The 10 Most ANTICIPATED Horror Games Coming in 2026
10 Most Anticipated Horror Games Coming in 2026
Welcome to MojoPlays and it’s only fitting that 2026 has the most Friday the 13ths, since we can’t wait for these games to make us play with the lights on, even in the daytime!
“Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5” (2026)
Whether you’re a fan of the mascot horror genre or not, there’s no denying the horror of Poppy Playtime that just gets more disturbing with each new entry. After narrowly surviving encounters with some of the facility’s most horrific creatures and diving deeper and deeper into the nightmare, it seems there’s no end to the torment at the hands of the Prototype, the sinister puppet pulling the strings behind the curtain. After the events of Chapter 4 leave the employee vulnerable and alone, along with the return of an enraged Huggy Wuggy out for revenge, the inevitable confrontation with the Prototype is looming closer than ever. With the most recent teaser hinting at a new monster roaming the halls and some kind of strange goo everywhere in what appears to be a medical facility, Chapter 5 has every possibility to be the most disturbing episode to date.
“Shark Dentist” (2026)
Going to the dentist is already a terrifying and stressful endeavor, but it’s not just humans that need a regular checkup. Shark Dentist is a roguelike that tasks players with cleaning, maintaining or fixing the teeth of the greatest predator in the open waters. Multitasking by keeping track of your tool set along with the anesthetic to keep the shark sedated (and keep your head) are the core gameplay loop and with each incision, the stress of your patient and your own make every choice quite literally life or death. Each new shark brings its own set of challenges and with limited resources, you might end up getting a closer look at your patient’s pearly whites than you intended. Thalassophobiaists need not apply.
“Darkwood 2” (2026)
Some of the best horror games don’t constantly rely on jump scares to get your blood pumping and instead slowly burn into your psyche, building tension and horror from presenting you with the unknown. This is the exact approach Darkwood took to its psychological survival horror, presenting players with a dark and foreboding forest and limited supplies while the layers of horror slowly reveal themselves the deeper into the darkness you find yourself. The sequel looks to build on these elements in a new location, with new horrors hiding in the shadows and even greater dangers that make surviving until the sun rises even more challenging. Even if you haven’t played the first game, which you absolutely should, Darkwood 2 beckons both seasoned veterans and newcomers to uncover the horrors of the forest. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the woods. Just kidding. It was never safe.
“The Occultist” (2026)
Horror likes to get up close and personal and that sentiment is not better exemplified than in The Occultist. While searching for your father on the seemingly abandoned island GodStone, your powers as an Occultist allow you to unravel the horrific past of the cult that once occupied the island and dive into the mystery of what led it to become abandoned by all but the most haunted souls. The atmospheric island hides many secrets and by exploring the many and increasingly unsettling locations, you’ll be presented with a series of puzzles to solve your father’s connection to the island and the key to your escape. With an oppressive atmosphere and your ability to see into the past alongside the increasingly aggressive apparitions determined to make the island your final resting place, The Occultist should provide more than enough scares to keep players awake at night.
“The Sinking City 2” (2026)
H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror universe has been terrifying fans for generations, but few have captured the true existential dread of his works the way The Sinking City did. The sequel brings players to the iconic city of Arkham, central to many of Lovecraft’s stories, and focuses more on the investigative side of survival horror than its many contemporaries. By interviewing the residents, you’ll begin to piece together the horrific nature of the city and its denizens while also trying to keep your sanity in check the deeper you go. That’s not to say there isn’t combat and the sequel offers numerous improvements to enemy encounters with a variety of weapon types and increasingly disturbing fiends to contend with. The city of Arkham is extremely atmospheric and detailed, hiding mysteries behind every corner, with every step bringing you closer to losing your grip on reality altogether.
“Liminal Point” (2026)
Retro inspired horror is experiencing a renaissance right now and Liminal Point looks to fill the void left by old school survival horror games and proudly wears its Resident Evil and Silent Hill inspirations on its blood-stained sleeve. Liminal Point modernizes many of these classic gameplay elements (puzzle solving, item management, limited resources) and tests the limits of their psyche as they unravel the mystery that called them back to the island where protagonist Lyra’s band met a horrific fate years earlier. As the horrors grow ever more terrifying and aggressive, the search for answers might not be worth the risk as each new location brings its own set of horrors and the mystery begins to reveal itself.
“Reanimal” (2026)
After leaving the Little Nightmares series behind, Tarsier Studios isn’t straying too far from their roots but are taking everything they learned from their previous iconic series and cranking up the disturbing and mysterious nature of Reanimal to the max. Guiding a pair of small children through an increasingly unsettling island as you search for the rest of your group, the horrors you see in front of you are only half the story. The disturbing setting and creature designs immediately put you on edge and with each new area, the threat of new nightmarish creatures relentlessly hunting you only increases. The ability to play the game in co-op can alleviate a bit of the tension but narrowly escaping each danger while relying on your partner will be the only chance you have to escape the island alive.
“ILL” (2026)
ILL is quickly shaping up to be one of the most disturbingly grotesque horror games of the entire generation. Exploring a long-abandoned research station, it’s not long until you find out why it was left to rot. Filled with some of the most disturbing and terrifying creatures that would make necromorphs turn and run, ILL is making the most out of the Unreal Engine 5 to create some of the most upsettingly realistic body horror creations ever put in a video game. With limited resources, your only options are either put yourself at risk and engage in close quarter melee combat or outsmart the abominations and escape the encounter entirely. ILL looks to continue the lineage of Dead Space with focus on dismemberment as all manner of limbs, tentacles and other body parts can be ripped from your enemies while you both scream in abject horror.
“Directive 8020” (2026)
Supermassive Games have built a reputation for player choice-driven survival horror, establishing themselves with Until Dawn and continuing that momentum with their Dark Pictures Anthology. Taking inspiration from films that defined the genre, Directive 8020 has the potential to be their most terrifying entry yet. After their ship crashes on a remote planet, a crew is forced to survive an unspeakable horror that has found them in the deepest parts of space and can become any member of the crew, making it impossible to tell who is human and who isn’t. Your choices will determine not only if you make it out alive, but also the fate of your crew as you decide who to trust and which members are who they say they are. With elements of everything from Alien to The Thing, and even Event Horizon, the empty void of space is the least of your problems.
“Resident Evil Requiem” (2026)
If the statements made by Capcom are to be believed, it’s all been leading to this. 30 years of horror culminating in one last terrifying tale of survival against zombies, horrific mutations, and greedy, evil pharmaceutical companies. With the quality of the latest Resident Evil games increasing with every entry as well as the ability to play in either third or first person alongside newcomer Grace Ashcroft, there’s no telling what kind of twisted horrors Capcom has waiting in what is expected to be the final installment in the current timeline of the long running and highly influential survival horror series. Thankfully, Capcom has kept most of the story details under wraps and with a new protagonist taking her first steps into the Resident Evil universe, there’s sure to be countless callbacks, cameos and Easter Eggs for longtime fans to uncover, while also providing a fresh perspective for newcomers to the granddaddy of survival horror.
Which game are you most looking forward to scaring the pants off you in 2026? Share your future trauma in the comments.
