Best Horror Games On Itch.io – Weekly Updates

https://ift.tt/vm6RaYi Ever wondered what the best horror games on Itch.io are? There are so many to choose from, which is why this feature...

https://ift.tt/vm6RaYi

Ever wondered what the best horror games on Itch.io are? There are so many to choose from, which is why this feature piece whittles it down to our top choices across a range of horror subgenres.

There are tons of amazing games on Itch.io, so make sure to browse what’s on offer. Did you know that Roblox is a staple in the genre nowadays? Check out our Best Roblox Horror Games feature to discover more.

Best Horror Games On Itch.io

As more games get added to this feature, new categories will appear, making it easier for you to navigate through and find the best games suited for what you’re looking for!

Weekly Highlights

This week’s horror highlights!

Mycopsychosis

Sporestorms are weather events that shroud the sky in dark clouds that emit Mycopsychosys spores. With an upcoming Sporestorm due, you must do what you can to survive, which means remaining indoors at all times. The PCD, also known as the Plague Control Department, make the rules, and you need to listen to them to make it through the storm.

Mycopsychosis is a horror visual novel experience, with 3 original characters, and 5 endings to unlock!

The Designer’s Curse – Forgotten Horrors

Taking inspiration from the beloved Amnesia games, The Designer’s Curse – Forgotten Horrors is the second chapter in the series. Venture into Shaw Well Manor once again, filled to the brim with uncovered secrets.

With your notebook, you can write down notes to remind you of anything you’ve found, so you can refer back to them later on. Found puzzle clues? You can jot them down to remember! Explore the regal yet decrepit manor, but keep an eye on the shadows looming throughout.

PULCRA

This horror FPS equips you with a gun that has infinite ammo; however, its reload speed is quite slow, so you have to be tactful with how many shots you take. As you explore the map, you find monstrous entities as you search for the exit out of the literal hellhole. Stylish, creepy, and fun, PULCRA is a short game that’s worth a replay.

Surreal Horror

The Moth Inside Me

• For fans of:
  • Yume Nikki
  • Silent Hill

Dreams can be scary, especially when they feel so vivid and realistic. The Moth Inside Me is only a short game, but it takes you on a hazy journey through various rooms, as the protagonist’s confusion grows evermore.

Based on repressed dreams and the feeling of those that reoccur, The Moth Inside Me makes you question everything around you… and what’s ahead. From the cloudy and fuzzy visuals, to the unsettling sound design, get ready for a psychologically thrilling game.

INTROVERT

• For fans of:
  • Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk

This monochrome horror takes place inside a house, that feels somewhat safe. You feel most comfortable in your room, and you have no reason to go outside. But what happens if you do go outside?

Something in the shadows is watching you… always. This game tackles some psychological topics as well as perfecting the feeling of paranoia.

Anoxia Station

• For fans of:
  • Dredge
  • Alien’s Dark Descent

It’s 1988, but instead of it being as you’d expect, the world has been plunged into a dystopian nightmare. Anoxia Station is a little different to the other entries in this feature, as it’s a strategy game rather than a first-person experience, third-person survival horror, or visual novel.

Keep your crewmates alive and watch out for anyone acting suspiciously… you can’t trust everyone. With environmental dangers such as magma, dark caves, moon milk, and strange crystals, you must delve into and explore the now unrecognisable terrain.

Whilst the sounds of drilling, construction, and natural elements are unpleasant, nothing is quite like the otherworldly noises that seem to come from the depths.

Bloodbark

• For fans of:
  • Darkwood

Taking inspiration from an art piece by Eduardo Valdes-Hevia, Bloodbark sees you cutting down trees that are sought after due to the red wood they provide. They bleed red, hence the name, but that’s not the only thing you should be wary of.

These Bloodbark trees seem to know of your existence, making them somewhat sentient. So, what if trees could think and feel? In this game, the trees want to fight back. Understandably, they don’t want to be cut down and used for their wood.

Wret

Wret feels as if you’re playing the game on an old TV, conjuring up retro vibes that blend perfectly with the abundant cultish slasher vibes.

With the mystery of a ritual, a time frame of five days, and odd beings with skulls for heads that remain still yet watch you, you slowly start to realise that there is no escape from this nightmare.

As time goes on, the house seems to be coming to life.

The Psychological Experiment

You are isolated in an asylum. Hallucinating is a part of daily life, and being far away from civil life takes its toll on you. In The Psychological Experiment, you have to take a test to determine the overall status of your mind.

With this being a psychological horror game, it preys on the feeling of paranoia with an unsettling atmosphere.

Into Solace

You have suffered with blackouts for the entirety of your life. You visit your therapist, whom you’ve been going to for a while, but this appointment is different from the others. In this one, you manage to reveal all of the events that happened whilst you were blacked out.

