Horror video games tend to be scarier than movies, and that goes double for horror games in virtual reality. With the Meta Quest 2, players will feel as though they are really there in the thick of the story rather than in the safety of their living rooms. Formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2, the recent rebranding of its parent company has led to the Oculus moniker being dropped as well.
For those with the guts to play VR horror, there are plenty of options out there. Of course, VR is still in its baby stage, so players cannot expect titles comparable to survival horror giants like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Fatal Frame. However, the competent and well-reviewed horror games already available on the VR store shelves may surprise players. Gamers just need to make sure they know what they’re getting into with these terrifying VR titles.
Updated March 2, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Playing horror games in VR requires some real guts, as it increases the scare factor. However, it’s also possible for players to enjoy these games a lot. Horror titles can entice and captivate players if they don’t rely on cheap cliches, and makes a conscious effort to keep players engaged with smart storytelling and a slow build of tension. Horror games should be held to a high standard, and VR games are no exception to this golden rule.
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30 Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul
Meta Store Rating: 3.3
Paranormal Activity is a well-known horror movie series that most fans are pretty familiar with. The first movie used guerilla marketing, turning a huge profit that made people realize how much potential it had. It used the found footage gimmick to great effect and there are many reasons why so many people are huge fans of the series, even if later entries haven’t captured the magic of the original.
Taking on a classic horror game look and feel that most people have become quite familiar with, Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul is a decent video game that adds to this horror movie universe in its own way. It may not be a genre beater by any stretch of the imagination, but players looking for the quintessential classic horror game experience in VR will find this brief yet fun title to be right up their alley.
29 Face Your Fears 2
Meta Store Rating: 3.5
Face Your Fears 2 has players explore the creepy and abandoned Harvest House as they unravel the story of the history of the Harvest family. The game is rated T for teens, which makes it unique because most horror titles are rated M for mature. However, that does not mean the game is not scary. It is filled with jump-scares and a creepy atmosphere.
Fans enjoyed the game enough that they want the original title ported to the Meta Quest 2 as well. The original game is available on Gear VR and remains one of the best VR horror games around.
28 The Twilight Zone
Meta Store Rating: 3.7
The Twilight Zone is easily one of the most unique horror games out there. This game has a tendency to unnerve the player with its unique mechanics, which makes it such a fun game to check out in VR.
Players need only check out The Twilight Zone for themselves to understand why it’s one of the best Meta Quest 2 horror games. The mind-bending plot will keep gamers engaged till the very end, and fans will lament the fact that this title ends just when the story was getting so good.
27 Project Terminus VR
Meta Store Rating: 3.9
Project Terminus VR feels like a game inspired by Half-Life with the horror dialed up all the way to the max. Players will be jumping at the slightest of sounds and be absolutely terrified by the intensely oppressive atmosphere this game creates.
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While the game does have its fair share of combat, don’t be mistaken — Project Terminus VR prioritizes horror above everything else. The game wastes no time in letting players know that they’re anything but safe in this world, and that survival is not going to be easy in the slightest.
26 Affected: The Manor
Meta Store Rating: 3.9
Affected: The Manor is not for gamers looking to play for a story, but more for those who just want to get scared. The gameplay is a walking simulator focused on exploration and atmosphere. The end goal is to escape the manor.
The game has been updated with two gameplay modes. One is called The Gauntlet, which ranks players based on their speedrun times, and another is called The Darkness, which makes the manor have zero lights on and gives the player only a candle to see.
25 After The Fall
Meta Store Rating: 3.9
After the Fall
- Released
- December 6, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Vertigo Games
Fighting zombies is a common trope in VR games, and After the Fall is no exception. The setting features the city of Los Angeles being affected by an apocalypse that has coated the entire city in snow. If that wasn’t bad enough, zombies roam this land as well, forcing players to arm themselves and deal with the many threats this game throws at the player.
Players can play either with four players in co-op mode or brave the dangers of this game solo if they wish. The latter is bound to be a scarier experience, and players should try and get the strongest weapons to tackle these undead hordes with more confidence. Players who want to check out other modes can also try the 4v4 PvP, which can be pretty engaging if players are lucky enough to even get a full lobby, which is a rarity.
24 Blair Witch
Meta Store Rating: 4.0
On its own, Blair Witch is a fairly unremarkable horror title that didn’t really tread on any new ground. However, with the addition of VR, it easily becomes one of the most horrifying titles anyone can experience in this genre.
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The enhanced immersion of the Meta Quest 2 makes each and every step a tough one to take, as players try their hardest to avoid the horrors that haunt them in this game. It’s easily one of the best virtual reality horror games by a mile.
23 Drop Dead: The Cabin
Meta Store Rating: 4.0
Drop Dead: The Cabin is a co-op shooter where players have to fight waves upon waves of zombies. The premise may not be the most innovative, but it’s the challenging gameplay and horrifying nature of these zombies that make it such a treat to witness.
Every death is a learning experience while also allowing players to invest XP in their stats and level up their skills. Players can also try out round solo, which can be pretty challenging but adds to the horror experience since players feel truly alone instead of trying to survive with a friend.
22 The Exorcist: Legion
Meta Store Rating: 4.1
This adventure horror game comes in five chapters and has received rave reviews from publishers like Kotaku and GameCrate. The player takes the role of an exorcist and has to investigate demons and possessed people.
The game has everything horror, from jump scares to sudden darkness to upsetting sounds. The only complaints some players have put forward are a low frame rate and a couple of glitches. Some players on Steam even claimed to have returned the game for a refund because it was too scary for them to play.
