Free-to-play games give video games a better chance at gathering a bigger audience. Thousands of gamers can experience a new game at no cost. Many of these are made by indie game developers. With many of these games gaining a cult following, free-to-play horror games utterly win over players' hearts.
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These games are just perfect in general, especially if you’re looking to experiment with horror video games beyondthe classic franchiseslikeResident EvilandDead Space. This especially applies if you’re iffy about spending money to see if you enjoy it. These games have been made with love and care, most inspired by thrilling movies or chilling folklore. Without hesitation, it’s fair to say that free-to-play horror games offer a lot more than we could expect.
10Slender: The Eight Pages
If you were an avid fan of Let’s Players, you will most likely be familiar with Slender: The Eight Pages. Based on the popular folklore figure, Slender Man, the game is set in a dense forest at night. From a first-person perspective, your objective is to collect eight pages while trying to avoid being caught by Slender Man.
If you know what you’re doing and keep a close eye, it’s possible to do really well on the first try. However, with the anxiety of being chased, the nervousness can make this game feel intimidating.
9SCP Containment Breach
Based on the bone-chilling short stories, the SCP foundation, SCP Containment Breach is a video game version that brings these stories to life. Its horror resides in its fan-made stories, the dark dystopian atmosphere reflecting our deepest fears.
You play as a human test subject sent to an underground testing facility to study strange entities known as the SCPs.There are four endings you can reach for this game. Each ending offers a unique recording or radio transmission at the end screen between the personnel describing the events that took place after the game.
8Dagon: By H.P. Lovecraft
ThisLovecraftian video gamemakes its cosmic horrors clear as day to us. Based on the cult short story Dagon by H.P. Lovecraft, it is a rightful adaptation of the story accompanied by a chilling atmosphere. Only taking 30 minutes to complete, the story takes place in the mind of a former ship officer.
Forcing you to succumb to the madness, Dagon effortlessly pulls you in. The environment is deeply rooted in dark fantasy, the murky color scheme making you feel strange yet calm. For fans of Lovecraft, Dagon is just what they need.
7The Static Speaks My Name
The Static Speaks My Name is an indie psychological horror game that falls on the weirder side of things. From a first-person perspective, the game starts you off in a black space with a gray morphing blob. Walking towards the blob serves as the introduction to the game’s story, shifting you into the body of Jacob Ernholtz.
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Throughout the game, you explore Jacob’s apartment as it reveals who he is and the life he leads. The game comes to an end when Jacob meets a tragic fate. Horror aside, The Static Speaks My Name can oddly tug at your heartstrings.
6No More Room In Hell
As a zombie survival horror co-op, No More Room in Hell brings a lot to the table. It is inspired mainly by the Living Dead series. It makes references to films like American Psycho and The Big Lebowski as well.
The game was originally released as aHalf-Life 2mod but later became a standalone title in 2013. Following two game modes, Objective and Survival, you must follow the instructions given to you to survive the zombie apocalypse. While feeling a tad bit repetitive at times, it’s a game that many will thoroughly enjoy.
5Yume Nikki
Yume Nikkileans towards being a niche game with its cult following. Released in 2004, it was first made aware to the public on the Japanese textboard 2channel (an internet forum). The RPG became easier to find outside of Japan after it was released on Steam in 2018.
The story follows a girl, Madotsuki, as you explore her dreams and collect 24 effects that change her appearance and equipment. You go through various random events in the form of cutscenes and unique gameplay. The thrilling and spooky graphics make it incredible, overall being reminiscent of classic pixilated adventure games.
4House In The Woods
Heavily inspired and based on the chilling film, The Blair Witch Project, House in the Woods is a PS1-style game. Following the story of going on a camping trip, your friend suddenly goes missing. You go out into the woods and search for them, experiencing the horrors that await you in the forest.
The controls are easy, making this game exploration-focused and allowing you to take in all its terrifying elements. The mechanics emulated the classic feel ofa PlayStation 1 gameperfectly. Ultimately, House in the Woods can win over any fan of The Blair Witch Project’s heart.
3Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion
This game is known for its cutesy art style, with utter horrors lying beneath its seemingly harmless surface. You go throughout the game by entering different rooms, trying to reach the 1000th one. Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion starts with quirky and adorable characters. However, as you go through more rooms, it becomes something else entirely.
Enemies such as ghosts, serial killers, and deformed monsters haunt the mansion. The titular jump scares aren’t too scary at first. But the further you get, the more terrifying these sudden frights become. Control-wise, this game is easy to get the hang of.
2Doki Doki Literature Club!
A paid version with a bit more content is available, but the main game is free.Doki Doki Literature Clubfollows the same layout as any anime dating sim but with a twist. You play the protagonist whose childhood friend has made him join a literature club.
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With three club members, you’re able to choose a route to pursue a relationship with each of them. However, later down the line, you slowly realize how secretly sinister everything is. It all dives into different realms of horror with the choices you make. Breaking the fourth wall at times, the horror feels interactive.
1Bloodborne PSX
Despite how horrifying it is, some might not seeBloodborneas a horror game at first glance. However, its gothic horror makes it one of the best survival horror games to experience out there. Following along with the rise of retro collecting and the nostalgia to play older games, Lilith Walther transformed the beloved FromSoftware game into an intriguing PS1 demake.
While not the whole game, the free game includes a great portion of it. The gameplay is a unique experience for both newcomers andveteran Bloodborne players. The frightening Victorian-esque environment also makes for great PS1 graphics.
