Following the release ofResident Evil Village, many might be searching for some spooky games in order to keep the frights coming. While there are a ton of great horror games available though, paying for them all can be hard to justify.
Thankfully, there are plenty offree horror gamesthat can be played through Steam, independent platforms, and even web browsers, meaning that players don’t need to splash the cash in order to fill the gap. Just like any other genre, free-to-play horror games can vary quite a bit in quality, but there are quite a few that are worth checking out at the very least.
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Updated on January 23rd, 2023 by Russ Boswell:The Resident Evil series continues to crank out titles for its long-running franchise, with the latest first-person offerings bringing the beloved franchise back to its roots. Dedicated fans have an upcoming Resident Evil 4 Remake to look forward to, but there isn’t much information on the horizon about what’s next for the franchise. To keep horror fanatics entertained, here’s an expanded look at some of thebest free horror gamesavailable right now. The following list has been updated with even more entries.
Steam Link
Dead Frontier 2
Those looking for a much darker MMO experience can hop into Dead Frontier 2 and live life as an apocalyptic survivor. Players will need to keep their wits about them, scavenging for food, weapons, and other items, while simultaneously bartering and banding together with other players if they want to keep themselves safe from the hordes of undead roaming the area. With solid graphics, fun gameplay, and a variety of weapons and items to collect, Dead Frontier 2 is a great experience for fans of the horror genre.
The free price tag is hard to beat, especially for a game that players can enjoy online with groups of friends.
98DEMAKE
October 10th, 2018
September 1999
Many of the free-to-play games featured on this list offer lengthy experiences, but there are some short and sweet Horror gems out there that fans should experience. One great example is September 1999. This free game is micro-sized, lasting only approximately 5 minutes and 30 seconds, but it’s tense and gripping enough to make a lasting impression on most players. Shot in a “found footage” style, this free Horror release is great for a quick fright.
Poppy Playtime
Five Nights At Freddy’s did a fantastic job of ushering in a new era of creepy games inspired by a fear of animatronics. There have been a few notable knock-offs that took the FNAF formula and ran with it, but Poppy Playtime subverts the core gameplay a bit by offering players an explorative experience filled with tense moments and puzzle-solving mechanics. Rather than being rooted in a single location, players are free to explore (although the designated path can be a bit linear). This ups the scare-factor significantly as players find themselves running for their lives from a seemingly innocent toy mascot that is much more sinister than he looks.
Players can grab the original Poppy Playtime for free on Steam but they’ll need to pay for Chapter 2 if they wish to continue the storyline.
Dagon: By H. P. Lovecraft
Evoking H. P. Lovecraft’s name can be a recipe for success and disaster. While it will pique the interest of quite a few horror aficionados, it also comes with a certain expectation of excellence. There areplenty of games based on Lovecraft’s workand they tend to be all over the place in terms of quality.Dagonis better than most, a compliment that is not solely due to its free status.
Lasting roughly 30 minutes,Dagonis a point-and-click adventure that guides players through quite a faithful adaptation of the source material. Although not heart-in-the-mouth scary,Dagonmakes effective use of sound to create a constant sense of dread. This is a mood piece that does justice by Lovecraft’s cosmic horror.
Dark Deception
Only the first chapter ofDark Deceptioncan be experienced for free, which should be enough for players to judge whether they would like to invest in the rest of the story. Glowstick’s project is an arcade-style maze game that tasks players with traversing a creepy hotel-like location filled with creative monsters.
Visually,Dark Deceptionis quite impressive, particularly when it comes to the designs of the creatures. In terms of gameplay, this is essentially just a horror version ofPac-Man, albeit one that introduces a fair few unique mechanics.
Indiedb Link
Slender: The Eight Pages
That Slender: The Eight Pageshas almost been around for a full decade will likely make some readers feel old. For those who are yet to play the game though, it remains surprisingly fresh. It certainly helps that the game never really relied on visual fidelity to get its scares across, instead focusing ona terrifying antagonist who could show up at just about any time.
The game draws much of its strength from this uncertainty as well as its foreboding atmosphere and dark muted color palette. There are times when it can feel a bit likea walking simulator, but this only serves to build up tension for the inevitable jump scare.
Slender: The Eight Pages Remakeis currently in Early Access on Steam, although this version is not free.
Gamejolt Link
Imscared - A Pixelated Nightmare
Imscaredeventually made its way to Steam through an updated release that costs $3.99, and while that is the best way to experience this horror game, the free-to-play version should not be dismissed either. Released in 2012,Imscaredis a meta game that uses the player’s computer against them. Revealing anything else would be a disservice toImscaredsince this is one horror game that lives and dies by its unpredictability.
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The great thing aboutImscaredis that it doesn’t rely exclusively on its meta antics to deliver surprises and the occasional fright. It is also unsettling outside these moments.
Shattered Lights
In the world of VR gaming,Resident Evil 7reigns supreme as the scariest game on any platform. However, players looking to keep the frights going after completing Capcom’s title have plenty of options at their disposal, including some freebies.Shattered Lightsis an atmospheric psychological horror game designed to craft as immersive of an experience as possible.
As a room-scale VR project,Shattered Lightsallows players to physically move around its world without relying on the controller. This technology brings out the best in the horror genre, crafting scares through its atmosphere rather than jump scares. If someone has a VR headset and the required space, they should giveShattered Lightsa download.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Doki Doki Literature Club!may not look like a traditional horror game at first glance, but it’s actually one of the most disturbing games on Steam. The dating sim elements might not be to everybody’s tastes, nor may the visual novel approach that is taken to storytelling. Those who persevere with it, however,will likely be glad that they did.
Rather than zombies, ghosts, or other supernatural entities, the game instead focuses on deliveringa surreal and, at times, unsettling experiencethat will stick with players long after the game is over. It’s a strange title in many respects, but also an incredibly unique one that’s as hard-hitting as it is subversive.
Blameless
Blamelessis shockingly effective. Steam has plenty offree horror games, but few come close to eclipsing the simple brilliance of this 2016 release. The setup is straightforward: an architect visits a desolate house, gets knocked out, and wakes up alone in an intimidating part of the estate. Now, they must puzzle together a few tools and make their way out.
Blamelessrelies on atmosphere and mounting tension through environmental storytelling, steadily building up anxiety towards a final scare that makes the whole experience worthwhile. The game doesn’t overstay its welcome, as it can be easily completed in 20 minutes, but it makes full use of every second. While not as scary as something likeResident Evil 7,Blamelesscan giveResident Evil 6a run for its money.
