Multiplayer Horror Games: Scare Tactics with Friends

20 November 2025

So, you think you're brave, huh? You've laughed in the face of jump scares, mocked the creepy music in horror flicks, and slept with the lights off. But let's see how tough you are when you're screaming into your headset while your best friend abandons you to a demonic goat in the dark. Welcome, my friend, to the twisted, laugh-while-you-scream world of Multiplayer Horror Games—where your friendships are tested, your heart rate spikes, and your dignity takes a vacation.

Why We Love to Be Scared... Together

Let’s be real, getting scared solo is old school. That’s so 2000s. These days, the best way to enjoy a horror-induced adrenaline rush is by grabbing a few friends and diving headfirst into ghost-infested houses, monster-ridden forests, or post-apocalyptic nightmares.

But why? Why subject ourselves to this madness with a squad?

Well, for one, it's way more fun to scream as a chorus than to scream alone. Fear might be the main course, but laughter is the dessert. Plus, it's ridiculously satisfying to hear your overconfident buddy lose his mind when that demon baby pops out of nowhere. Sweet, sweet karma.

The Fear Factor: How Multiplayer Changes the Horror Game

Let’s break it down. Multiplayer horror games aren't just solo horror with a co-op option slapped on. No sir, they’re designed to make you paranoid with a squad. These games know your friends are either your lifeline—or the reason you’re now crying in a virtual closet.

Here’s how they twist the knife:

- Shared Vulnerability: Everyone is just as clueless and terrified as you.
- Communication Breakdowns: "Where are you? I can’t see you! Oh my gosh is that you or the monster!?"
- Split Objectives: "You go to the basement and power the generator." Yeah, sure, Brian.
- Screaming into the Mic: It’s basically ASMR, but the “A” stands for “AAAAAHHH!”

Now, ready to ruin some friendships? Let's dive into the horror hall of fame.

1. Phasmophobia — The Ghost Hunter’s Nightmare

Do you ever think, "Hey, let’s go into a haunted house and identify what’s lurking inside it… without any weapons"? No? Well, too bad—because that’s Phasmophobia in a nutshell.

You and your buddies play ghost hunters, à la Ghostbusters but with none of the equipment, charm, or training. You walk into a cursed house armed with a camera, a journal, and a spirit box that likes to say creepy things like “I’m behind you.”

Oh, and the ghost? Yeah, it actually learns from your behavior. Talk too much and it might decide you’re annoying enough to strangle.

Scare Tactic Tip: Make sure someone brings the crucifix. Or don’t, and just watch the chaos unfold. Either way, it’s a win.

2. Dead by Daylight — Tag, You’re Dead

If you've ever wondered what it’d be like to star in your own slasher film, Dead by Daylight is the answer. But instead of screaming on a couch, you’re screaming while running in circles around a bloodthirsty killer with a chainsaw.

One player is the killer; the rest? Victims… I mean, survivors. The goal is simple: repair generators and escape. The method? Uncoordinated panic, accidental betrayal, and way too much hiding in lockers.

Pro Gamer Move: Sacrifice your friend to the killer while you escape. Karma might get you in the next round, but hey, worth it for the laugh.

3. Devour — When Demons Disagree With Your Party

In Devour, you’re cultists attempting to stop a possessed woman from, well, devouring your souls. It’s like an exorcism-themed frat party gone wrong.

Teamwork is key—but let’s be honest, someone’s going to mess it up. Probably that one friend who just wants to “explore the map” while you’re burning goat number six.

You’ll scream, you’ll panic, and you’ll spend half the game regretting your life choices. Which is to say: 10/10 would play again.

4. The Forest — Cannibals and Treehouses

Okay, horror meets survival in this one. You’re stranded in a forest after a plane crash (classic setup), and things go downhill fast when you meet the locals. Spoiler: they’re not friendly. They’re cannibals.

The Forest is what happens when Bear Grylls meets The Descent. But hey, at least you can build a sick treehouse before the night comes and the nightmare starts.

