While a streamlined and concise story can be for the best, sometimes, nothing hits the spot likelengthy horror gamesthat are both horrific and immersive. Most of the genre’s offerings seem to fall within the 8-15 hour mark while offering very little incentive for repeat playthroughs. However, exceptions do exist, and a few of these mammoth projects even sit among the best horror games of all time.
A continuous trend in the gaming industry is that as video game hardware and technology improve, horror games become scarier. Gaming is at a point now where even indie studios are able to create unsettlingly immersive experiences that are frighteningly close to looking like reality. Another trend is that games seem to be getting longer and longer, and the horror genre is not an exception.
Let’s take a look at thelongest horror gamesever, based on their completionist estimates as mentioned onhowlongtobeat.com.
If two games have the same completionist times, they will be ranked based on the lengths of their main stories.
Updated August 09, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Article has been updated with new games, times, and general information.
Amazon Listing Page
Link
Unlike most series' that grow increasingly longer,The Evil Within 2is (spoiler alert) the shortest of the twoEvil Withingames. This is especially surprising when considering thatEvil Within 2differentiated itself from its predecessor by implementing an open-world, a staple of lengthy titles.
RELATED:Horror Games Inspired By Silent Hill
The Evil Within 2was fairly well-received by critics, exemplified by its Metascores that ranged between 76 and 82 across its three releases. The game was also nominated for IGN’s Best Action-Adventure Game in 2017, thoughthe award unsurprisingly went toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Alien: Isolationis one of those hidden gems that not a lot of people got a chance to play. As a game with a simple premise, it’s a wonder why the game takes so long to beat. Somehow,Alien: Isolation’s devs created a game that is both lengthy and enjoyable.
The length ofAlien: Isolationmight deter some players—and attract others. It takes approximately 33.5 hours to beatAlien: Isolationin a completionist run, making it one of the most prolonged and horrific horror games ever created.
TheDeadly Premonitiongames are horror in theTwin Peakssense, meaning they are unusual and peculiar experiences. Both titles follow an FBI agent who is dragged into cases that take him to small American towns that are not quite as they seem.
The originalDeadly Premonitionlaunched with a fair few issues, but the game developed a cult following through its quirky but clever writing and unique atmosphere. The sequel offered more of the same, albeit the technical issues were a bit more of a deal-breaker for some players. While certainly an acquired taste, both projects are worth checking out for fans of surreal horror.
Deadly Premonitionhas roughly the same completionist time as its sequel, along with a slightly shorter main story.
id Software
TheDoomseries is one of the oldest and most addictive gaming franchises in gaming. Developer id Software is constantly raising the bar for video games.Doom 3: BFG Editionintroduces more horror elements than ever before. It takes place on Mars, where the protagonist must fight off supernatural creatures such as demons, imps, and lost souls.
As a game that takes approximately 38 hours to beat completely, it’s a game worth purchasing for its value; that said, a standard playthrough is roughly 10 hours long. It’s widely available on platforms such as the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.Doom 3: BFGis utterly terrifying, and it’s a horror game that players can’t miss.
ThisResident Evilspinoff is so long that it gives us pause. Unless the player is someone who plays a game for days without blinking an eye, it could take over a month to beatResident Evil: Revelations 2in a complete playthrough, even if a straightforward main story playthrough will not require anywhere near that long.Resident Evilgames can be lengthy, which is a reason why they are so popular.
RELATED:Free Horror Games That Are Just As Terrifying As Resident Evil
The best games are the ones players never want to put down. With horror and story elements blended into a never-ending nightmare,Resident Evil: Revelations 2is an excellent example of aResident Evilgame done right.
The third entry into the critically acclaimedMetroseries was initially released in 2019 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 before sporadically debuting on other platforms, such as Stadia, in the years that followed.
The game differentiated itself from its predecessors by implementing an open world for the first time in the series. The game’s open world will likely give players mixed emotions, as many will admire its beautiful design, despite it depicting a depressing, lifeless, and almost resourceless post-apocalyptic landscape.
The Evil Withintakes, on average, 36.5 hours to complete. Of the horror games contained on this list,The Evil Withinis one of the most polished. Its gameplay can be amazing at times. The combat is exhilarating, and the game blends just the right amount of horror needed for an action game.
RELATED:Pro Tips For The Evil Within
It is scary, and the graphics are stupendous. Know thatThe Evil Withinis not a masterpiece, and it is lackluster at times. If players go in with the expectations for a good, not great game, they won’t be disappointed.
Platform/s
PC
Cult classicVampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlineswas released on PC by Activision in 2004. The game was developed by Troika Games, who only developed two other games in their short lifespan:Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraandThe Temple of Elemental Evil.
RELATED:Every Mario Platformer Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat
The game achieved its cult following through its implementation of numerous ambitious features that differentiated it from most other horror titles. Unique features include the game’s mixture of first and third-person perspectives, a plethora of abilities and powers available to the player, and an RPG theme throughout, which is rare for the horror genre. To the joy of the game’s fanbase,a sequel has been announced.
To say thatThe Last of Us Part 2’s release was divisive would be an understatement. While critics and some fans loved the game, other fans gave a brutal assessment of Naughty Dog’s release, with its story being a particular point of contention. For those that enjoyed the game, its 44 hours of content provided agreat time for completionists.
Even if the story doesn’t sound appealing,The Last of Us Part 2is an easy game to recommend to fans of modern horror games as it boasts state-of-the-art sound design,visual design, and animations that are all disturbingly realistic at times.
Pathologic 2was released in May 2019 on PC and Xbox One before making its way to PlayStation 4 in March 2020. The game was originally planned to be a remake of thecult classicPathologic, though it instead ended up becoming an expanded re-imagining of the 2005 release.
Pathologic 2is an open-world RPG that lets players pick between three healers to play as. The game then takes place over 12 in-game days, where players have a variety of quests to complete, though these are all optional as the only definitive task is for the player to survive the 12 days – something that is far easier said than done.
