The horror genre often confines players to claustrophobic corridors or set linear paths, but there has always been a crossover into more open-ended spaces. Offering a much wider area to play in makes every step even more intense, as the scares are harder to predict and players have far more options in terms of where to go.
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With larger environments come grander visions, and there are plenty of developers working hard to release ambitious horror games that defy conventions by sending players to large open-world cities, undersea wrecks, and even entire galaxies. These larger worlds come with even bigger threats that tower above the player and make them feel even smaller in an already expansive world.
HAUNTED SPACE
Cosmic Horrors On A Galactic Scale
- Release Date: Coming Soon
- Developer: Italian Games Factory
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, macOS
HAUNTED SPACE takes the concept of space exploration and floods it with horror and dread on a scale that has never been seen before. Players venture between star systems and planets, encountering mind-warping mysteries and massive creatures that make moons look small by comparison.
The game has a big focus on creating an authentic flight simulator that players can feel immersed in, while also providing enough tools to make it accessible for anyone. Once players have navigated their way to one of the many eldritch horrors that fill the world, they can fight them head-on in intense dogfights, all within a haunting universe that has no end in sight.
Project: Mist
A Dark Mist Hiding Horrors Beyond Comprehension
- Release Date: Q4 2025
- Developer: Chicken Launcher
- Platforms: PC
Project: Mist is a gloomy open-world survival game that situates players on a spooky island covered in mist, with more than a few monsters hiding just out of sight. Players will need to gear up fast to defend themselves against the many foes lurking in the fog, as one minute they will feel safe, and the next, they'll have to fight against flying creatures and giant abominations.
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What makes the game so scary is how it plays with visuals and perception. The mist obscures a large portion of the island, meaning that simple structures in the distance can look like monstrous threats waiting to attack. This constant loop of tension means that every step into the wilderness feels like a persistent battle against stress, with players being forced to delve deeper just to survive.
After Hell Freezes Over
Surviving In A Barren, Frozen Wilderness
- Release Date: 2026
- Developer: Deathless Games
- Platforms: PC
After Hell Freezes Over is a chilling nightmare from which there seems to be no escape. The game's frozen wasteland is devoid of almost any life or civilization, but players have to find what they can to survive and push on, all while avoiding the horrific creatures that stalk them from the shadows.
The world itself may seem empty at first, but there are so many interesting landmarks and curious locations to discover along the way. Because the environment is so punishing and scary, even when players have grasped the fundamentals, they will never truly feel comfortable exploring it, no matter how many times they have died.
Full Fathom
Thalassophobia Overload
- Release Date: 2025
- Developer: DÆMON House
- Platforms: PC
Full Fathom is the embodiment of every ocean-based fear in a single title. Where games like Iron Lung trap players in a tiny capsule, here they can leave their ship and explore their surroundings, while also managing their resources and repairing the ship from damage and decay.
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Everything about the mechanics and the feel of the game is authentic and immersive, with simple controls like the ship's movement being attached to physical buttons and screens. The real horror comes from the need to explore, as players cannot just sit by and coast through the waves. Instead, they have to venture out into the foggy unknown and hopefully make it back alive with the supplies they need.
Subnautica 2
Nightmarish Creatures Below The Waves
Subnautica 2
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Subnautica 2 is the follow-up to one of the most popular survival games ever made. It's a new world with a new story to discover, and this time, players can choose to face the undersea terrors alone or with a friend, opening the door for even more chaos and the potential for some pretty intense moments along the way.
Base building remains central to the experience, but players are still encouraged to explore as much as possible, diving deeper into the darkness with the hopes of uncovering precious resources to help them progress. The lack of clear direction and the openness of the world gives every journey an added sense of uncertainty, raising the level of fear and ensuring that players never feel safe at any point.
Quite A Ride
Cycling Into The Unknown
- Release Date: To Be Announced
- Developer: Goodwin Games
- Platforms: PC
Quite a Ride is an incredibly unique open-world horror game that trades on-foot exploration for a faster-paced cycling adventure. Players pedal their way across a barren landscape filled with cryptic messages and decaying buildings, all while conserving their battery and avoiding the various horrors that await them in the fog.
The game has an eerie beauty that makes it feel both alluring and terrifying at the same time. In this case, the scares are far more psychological and focused on unsettling the player over time rather than overwhelming them with jump scares, which fits perfectly into the open-world setting that makes a playthrough feel more like a slower burn than a rush to the finish.
Nowhere
Blending Mythology With Detective Work
Nowhere
- Developer(s)
- Midnight Forge
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Mystery, Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC
Nowhere is a mystery game mixed with a horror tale about the Norse gods in the aftermath of Ragnarök. The game leans heavily into realism, both in its world and its gameplay, with players slowly painting a picture of the world around them as they venture into the misty forest.
Placing players in the shoes of a detective frames the narrative as more of a journey to understand the past than a story about the present. The horror elements also unfold more gradually, primarily comprised of a slow build-up of tension as opposed to jump scares, with the world doing a lot of heavy lifting in terms of elevating the player's fear.
Whistle Willie
Classic Cartoon Meets Survival Horror
- Release Date: Coming Soon
- Developer: Go Go Galago Games I/S, KasperDev, CANCAT Games
- Platforms: PC, Linux
Whistle Willie is a game capitalizing on the public domain status of Steamboat Willie, using the character as a launching point for a horror-filled adventure across the seas. The game presents itself as a blend of nautical survival and on-foot exploration, as players sail between islands, uncovering secrets and evading the relentless attacks of Willie himself.
It has some light survival elements that require players to fish and scavenge for resources to keep progressing, and there are quite a few interesting NPCs that can aid them in their quest to free the world from evil. For fans of a more old-school aesthetic, it's the perfect blend of survival horror and open-world exploration that demands constant attention and a lot of courage to succeed.
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