21 Layers Of Fear
Meta Store Rating: 4.1
Layers of Fear
- Released
- February 16, 2016
Although it’s not just available in VR, Layers of Fear feels like it was meant to be experienced with the Meta Quest 2. However, it is a port, so it won’t have a lot of VR tricks to its mechanics. The game’s horror element is psychological, as the player takes on the role of a hallucinating painter exploring his own home. There are no monsters to shoot or places to hide. It is purely an explorative experience full of scares.
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The remake for this game also has its strengths — mainly in the form of updated visuals — but there’s a reason why many people questioned whether it even needs to exist. The original game is perfectly sufficient in the eyes of many, and the added layer of VR potentially makes it the best way to get immersed in this psychological horror title.
20 Zombie Bar Simulator
Meta Store Rating: 4.1
Not all horror games need to be jumpscare fests that scare players out of their wits. Sometimes, horror games can be amusing in their own way. Gamers will understand this after playing Zombie Bar Simulator. This game is one of the more unique titles for those who want to enjoy creepy VR games with a unique twist.
Players will have more of an incentive to not screw up the orders of their supernatural patrons as they try to keep their bar going at all costs. The cartoonish aesthetics and monstrous customers make Zombie Bar Simulator come to life. It’s the perfect game for players who don’t want to be jumpscared in the immersive medium of VR, and just want to enjoy a relatively easygoing title.
19 Hellsweeper VR
Meta Store Rating: 4.2
Players who want to check out a VR game that is reminiscent of Doom will love what Hellsweeper VR brings to the table. It can be unnerving to try and take out a wealth of demons from the Underworld, but players will get into the groove of this title in no time.
It helps that the roguelike structure adds a ton of replayability to the game, making every run feel worthwhile. Hellsweeper VR can be a bit creepy early on, but players will be slicing and dicing through their enemies in no time.
18 Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife
Meta Store Rating: 4.2
A unique aspect of this VR game is that the player is not in the role of a human, but a wraith attempting to figure out how they died. Players can move through walls, move objects at will from a distance, and track how other spirits move.
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Despite being undead, there still is much to fear in this game such as hostile spirits to avoid. The game avoids cheap jump scares and delves more into thick tension and long senses of dread.
17 Arizona Sunshine
Meta Store Rating: 4.2
Arizona Sunshine
- Publisher(s)
- Vertigo Games
- Developer
- Vertigo Games, Jaywalkers Interactive
Originally released in 2016, Arizona Sunshine is a typical zombie survival horror game. Many have called this title the VR game of its genre. It is a little heavier on the action than the horror, but it definitely can get the heart racing due to its intensity. Unlike other horror titles, this VR game does have a co-op mode as well.
Many players suggest getting the game at a discount since it’s a pretty generic zombie shooter. Still, it boasts great VR capabilities and the ability to play with friends.
16 Kobold: Chapter 1
Meta Store Rating: 4.2
Kobold is more of an experience than a game, but such is the nature of certain VR titles. Players are on a quest to find a missing boy, exploring an abandoned German mansion in a creepy forest. While the game is mostly cinematic, players can pick up clues and take their time to see as much as possible.
The game is short, taking up to an hour at most, and its beauty is in its atmosphere. It may be worth the journey for horror and mystery fans, but definitely not all gamers.
15 Wilson’s Heart
Meta Store Rating: 4.3
One of the best VR experiences on the Meta Quest 2, Wilson’s Heart is an amazing game that any owner of this device needs to check out for themselves. The immersive nature of this medium makes it ripe for a psychological horror experience that will keep players out of the loop till the very end, and Wilson’s Heart accomplishes this in spades.
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That being said, some players feel that the plot twist is pretty predictable, which can take away from the overall appeal of the game’s narrative. However, players who just want to see how a VR game can mess with a player and make them all the more confused in such an immersive medium will love Wilson’s Heart and its ambition.
14 Death Horizon: Reloaded
Meta Store Rating: 4.3
Sometimes, a classic zombie apocalypse is all it takes to help players live out the power fantasy of bashing in the skulls of the undead without a care in the world. However, despite its focus on bombastic action, it must be said that seeing a zombie charge at the player can be pretty unsettling.
The game’s climbing mechanics are a welcome surprise that adds more depth to the gameplay, and the best part is that players can enjoy this experience in co-op if they wish. All in all, Death Horizon: Reloaded is an excellent title that more players should check out if they’re starved for great VR games.
13 Jurassic World Aftermath
Meta Store Rating: 4.4
Out of all the horror titles on the Meta Quest 2, there’s no doubt that Jurassic World Aftermath is one of the more unique titles on this list. The first thing players will notice about this game is the cel-shaded art style and how it looks so striking in VR.
Of course, it’s the unending horror of the dinosaurs chasing players all over the map that makes Jurassic World Aftermath an excellent title. Fans of horror games will have plenty to enjoy with this short yet sweet experience.
12 Edge Of Nowhere
Meta Store Rating: 4.4
Unlike many other VR horror titles, Edge of Nowhere uses a third-person perspective. Players take on the role of a man searching for his missing fiancee in the harsh land of Antarctica. However, the world shifts into a place of monsters and madness fairly quickly.
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The game is a must-play for H.P. Lovecraft fans, as the game was inspired by his work, Mountains of Madness. Besides being a scary adventure, the game is gorgeous. Some reviews have criticized the game for poor controls but have still admitted it is one of their favorite VR titles.
11 Crashland
Meta Store Rating: 4.5
Crashland can be a pretty scary game because of how its monsters and enemies are designed, but players who manage to calm down and get used to these enemies will find their nerves of steel slowly building as the title progresses. The action in this game is great, and the light RPG elements add a sense of progression.
Given that VR games can be pretty short, players will be glad to know that Crashland is decently long. Some areas are challenging, requiring players to be more careful about how they approach certain challenging encounters. The combat is satisfying and easily the best part of the experience.
