Top 10 · Horror

The 10 best DOS horror games

The 10 best DOS horror games, as the players of dos.games rate them. DOOM leads the list, ahead of System Shock and Final DOOM.

Every game on the list plays in your browser, with nothing to install. The order comes from players' ratings and real play time, so it moves as people play.

Updated November 6, 2026How the lists are ranked

28DOS horror games in the archive
10 of 10Play in your browser
3.6Score of #1, out of 5

1. DOOM
1993 · id Software, Inc. · Action
3.6 out of 5Played all the time
The Union Aerospace Corporation has been experimenting with teleportation technology on Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos.
Play now: DOOM About the game
2. System Shock
1994 · LookingGlass Technologies · Action
3.5 out of 5Played all the time
System Shock is a first-person shooter with puzzle-solving and light role-playing elements.
Play now: System Shock About the game
3. Final DOOM
1996 · TeamTNT · Action
3.4 out of 5Played a lot
Final DOOM is the last ID-Tech 1 Doom game.
Play now: Final DOOM About the game
4. DOOM 4
2019 · Noiser · Action
3.3 out of 5Played all the time
The mod, led by Doomworld Forum user Noiser, was in the works for nearly two years and built within the design restrictions of the original Doom II.
Play now: DOOM 4 About the game
5. Alone in the Dark
1992 · Infogrames · Action
3.3 out of 5Played all the time
Description Jeremy Hartwood has committed suicide in his Louisiana mansion, Derceto.
Play now: Alone in the Dark About the game
6. The Legacy: Realm of Terror
1992 · Magnetic Scrolls · Role-playing (RPG)
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
The Legacy: Realm of Terror (titled simply The Legacy in some countries) is an adventure/role-playing video game developed by Magnetic Scrolls and published by MicroProse in March 1993.
Play now: The Legacy: Realm of Terror About the game
7. Alone in the Dark 3
1995 · Infogrames · Action
3.3 out of 5Played all the time
It's 1926 and after Edward Carnby's success in his previous two investigations, a journalist has nicknamed him the 'Supernatural Private Eye'.
Play now: Alone in the Dark 3 About the game
8. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
1990 · Horror Soft Ltd. · Action
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is an adventure game.
Play now: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark About the game
9. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
1993 · Sierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
Step into the world of Gabriel Knight, a wise-cracking bookstore owner and would-be author.
Play now: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers About the game
10. Isle of the Dead
1993 · Rainmaker Software · Action
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
Isle of the Dead is a video game developed by Rainmaker Software that was published by Meri
Play now: Isle of the Dead About the game

Ranks 11–20

More great DOS horror games

11. CastlevaniaKonami, Inc. · Action · 1990Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
12. Dark SeedCyberdreams, Inc. · Adventure · 1992Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
13. HarvesterMerit Studios · Adventure · 1996Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
14. Alone In The Dark 2I•Motion, Inc. · Action · 1993Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
15. A Nightmare on Elm StreetMonarch Development · Action · 1989Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
16. Alien CarnageApogee Software · Action · 1993Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
17. Cryptic Passage for BloodWizardWorks Group, Inc. · Action · 1997Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
18. Last RitesOcean Software · Action · 1997Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
19. Monster BashApogee Software, Ltd. · Action · 1993Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5
20. Inner WorldsSleepless Software · Action · 1996Played a lot
A lot
3.2 out of 5

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Questions

Frequently asked

How Best DOS Games are ranked

What is the best DOS horror game?

DOOM (1993, id Software, Inc.) is the best DOS horror game by our players' ratings, ahead of System Shock and Final DOOM. The ranking follows players' ratings and real play time, so it changes as people play.

Can I play these DOS horror games online?

Yes. 10 of the games on this list play free in your browser on dos.games, with no download and no emulator to set up. Press Play on any of them; your progress can be saved.

How many DOS horror games are there on dos.games?

28. This list ranks the best 10 in full and the next ones below them; the catalogue has every one, with filters for year, studio and more.

Which year had the most great DOS horror games?

1993. 3 of the games on this list came out that year: DOOM, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers and Isle of the Dead.

How is this list ranked?

With the same score as our Best DOS Games ranking: players' ratings, pulled toward the archive's own rating while a game has few of them, plus a small bonus for the games people actually keep playing. No editor and no sponsor decides a place.