While you were there physically, your mind was not. However, whilst you’re revealing these events, you also have the chance to reverse what happened. There are puzzles to complete and plenty of choices to make, so that you can change the present, the future, and the past.

A Twisted Place

Blending a side-view camera, as well as a first-person view, A Twisted Place puts you in the driving seat of an investigation. As you hold a lantern up, you explore the interior of a dark building, and outside is no better. Whilst exploring this building, you come across strange things, including inexplicable entities.

Being locked in a side-view adds to the atmosphere, as you can’t just simply turn the camera around to see what may be lurking. The first-person view forces you to face the horrors directly in front of you.

House in the Woods

Inspired by the Blair Witch Project, the House in the Woods takes you through a dark forest, filled to the brim with strange occurrences, with only your flashlight to show the way. The woods seem endless, but you end up discovering secrets that should be left hidden as you search for your friend.

Whilst enjoying a camping trip, your friend goes missing. So, you take it upon yourself to explore and search for them, finding out that the forest isn’t what it seems.

Survival Horror

A classic genre! Shoot and attack terrifying enemies whilst you try to survive.

House of Necrosis

• For fans of:
  • Resident Evil
  • Silent Hill

Inspired by the classics of the Survival Horror genre, House of Necrosis features 32-bit graphics with fixed camera angles, and brings it to the modern world of gaming. Some may prefer the ultra-realistic graphics of newer games, but you can’t deny that there’s something super charming about this nostalgic style.

Wander through the abandoned mansion and strengthen your weapons as you delve deeper into the dark corridors. The mansion seems to never end, and that’s because the map changes each time! This feature keeps it feeling fresh even when you’re high-level.

Endless Blue

• For fans of:
  • Metal Gear
  • Resident Evil
  • Doom
  • Parasite Eve

Another Survival Horror title, but with slightly more modern graphics. This sci-fi horror game is reminiscent of past PS1 titles that altered how we see the genre. There are enemies to kill, puzzles to solve, and an overarching storyline that plays out over various cutscenes.

Flesh Made Fear

• For fans of:
  • Resident Evil
  • Silent Hill
  • Left 4 Dead

Step into a world of cults and experiments gone wrong in this survival horror that takes inspiration from PSX. It’s perfect for fans of the classic Resident Evil games, as you set out on a trip with a cast of characters, defeating mutated creations galore.

You are a member of the Reaper Intervention Platoon and your task is to clear out the mutants roaming the once quiet town. You’re looking specifically for someone called ‘The Ripper’…

ANATOMY

In ANATOMY, you have to wander around a lived-in home as you pick up tapes. On paper, it sounds like a lot of other titles, but it’s the overall atmosphere and the feeling the game leaves you with that stand out the most. A constant dread stirs up inside you, preying on your paranoia as every little sound and dark corner makes you feel as if danger is mere feet away.

Unsettling imagery, turning a normal domestic house into something much more sinister, makes this a real treat to play, with multiple endings to unlock.

Nostalgic Horror

Horror games with nostalgic graphics or mechanics.

Clap Clap

• For fans of:
  • Chilla’s Art games
  • Amnesia

A brand-new home feature that allows you to turn your lights on and off with just two claps has been introduced! No more flicking the switch on the wall, as you can control your indoor lighting no matter where you’re standing.

This isn’t your house, but it is your responsibility to house-sit. After responding to an advertisement in the newspaper, you get the job. Whilst house-sitting, you can wander around the abode to your heart’s content, though I’m not sure whatever’s living in the walls is happy about it.

Take care of the house by watering plants and cleaning up. With this newfound technological power, surely nothing bad will come from it… right?

Beyond One’s Past

• For fans of:
  • Cry of Fear
  • Baisu

The snow is falling in Pennsylvania, and as an investigative officer, you’re patrolling the streets of a usually quiet town. Odd occurrences have been dimming the joy of residents, as a strange yet intriguing case unfolds. It’s a psychological horror that takes you down a dangerous path.

Benny Bash

• For fans of:
  • Stay Out of the House

Featuring a mixture of pixelated and retro graphics, Benny Bash is a game within a game. You’re in a cabin playing an arcade-style title. Progress through the arcade game to unlock additional puzzles that take place around you. Things get weirder as you go on.

Break away from the screen to interact with objects and furniture around you in the cabin. Be careful though, as Benny is watching your every move. If you do something he doesn’t approve of, he’ll be on his way.

The Lightkeeper is Gone

• For fans of:
  • Dredge
  • Fears to Fathom: Ironbark Lookout

Ever seen The Lighthouse by Robert Eggers? Well, you should know that going to a quiet lighthouse in the middle of a treacherous ocean never bodes well. In The Lightkeeper is Gone, you are the new keeper of the structure. The previous person left suddenly, leaving a gap in which you have filled.