Team Tip: Designate someone as bait. You can tell them it’s an “important role.” It is… just not for them.

5. GTFO — You’ll Want to After 10 Minutes

Just based on the title alone, you know you’re in for a treat. GTFO is not joking around. This is the Dark Souls of multiplayer horror shooters.

It’s terrifying, it’s punishing, and it demands actual teamwork. Yeah, that means no Leroy Jenkins nonsense. Silent coordination, strategic planning, and a high tolerance for helplessness are required.

Or you can wing it and enjoy getting eaten alive in a dark corridor. Your call.

6. In Silence — The Monster Can Hear You (Literally)

Get this: in In Silence, the monster is blind but has super hearing—and it picks up your actual microphone input. So if you scream IRL, that scream could literally summon your doom.

It’s like every horror streamer’s worst nightmare come true. Proximity chat makes it even more chaotic. You’ll hear your friends whispering, crying, or yelling expletives from the next room… until they’re not.

Hot Tip: Mute your mic... or don't. Sometimes it’s more fun to go full banshee.

7. Pacify — Nope, Nope, ALL THE NOPE

Haunted house? Check. Creepy possessed doll girl? Check. Friends screaming like banshees? Big check.

Pacify is fast. It’s chaotic. And that little ghost girl? She’s the embodiment of every horror movie nightmare you had as a kid and buried deep into your subconscious… until now.

You and your friends have to pacify the girl with dolls and perform an exorcism. Fail and she goes from spooky to Super Saiyan mode.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll probably uninstall and reinstall five times in one night.

8. White Noise 2 — Who’s Hunting Who?

This is basically hide and seek, but way worse. In White Noise 2, one player is the monster, the others are investigators hunting for clues. But surprise surprise, the monster is also hunting them—with supernatural powers and a thirst for screams.

And the best part? When you die, you become a ghost that can help (or annoy) your team. So even in death, the trolling doesn’t stop.

9. Deceit — Trust No One

Finally, a horror game that takes your deep-rooted trust issues and weaponizes them.

Deceit is part social deception, part survival horror. Some players are infected, trying to sabotage the group without revealing themselves, while the rest are just trying to survive the night. Think Among Us but with actual nightmares and fewer memes.

You’ll be suspicious of everyone, even your mom if she was playing. But that’s the fun, right?

Scare Tactics with Friends: The Strategy of Survival (Or Not)

If you want to be the MVP of your fear-fueled friend group, you’ve got to use some tried-and-true scare tactics. Here’s your playbook:

1. Gaslight with Love

“Oh, I didn’t hear the monster. You sure it wasn’t just the wind?” Classic. Let that paranoia blossom.

2. Use the Buddy System… as Bait

Volunteer to “stick together,” then send your buddy into the dark room first. Call it emotional support.

3. Fake the Panic

Start screaming unnecessarily. It’s either helpful or hilarious. Either way, entertainment value = 10.

4. Share False Intel

“Yeah, I read that the monster doesn’t go into the attic.” They’ll find out the truth soon enough.

The Glorious Aftermath: Laughter, Therapy, and Broken Headsets

Once the game ends and you’ve all either survived or died gloriously, there's always the debrief. The part where everyone talks about who saved the group, who screamed the loudest, and who’s obviously never allowed to carry the flashlight again.

And that, right there, is the magic of multiplayer horror games. They’re group therapy sessions disguised as haunted nightmares, bonding experiences forged in digital blood, sweat, and panicked button mashing.

Final Thoughts: Bring Friends, Not Expectations

Multiplayer horror games aren’t about speedruns or high scores. They’re about the stories. The ridiculous, scream-til-you-cry, "remember-when-you-wet-yourself" stories you’ll still be laughing about two years from now. And the best part? There’s always a new game, a new monster, and a new friend to betray.

So gear up, grab your (soon-to-be former) friends, and remember: screaming is just another form of team communication.