[Top 15] Free Indie Horror Games That Are Excellent

to remind you to be afraid of the Dark…

It’s been over 100 years since the first horror film was made, and in 1972 gamers made the horror genre ours. Why? Because gamers are thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies! Gamers are Noble knights chasing after the bump in the dark. But for many gamers, it’s not enough to play the next Resident Evil or another boring Remake of a Classic. For the real thrill-seekers here are.

15 horror games that will remind you to be wary of the bump in the night!

Dark Deception Takes the term “you’ve got a monkey on your back” a little too literally.

15. Tiny Bunny: Prologue (STEAM, PC)

 Anton is the bookish Older brother suspicious of the Taiga forest just outside his family’s new home. Then the police show up and a young boy goes missing… Follow Anton as he tries to figure out the Mystery on the other side of his window…

A  masterpiece of artistry, Saikono outdoes itself with Tiny Bunny: Prologue. The ink-filled non-linear horror novel is worth every Jump Scare. The audio is immersive, keeping your heart racing as you navigate the unknown of Russia’s frigid winter.

You’re late! You’re Late! For a very important date… with the devil.

14. P.R.I.C.E (STEAM, PC)

Ivry wakes up in his sister Iva’s room in their Victorian mansion. His only light is a candle, and the door is  locked. Where’s Iva? Gone… Help Ivry solve the grim mystery in this gothic tale of darkness and woe. Helping Ivry connect the dots on what reality and what’s a dream is not for the faint of heart. Let the eerie child’s singing lull you into a false sense of safety in P.R.I.C.E.

P.R.I.C.E is a puzzle game that starts off the bat in confusion trying to escape Iva’s room. YETU games really put their best foot forward. The puzzles are difficult, gathering clues is your only hope to make it past the first door. Unique doesn’t even begin to describe this game and its a new way to combine and solve clues. Released in 2016 the victorian style anime visual novel is worth the space on your hard drive.

Many dream of living in a mansion but for Ivry it’s a nightmare.

13. Trick & Treat (Steam, PC) 

You’re Amelia, a young maid escorting her witch Charlotte  trick or treating. Before you know it Charlotte’s gone, and the Mansion you stopped to get candy from comes alive…

Solve puzzles, explore and discover the mystery in Trick & Treat. Don’t let this Classic Flash game fool you, with multiple endings, puzzles and its light-hearted nature Trick and Treat needs to be your next Download.

Trick & Treat was only released back in 2016 but the nostalgia kick of early Newgrounds  animation is to “die” for.

Can you save Charlotte and solve the Mystery of the Mansion?

12. IT MOVES (STEAM, PC)

We all have nightmares, but what if those nightmares blur the lines of reality? Released in 2019 Kodoma Games has made a timeless puzzle horror game. Lead our narrator through the horror of his childhood bedroom and get whisked away to a land of nightmares. 

IT MOVES is a slow burn horror that saves your heart from random jumpscares using ambiance and its soundtrack to keep your pulse throbbing. The puzzles are easy, allowing you to submerge yourself into the mind of our narrator in his scariest moment…Bedtime.

Please don’t send me to bed…

11. Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion (STEAM,PC)

In Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion you travel through 1,000 rooms avoiding monsters and finding clues on what’s really going on at Spooky’s. Who is Spooky? If you can make it through the sudden cut-out of adorable toasts and kawaii ghosts to reach the 100th door you’ll find your answer.

Spooky’s is a cute game that gets your heart rate going by cutting down cutouts and running from monsters. Can cute and horror truly mix? Yes! Spooky’s does a unique spin on the horror genre that you have to get your hands on!

Awe so cute, Yet so evil!

10. Friday The 13th: KILLER PUZZLE (Steam, Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Macintosh operating systems)

    Travel to the paranormal hotspot of Camp Crystal Lake and help legendary horror icon Jason Vorhees exact his Revenge! No one is safe as you guide Jason through puzzles taking out victims when they least expect it. Never get bored with over 100+ puzzles to challenge you!

While the graphics have the cute cubic Jason Vorhees and bright vibrant colors it does not hold back on the carnage and gore. You could easily sink in 50+ hours helping Jason slaughter fellow inmates and campers. For a true horror fan, you will enjoy the commentary murder by Jason’s mother’s severed head an omage to how she was originally killed in the movies.

Get the full serial killer experience enjoying the slaughter.

9. Adventure Escape Mysteries (Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS)

Solve puzzles, travel the high seas, Investigate cryptic clues, sacrifice your friends, and interrogate suspects while enjoying the stunning illustrations in Adventure Escape: Mysteries. Play as Detective Kate Gray and use your cunning detective skills to find the murderer in the Trapmaker trilogy. Travel the High Seas as Notorious Captain Conroy chasing after treasure on a newly discovered treasure map in Pirate’s Treasure! Don’t forget to help Sam on her Camping trip as an ancient evil awakens. 

This game uses classic puzzles you know and new unique ones to tell fantastical stories of mystery. Exercise that wonderful gray matter with increasingly difficult puzzles. The high caliber of storytelling Adventure Escape presents is rare in a free game. While every chapter does require a key to unlock, keys that replenish themselves every 2 hours this game is worth the wait and is a great time killer.

Put all those hours of watching NCIS with grandma to use!

8. Disturbed (STEAM,PC)

We all eventually face blights of disparity and the only way out is to do something. Play a lonely potato farmer as dull days pass and your farm fails. Face the dispairs of depression, sickness, and failure. Be careful your choices can lead to the demise of you and your farm.

Disturbed is an adventure/horror visual adventure. Few visual novels can take you on the same mysterious paranormal adventure. The game starts implying that it's a simple life for a simple man but it’s much more complicated than that. It shows even a potato farmer can summon unicorns, face off with monstrous dogs, and complete ghosts' final requests.

Is that a unicorn in a horror game?

7. Doki Doki: Literature Club (STEAM,PC)

The literature is full of cute girls and you have to join! Woo Natsuki, Monika, Saori or Yuri! Don’t let the bright colors and cute soundtrack trick you. Something much more sinister is going on with these beautiful high school girls.

This visually stunning game lulls you into a false sense of security as you go through the motions of any ordinary dating simulator. There’s something deep under the service, a monster. If you haven’t seen one of the thousands of lets plays be warned this game isn’t for the faint of heart. Find out the truth and why everyone is falling into madness.

Monika, Monika, Monika…… MONIKA. 

6.No More Room In hell (STEAM, PC)

Chances are slim to none. Millions of dead are rampaging through the city, and they are starving. There's no cure, but with a steady flow of pills you can stave off the infection, for a time. Test your resourcefulness, team skills, and decide whether you'll survive in No More Room in hell.   

No more Room in Hell uses realism to its advantage. Just as in real life you have to determine moments to help others, or fend for yourself. . It makes your heart race as you have to decide, is it worth the stamina or not, do you shoot or run. The best part of this game is its melee weapons. The heftiness about each swing gives wonderful satisfaction to knocking out zombies with certain weapons; you can really send those zombies flying. 

Where are all these Zombies coming from!

5. Ann (STEAM, PC)

Help the art student Ann navigate the eerie halls of the schools after she gets locked in for breaking a rule. Discover the secrets lying deep within. Call your doctor about the heart palpitations after each chase scene. With multiple endings and easy gameplay, this is a must-have for your horror game library!

Ann is a true modern homage to early 2010 RPG Horror. The characters are easy to connect to with different and interesting backstories. Ann can definitely be completed within a few hours and it's a game worth playing. 

A security guard and an art student walk into a school… But there’s no punchline.

4. Cry of fear (STEAM,PC)

Descend into madness in Cry of fear. A young man searches for the answers in a deserted town filled with nightmares and monsters. This unique game can be played single-player or co-op of up to four players. Sink hours with your friends, with multiple endings and an emphasis on lateral thinking.

Cry of fear was originally created as a half-life mod making the gameplay recognizable and comfortable. While there are moments of cheap jumpscares the plotline and actual gameplay make this game Horrifying. While the game is free the new pair of underwear won’t be.

I suggest eating a whole apple tree to keep this doctor away.

3.Dark Deception(STEAM,PC)

Run for your life and you better run fast. Dark Deception is a fast-paced horror arcade game. Follow the map, collect crystals and avoid monsters! You aren’t just avoiding evil monkeys but the horrific maze is also filled with dead ends and traps.

Imagine, Pacman but scary. Instead of ghosts, it’s evil monkeys! Each level has its own unique AI monster coming for you to avoid. This game feels like a free cup head with how difficult it is. Even easy mode puts your skills to the test. It also has a unique dark humor that few horror games can successfully pull off without coming off as tactless. For those gamers who liked to be scared but aren’t into gore, this game is perfect for you. 

Run, run as fast as you can…

2. Lightless (STEAM,PC)

Something’s not right… Return with journalist Navid back to his home of Iran in this episodic horror. Before he returns home he must face the hellish nightmares of his past. Discover what happened in the residence, escape the deceased residents, and enjoy how well this game computers the joys of nostalgia games with it’s graphics

Lightless’s atmospheric gameplay is very satisfying. Playing into the fact that our protagonist is a journalist you get a camera. The camera helps you reveal cool clues to what’s going on. This classic point-and-click mystery take it  to a new level of creepy. If you're a fan of retro adventure games and classic horror movies, this title is something you should try out now.

Not all homecomings are joyous occasions.

1.Deceit (STEAM,PC)

Can you trust your friends? Use your gut instincts and find the infected before they can get you. Complete your objectives with your friends before the lights turn out and the infected turn into horrific monsters. Vote out suspicious players but be careful of who you accuse, they could be innocent.

If you loved Among Us then you’ll love this game. Try to escape and survive from the infected. They could very well be the person standing next to you, or you. As an infected you turn into a gnarling, gnashing monster and hunt your prey. Keep your blood supply up but don’t let anyone see you take a blood bag or they'll know you're infected.

Is there anyone you can truly trust?