make a cool backdrop for all the chaos. If you want a game where you can hang out and destroy zombies together, Dead Island 2 is a great pick.
9. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
| Release Date | August 18, 2023 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox XS, Xbox One, and PC |
| Cross-Platform | Yes |
| Players | 4v3 asymmetrical multiplayer |
Watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie was one of the most traumatizing experiences for me, but surprisingly, the game is actually fun to play. Despite the intense and terrifying atmosphere, teaming up with friends and trying to survive together turns it into an enjoyable and thrilling adventure.
The game’s map is the same house from the original film, carefully recreated with lots of detail that horror fans will notice. As survivors, you and your friends need to work together to explore the area, find ways out, and avoid Leatherface and his creepy family.
Talking and planning with your team is super important. Sticking together gives you a better shot at escaping. This is a great co-op horror game, especially for fans of the movie who’ve wondered if they could survive the Sawyer family’s nightmare.
8. Devour
| Release Date | January 28th, 2021 |
| Platforms | PC and Mac |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 1 – 4 players co-op |
For a scary co-op game that won’t break the bank, Devour is a great choice. It only costs five dollars and has become popular on Steam for a good reason. In Devour, you and up to three friends have to stop an evil ritual by finding and collecting items hidden around creepy maps. But while you search, demons and cultists will hunt you down. The maps change every time you play, so it always feels different and keeps things scary.
What makes Devour fun is how it mixes teamwork with panic. When a demon shows up, everyone starts running in fear, trying to stick to the plan — which is both funny and scary. The demons will give you nightmares, but at least you are not alone!
7. Call of Duty: Zombies
| Release Date | Various (2008 – present) |
| Platforms | PC, Xbox, and PlayStation |
| Cross-Platform | Varies by title |
| Players | 1 – 4 players co-op |
Call of Duty’s Zombies mode isn’t a full game, but it’s become one of the most popular co-op horror experiences out there. This small extra feature has turned into a big reason why some people actually buy Call of Duty games. The idea is simple — you and up to three friends fight off waves of zombies that get harder over time.
As you play, you can unlock new areas, buy stronger weapons, and discover strange and interesting stories hidden in the game. It’s easy to pick up and play. The teamwork in this game is so fun — few things beat standing side by side with your friends, trying to survive as zombies come at you from all directions.
6. Demonologist
| Release Date | February 6th, 2023 |
| Platforms | PC |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 1 – 4 players co-op |
Demonologist lets you and up to three friends play as ghost hunters, working together to find and exorcise evil spirits from haunted places. It’s similar to Phasmophobia but adds a deeper exorcism system that makes the co-op gameplay more intense and actually, scarier.
What makes Demonologist stand out is how the ghosts react to what you say — the wrong words can make them attack. This means you and your team have to talk carefully and plan what to say when dealing with spirits, adding a tense social element to the game. You also earn money from successful exorcisms, which you can use to upgrade your safe house, buy better gear, or even get pets that stay with you between missions.
5. Phasmophobia
| Release Date | September 18th, 2020 |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox XS, and VR |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 1 – 4 players co-op |
Phasmophobia became a surprise hit in 2020 and still scares players until today. You and up to three friends play as ghost hunters, trying to figure out what kind of ghost is haunting each location. What makes Phasmophobia different is that it uses real voice recognition, just like Demonologist. The ghosts can hear what you say and react to it. This leads to truly scary moments.
Teamwork is very important here. You need to collect clues together to figure out the type of ghost. It’s best to go in without looking things up since the unexpected scares are part of the fun. Few things are as funny and scary as hearing a friend scream over the mic when a ghost starts hunting and everyone runs for their lives.
4. Dead by Daylight
| Release Date | June 14th, 2016 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox XS, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mobile |
| Cross-Platform | Yes |
| Players | 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer |
This is one of the most popular asymmetrical horror games, with a huge player base that keeps growing until now. In Dead by Daylight, four survivors work together to escape, while one player hunts them down as the killer.
The game features famous characters from horror franchises like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Scream, and Nightmare on Elm Street. New updates and content keep things fresh, with thousands of players jumping into matches every day. The gameplay is that survivors must repair five generators and open an exit gate to escape, which is very hard to do alone. Talking with friends through voice chat in this game helps a lot.
3. Resident Evil 5
| Release Date | March 5th, 2009 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 2 players co-op |
The fifth entry from the Resident Evil series leans more into action, but it still has plenty of scary moments. What makes it special is that it’s designed for co-op play from start to finish. You and a friend team up to fight through a creepy village filled with infected enemies, creating a tense survival horror experience similar to Resident Evil 4. As the story goes on, things get wild. By the end of the game, you’re fighting the main villain, Albert Wesker, in a volcano and even punching boulders, a scene fans still talk about today.
The co-op feels natural, with both players needing to share ammo and health, watch each other’s backs, and solve puzzles together. Even though it’s an older game, Resident Evil 5 is still one of the best co-op horror games that is even better to be played with your friend.
2. The Outlast Trials
| Release Date | May 23rd, 2024 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox XS, Xbox One, and PC |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 1 – 4 players co-op |
The Outlast Trials takes the horror series in a new direction by adding co-op gameplay and setting the story during the Cold War. Unlike the first two games where you can only play alone, this time you can team up with up to three friends. You will play as the test subject trapped in creepy and unethical experiments that feel like something out of the Saw movie. You can’t fight back, but now you have some tools to distract or slow down the enemies.
What makes this interesting is that you can either help your friends or betray them to save yourself. The mix of teamwork and backstabbing keeps things tense and unpredictable. The Outlast Trials brings a fresh co-op twist to horror games while keeping the intense creepy atmosphere that fans expect.
1. Left 4 Dead 2
| Release Date | November 17th, 20009 |
| Platforms | Xbox 360, Mac, and PC |
| Cross-Platform | No |
| Players | 1 – 4 players co-op |
Left 4 Dead 2 is a classic for a reason and still stands as one of the best co-op horror games ever made. This zombie shooter from Valve set the standard for the horde-style games that many others have tried to copy. The idea is simple — you and three friends fight through waves of zombies to reach safe rooms across different campaigns. But what keeps the game exciting is its AI Director, which changes enemy spawns, item locations, and special infected based on how well your team is doing, so no two games feel the same.
Special infected enemies have unique abilities that force players to stick together and help each other. Teamwork and communication are very important in this game, especially on harder difficulties or in Versus mode, where some players become the special infected.
Even though it’s an older game, Left 4 Dead 2 is still going strong thanks to a huge modding community that adds new maps, weapons, and skins. Players are still waiting for a game that truly captures its magic, but nothing has quite topped it. If you want a great co-op horror experience with your friends, this game is still one of the best choices out there.
That’s the complete list of the ten best co-op horror games you can play with your friends! Each game offers something different, from the teamwork and ghost hunting in Phasmophobia to the wild, action-packed fights in Resident Evil 5. So call your friends this weekend, turn off the lights, and get ready for some gaming nights full of scares, laughs, and moments you won’t forget!
