Horror games can be pretty stressful if you're playing alone, but bringing some friends along can help ease the tension. Playing creepy co-op games with a group is one of the best ways to get into the spooky season mood, and luckily there are a ton of great options out there.

Even if your group's not in the mood for straight-up horror, there are plenty of horror-adjacent games that are still creepy in their own right. You'd be surprised how unsettling some games can be if you look in the right places. 

Below are some of the creepiest co-op games you can play with friends this Halloween—all available on the Epic Games Store.

Dead by Daylight

A modern classic, Dead by Daylight has grown from a small asymmetrical multiplayer experiment to a bonafide horror hall of fame. In addition to a roster of terrifying original killers, you can take control of horror icons like Michael Myers, Leatherface, the Xenomorph, and more.

Playing as a killer is a strictly solo affair, however, so you'll have to queue as a survivor if you want to play Dead by Daylight with a group. There are several iconic survivors on the game's roster as well, including characters from Stranger Things and Saw—and even non-horror crossovers like Tokyo Ghoul and Dungeons & Dragons, so there's something for everyone to enjoy.

 

Dying Light: The Beast

One of the best zombie series of the last decade, Dying Light is a blast with friends. Dying Light: The Beast just launched as a standalone adventure, but you can start with any of the Dying Light games and have a great time.

Parkour is the heart and soul of the series, and no other game has been able to recreate the feeling of flying across rooftops and nailing tricky jumps over hordes of undead. You'll need those parkour skills to survive the night, as deadly Volatiles come out of hiding and chase down anyone who doesn't make it back to shelter before the sun sets. If you brave the night, however, you'll be rewarded with extra XP and materials. It's a huge risk—but the rewards are worth it if you're nimble enough.

 

Remnant II

For all the Soulslike fans out there, Remnant II is a great creepy choice for your next game night. With procedurally-generated maps, you can run through Remnant II's zones several times without things getting stale. It's encouraged, even, as you'll find new gear and random drops every time.

While you can play it solo, Remnant II really shines with a squad. Bosses are much easier to take down with friends, and you can work together to cover any weak spots in each other's builds. It can be punishing even as a group, but Remnant II rewards you for sticking with it.

 

The Outlast Trials

Outlast is one of the scariest horror franchises out there, and The Outlast Trials brings those scares to a co-op setting. You and a group of friends will face a series of terrifying trials without many means to fight back, resulting in scream-filled voice chats and hilarious moments for your squad.

Teamwork is a necessity to survive The Outlast Trials. More often than not, one of you will have to distract an enemy with a chase while the others work on a puzzle. Fail to work together, and you simply won't survive. The Outlast Trials is tense, stressful, and a ton of fun with friends.

 

World War Z

If you're not into stressful games, then you can unwind and mow down endless hordes of zombies (or Zekes) in World War Z. Based on the book and film of the same name, World War Z is a co-op shooter that takes you and your friends on missions around the globe.

Each area is visually distinct with unique combat encounters and arenas, and there are some truly jaw-dropping setpiece moments where massive waves of zombies come together to climb walls or break into buildings. You won't have to work that hard to convince your friends to try this one out.

 

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction

Rainbow Six is known for tense, tactical gameplay, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction brings that deliberate pacing into a horror setting. Based on a popular Halloween event from Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Rainbow Six Extraction sends the same operators into infected areas crawling with alien creatures.

The methodical room-clearing DNA of the Rainbow Six series is still present in Rainbow Six Extraction despite its wacky setting, and your squad will have to slowly comb through each mission to survive. Communication is key, and you'll have to make careful use of your team's unique gadgets to combat the alien threat.

 

Ready or Not

Even though it's not technically a horror game, Ready or Not has some seriously creepy vibes. A hardcore tactical shooter, Ready or Not sees you and your squad working together as a SWAT team that handles the worst of the worst.

The first few missions are simple enough, but things quickly ramp up once you've learned the controls. Firefights are over in seconds, and the visuals and sound design will leave even the most hardcore FPS fans shaken. It's a different kind of creepy, but it's just as unsettling as the other games on this list.

 

System Shock 2

System Shock 2 is one of the most influential games of all time, inspiring classic franchises like BioShock and Deus Ex, among others. Originally a strictly singleplayer affair, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster adds four-player co-op to the entire game.

It's an atmospheric experience that isn't a great fit for every friend group, but if your squad is the type that loves to hunt down audio logs and figure out door codes, this is the game for you. It even supports crossplay, so you can squad up with friends on other platforms.

Check out the Epic Games Store for more co-op games, creepy and not-so-creepy, and stay tuned to the Epic Games Store news page for all the latest articles, interviews, and more.