Horror is one of the video game industry’s biggest and most popular genres. Sifting through the sheer number of titles makes for an eclectic mix of subject material. Supernatural, psychological, post-apocalyptic, you name it. Fans of the spooky and the macabre can rest assured there’s something out there to satisfy their interests.
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Some of these horror games arequite short, lasting only a few hours. Nevertheless, certain titles will require a modest investment of time from the player. Fortunately,HowLongToBeatprovides a great resource when trying to gauge the length of a horror game. Be prepared to keep the lights on because this selection of scary titles will take a while.
Updated June 07, 2025 by Mark Hospodar:Horror is one of the video game industry’s most popular genres. Unsurprisingly, horror games come in all different shapes and sizes. Some games can be beaten in a day or two, while others require a significant investment in time on the player’s part.
Horror games that take a few dozen hours to complete are common. This list has been updated and expanded to accommodate new entries, as well as new data, from HowLongToBeat.
15Deadly Premonition (18.5 Hours Min.)
Deadly Premonitionis an open-world survival horror game that was released in 2010. Players assume the role of FBI Agent Francis York Morgan as he attempts to solve the murder of a young woman in a rural American town. Along the way, the protagonist must deal with supernatural entities that must be periodically overcome.
Deadly Premonitioncan be beaten in a relatively short amount of time, standing at about 18.5 hours to finish. However, as with most open worlds, there is plenty of side content to occupy the player’s time. Completionists can expect to invest roughly 35.5 hours for a 100% run.
14Siren (20 Hours Min.)
Sirenis one of the older games on this list. It was released in North America in 2004 for the Playstation 2. The plot ofSirenis somewhat unique in that the story is told through different perspectives, spread across ten characters. Interestingly, theactions of one character affect those of another.
Completing the main campaign ofSirenwill take players about 20 hours to complete. Seeing everything the game has to offer won’t take much longer. A completionist run can take roughly 24 hours to complete according to HowLongToBeat.
13Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise (20 Hours Min.)
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguiseis the sequel to the 2010 classic that was mentioned earlier in the list. The game follows FBI Agent Francis York Morgan as heinvestigates a murderin Louisiana. Of course, events prove to be a lot more complicated than a simple homicide.
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The main story ofDeadly Premonition 2stands at around the 20-hour mark. Embarking on a longer, completionist run will take about 39 hours if players choose to really take their time throughout the game’s open-world environment.
12Dying Light: The Following-Enhanced Edition (20 Hours Min.)
Dying Light: The Following-Enhanced Editioncollects all the fun of the main game and some of its DLCs into one package. With additional story content, maps, weapons, and skill trees, traversing the zombie-infested wasteland never felt better. Utilizing plenty of nifty parkour techniques, enemies don’t stand a chance.
Playing through the story content ofDying Light: The Followingshouldn’t take too long. It stands at about 20 hours minimum. However, there’s a lot more to the game than just that. Completionists who want to witness everything included in the entire package are looking at an average of 80.5 hours.
11Returnal (20.5 Hours Min.)
Fans of sci-fi action with ahealthy dose of psychological horrorshould find plenty to enjoy inReturnal. When the protagonist becomes stranded on a mysterious alien world, players will have to make use of a diverse arsenal of weaponry to stem the tide of extraterrestrial threats.
The main story campaign ofReturnalwon’t take players long to complete. Fans can expect to spend about 20.5 hours in this regard. However, attempting a completionist run can take an average of 57.5 hours, which can keep players busy for quite some time.
10OMORI (20.5 Hours Min.)
OMORIis a psychological horror game thatincorporates various RPG elements. The game’s setting is split between the “real” world and a dream world crafted from the protagonist’s mind. Combat is turn-based and often influenced by the emotions of the protagonist and his party.
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Seeing the main story through to completion isn’t a particularly long endeavor. An average of 20.5 hours is necessary to experience the main beats of the campaign. Unsurprisingly, completionists in it for the long haul are looking at 68 hours on average.
9Project Zomboid (20.5 Hours Min.)
Fans ofThe Walking Deadtelevision series should feel right at home withProject Zomboid. It’s an open-world, survival horror game wherethe goal is simply to continue living. Players need to manage certain needs such as hunger, fatigue, and mental stability. Hordes of zombies, of course, stand in the player’s way.
Project Zomboidis still in early access on Steam. Updates to the game continue to be dropped by the developers every so often. In its current state, the game takes about 20.5 hours to experience. However, due to its sandbox nature, hundreds of hours can potentially be poured intoProject Zomboid.
8Zero Time Dilemma (21 Hours Min.)
Zero Time Dilemmais the third entry in theZero Timeseries. The game is characterized primarily by its puzzle-solving elements. Taking control of three different protagonists, the player is tasked with exploring their environment and searching for clues. Along the way, they get to know the backstories of the various secondary characters.
Powering through the campaignwill take about 21 hours, according to HowLongToBeat. Unlike other entries on this list, there is no massive jump for players who enjoy taking their time. The website lists 22 hours as the maximum for completionists.
7We Happy Few (21 Hours Min.)
We Happy Fewtakes place in an alternate, dystopian timeline of the 1960s. The inhabitants of this world are addicted to a hallucinogenic drug known as Joy, which keeps them blithely unaware of their morbid surroundings. The game is a survival horror experience with some roleplaying elements included as well.
Players who wish to complete the main story are looking at an average of 21 hours. Nevertheless, completionists looking to see and do everything in Wellington Wells are looking at over triple that number. It stands at about 67.5 hours to 100% the game.
6The Last Of Us Part 2 (24 Hours Min.)
Coming off the heels of the critically-acclaimed first entry,The Last of Us Part 2continues the story of Ellie. The game is heavily focused on stealth and action, while the player is given some degree of freedom in how they want to approach each combat encounter. Human, as well as infected, zombie-like enemies, prove to be dangerous obstructions.
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Witnessing just the main story should take an average of 24 hours. Side missions, collectibles, and New Game Plus will nearly double that playtime. As such, completionists are looking at 41.5 hours total to see everythingThe Last of Us Part 2has to offer.