As you look after the lighthouse by yourself, you have plenty of spare time on your hands to go moseying around. Slowly but surely, you discover clues left by the keeper before you. Don’t forget to turn the light on every evening though! If you’re a fan of slow burns, this horror title is perfect for you.

Days of Saturn

• For fans of:
  • Soul Void
  • Cryohazard

The Days of Saturn arrive in 16 days. As an acolyte, you may very well become the Servant of the Mistress. This game is only a short one, but with a mixture of visual novel-esque gameplay, combined with raising the stats of the main character, the eerie tone of this experience is sure to stay with you.

It reminds me of horror titles that I used to watch and play on the Nintendo DS… and even GameBoy – even the Itch.io page for it features a DS! Days of Saturn is a simple yet effective game, created and developed in four days. For those who missed that generation of games, or for those who miss it, Days of Saturn is available to play now.

Curse of the Mantle

• For fans of:
  • Days of Saturn
  • Play Novel: Silent Hill
  • The Mist

As per real-life, “The Curse of the Mantle” was aired on Weird Circle in 1944. Weird Circle was an episodic show that aired between 1943 and 1945. This Gameboy-inspired indie title weaves this story into a retro-style, pixelated game!

In this story, Lady Eleanore obtains a mantle that is cursed, altering herself and those around her. George, her fiancé, warns her that it is all the mantle’s fault and strives to destroy the object. While the game features walking around as you uncover the tale, you must interact with the world around you to delve deeper.

Blood Mall

• For fans of:
  • Puppet Combo games

There’s been a massacre at the mall, and it looks like a dinosaur is responsible for it all. The prehistoric creature came out of nowhere, but what exactly happened? How did it appear, and why did it appear in the mall of all places?

Taking inspiration from Puppet Combo, Blood Mall is a horror experience that reminds me of Dead Rising (because of the mall) but combines everything you come to expect from the genre, except with dinosaurs.

Grotesqueresque

This game features 10 scary stories that take you to different locations, with various characters, and a whole load of unsettling vibes. From the forest to Antarctica, there are creepy TV shows, a mysterious cryptid, and the fears that come with insomnia.

Analog Horror

A horror genre that takes normal aspects of our daily lives and twists them into something much more sinister.

They Looked Like Us

• For fans of:
  • The Mandela Catalogue
  • Home Safety Hotline
  • Assessment Examination

After watching an emergency broadcast that warns you to remain inside, you close your curtains and turn all of your lights off. All you need to focus on is staying out of sight of ‘them’. If ‘they’ find you, that’s it.

They Looked Like Us is a short but sweet example of what analogue horror is and how effective it can be. Inspired by the tales of skinwalkers, this game cranks up the paranoia to 100. Even if ‘they’ look normal, ‘they’ aren’t.

NetEscape

In NetEscape, you sit at a PC to play a game of the same name. It’s an MMO from the 90s that has been abandoned, with nobody online except for you… and a few other mysterious players. It used to be a busy hub filled to the brim with players. Now, it resembles liminal spaces, with empty locations and rooms.

You have until midnight to explore NetEscape, granting you a chance to take as many in-game screenshots as possible so that you have a record of what you find. It seems like it used to be a fun game until the horrors started to emerge. It’s up to you to uncover the secret story behind it all. Maybe this online world isn’t as charming as you initially thought…

The Prototype

• For fans of:
  • Assessment Examination
  • Who’s Lila?

Robots… they’re creepy, right? Well, in this visual novel that takes inspiration from analog horror, you must interact with a robot as you assess the current model. Aside from the unsettling smile on its face, something else isn’t quite right about it.

Dreader

• For fans of:
  • The Scary Maze Game
  • Hypnospace Outlaw
  • KinitoPET

Remember the scary maze game and how stressful it was? Yeah, think of that, and then play Dreader! It reminds me of the tense mazes that you had to complete before being blasted with loud sounds and a horrifying image.

Drag your mouse through the maze and try not to touch the sides. It’s stormy outside, so amidst the rumbling of your PC, you can hear the howling wind, alongside a view of the dark, cloudy sky outside. Each time you complete a level, you ‘descend’ further.

REPLAY

After picking up a mysterious retro game on your commute home from work, you decide to turn on your TV and start playing once you get back. It’s pitch black in your house, and as you sit down to start the game, you realise the controls are fairly simple and easy to follow.

With nostalgic and familiar mechanics, you find yourself quickly relaxing, but maybe it was a mistake to play this during the nighttime…

Evaluation

• For fans of:
  • Maple County
  • Mandela Catalogue
  • Assessment Examination
  • Home Safety Hotline

In Evaluation, you are using an emulator to try out a program that was originally given to members of the Church in the 90s.

