Split screen horror games are a rare but glorious thing. In a gaming world dominated by online-only co-op, there’s something special—something almost sacred—about sharing fear side-by-side. You’re not shouting into a headset. You’re sitting next to your friend, watching them flinch in real time, screaming at the same jump scare, and arguing over who has to go down the hallway first.
Couch co-op used to be the standard. Now, it feels like a throwback. But for horror fans who crave that nostalgic thrill of two-player terror, there are still games—good ones—that deliver the fear face-to-face.
This post rounds up some of the most notable split screen horror games available today, along with a few under-the-radar picks. Whether you’re after survival, action, or something just plain strange, these are the games that prove horror is sometimes better shared.
Why Split Screen Horror Works So Well
There’s a certain chaos to local co-op horror that online play just can’t replicate. When you’re playing on the same screen—or split screen—you’re not just sharing a lobby. You’re sharing the tension. You hear every gasp, every “Nope!” as your partner panics. And that energy? It makes scary games even scarier… or a lot funnier, depending on your threshold.
Plus, there’s strategy. Coordination. The genuine sense that you’re surviving something together. When it works, it’s magic.
1. Resident Evil 5 and 6
Say what you want about Resident Evil 5 and 6, but they nailed one thing: split screen co-op horror.
RE5 was designed for two players from the ground up. You and a partner control Chris and Sheva through sun-drenched villages and creepy underground facilities. It leans more into action than pure survival horror, but the tension ramps up in the late game, especially when resources run low.
RE6 gets even more chaotic with four overlapping campaigns and characters. Is it a bit much? Definitely. But it still offers solid couch co-op fun, especially if you want cinematic horror with loud monsters and bigger guns.
Split screen performance can be a little tight (especially in RE6), but if you want big-budget horror with a buddy, these are classics.
Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PC (some mods required for split screen)
2. The Dark Pictures Anthology (House of Ashes, Little Hope, Man of Medan)
Supermassive Games—known for Until Dawn—hit a home run with their Dark Pictures Anthology, especially in how they handle couch co-op.
These games use a “Movie Night” mode: players take turns controlling different characters, passing the controller when prompted. It’s not traditional split screen, but it delivers a co-op experience built around choice. Your decisions affect your partner’s fate. Or yours. Or everyone’s.
Tension builds not just from the story, but from watching your friend make a dumb choice you have to live with later.
House of Ashes (set in an ancient temple with military operatives), Little Hope (foggy, witch-hunt Americana), and Man of Medan (ghost ship vibes) all offer spooky thrills—and some of the best local horror storytelling around.
Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, PC
3. Obscure & Obscure 2: The Aftermath
If you missed Obscure back in the day, now’s the time to correct that.
Released on the PS2 and Xbox, Obscure was basically “Resident Evil meets teen slasher movie,” and it fully embraced that energy. You control high school students trapped in a campus plagued by supernatural creatures, solving puzzles and fighting off mutated horrors.
The best part? Fully playable in split screen co-op. Every decision, every flashlight beam, every terrifying moment—you face it together.
Obscure: The Aftermath followed up on the formula, though it’s a little rougher around the edges. Still, both games are memorable, underrated horror experiences perfect for a late-night gaming session.
Available on: PS2, Xbox, PSP, PC (limited availability digitally)
4. Don’t Starve Together (Split Screen on Consoles)
Yes, it’s survival. Yes, it’s cartoony. But let’s be clear—Don’t Starve Together can be terrifying.
From the moment the sun goes down and the monsters crawl in, this game becomes a tense exercise in resource management, sanity control, and wild, unpredictable horror. Add split screen co-op to the mix (available on consoles), and you’ve got a surprisingly intense shared horror survival experience.
The sense of vulnerability? Real. The panic when your partner catches fire, summons a Deerclops, or forgets to feed themselves? Also real.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (online-only), PC
5. Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition
Dead Nation is fast, dirty zombie horror.
This top-down twin-stick shooter lets two players blast their way through a gritty post-apocalyptic city overrun by the undead. It’s not subtle. It’s not quiet. But it is satisfying.
You’ll need strategy, timing, and a steady trigger finger. It gets overwhelming in the best way. And while it leans more on action, the oppressive tone and thick, decaying environments give it serious horror cred.
Available on: PS3, PS4
6. Phogs! (Yes, Really)
Alright—this one’s technically not horror. But if you’re looking for something unsettling without the blood and screams, Phogs! qualifies in a weird way.
You and your co-op partner control a two-headed stretchy dog navigating dreamlike puzzles. But everything looks just slightly wrong. The surreal world, the gooey physics, the constant elastic pull between you—it’s the kind of game that’s cute at first, then starts to feel oddly eerie.
For horror-adjacent weirdness and light tension, it’s worth a mention.
Available on: Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC
7. We Were Here (Series)
The We Were Here games are built entirely around co-op—and while they’re primarily online, you can rig them for shared-screen play with some technical tweaks (on PC).
Two players are trapped in a mysterious castle, separated from each other, with only walkie-talkies to communicate. You’ll solve puzzles and explore, but the eerie setting and slow, creeping dread make this a solid horror-lite experience.
Later entries (like We Were Here Together) offer more story and creep factor.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox (no official local split screen but stream-friendly)
Why Are Split Screen Horror Games So Rare Now?
Honestly? It comes down to cost and design trends. Developers favor online multiplayer and cinematic single-player experiences. Split screen complicates UI, performance, and resource management—and it’s a feature often skipped unless the game is built specifically around it.
But horror benefits from intimacy. From shared panic. From turning to the person next to you and asking, “Did you see that too?” That’s something online lobbies just can’t replicate.
That’s why the titles above stand out—they dared to make horror social, not just scalable.
Final Thoughts on Split Screen Horror Games
Split screen horror games are a dying breed—but they’re far from dead.
From slasher throwbacks like Obscure, to modern cinematic fear in The Dark Pictures Anthology, to zombie chaos in Resident Evil 5, there are still horror experiences out there built for two people on one couch.
So whether you’re scaring your partner, gaming with a horror-loving sibling, or trying to convince a friend that they’re holding the controller wrong—these games deliver.
And if the fear gets too real? At least someone’s sitting next to you.
Let me know if you’d like this converted into a downloadable list, WordPress-ready formatting, or broken into a newsletter-friendly series.
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