What’s better than getting in some scares without having to lose an arm and a leg?… at least not in real life. (haha)
Here’s a list of some of the best free horror games you can find on any platform.
Courtesy of Blue Wizard Digital
15. The Last Door
(Requires iOS, Android, Steam, or Xbox)
The Last Door trailer
Head straight into an over-pixelated nightmare. “The Last Door” is a point-and-click adventure, sidescroller game. It has an immaculate blend of sound and atmosphere that gives the game its eerie vibe.
Another spooky game with a ton of fun throwbacks. It’s heavily influenced by H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, and the entire Victorian horror genre in general.
You play a boy by the name of Jeremiah Devitt, whose mission is to unfold the mystery surrounding his childhood best friend’s death.
The other gratifying bit is that if you love the game you can buy the Collector’s Edition. Which has all four chapters to the storyline and a ton of extra puzzles, and cut scenes. If you love the idea of free, you will not be disappointed with chapter 1 of “The Last Door”.
14. Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion
(Requires Steam)
Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion trailer
“Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion” is about as simple and awesome as they come. With super easy controls and a whole lotta terror, you wander through the many halls of the massive mansion.
Also..the graphics and sound of the game have recently been improved and are better than ever!
A lot of the game has to do with just walking around, reading notes and running from hideous beings. Your main weapon is an axe that you use by clicking the left on the mouse. The game has 100s of rooms; after beating 50 of them, you get met with different enemies. The game progressively gets harder and as you get further there aren’t new enemies until after 100 more. It’s incredible how long this game can go on for.
I must add the game is adorable, while also being wonderfully creepy at the same time.
The best thing about “Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion” for me is that it reminds me of the point-and-click games that we used to play on our big clunky PCs in the 90s. If you’re in your 30s and a fan of horror games…you likely know what I’m talking about.
13. Doki Doki Literature Club
(Requires Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or Playstation)
Doki Doki Literature Club trailer
Don’t let how utterly adorable this game is fool you. “Doki Doki Literature Club” is about as clever as games come.
The trailer alone makes you wonder how this game is even classified as horror. Even after downloading and playing the game for a while, you wonder…where is the horror?! But trust me…keep playing...it comes and it comes in a tricky and miraculous way. This game truly plays off your senses and is full of suspense.
I can’t help but laugh at how subtle all the descriptions and videos for this game are. You truly have to play the game in depth to find out anything about it. Going in you just know it’s a visual storytelling horror game that's oddly adorable.
If you love suspense and a story unravelling in a slow but clever way, then “Doki Doki Literature Club” is the right game for you. I can’t say much more without giving things away. But trust me, it’s worth a little patience
12. Wrong Floor
(Requires Windows, macOS, or Linux)
Wrong Floor gameplay (no trailer)
“Wrong Floor” is a short but terrifying escape game, running at only 15 minutes. In my opinion, There’s something fun about getting to the finish line so quickly. It’s Kinda like preferring a movie over an entire series.
The game starts with you finding yourself trapped in the dark basement of your building after the elevator breaks down. A mad man is creeping around in the dark, and if you’re not careful he’s gonna murder you. The goal is to escape your doom by fixing the elevator and getting the heck out of there.
A very dark and claustrophobic game with a ton of fun jump scares. What little light there is in the game is your main tool…so use it wisely.
Download “Wrong Floor” for some short-lived but terrifying fun.
11. Face Your Fears
(Requires Oculus)
Face Your Fears trailer
“Face Your Fears” is a narrative storytelling VR experience game that will knock your socks off in fear.
Sadly you need Oculus to experience it. But it’s free and one of the most spectacular free games I’ve ever seen.
From ghosts to robots… it has a little bit of everything for every horror nerd out there. There are a ton of jump scares and a lot to explore.
And you can share your experiences with friends while you get some entertainment out of seeing what makes them jump out of their seats with fear.
Don’t waste another second before you find a place to play this spooktacular game on your or your friend’s Oculus.
10. Play With Me
(Requires Steam)
Play With Me trailer
“Play With Me” is another VR experience game. The interesting thing about this game is that it’s a fan-made game made by some french students.
When I was a kid I was terrified of clowns… and to be honest I still kinda am. Whenever I watch horror movies where the antagonist is a clown I get that same eerie feeling I did as a kid. Something about their creepy masks and the idea they’re supposed to be funny is so effective for some reason.
Well, you’re asked to play a game with a terrifying clown in this game. The goal is to find candles that lead you to the key to the house to get out and escape the evil clowns’ demise.
The main source of fear in this game is the obnoxious jump scares. The game is extremely dark and the clown faces are bright and terrifying. On top of that, the clown’s laughter is also extremely creepy.
Getting an Oculus or borrowing one is worth it for all the free and fun horror games it offers. “Play With Me” is one of the scariest you’ll find and it’s always nice supporting students that are trying to bust out of their shells.
9. Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle
(Requires iOS, Android, Steam, or Nintendo Switch)
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle
Are you a fan of the cult classic movie series, “Friday the 13th”? Then you’ll be more than thrilled to be immersed in this game’s world of nostalgia.
For once the roles are reversed and we get to play the killer, famously known as Jason Voorhes. Just like in the movie, the objective is to slay campers as they try to escape your wrath.
The game is full of a ton of fun cut scenes borrowed from all of our favorite movies. They’ve even got some scenes from space! (Freddy Vs. Jason reference).
I promise you won’t regret giving this game a spin and going for a walk down memory lane. Some 80’s horror vibes are always a treat…and “Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle” is the perfect place to find it.
