Scary movies have been a fan-favorite way to pass the time since the beginning of cinema, so it’s no surprise that horror is also a popular genre for video games. Virtual reality headsets offer an avenue for even more realistic frights, which often makes it scarier than playing a horror game on your console or PC.
There are a plethora of unique horror games you can find on the Oculus Quest — some totally new, while others are ports of regular games. If you’re looking for a fright, then you can look no further than these awesome experiences.
Updated September 25, 2023 By Matthew Mckeown: Horror games are always better in VR. Without that separation of the screen, it’s incredibly easy to get immersed and it makes those spooky scares much more impactful as it feels like they’re coming right at you.
Though you’re obviously never in any real peril, in the moment you forget and it makes it all the more exciting and adrenaline-fuelled. There are a lot of great virtual reality games out there with big scares, but it can be time-consuming to find the right one. So here’s an updated look at some of the best horror games on the Oculus Quest.
28 Hellsweeper
Descend into the depths of hell and clear out legions of demons with Hellsweeper from Mixed Realms. This fast-paced horror FPS has you traversing the traps, perils, and pitfalls of the underworld. Layer by layer you’ll venture down, with the hordes of hellish minions standing in your way only getting stronger.
To send these damned souls screaming back into the darkness you have holsters filled with all sorts of unique and exotic weaponry. There are also magical skills and abilities, Co-Op, and your own Hellhound that yes, you can pet. If you’re looking for more action-orientated scares, then Hellsweeper is worth trying out.
27 Horror Bar VR
Run a hilarious horror-themed bar for numerous undead and monstrous patrons in Horror Bar VR. This gruesomely fun game from VR Factory is a bar simulator with a twist, in that you’re running a speakeasy for Ghoulish customers and it comes with several methods to serve drinks and food that you’ll need to master fast.
From deep fat finger fryers to face-grabbing seafood, new dishes to throw together from the prep trays filled with body parts and other stomach-turning ingredients. Just make sure what you serve doesn’t escape the plate first. Earn cash for unlocks and items, and set yourself up as the number one undead eatery in Horror Bar VR.
26 Killer Frequency
A VR room manager game with a twist, Killer Frequency from Team17 lets you live out your shock-jock in a small burg dream as you try to help the residents of this sleepy hamlet escape a classic 80’s horror movie Slasher villain. From your booth, you’ll have to take calls from your listeners and help them the best way you can using the tools and items at your disposal.
Such as directing someone through a maze while the Slasher Villain is right behind them with a map only you can see. Or the old horror cliche of having to advise on how to jump-start a car with a step-by-step manual whilst the resident psychopath is nearby. It’s full of neat little touches like this that really dive into the horror genre and fans of it will get an absolute kick out of. If you love your tropes and 80’s synth, then Killer Frequency is for you.
25 Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife
A unique twist on the classic VR Haunted House game. In Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife from Fast Travel Games, you play the resident ghoul. After dying in a seance at the Barclay Mansion, you reawaken as a restless Wraith. Bound to the building, you’ll need to find out the mystery behind your death.
Lurking around those darkened halls though are demonic Spectres and other strange monsters. But to give them a good whack you have a range of Wraith abilities that will let you move through walls, manipulate objects, and track other Ghouls around the Barclay Mansion.
24 Inverse
An Early Access asymmetrical horror game, Inverse is a blend of Dead By Daylight and Phasmophobia with a bright neon coat of paint. You work for The Foundation (no not that one), and after a door is opened to another dimension the world becomes flooded with supernatural creatures.
To combat them, The Foundation sends out Agents. This is a team of four players who have to reactivate a control terminal by restoring power to the wrecked machines. Hunting them down though is another player in the role of the Nul monster, a corrupting creature that can easily shred the squad in seconds. Work together or go it alone, just get those terminals back online quickly.
23 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
This is a perfect example of a major horror brand making the leap to your VR headset. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners fits neatly among other survival horror games on this list, seeing you craft weapons and items and then trying to navigate the ringing of New Orleans’ tower bells, which unleashes a horde of Walkers hungry for your brains.
