While a streamlined and concise story can be for the best, sometimes, nothing hits the spot like lengthy horror games that are both horrific and immersive. Most of the genre's offerings seem to fall within the 8-15 hour mark while offering very little incentive for repeat playthroughs. However, exceptions do exist, and a few of these mammoth projects even sit among the best horror games of all time.

A continuous trend in the gaming industry is that as video game hardware and technology improve, horror games become scarier. Gaming is at a point now where even indie studios are able to create unsettlingly immersive experiences that are frighteningly close to looking like reality. Another trend is that games seem to be getting longer and longer, and the horror genre is not an exception.

Let's take a look at the longest horror games ever, based on their completionist estimates as mentioned on howlongtobeat.com.

If two games have the same completionist times, they will be ranked based on the lengths of their main stories.

Updated March 31, 2023 by Mark Sammut: Article has been updated with new games, times, and general information.

18 The Evil Within 2 – 29 Hours

Unlike most series' that grow increasingly longer, The Evil Within 2 is (spoiler alert) the shortest of the two Evil Within games. This is especially surprising when considering that Evil Within 2 differentiated itself from its predecessor by implementing an open-world, a staple of lengthy titles.

RELATED: Horror Games Inspired By Silent Hill

The Evil Within 2 was fairly well-received by critics, exemplified by its Metascores that ranged between 76 and 82 across its three releases. The game was also nominated for IGN's Best Action-Adventure Game in 2017, though the award unsurprisingly went to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

17 Alien: Isolation – 34 Hours

Alien: Isolation is one of those hidden gems that not a lot of people got a chance to play. As a game with a simple premise, it's a wonder why the game takes so long to beat. Somehow, Alien: Isolation's devs created a game that is both lengthy and enjoyable.

The length of Alien: Isolation might deter some players—and attract others. It takes approximately 33.5 hours to beat Alien: Isolation in a completionist run, making it one of the most prolonged and horrific horror games ever created.

16 Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise – 35 Hours

The Deadly Premonition games are horror in the Twin Peaks sense, meaning they are unusual and peculiar experiences. Both titles follow an FBI agent who is dragged into cases that take him to small American towns that are not quite as they seem.

The original Deadly Premonition launched with a fair few issues, but the game developed a cult following through its quirky but clever writing and unique atmosphere. The sequel offered more of the same, albeit the technical issues were a bit more of a deal-breaker for some players. While certainly an acquired taste, both projects are worth checking out for fans of surreal horror.

Deadly Premonition has roughly the same completionist time as its sequel, along with a slightly shorter main story.

15 Doom 3: BFG Edition – 38 Hours

The Doom series is one of the oldest and most addictive gaming franchises in gaming. Developer id Software is constantly raising the bar for video games. Doom 3: BFG Edition introduces more horror elements than ever before. It takes place on Mars, where the protagonist must fight off supernatural creatures such as demons, imps, and lost souls.

As a game that takes approximately 38 hours to beat completely, it's a game worth purchasing for its value; that said, a standard playthrough is roughly 10 hours long. It's widely available on platforms such as the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Doom 3: BFG is utterly terrifying, and it's a horror game that players can't miss.

14 Resident Evil: Revelations 2 – 41 Hours

This Resident Evil spinoff is so long that it gives us pause. Unless the player is someone who plays a game for days without blinking an eye, it could take over a month to beat Resident Evil: Revelations 2 in a complete playthrough, even if a straightforward main story playthrough will not require anywhere near that long. Resident Evil games can be lengthy, which is a reason why they are so popular.

RELATED: Free Horror Games That Are Just As Terrifying As Resident Evil

The best games are the ones players never want to put down. With horror and story elements blended into a never-ending nightmare, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is an excellent example of a Resident Evil game done right.

13 Metro Exodus – 41 Hours

The third entry into the critically acclaimed Metro series was initially released in 2019 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 before sporadically debuting on other platforms, such as Stadia, in the years that followed.

The game differentiated itself from its predecessors by implementing an open world for the first time in the series. The game's open world will likely give players mixed emotions, as many will admire its beautiful design, despite it depicting a depressing, lifeless, and almost resourceless post-apocalyptic landscape.

12 The Evil Within – 41 Hours

The Evil Within takes, on average, 36.5 hours to complete. Of the horror games contained on this list, The Evil Within is one of the most polished. Its gameplay can be amazing at times. The combat is exhilarating, and the game blends just the right amount of horror needed for an action game.

RELATED: Pro Tips For The Evil Within

It is scary, and the graphics are stupendous. Know that The Evil Within is not a masterpiece, and it is lackluster at times. If players go in with the expectations for a good, not great game, they won't be disappointed.

11 Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines – 41 Hours

Cult classic Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was released on PC by Activision in 2004. The game was developed by Troika Games, who only developed two other games in their short lifespan: Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and The Temple of Elemental Evil.

