E3 2019 has come to a close, and as usual, the event featured a staggering number of games on display, including some promising horror games. With no new Capcom announcement as was rumored, the horror genre was a bit underrepresented compared to previous years, but there were still quite a few impressive horror titles at the show.

In particular, these eight horror games stood out as the most impressive of E3 2019. These games were either featured in a press conference, pre-recorded presentation, or during the special E3 Coliseum showcases.

8 Blair Witch

  • Release Date: August 30, 2019
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox One

One of the more surprising moments during Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference was the announcement of a Blair Witch video game. Based on the blockbuster found-footage horror movie series, Blair Witch benefits from being developed by Bloober Team, the studio behind hit horror games like Layers of Fear and Observer. Featuring first-person psychological horror front and center, Blair Witch looks to carry on the tradition of those titles, and even better yet, horror fans only have to wait until August 30 to get their hands on the game.

7 Carrion

  • Release Date: 2020
  • Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux

E3 2019 gave us another look at the "reverse horror game" Carrion, where players get to play as the monster. While this may make the game less scary, it has no shortage of disturbing visuals, and that combined with its eerie atmosphere should still make the game rather unnerving. It will be exciting to see if the final product lives up to the hype, and if the concept of a "reverse horror game" has widespread appeal.

6 Dying Light 2

  • Release Date: 2020
  • Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Dying Light 2 was seen in a couple of different press conferences at E3 2019, with both highlighting its parkour action and threatening undead hordes. Besides learning that Dying Light 2 is aiming for a spring 2020 release, we also found out that it will place a much higher emphasis on player choice. In fact, the developers estimate that someone's first run through Dying Light 2 will only allow them to see half of the game because of it.

5 GhostWire: Tokyo

  • Release Date: TBA
  • Platforms: TBA

Shinji Mikami let it be known that he was going to be at E3 2019, but it was anyone's guess as to what new project he would announce. Instead of revealing another Evil Within game at Bethesda's E3 2019 press conference, Mikami announced GhostWire: Tokyo, which is being directed by the energetic Ikumi Nakamura. We only got to see a cinematic trailer for the game, but from what we can tell, GhostWire: Tokyo looks plenty creepy, and with Tango Gameworks at the helm, it should have little difficulty satisfying horror fans.

4 Rainbow Six Quarantine

  • Release Date: 2020
  • Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Due to the success of Rainbow Six Siege, it seemed unlikely that the franchise would return to PvE, but that's exactly what's happening next year. But instead of delivering a typical tactical shooter Rainbow Six experience, Ubisoft is going in a completely different direction with Rainbow Six Quarantine. Combining the horror genre with the Rainbow Six franchise should make for an interesting mix, to say the least, and we're anxious to see Rainbow Six Quarantine in action.

3 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

e3 2019 best horror games
  • Release Date: August 30, 2019
  • Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Supermassive Games debuted on the horror scene in a big way with the hit PS4 exclusive Until Dawn. Despite frequent delays and originating as a PlayStation Move-only game, Until Dawn defied expectations in 2016 and remains one of the most highly-regarded horror games of recent years. Supermassive has continued to release horror titles since its success with Until Dawn, but none have quite had the scope as The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan.

Just like Until Dawn featured some Hollywood star power, so too does The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, with Shawn Ashmore playing one of the lead roles, alongside Pip Torrens. The first game in a new horror anthology series, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan looks to deliver very similar gameplay to Until Dawn, but with a new ghost ship setting and a new cast of characters, it should still feel like a fresh experience when it launches on August 30.

2 The Sinking City

  • Release Date: June 27, 2019
  • Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

Originally due for release this past March, The Sinking City was delayed to June 27. This gave the game one last opportunity to be shown off at E3, where it made an appearance during the Kinda Funny Games Showcase. The Sinking City looks to blend detective gameplay as seen in the Sherlock Holmes series with Lovecraftian horror, which is a concept that seems to have plenty of potential. With The Sinking City due out by the end of the month, horror game fans don't have to wait too much longer to find out if it's able to deliver on its promising premise.

1 Undying

  • Release Date: 2020
  • Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

As far as indie horror games go, one of the most intriguing titles on the horizon is easily Undying. A freshman effort on the part of studio Vanimals, players take control of a mother and son as they attempt to survive in a zombie apocalypse. While there are no shortage of zombie games out there, the mother/son dynamic of Undying is something different, and the game's unique art style will also help it stand out from the crowd.

e3 2019 best horror games

Besides the eight horror games listed here, there are two other titles that should get a nod, though they don't necessarily fall strictly into the "horror" genre. One is 12 Minutes, a game where a man is stuck in a time loop where he constantly has to relive his own death, and while it's more of a thriller than a horror game, it definitely stood out as one of the more disturbing E3 2019 trailers.

Luigi's Mansion 3 for the Nintendo Switch should also get some recognition. No, Luigi's Mansion 3 isn't really trying to scare anyone, but the franchise has always delivered survival horror-esque puzzle solving gameplay, and that looks to be intact for the latest entry in the series as well.

Overall, E3 2019 did a solid job of shining a spotlight on a variety of upcoming horror games that are coming in 2019 and beyond. With GhostWire: Tokyo, we may have even gotten our first glimpse at a next-gen horror game, and so there should be plenty of frights in store for gamers in the future.