The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

House of Ashes is the one I would put on when a friend wants to play something horror-adjacent but does not want to be responsible for an actual survival run. My wife watched me play a chunk of this and actually asked what was going to happen next, which is a stronger endorsement from her than anything I could write. The Shared Story and Movie Night modes mean everyone has a role even if they are not an experienced player, and the branching decisions create genuine tension about whether your choices are going to get someone killed. It is the most accessible game on this list by some margin. It is also genuinely creepy in the ancient creature sections, which the other anthology entries do not always manage.

House of Ashes is a polished, choice-driven horror story you can complete in one long session or two shorter ones. The Shared Story online mode gives each player a different perspective on the same events, which is a clever co-op storytelling angle. The reason it's here rather than in the top ten is that co-op is more about watching and reacting than active teamwork, there's no mechanical cooperation, just shared decision-making. That's a legitimate co-op experience, but it sits closer to interactive film than co-op campaign. If you're specifically after horror and want a story you'll finish, it absolutely deserves a look.