It’s often thought that being lonely makes things scarier, and while that may be true, video games have proved that tackling horrific obstacles is a lot of fun with friends. There’s a special alchemy that happens when ahorror game delivers a good scarethat sends ear-piercing screams through the voice chat.
Whether it’s launching a ghost hunting operation with your pals or exploring horrifying labyrinths full of beasts better left unseen, these games lean into the fun and terror of 4 player co-op to deliver genuinely unforgettable experiences.
As one of the first games that launched the ongoing trend of co-operative horror games that are one part comedy, one part terror,Phasmophobiais a modern classic for PC gamers around the world. Taking the role of ghost hunters placed into a series of ominous locations, the players must determinewhat kind of horriftying ghostthey are dealing with before the ghost gets them.
While the premise is quite simple, the game thrives on an immersive atmosphere, and with novel mechanics such as detecting drops in temperature or localized voice chat (which has become a staple of the subgenre)Phasmophobiais amazing fun for horror veterans and scaredy-cats alike.
What started off as a relatively humble asymmetric multiplayer game — where one player is the killer and the others are the survivors — has emerged as one of the most popular multiplayer games to this day. With a whole horde of new killers and characters taken from all over horror media (and surely many more iconic characters to come),Dead By Daylighthas somehow managed to become the multiversal home of all things horror.
Whether you want to play as one of the game’s many killers and get your thrills from stalking the survivors, or you want to outwit a monster with nothing but your skill and expertise,Dead By Daylightdelivers with a surprisingly in-depth narrative to boot.
Everyone knows the feeling of getting lost in a maze. The first feeling is panic, and the second is not knowing whether escape is ever possible.Labyrinthinetakes that feeling and injects it with weapons-grade steroids.
Playing with a crew of friends, the players must navigate their way through a maze that, on the surface, seems safe — until one of the game’s many unique horrific monsters come calling. Armed with little else but wits and a strong sense of direction, the players must escape before the monster haunting the halls decides its time for them to leave the maze for good.
Killing Floor2is the definitive zombie horde shooter, so much so that it has effectively become the de facto horde mode game. Taking the role of several seasoned zombie slayers, players are dropped into a lovingly rendered map where hordes of zombies will soon pile out and wreak havoc.
Taking the zombie variety from the likes ofLeft 4 Deadand pairing it with the co-operative map-based thrills of the Zombies mode from theCall of Dutygames,Killing Floor 2scratches a sweet spot that few other games do and makes itselfone of the best available shootersin the process. Players seeking blood drenched mayhem should look no further.
One of the many thingsSons of the Forestdoes brilliantly is organic horror moments. There are no major jump scares or musical stings. When the strange cannibals and mutants of the island find a player’s friend, the only clue will be their scream. So,best stock up on those all-important items, because there’s no such thing as safety on the island.
With incredibly in-depth AI systems and some truly terrifying moments,Sons of the Foresttakes everything that made its predecessor great and turns it up to 11. With friends, maybe the player just about stands a chance against the ever-growing hordes of cannibals that like the cut of the player’s jib.
As one of the prime examples of the new horror-comedy co-operative subgenre,Lethal Companytakes everything that games likePhasmophobiaandLabyrinthinedo and turns it toward sci-fi shennanigans with friends.
Tasked by a corporate overlord to investigate a series of frightening moons (and even more fantastic moons with mods) for whatever goodies remain unclaimed, players must coordinate and keep an eye on each other, because with localized voice chat, if a comrade disappears, the only clue that something’s gone awry is their silence. It’s a bizarrely terrifying and hilarious experience in equal measure that needs to be played to be believed.
WhereLeft 4 Deadlaid the groundwork for one of the greatest zombie horror games of all time,Left 4 Dead 2perfected the formula. Ideally played with four friends, the game sees the player take the role of a seasoned zombie survivor as they make their way through terrifying levels full of fearsome zombies waiting in the wings to lunge when least expected.
The sheer replayability of Valve’s original campaign, in addition tothe plethora of custom levels and hordes of mods, makeLeft 4 Dead 2a firm favorite more than a decade after its release. Its gunplay is satisfying, the team dynamics are hilarious, and there’s no feeling quite like making it into the safe room with a Tank barreling down on the group.
In movies where experts in their field descend into the unknown, they’re usually hyper competent and ready for any challenge. So, what if a game allowed a bunch of numbskulls to plumb the depths of a horrifying ocean planet where Eldritch abominations await? Nothing good. Enter:Barotrauma.
Four players or more must find a way to work cohesively as a team,embodying their individual and essential roles, to get a lumbering hulk of a submarine across the depths of the ocean. Good communication is key, but let’s be honest, when things go to hell as they inevitably will, the panic and domino effect of catastrophe after catastrophe make the ventures into the digital deep some of the most fun horror games have to offer.
