Halloween is almost here, and so are countless co-op horror games that have collectively earned a specific moniker revolving around the word “friend.”
And be the sentiment around them as it may, I still find them incredibly fun to play, especially when it comes to gathering the squad for some late-night gaming. Of course, you could just all fire up CS2, but instead of losing your mind playing to get an imaginary number 400 points higher, you have the option to get scared s**tless, and I think that’s quite better.
So, I’ve gathered four recent co-op horror games and one classic that can and will make your 2025 Halloween night much more exciting.
Misery
Misery sure does love company. Image via Platypus Entertainment
Having released just a few days prior to this article, Misery places you in the midst of a mysterious Zone, itself located in a fictional Eastern European Republic of Zaslavie. It’s very much Soviet Ukraine and Russia, with its fictional town almost an exact counterpart to our own Chornobyl.
Inspired by hits like STALKER, it allows you and your friends to explore the Zone, gather loot, craft materials, and survive the irradiated, anomalous wasteland. Your characters can go insane, be poisoned by abject radiation, warped by mysterious nuclear apparitions, or beaten to a pulp by a bunch of gopniks in Adidas tracksuits cursing at you in Russian.
It’s a unique and very different style of co-op horror, one that does not shy away from its inspirations.
Vein
Wrecked zombies? How fun! Image via Ramjet Studios
Described by some as a “first-person Project Zomboid,” Vein is a post-apocalyptic zombie survival multiplayer horror game that places you and your group of friends into a walker-infested hellscape. You are, naturally, tasked with surviving these circumstances and are given free rein over how you want to do it.
It’s a sandbox experience through and through, emphasizing player agency, which, in turn, promotes creativity and “on-the-go” thinking, that’ll lead every group of survivors into different outcomes. Want to build a five-star hotel out of the scrap you find? Go right ahead. Or, if it’s more your prerogative, you can mow down any zombie you come across until you get bored. Whatever you want to do, you’re free to.
Cryo
The environments are ultra spooky. Image via Valko Game Studios
With Lethal Company almost singlehandedly spawning this entire co-op horror subgenre that loves its proximity voice chat, it’s no wonder that a game very close to the origin is on this list. Cryo puts you in the shoes of a mysterious company worker, sent to Antarctica to figure out why the continent has gone dark and cut its communications.
You and your friends really will be on the edges of your seats with this one, having to figure out things quickly but quietly, lest you disturb whatever dark horror awaits you in the pitch blackness of our world’s most remote piece of land.
Escape the Backrooms
Liminal spaces never get old. Screenshot via Fancy Games
The crown jewel of the Backrooms meme, Escape the Backrooms has recently received its 1.0 update, releasing in full on Steam. With this huge milestone, the game has been expanded with several new levels and lots of additional content, making the trudge through the liminal spaces much more fulfilling and, of course, fun.
Various creatures of the Lovecraftian kind await behind every hallway, with puzzles and riddles along the way that’ll make escaping quite the ordeal. Make sure to keep track of who and where your friends are, because some of these monsters have a tendency to copy, mimic, and imitate, tricking you into falling prey to them.
GTFO
GTFO is among the best co-op shooters out there. Image via 10 Chambers
And while these relatively new Company-likes are all fun and games, sticking to some classic hits doesn’t hurt a bit. GTFO is one of the best mission-based horror games ever made, combining incredible weapon realism and feedback with that recognizable Left 4 Dead-style gameplay loop where a group of players survives an onslaught of enemies.
It’s usually cheap on Steam this time of year, and brings with it loads of content to play through, which shouldn’t only last you through the spooky season, but also serve as a gateway to fun at any time of year. Its dedicated community means you’ll be able to find a group of eager players almost always, even when your own group is offline.
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The post Co-op horror games are taking over, so here are the best ones to celebrate 2025’s spookiest day appeared first on Destructoid.
