Ready to venture into the world of the macabre, the eerie, and the unexplainable? We’ve curated a list of the best scary podcasts that are sure to send chills down your spine and keep you up at night. From real-life horrors to supernatural phenomena, these shows will keep you on the edge of your seat, leaving you both terrified and captivated.
1. The Last Podcast on the Left
The Last Podcast on the Left is one of the best scary podcasts because it’s a unique blend of comedy and horror, co-hosted by Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski. The podcast delves into all manner of terrifying and macabre topics, from true crime stories and notorious serial killers to alien encounters, conspiracy theories, and supernatural occurrences.
The hosts meticulously research each topic to deliver in-depth discussions with their irreverent and dark humor. It’s this unique blend of comedy and horror that sets the show apart.
The trio’s dynamic, with Kissel’s grounded viewpoint, Parks’ knack for research and storytelling, and Zebrowski’s wild tangents, ensures an entertaining and educational journey through humanity’s darker sides.
2. Unwell
Unwell is a fiction podcast set in the peculiar town of Mt. Absalom, Ohio. The story follows Lillian Harper who moves to the town to care for her estranged mother. The town and its strange inhabitants reveal unsettling secrets and supernatural happenings that Lillian must navigate.
The podcast combines elements of Gothic horror, supernatural mystery, and family drama. Known for its rich sound design and excellent voice acting, “Unwell” creates a fully immersive audio experience, enveloping you in its eerie and atmospheric storytelling.
3. Dr. Death
Dr. Death is a true crime podcast series from Wondery that chronicles the shocking story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who practiced in Dallas, Texas.
Despite being a successful and charismatic doctor, Duntsch became infamous for gross malpractice that resulted in severe injury to 33 patients and death for two during his surgeries. The podcast investigates how the medical system failed to stop him, despite numerous red flags.
Through interviews with patients, healthcare workers, and legal experts, the series explores the grim intersection of medical practice, systemic failures, and legal battles. It’s a disturbing and gripping account that underlines the importance of accountability in healthcare.
4. The No Sleep Podcast
The NoSleep Podcast is a horror anthology series that brings to life original short stories meant to scare and unsettle you. It originated from the NoSleep community on Reddit, a platform where users share their chilling, often paranormal, personal experiences.
The podcast features a collection of these tales, fully produced with atmospheric sound design and voice acting to enhance the storytelling experience. The stories range across various themes of horror, from haunted houses and cryptic creatures to psychological terrors and uncanny incidents.
5. Let’s Not Meet
Let’s Not Meet is a true horror podcast that shares terrifying real-life encounters from people who have come across individuals they’d prefer never to meet again. Originating from the popular Reddit forum r/LetsNotMeet, the show recounts personal experiences of creepy, unsettling, and often dangerous interactions.
Narratives range from stalking and home invasions to eerie encounters and potential abductions. Host Andrew Tate enhances the chilling stories with atmospheric sound design, ensuring a spooky listening experience.
While most horror podcasts focus on paranormal or supernatural tales, Let’s Not Meet is one of the best scary podcasts because it reminds you that real-world encounters can be just as frightening.
6. Wrong Station
Wrong Station is an anthology podcast that features dark and eerie tales perfect for fans of the strange and unsettling. Drawing inspiration from classic radio horror shows, each episode presents a standalone story that transports you into a world of the uncanny, supernatural, or downright terrifying.
The tales are told by anonymous narrators, often in the first person, further adding to the immersive experience. From haunted houses to peculiar happenings, the tales span various facets of horror. The chilling narratives, atmospheric sound design, and excellent voice acting make this show a highly immersive experience.
7. See You In Your Nightmares
See You In Your Nightmares is a horror podcast that takes you on an eerie journey into the world of dreams and nightmares. Each episode, narrated by master storyteller Otis Jiry, explores chilling tales and nightmarish scenarios that blur the lines between reality and the subconscious.
The podcast’s vivid descriptions and atmospheric soundscapes are designed to evoke fear and fascination, playing on common fears and phobias. It’s a uniquely haunting listening experience that stays with you long after the episode ends.
8. Limetown
Limetown is an audio drama podcast that follows Lia Haddock, a journalist for American Public Radio (APR), as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of over 300 people at a neuroscience research facility in Tennessee.
The podcast is known for its blend of suspense, science fiction, and supernatural elements. It unravels a gripping narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Haddock’s journey reveals chilling secrets about the research conducted in Limetown and the people involved. With its compelling storytelling, excellent voice acting, and immersive sound design, Limetown blurs the lines between reality and fiction.
9. Alice Isn’t Dead
Alice Isn’t Dead is a serialized fiction podcast from the creators of Welcome to Night Vale.
The series follows a truck driver as she travels across America in search of her presumed-dead wife, Alice. The journey reveals a deeper conspiracy, strange happenings, and a host of eerie characters.
It’s a captivating blend of suspense, horror, and emotional story, narrated in the form of the protagonist’s monologues to Alice. The podcast combines elements of supernatural horror with human drama, offering you an introspective and thrilling audio experience.
10. The Black Tapes
The Black Tapes is a serialized docudrama podcast blending horror, mystery, and supernatural elements. The show follows Alex Reagan, a radio journalist, who stumbles upon a collection of unsolved paranormal cases held by enigmatic investigator Dr. Richard Strand.
Dubbed the “Black Tapes,” these cases lead Alex and Strand into a complex web of ancient myths, occult symbols, and supernatural phenomena. Throughout the series, they grapple with questions of life, death, and what lies beyond our understanding.