8. [REC] Shudder
(Requires Windows)
As you can imagine, “[REC] Shutter” is reminiscent of the found footage series by the same name. Just like in the movie your main source of vision is through your camera with night vision… really it’s your only tool in the game.
You find yourself playing a reporter whose job is to investigate a haunted asylum called “Pennyhill”. Your character is also an insomniac and is being tormented with nightmares of the terrifying asylum.
Solve puzzles, explore the map and avoid any paranormal entities your camera detects along the way. “[REC]” is one of a kind and an awesome tribute to its movie counterpart. I can guarantee you’ll get some ghostly chills.
7. The House in the Woods
(Requires Windows)
House in the Woods trailer
I can’t help but giggle at myself for having “The House in the Woods” on my list of games. It’s based on the cult classic movie, “The Blair Witch Project”.
I am famously a hater of the movie…I just think it had too little payoff. But this game however is awesome, suspenseful fun!
You find yourself wandering around some dark woods and the objective is to search around finding any secrets or clues as you search for your lost friend. A simple but awesome game that has some wicked throwbacks to a movie I do love, “The Void”.
It’s a short game, but beautifully crafted and is something any horror fan would love to experience.
Now go grab “The House in the Woods” and have yourself a 30-minute break, full of jump scares.
6. Dagon: by H.P. Lovecraft
(Requires Steam)
Dagon: by HP Lovecraft trailer
Cthulu and Lovecraft… what more could a horror fan ask for? “Dagon” has high-quality graphics, gorgeous scenery and the perfect aesthetic for an HP Lovecraft tribute.
“Dagon” is a fully immersive 3D narrative experience. You play as a seaman who’s drugged out on morphine, exploring the dread that waits at Eldtritch island. This game is completely true to its origin story and is amazing in every way.
Another short but awesome experience and a great place to learn about Lovecraft himself and how his madness worked. Also, amazing venturing around the landscape that was crafted by his genius.
“Dagon: by H.P. Lovecraft” is another perfectly orchestrated game made for horror fans. Please give it a try and consider getting the DLC... you’d be supporting an awesome network of gamers.
5. SCP Containment Breach
(Requires Windows, or more recently, Android 4.4 and up)
SCP Containment Breach trailer
“SCP Containment Breach” is a true one-of-a-kind, first-person survival game. You play as a character named, D-9341, whose main prerogative is to contain the facility that consists of atypical creatures and special artifacts.
The problem is that there ends up being a containment breach and all the monsters called “SCPS” get out and are on a rampage. You’re a class “D” worker and some of the other workers are meant to kill you to keep things contained. Can you outsmart them and avoid getting decimated by monsters at the same time?
The main mechanic in this game is blinking and you have a blink bar that drains. So make sure you get a gas mask or you’re doomed. You have inventory, you can move around in different directions, you can crouch and the map is impressive.
“SCP Containment Breach” is one of the most impressive sci-fi horror games that I’ve ever seen…and what’s even better is you can play it on your phone. Pretty rad if you ask me!
4. I’mScared – A Pixelated Nightmare
(Requires Windows)
I’mScared – A Pixelated Nightmare trailer
As a massive fan of all things retro and all things horror, “I’mScared” completely blew me away. Its low graphics and simplistic controls are part of what makes the game work as well as it does.
It has the typical trope of being trapped alone in the dark, trying to find things to escape and find clues that’ll help you along the way. There are a lot of doors and each one will give you a jump scare or something to help you…which one will it be?
If you’ve ever played any of the “Slender Man” games then you’d recognize the creature that you find following you through the halls. His constant presence gives you a consistent sense of anxiety and terror.
In my opinion, the best horror is simple but effective. And, “I’mScared – A Pixellated Nightmare” does both perfectly.
3. Blameless
(Requires Windows or macOS)
Blameless trailer
“Blameless” is a first-person adventure game that relies heavily on puzzle solving to figure out the story. There’s blood, suspense and high anxiety. Which, if you ask me, is the ideal recipe for an effective horror game.
The character you play is a freelance architect who was invited to an unfinished house for a job that was posted. He elaborates that he can’t say no to a job, due to it being desperate times. Pretty quickly he begins to suspect it’s a setup, as he starts exploring the different areas in the building. There are locked cells, blood on the walls, and a mysterious presence lurking in the shadows.
With amazing graphics, overly gratuitous violence and a creative storyline…you might as well get some free scares from this awesome game!
2. Cry of Fear
(Requires Steam)
Cry of Fear trailer
Any “Half-Life” fans will be in awe of “Cry of Fear”. It started as a mod of “Half-Life” and then transformed into a world of its own. It's just as scary and just as awesome, especially for free.
You play a guy who is wandering some cold, Scandinavian streets and around every corner, there’s some sort of otherworldly monster waiting to get you. This is one of the scarier games out there…I found myself on the edge of my seat thriving with anticipation.
The graphics are impressive and the deserted town has a crazy amount of detail…you also have a lot of cool weapons you can try out. Which is awesome for anyone who loves the first-person shooter genre.
The other cool thing about this game is you can play single-player or multiplayer.., I can’t think of many other free horror games that have that feature. That fact alone would make me want to give “Cry of Fear” a try.
1. Perdition
(Requires Steam)
Perdition trailer
“Perdition” is a first-person shooter, sci-fi, and horror game where the goal is to fight off a hoard of evil invaders. It takes place in a beautifully crafted post-apocalyptic world where artificial intelligence seems to be taking over.
Experience a world of mystery and adventure, as you play an android named Eve, who was lucky enough to be praised with sentience.
“Perdition” is an extremely unique piece of art. The atmosphere and graphics are one of a kind and will blow your mind considering it’s a free game.
If you love post-apocalyptic dreamscapes then this is the game for you.