Given the world of The Walking Dead is already significantly established, there’s a meaty story to get involved with in Saints & Sinners. You’re a tourist to The Big Easy, and it’s a classic case of wrong place, wrong time. However, it leads to an opportunity to uncover great resources from an old military bunker. And if you’re enamored by the gameplay, there’s a direct sequel you can play through that really ramps up the tension and continues the plot.
22 Please, Don’t Touch Anything
A VR port of a classic pixels-and-text indie game, Please, Don’t Touch Anything comes with a really fascinating premise. You’re left in charge of a computer console as your colleague heads to the bathroom, with strict instructions not to hit the giant red button in front of you. How long can you resist the temptation? We’re willing to say ‘not very long indeed’.
This leads to a brain-bending, psychologically intense puzzle game, in which your presses lead to different consequences. Do you blow up an entire town, or is it all in your head? It’s not horror in the classic sense of the word, but it certainly leaves you with some of the mental scars that come with the genre.
21 Drop Dead: The Cabin
Drop Dead: The Cabin slots neatly into the list of titles that see you face waves upon waves of zombies, and it’s great fun in the process. Following on from its predecessor, Drop Dead: Dual Strike Edition, it’s what you’d get if you crossed the extraction gameplay of Escape From Tarkov with Call of Duty: Zombies. There’s action, and then there’s Drop Dead.
Starting in the aforementioned cabin, you have a great deal of freedom in how you escape to safety. It’s a stylish game that is both mechanically intense and light-hearted in tone, which makes for a great mix. One of the best aspects of this game is that you can also play co-op with a friend too, for even more action-fueled mayhem.
20 Cosmodread
Cosmodread features an intense campaign, along with a scary environment. You’re stranded on a spaceship and need to make your way back to Earth, but it isn’t going to be a piece of cake. You’ll need to fight alien horrors that await you in the dark, all while searching for supplies that’ll allow you to win each fight.
What sets Cosmodread apart from other horror games like it is its procedurally generated levels. Each time you play, you’ll be in a completely different layout with new rooms and hallways. This mechanic grants Cosmodread unlimited replayability, as you never know exactly how a playthrough is going to go.
19 Crashland
Crashland is a horror game that’s worth considering if you want to explore the deepest corners of the universe. You’ll get to adventure to a hostile planet, where many dangers await you. What makes Crashland so horrifying are the types of creatures you’ll encounter on the planet.
Enemies such as terror birds and giant worms litter the various biomes in Crashland, and you’ll have to use guns to defeat them. If you want to survive until others come to rescue you, then you’ll need to take advantage of the combat system and face the horrors of the planet head-on to eventually escape to safety.
18 The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is a different type of horror game than what you may be used to. There are three episodes to experience, each with its own theme. You’ll get to experience the stories of a video game director, a post-apocalyptic survivor, and even an alien captive as each faces different things.
If you enjoy episodic games that feature a story, then you’ll enjoy The Twilight Zone. There are even combat and stealth mechanics, so the terrifying and interesting scenarios you’ll experience include multiple types of gameplay. With so much to see, The Twilight Zone is definitely worth playing for horror fans.
17 After The Fall
Los Angeles is a location on most people’s traveling list, but exploring it as a snow-covered wasteland infested with zombies likely isn’t how you saw your vacation going. In After The Fall, you’ll get to experience true fear by fighting the undead enemies thrown at you with a variety of weapons in a fun campaign.
You can play After The Fall as a solo adventure, or jump into it with up to three friends using the exciting co-op mode. There aren’t many horror games that take place in the snow, so After The Fall isn’t only a scary experience, but it’s also one of a kind due to its setting.
16 Into The Radius
In Into The Radius, you’ll explore a location called the Blighted Zone. Your goal is to find your way out of the radius, which is quite a difficult task since you need to make your way to the center of it first. There are many scary enemies and anomalies awaiting you on your journey, and defeating them is essential to survival, so you need to utilize the guns given to you to the best of your ability.