The podcast’s realistic narrative style, well-developed characters, and intricate plotlines, along with a dash of unsettling horror, create a powerful experience and makes it one of the best scary podcasts.
11. Lore
Lore is a critically acclaimed podcast that explores the darker side of history, uncovering the frightening folklore and chilling true events that have fueled our superstitions and nightmares.
Hosted by author Aaron Mahnke, each episode delves into a specific theme, weaving together historical incidents, folktales, and cultural traditions from around the world to tell a tale that’s both educational and eerie.
From well-known legends to obscure folk tales, Lore illuminates the origins of our deepest fears through its rich narrative, meticulous research, and atmospheric audio design. It’s a captivating blend of history and horror.
12. Ghosts in the Burbs
Ghosts in the Burbs is a podcast that serves up suburban supernatural storytelling. Hosted by Liz Sower, the show focuses on the supposedly tranquil town of Wellesley, Massachusetts, revealing a community teeming with paranormal activity.
Each episode is a first-person account from local residents who’ve experienced eerie encounters, from spectral sightings to unsettling incidents. Though presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner, the stories maintain an undercurrent of unease that keeps you on the edge.
Whether real or fictional, the tales offer an engaging mix of spooky suburban tales that prove no town is too quiet for the paranormal.
13. Chilling Tales for Dark Nights
Chilling Tales for Dark Nights is a horror-themed podcast that specializes in bringing terrifying tales to life. This anthology series features a diverse group of spine-tingling stories from both established and emerging writers, performed by talented voice actors and enhanced with high-quality sound effects and music.
The narratives span a wide spectrum of horror, ranging from ghost stories and creepy pastas to psychological thrillers and supernatural encounters. Its emphasis on immersive storytelling and atmospheric audio design creates an intense and engaging experience.
14. Horror Hill
Horror Hill is a horror anthology podcast that delivers a weekly dose of chilling tales. Hosted by Jason Hill, the show features a variety of hair-raising stories, often drawn from emerging writers in the horror genre.
With an atmospheric delivery, Hill’s narrations plunge listeners into dark worlds of the uncanny, supernatural, and deeply disturbing, including bizarre happenings, psychological terrors, and a broad spectrum of horror. The production is immerse and high quality.
15. The Magnus Archives
The Magnus Archives is a collection of stories that center around Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute in London, as he records statements of supernatural experiences given to the institute. However, as he delves deeper into the archives, he finds that the cases are more interconnected than they first appear.
The podcast brilliantly weaves individual horror tales into an overarching narrative that unfolds a grand cosmic horror mystery. The mix of standalone scares and developing plotlines, accompanied by superb voice acting and atmospheric sound design, creates a unique experience that’s richly layered exploration of fear, folklore, and the unknown.
16. Spooked
Spooked is a haunting podcast from Snap Judgment and WNYC Studios that presents true-life supernatural stories told firsthand by the people who experienced them. Each episode offers chilling encounters with ghosts, spirits, and other paranormal phenomena, transporting you into a world of the eerie and inexplicable.
Hosted by Glynn Washington, the show’s narrative storytelling style and eerie sound design enhances the suspense and immerses you in each tale’s ambiance.
These stories of ghostly apparitions, near-death experiences, and encounters with the unknown venture beyond the veil of the known world, providing a truly spine-tingling listening experience.
17. The Dark Swamp
Venturing into the eerie unknown, The Dark Swamp: Horror Stories is a podcast that captivates you with bone-chilling tales from the dark side. Focused primarily on cryptids, paranormal encounters, and urban legends, each episode is designed to give you goosebumps and keep you peeking over your shoulder.
The host, known as Swamp Dweller, masterfully narrates stories submitted by listeners and sourced from the darkest corners of the internet. With its atmospheric storytelling and chilling narratives, this show plunges you into a world where the line between reality and nightmare is blurred.
18. The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program
The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program is an immensely popular podcast (and undeniably one of the best scary podcasts) that has captivated audiences around the world. It’s an audio drama series inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, specifically his iconic story, “The Call of Cthulhu.”
The podcast delves into the realm of cosmic horror, following a group of investigators who encounter eldritch creatures and unravel dark mysteries. With its immersive storytelling, talented voice actors, and clever sound design, this show transports you into a chilling and suspenseful world of Lovecraftian horror.
19. Point Mystic
Point Mystic is a captivating podcast that explores the realms of mystery, folklore, and the supernatural. You are taken on a journey to a fictional town called Point Mystic, where strange occurrences, eerie legends, and unexplained phenomena abound.
Through a combination of storytelling, interviews, and atmospheric soundscapes, Point Mystic delves into the unknown, examining the unexplained and delving into the rich tapestry of myths and legends that surround the town.
20. Within the Wires
Within the Wires is an innovative and thought-provoking podcast that offers a unique narrative experience. Presented as a series of fictional audio recordings, the podcast takes you on an immersive journey through various intriguing and mysterious stories.
Each season of Within the Wires explores a different narrative style and setting, offering a range of perspectives and genres. The podcast employs a captivating blend of storytelling, ambient soundscapes, and carefully crafted audio design for its imaginative worlds.
This show challenges traditional storytelling conventions and invites you to question reality, perception, and the nature of storytelling itself.
Your Favorite Scary Podcasts
If you are an enthusiast of all things horror, our list of the best scary podcasts will give you the eerie, spine-chilling experiences you crave. Whether you’re a fan of supernatural tales, true crime mysteries, or psychological thrillers, there’s something for everyone.
What are your favorite scary podcasts? Let us know in the comments!
In the mood for more great podcasts? Check out some of our favorites:
