21 Indie Horror Games You Probably Don't Know About

indie horror games
The Nighmare is Real


What is the "Golden Rule" of any good horror game?

The unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.  In other words, fear.  While some try to avoid it, others seek it out.  Horror games have become the go to source, because it puts the players in the setting of the main character, making the danger all the more real.

Sadly, a number of big name game developers have dropped the ball in the horror department, releasing games that had more shooting than horror.  That is when the little guys, the indie games stepped up to deliver on our darkest fears.  Some horrifying jewels have gone unnoticed by the masses.  Here is a list twenty-one indie horror games you may not have heard of.

1. Fran Bow

Enjoy a delicious tea party.

Take your medicine and reveal the twisted world.

Delve into the psychosis of the mentally disturbed in Fran Bow

Fran is a young girl who has recently been placed in the Oswald Asylum after she witnessed the gruesome dismemberment of her parents.  Vivid dreams about her beloved cat, Mr. Midnight, drives her to escape from the asylum to go find him.

Take on the role of Fran Bow in this creepy point-and-click style psychological horror adventure game.  The beautiful 2D-Style art and original soundtrack plunges players in a creepy world filled with unique characters and challenging puzzles.  Administer medication to reveal a horrifying, hidden world to collect objects to help find Mr. Midnight and learn the truth about her parents’ deaths.

Gameplay: 

2. Kholat

 Beautiful scenery on the haunted mountain pass.

A gnarled tree is a classic horror trope

Try not to freeze to death in Kholat

Inspired by the real events of Dyatlov Pass Incident from 1959 where nine Russian students were found dead under mysterious circumstances after vanishing in the Kholat mountain pass.  Over fifty years later, a nameless adventure follows the path these students took to uncover the mystery behind the incident.

In this beautifully designed open world, players become the adventurer, scouring the mountain pass at their own pace.  To make the exploration all the more real, only a map, compass, and flashlight to guide their way through the winter storms.  Find clues that uncover the truth behind the incident while struggling to survive against the same forces.

It is also worth noting that the narration is done by famous English Actor, Sean Bean.

Gameplay: 

3. Monstrum

A fiery monster is waiting for you on the other side of the door

Turn and run, or be ready to die

Race to escape in Monstrum

Monsters have taken over the ship.  The crew has vanished, and the only person aboard is you.  All alone with these foul creatures, you must abandon ship!

The game allows for multiple methods to escape this boat of nightmares, giving the players multiple endings, each with scaling difficulty to complete.  Several monsters are onboard the boat, each one with their unique means to tracking and hunting.  Players must hurry, but also not rile attention or else be relentlessly pursued.  At each startup of the game, the monster attacking is randomly assigned, forcing the player to be on their toes at all times.

Recently the game has been getting minor updates to help perfect any small errors.  One of the biggest steps is the compatibility with the Oculus Rift headset.

Gameplay:

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Gamer Since: 1995
Favorite Genre: RPG
Top 3 Favorite Games:Outlast, Rocket League, Five Nights at Freddys


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