Whether it be during the October Halloween season or just any other time of the year, we all get that itch to play a terrifying horror game. For whatever reason we either enjoy experiencing jump scares or we want to fuel that paranoia we get when running away from the room we just turned the lights off in.
With that being said, here are our Best Free Horror Games that you can get right now on PC.
Wrong Floor
Starting out the list strong we have Wrong Floor which is a game you won’t find on Steam but rather on Itch.io.
This title, as with a lot of other ones on this list, is a short game, around 15 minutes to beat or so. Don’t let the play time turn you off of this game or any other on this list because trust me when I say these games don’t need to be 6 hours long to be scary.
Wrong Floor is developed by the developer that goes by the name, N4BA. I don’t know much about the developer or what else he has going on but I will say that whoever this person is, they know how to make people uncomfortable.
I don’t want to spoil any of the experience but the game makes you extremely distrubed and you’re always on edge. I am the type that dislikes games that just throw jump scares out for no reason so I appreciated this game's approach to atmosphere and tension.
Like I had mentioned before, this is an incredible start to the list so you should definitely consider trying out Wrong Floor.
Sirenhead: Awakening
Siren Head: Awakening feels like a lower budget version of the classic Slender: The 8 Pages game. It’s essentially the same concept as that game, though with lower resolution textures and less polish.
The game starts out with you in the woods armed with nothing but a flashlight. Your car has broken down, and you need to find 4 items to fix it. With each item you find, Sirenhead becomes more and more aggressive, chasing you down the entire time.
One thing I found to be annoying was the very repetitive noise Sirenhead makes as he chases you. It only played one sound, and it gets very grating after a little bit. This Sirenhead game is better than another Sirenhead game on Steam, called The Siren’s Forest, but it’s nothing groundbreaking.
It’s a good game to play if you have a few minutes to kill, but don’t expect high quality
If you aren’t a horror game veteran, then you might find the game somewhat scary, but I imagine that most people won’t find it scary. Even then, a lot of people enjoy this style of game, so if it seems interesting to you then you should definitely check it out.
Dark Deception
Dark Deception is a psychological horror game that has you completing mazes. Yeah, it sounds kind of boring, but it is a pretty enjoyable game. The goal is to collect the crystals and escape without getting caught by the monkey.
There is no places to hide, so all you have to do is try and run to escape the enemies. There are more chapters that are locked behind a paywall here so that is why this game is higher on the list, but the first chapter will be enough for most people unless you really like the game.
Each enemy in the game has different tactics, so you will need to change up your playstyle every time to fit whatever is chasing you.
The maze is also filled with traps and hazards so you really need to be careful where you run and keep track of the creature that is following you. It is a pretty fun game and if you like horror mazes, you should definitely check this one out.
Flicker of Hope
Flicker of Hope, as you probably can gather from the footage, is somewhat inspired or at least looks similar to the Little Nightmare series and other games in that genre.
You play as a little candle that traverses through a dark cathedral in order to light all the candles.
I actually really love this game. It’s got some cool mechanics in it like your little douter, I believe it’s called, which can help prevent your flame from being spotted from the monsters or spirits.
It just has that cute but eerie Little Nightmares vibe to it and Little Nightmares one and two are among my favorite games of all time.
Being able to experience something similar with a really unique premise and honestly, a creepy vibe, is something I love to see.
I wouldn't say this game is terrifying but it’s eeri and just kinda creepy. Some points it had me on edge with the whole flame mechanic.
Again, it is a short game, usually takes just under an hour to beat but the experience is worth it and I’m sure you’ll be happy if you give it a shot.
The Supper
The Supper is a point and click horror game very similar to old games like The Secret of Monkey Island. While there aren’t any jumpscares, the atmosphere is extremely unsettling from the beginning, and there are some disturbing things that happen in the game.
This game is extremely short and very easy to complete, but it’s the type of game that’ll really let you appreciate the work of indie developers. I grew up playing a ton of point and click games, and I have to say that this one brought me back to those old nostalgic games.
The character design contributes to the unsettling atmosphere, and the world design really helps to draw you in, even for a short game. I actually wish that there was a much longer version of this game.
Even though it’s short, you can tell that a lot of work went into it, from the pixel art to the environment design. If you’re a fan of point in click games, or if you really like pixel art games, then The Supper is a great game to play.
Night in Riverager
A Night In Riverager is a free horror short set in the monochrome world of My Beautiful Paper Smile, which is a paid game by the same developer. It tells the tale of a strange hunter in an even stranger land, on a quest to find medicine for his ailing mother.
We have another game very similar to this one later on in this list that is also really good as well. You will become the Hunter, a hooded and mysterious figure, just living out their mundane life in the secluded hamlet of Riverager.
To find medicine for his sickly mother, the Hunter ventures into the King’s domain, a dangerous place guarded by forces both natural and not. It is very short, but it is definitely worth playing through once if you have the time.
There is surprisingly a ton of lore that goes along with these short games and is worth looking into if you enjoy the cool art style.
My Friend is a Raven
My Friend Raven has earned a spot on this list because of its unique story and art style. This game isn’t something that’ll get you screaming out loud but it’ll get you thinking and have you feeling unsettled and creeped out after beating it.
The game actually has some replayability to it too since you can get different endings depending on the things you discover and do, which just adds to the value of the game.
The game's art style is incredible and the atmosphere is unsettling. It sort of reminds me of something along the lines of Bendy and The Ink Machine, which is a huge plus for me. Also, the game is about 15-30 minutes long.
Again, this game isn’t something that will have you jump scared every 3 seconds and people with axes chasing you around but rather it’s actually an intriguing story about a post-apocalyptic world that has been destroyed by the plague.
I won’t spoil anything but I think the game is more atmospherically creepy and horror-like but the story and meaning behind it is actually something that I appreciate the developers writing in there.
Overall My Friend Raven is a unique horror game that you won’t see much of anywhere else and I highly recommend giving it a try.
Escape Room - Der Kranke Kollege
Escape Room – The Sick Colleague is an escape room game with light horror elements. The story of the game goes that your coworker doesn’t come to work for a few days, so you go to check on him. You find a keycard that lets you into the house, but become trapped when the door slams and locks behind you.
Before your coworker comes home, you need to find a way out, but you quickly find that things aren’t as they seem.
As far as the horror elements go, there aren’t any jumpscares, but the game lets you piece together a very creepy and unsettling story. The mechanics are very similar to lots of other escape room games, but it did take me a bit to figure out how everything worked. Maybe that was partially my fault for skipping the tutorial, but there are a lot of odd controls that take a few minutes to get used to.
This game is a lot like other escape room games in terms of difficulty, though you can use hints if you get stuck.
The game took me about an hour to beat, but some players might be able to finish it in a shorter amount of time if they’re experienced in games like this. If you’re looking for a fun game that’s light on horror, this is a great game to check out.
Cry of Fear
Cry of Fear is a psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a deserted town filled with horrific creatures and nightmarish delusions. You play as a young man desperately searching for answers in the cold Scandinavian night, finding his way through the city as he slowly descends into madness.
For a game that came out in 2013 with such good reviews, we haven’t really looked into it like we should have. It is a very creepy and story-driven horror game that is surprisingly better than you think. It is co-op so you can also play with your friends if you want to as well.
There are a ton of weapons and a full campaign to play through so if you like horror, then go ahead and try this game for yourself.
