The best games for a Halloween night with friends in 2026 are Phasmophobia for a slow-burn ghost hunt, Lethal Company and R.E.P.O. for screaming and laughing in equal parts, Dead by Daylight or the new Halloween: The Game if someone wants to play the killer, The Outlast Trials for real dread, and Among Us when the group gets bigger than four. Several of them run a Halloween event right now, so this is the week to play them.
We checked player counts and event dates on October 22, 2026. When a studio has not announced its Halloween event yet, we say so instead of guessing.
The short answer
| Game | Players | Mood | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phasmophobia | 1 to 4 | Investigation, slow dread | PC, PS5, Xbox Series |
| Lethal Company | Up to 4 | Chaotic, funny, jump scares | PC |
| R.E.P.O. | Up to 6 | Physics chaos, extraction | PC |
| Dead by Daylight | 4 vs 1 killer | Chase, asymmetric | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Halloween: The Game | 1 vs 4 | Stealth, slasher movie | PC, PS5, Xbox Series |
| The Outlast Trials | 1 to 4 | Intense, disturbing | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Hunt: Showdown 1896 | Solo, duo, trio | Tense PvPvE, monsters | PC, PS5, Xbox Series |
| Among Us | 4 to 15 | Social deduction, laughs | PC, consoles, mobile |
Four friends who want to be scared: Phasmophobia. Four friends who want to laugh while being scared: Lethal Company, or R.E.P.O. with six. A group that wants a villain: Dead by Daylight or Halloween: The Game. A big party: Among Us.
Halloween events running this week
| Game | Event | Dates (2026) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Fortnitemares | Since October 1 | Live |
| Phasmophobia | Crimson Eye (Blood Moon maps) | October 8 to November 1 | Live |
| Dead by Daylight | Haunted by Daylight | From October 13, about 3 weeks | Live |
| Marvel Rivals | All Hallow's Glow, then Night of Illusions | From October 16, then October 29 | Live |
| GTA Online | Halloween week (Slasher mode) | October 1 to November 4 | Reported by fan sites |
| World of Warcraft | Hallow's End | Check the in-game calendar | Yearly event |
| Call of Duty | The Haunting | Season 6 event | Reported |
| Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Overwatch, Rocket League | Halloween events | Not announced on October 22 | Check before you plan |
Fortnitemares 2026 brings Five Nights at Freddy's, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Beetlejuice and The Purge to the island, with Horde Rush and Blitz Royale. Phasmophobia's Crimson Eye turns eight maps red under a Blood Moon, and from October 26 to November 1 the Ghost Hunts 4 Hearts charity event comes back.
1. Phasmophobia: the ghost hunt
Up to four players walk into a haunted house with an EMF reader, a spirit box and too little courage, then try to identify the ghost from the evidence before it hunts them. Voice chat is part of the game: the ghost can hear you, and a teammate who goes quiet in the basement is how the night's best stories start.
- Best for: a group of four that likes slow tension and teamwork.
- Halloween 2026: Crimson Eye runs until November 1.
- Tip: split roles before the contract (one on the van, one on photos, two on evidence), it makes the first hour far less chaotic.
- Need a fourth? Find a Phasmophobia squad.
2. Lethal Company and R.E.P.O.: scared and laughing
Lethal Company sends up to four employees to scavenge abandoned moons for scrap to meet a quota. Proximity chat means you hear your friend scream, then hear nothing at all. R.E.P.O., its 2025 cousin, takes up to six players into haunted buildings to drag fragile valuables to an extraction cart with physics that turn every vase into a group negotiation.
- Best for: groups who want jump scares and constant laughter.
- Platforms: PC only for both.
- Tip: R.E.P.O. is the better pick if you are five or six.
3. Dead by Daylight and Halloween: The Game: play the villain
In Dead by Daylight, four survivors repair generators while a fifth player hunts them as a horror icon, Michael Myers included. Haunted by Daylight runs from October 13 for about three weeks, with Halloween outfits and the Entity's Realm in seasonal colors. If you are not five, two or three of you can queue together as survivors: see our Dead by Daylight SWF guide.