RELATED: Every Mario Platformer Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat

The game achieved its cult following through its implementation of numerous ambitious features that differentiated it from most other horror titles. Unique features include the game's mixture of first and third-person perspectives, a plethora of abilities and powers available to the player, and an RPG theme throughout, which is rare for the horror genre. To the joy of the game's fanbase, a sequel has been announced.

10 The Last of Us Part 2 – 44 Hours

To say that The Last of Us Part 2's release was divisive would be an understatement. While critics and some fans loved the game, other fans gave a brutal assessment of Naughty Dog's release, with its story being a particular point of contention. For those that enjoyed the game, its 44 hours of content provided a great time for completionists.

Even if the story doesn't sound appealing, The Last of Us Part 2 is an easy game to recommend to fans of modern horror games as it boasts state-of-the-art sound design, visual design, and animations that are all disturbingly realistic at times.

9 Pathologic 2 – 47 Hours

Pathologic 2 was released in May 2019 on PC and Xbox One before making its way to PlayStation 4 in March 2020. The game was originally planned to be a remake of the cult classic Pathologic, though it instead ended up becoming an expanded re-imagining of the 2005 release.

Pathologic 2 is an open-world RPG that lets players pick between three healers to play as. The game then takes place over 12 in-game days, where players have a variety of quests to complete, though these are all optional as the only definitive task is for the player to survive the 12 days -- something that is far easier said than done.

8 Darkwood – 44 Hours

It's a relatively unknown game compared to others on this list, yet Darkwood is one of the longest horror video games of all time.

The gameplay of Darkwood involves scavenging and exploration from a top-down perspective. It's a spooky game that is unconventionally scary. In Darkwood, players have to explore a detailed environment. Then, they must set up camp and pray they live to see the morning's light. Darkwood takes a whopping 51 hours to beat, making it one of the longest horror games of all time.

7 Resident Evil 6 – 55 Hours

It's not considered to be the best Resident Evil game of the franchise, but for containing most of the series' protagonists, Resident Evil 6 is notable. Resident Evil 6 contained some iconic scenes that are worth seeing, even if players don't enjoy the action-oriented gameplay.

As a game that became too focused on action, it became the face of criticism by Resident Evil fans. It's the longest Resident Evil game ever made, with approximately 55 hours of content. That means if anyone played it like a full-time job (8 hours per day), it would take almost 7 days to beat!

6 The Forest – 59 Hours

A survival horror game, The Forest casts the player as a plane survivor stuck on a dangerous island that is home to wild animals and cannibals. Gameplay-wise, Endnight's title falls squarely into the survival genre, which means resource management and crafting are both major parts of the main loop.

Although not an incredibly terrifying package, The Forest is intense, replayable, and quite deep. It is an easy recommendation for fans of the survival genre, although people who are primarily into horror might get a kick out of it.

5 Left 4 Dead 2 – 61 Hours

The Left 4 Dead series is recognized for its team-based gameplay and horrific elements. The right combination of a first-person shooter and a horror game can be a knockout. Left 4 Dead 2 is not only one of the greatest horror games of all time, but it is also exceedingly long since the game is designed to be replayed.

While not all that scary compared to other long horror games, Left 4 Dead 2 is undoubtedly one of the genre's most enduring and beloved projects. It is also a mainstay of the multiplayer scene.

Left 4 Dead also has a completionist time of 61 hours, but a single playthrough is generally short than one in its sequel.

4 The Letter: A Horror Visual Novel – 66 Hours

Although a single narrative thread might not take too long to complete, most visual novels have multiple arcs that can be explored in repeat playthroughs; consequently, they require hefty time investments for someone to consume everything they have to offer.

The Letter takes inspiration from classic haunted mansion movies and ideas, as it follows a plethora of characters who become haunted once they interact with a British house. With a gripping story and full voice acting, this visual novel is pretty great.

3 We Happy Few – 72 Hours

Although reviews for this game were generally negative, We Happy Few still stands as one of the most lengthy horror games of the modern era. At first glance, We Happy Few is a technically impressive game, boasting graphics beyond the norm.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't do enough to impress its players. Those into long horror games with an element of stealth, however, might find We Happy Few to be interesting.

2 Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition – 79 Hours

Dying Light is a survival horror game that was developed by Techland and first released in January 2015. The game features an open world with a day and night cycle, where zombies become exceedingly more aggressive and dangerous when the sun goes down.

The game was a hit with fans and critics for its enjoyable parkour mechanics and excellent multiplayer functionalities. The Following version adds the eponymous expansion, greatly expanding the overall package's length.

1 Project Zomboid – 176 Hours

Project Zomboid is an early-access survival game with no end point beyond just surviving as long as possible. A playthrough continues until a player meets their end; Consequently, this does make this entry a bit of a cheat since, technically, Project Zomboid could be endless.

However, a big part of the challenge is dealing with the monotony that sets in from repeating the same everyday structure over and over again. Eventually, it will exhaust most players.

MORE: Open-World Games That Take The Longest To Beat