Horror games are having a crowded awards season, and the small studios are refusing to stay in the background. The Horror Game Awards return to London on Friday 20 November 2026 for their fifth-anniversary ceremony, with 21 categories, more than 20 trailers and a Game of the Year lineup that reaches far beyond the biggest franchises.
Tarsier Studios’ REANIMAL leads the nominations with ten, followed by Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem on nine. Silent Hill: Townfall, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival and Silver Pines have eight apiece, according to the organisers.
Those are substantial names. Yet the more revealing part of the shortlist is how many independent and distinctive projects sit beside them.
Why the indie nominations deserve attention
The 16 Game of the Year contenders include Project Songbird, Endacopia, No Means Nothing, Offering App, The Skin Stapler and Tenebris Somnia. They sit alongside larger releases such as REANIMAL, Resident Evil Requiem and Directive 8020.
That breadth matters. Horror is a genre where atmosphere, restraint, unsettling ideas and confident sound design can compete with expensive production. A disturbing hallway does not necessarily become twice as frightening because it has twice the rendering budget.
The organisers have added five categories this year, including Best Cosy Horror Game, Scariest Horror Game of the Year, Best Ongoing Horror Game, Critics’ Choice and Best Adaptation. The categories suggest an event trying to capture a wider range of what horror games have become.
Take Tenebris Somnia, for instance. Its combination of pixel-art survival horror and live-action footage is a reminder that an unsettling idea, presented with conviction, can make itself heard in a room full of much larger franchises.
More than an awards ceremony
The organisers promise more than 20 trailers and reveals during the show. Already named appearances include ILL, Sally Face 2 and Sker: The Bleeding Veil. That means the event is worth watching not only for who wins, but for which upcoming games find their first major audience.
There is a particular opportunity here for independent developers. One strong trailer, presented to an audience that actively wants to discover unsettling new experiences, can deliver far more value than another generic promotional blast.
When and where to watch
The ceremony begins at 7pm GMT on Friday 20 November, streaming through the official Horror Game Awards channels on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok. The London venue audience is sold out, but the broadcast is available online.
We will be paying especially close attention to the smaller nominees and the new game announcements. Mainstream horror has plenty of coverage already; at Coloured Static Press, we want to make sure some of the stranger, riskier ideas receive their moment in the light, however briefly the light survives.
Event details: The Horror Game Awards official website.
Sources: The Horror Game Awards’ 13 November 2026 media briefing and official event announcement. Nominations and schedules are reported as supplied by the organisers.