There are many ways to defeat the horrifying enemies within the Blighted Zone, including both a direct combat or stealth approach. You’ll need to plan your path across the map if you want to survive, so Into The Radius is a fantastic game for those who enjoy planning out their adventure.
15 Arizona Sunshine
Arizona Sunshine is one of the brightest horror games you’ll ever play. Taking place in Arizona, you’ll get to experience a massive zombie apocalypse. You’ll need to use the weapons the game provides you with to fight hordes of zombies and escape each situation alive, which is easier said than done.
The campaign is lengthy, and you can play the Horde Mode once you finish it for extra zombie-fighting action. Play with a friend using the co-op feature, or face the dangers of the Wasteland alone for an even scarier experience. If you like zombies or horror games in general, then Arizona Sunshine is sure to be a spooky delight.
14 Jurassic World: Aftermath
Jurassic World: Aftermath offers exactly what you’d expect from such a title. Quick dinosaurs await you on your adventure, which includes gaining information from the location and finding a way to return home. Dinosaurs in the modern world are a scary concept in itself, but having to survive against them while they’re chasing you down is just terrifying.
Velociraptors are the primary dinosaur you’ll encounter, and they’re quite mean, to say the least. Solving puzzles to survive is key in Jurassic World: Aftermath, so it’s also a fantastic option if you like suspenseful or puzzle games.
13 Dread Halls
Dread Halls drops you directly into a massive dungeon, and you have to explore it to survive. However, it lacks something that other horror games often include, which is the ability to attack your enemies. You may not be capable of fighting your enemies head-on, but you can use stealth as a substitute to hide and survive.
You’ll get a light to hold throughout your journey, but it’s dim and not a replacement for a fully lit building. If you’re looking for a dark and scary location to explore in virtual reality, then Dread Halls should be the next stop on your list.
12 Drop Dead: Dual Strike Edition
Drop Dead: Dual Strike Edition allows you to fight hordes of the undead from the comfort of your living room. This game is perfect if you want a sense of horror without the seriousness of your survival being at stake. Drop Dead isn’t quite as scary as some other horror games. Instead, it’s a more light-hearted take that’ll still leave you screaming when many zombies swarm you all at once.
The combat in Drop Dead is top-notch due to the ability to manipulate the zombie’s limbs and fight up-close using melee weapons. Dual-wielding weapons is also an option. You can even play with your friends due to the multiplayer co-op system.
11 Death Horizon: Reloaded
Death Horizon: Reloaded is a fantastic take on the zombie outbreak genre. You’ll be fighting for your life inside a laboratory that has seen the outbreak of a new disease that’s turning humans into the living dead. The atmosphere in Death Horizon is spooky, and it mixes action with horror superbly.
One of the features that help Death Horizon: Reloaded stand out is its wide array of ways to interact with the environment. For example, you can climb pipes and hold onto ropes throughout the laboratory, which gives you a sense of truly being in your environment.
10 Affected: The Manor
Affected: The Manor is one of the simpler horror games on the Oculus Quest, so it’s perfect for showing your friends just how scary VR games can be, but only if they can handle it. The controls in Affected are basic, and there are many objectives to complete; however, the location will make you more scared than you’ve ever been due to its atmosphere.
Outside experiencing the terrifying base game, you can also play The Darkness and The Gauntlet for even more bone-chilling content. Affected is the best horror game on the Oculus Quest if you enjoy sitting back and letting the experience terrify you.
9 Layers Of Fear VR
Exploring a Victorian mansion has never been scarier than in Layers Of Fear. In this VR game, you get to jump inside the mind of a painter and experience many of the things that go on in his brain.
The visions and other experiences will shock you to your core simply because of how unique and unexpected they are to horror fans. Layers Of Fear is perfect for players that want to experience a psychedelic horror game with everything it entails.