Halloween: The Game, from IllFonic, came out in September 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series: one player is Michael Myers, four are Haddonfield civilians trying to survive the night. It also has a solo story mode and offline bots.
- Best for: groups where one friend really wants to be the killer.
- Need survivors? Find a Dead by Daylight SWF team.
4. The Outlast Trials: real dread
Up to four test subjects go through Cold War experiments in a facility full of people who want to hurt you. It is the most disturbing game on this list, gore included, and cross-play works between PC and consoles.
- Best for: horror fans who want to be genuinely uncomfortable.
- Warning: not for a mixed group where someone just wants a fun night.
5. Hunt: Showdown 1896: monsters and other players
Hunt mixes PvE monsters in the Louisiana bayou with other teams hunting the same bounty. Every sound gives you away, which makes it the tensest game here, even if it is not a pure horror game. Read duo or trio in Hunt before you pick a team size.
- Best for: competitive players who want a spooky theme without giving up PvP.
- Need a partner? Find a Hunt: Showdown duo or trio.
6. Among Us and party games: when the group is big
For 6 to 15 people, horror co-op games run out of slots. Among Us handles big groups well, and a round of social deduction with the lights off fits the night. Browser party games like Gartic Phone also work for large groups and need no install.
More co-op horror games worth a look
- Content Warning: film your friends getting scared to go viral on SpookTube, up to 4 players, PC.
- Devour: stop a possessed cult leader, 1 to 4 players, PC.
- Demonologist: ghost hunting in the Phasmophobia style, 1 to 4 players, PC.
- Escape the Backrooms: explore endless liminal levels, 1 to 4 players, PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- Left 4 Dead 2: the classic zombie co-op for four, still worth a night in 2026.
Skip Friday the 13th: The Game: it was delisted at the end of 2023 and its official servers are gone.
How to plan the night
- Pick by group size first: 4 players opens everything, 5 or 6 points to R.E.P.O. or Dead by Daylight with a killer, 7 and more to Among Us.
- Check ownership: Lethal Company, R.E.P.O. and Devour are on PC only, so a console friend changes the plan.
- Start light, end scary: a funny game first, then Phasmophobia with the lights off around midnight.
- Use the events: Fortnitemares, Crimson Eye and Haunted by Daylight end around November 1, so play them before they leave.
- Missing a player? Do not cancel: GameVerse shows you players who are online now on the same game, mode and region, so you can fill the last slot without posting in five Discord servers.
Find players for your Halloween squad
GameVerse is a free desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux. It groups you with players who are online at the same time as you, on the same game, mode and region, who want the same kind of session, chill or competitive. Then you chat and jump into a lobby with voice chat. If your group is short a player for Halloween, start with Phasmophobia, Dead by Daylight, Fortnite or GTA Online.
FAQ
What is the best co-op horror game to play with friends?
For four players, Phasmophobia is the reference: it is scary, it rewards teamwork and it has a Halloween event until November 1, 2026. Lethal Company and R.E.P.O. are better if your group wants to laugh as much as scream.
What horror games can 6 friends play together?
R.E.P.O. supports up to six players. Dead by Daylight takes five (four survivors and a killer), and Among Us goes up to 15. Most other co-op horror games stop at four.
Which Halloween games are on console?
Phasmophobia, Dead by Daylight, Halloween: The Game, The Outlast Trials, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Escape the Backrooms are on PlayStation and Xbox. Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., Content Warning and Devour are PC only.
When does Fortnitemares 2026 end?
Fortnitemares started on October 1, 2026. Epic has not published an end date we could confirm; previous editions ended in early November.
How do I find players for a Halloween game night?
Ask your friends first, then fill the gaps with an app that matches you directly. GameVerse shows players online now on your game, mode and region, so you can complete a squad for Phasmophobia, Dead by Daylight or Fortnite without waiting for replies on Discord.