This evaluative program was used to test the self-worth and faith of the members. It was also utilised when communicating with spirits. The Vatican then banned the program in 1999.

The emulator isn’t perfect, so you may come across a few issues here and there.

The Deadseat

Ah… long journeys, they can be pretty boring, right? In The Deadseat, you’re in the back of your parents’ car, holding a handheld gaming device whilst you try to drown out their arguing. Everything starts fairly normal, until the game you’re playing starts to morph into something uncomfortably familiar.

The items you pick up in your handheld game suddenly appear in the backseat next to you. That’s not the only thing that’s trying to enter the car. There’s a monster afoot, but is it stuck in the game, or will it find a way to reach you?

Application Form

In this sci-fi title, you’re a candidate taking a test. What’s the test for? Well, it’s not disclosed. It’s a mysterious government operation, with no further details.

In this test, you must answer all the questions you are faced with. For example, your age range, your blood type, and some rather… odd queries. Will you pass the test?

Phantomware 0

Analogue horror at its finest! You are testing a game for a client that you don’t quite trust.

As you click around on a computer that clearly takes inspiration from Windows XP, and play the game you’ve been tasked with testing, your device starts to glitch, and strange messages appear. It gets a whole lot weirder when the digitalscape begins to intertwine with the real world around you.

By collecting clues and investigating further, you find yourself solving the mystery of this odd program. Just who is this mysterious client, and can they be trusted?

500 Saints

You play as Gregor, a VERA Infinite Security agent. You need to find somebody called Kane within 500 Saints, a 2011 simulation shrouded in mystery. Your job is not only to find this ‘Kane’, but also to gather information regarding what 500 Saints is, who is responsible for it, and why it was created in the first place.

VERA Infinite Security removed the majority of NPCs, but some entities remain. There are unused assets that may prove useful, which Kurt (also works at VERA Infinite Security) placed into a shop which you can access.

Visual Novels

Visual novels, but scary ones!

Stillwater

• For fans of:
  • Danganronpa
  • Dead Plate

Mixing the horror genre with a crime thriller, you play as Hugo Laurent, a private investigator. You receive a letter that has a not-so-nice message written in red – it’s just ink, right? Work with your assistants in this visual novel to crack the case. If you fail to do so, the curse makes itself known.

With a charming art style, point-and-click mechanics, and multiple endings, Studio Clump has made something very special here.

Saihate Station

• For fans of:
  • Mad Father
  • The Witch’s House

Firstly, I want to note that the art style for this game is absolutely lovely. It almost distracts you from the fact that it’s a horror visual novel. Everything starts fine, with Haru beginning a new job. It’s here that Haru meets Shion. Jealous of Shion’s energy, Haru does his best to distance himself, until one night they both meet at Saihate Station.

Secrets start to unravel, and Haru discovers that Saihate Station is more than just somewhere to catch a train. Something’s off about Shion…

Voices, Blaming, Blood, and She

• For fans of:
  • Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk

Dreams… we all have them. But what if a teenager with schizophrenia dreams? You play as her inner voice, which turns the game into a psychological horror. This voice discusses phobias, fears, dreams, and wishes.

With 2 endings to reach, an unsettling yet relaxing soundtrack, and a short playtime, it’s a horror experience that burrows its way into your brain.

Devil’s Liminal

• For fans of:
  • Tiny Bunny
  • Higurashi
  • The House in Fata Morgana

Margo Silva is being haunted by a ghost who only appears when she is dreaming. She wishes for a summer of peace as she works at her job, with plans of heading to college once she has enough money. After meeting two girls who seem a little strange, she is thrown into a world of demons and the supernatural.

Devil’s Liminal is a horror visual novel with dialogue options, collectable art pieces, and sapphic romance.

Death Loop

• For fans of:
  • Danganronpa

Death Loop is heavily inspired by the Danganronpa franchise. You start the game in a school with 9 strangers, but a woman explains that there is a killer amongst your group. You need to decipher who this killer is, and then vote for them to be kicked out… or well, exterminated.

If you are killed by the killer, you start all over again, trapping you in a loop. It psychologically affects you as you must repeat the same thing over and over again, whilst you hunt down the real killer.

My Sweet! Housemate

This visual novel game stars a cannibalistic and overworked gentleman. Seung-min Kim is tired, as are you, but there’s just one issue. He’s a cannibal, and he wants to eat you. Unbeknownst to you, the rental listing for the apartment was a clever plot to lure someone in. Maybe it did seem too good to be true?

There are 10 endings overall, achievements to unlock, and character customisation!

HUMAN EXPENDITURE PROGRAM

If you’re a fan of BLOODMONEY, then you need to play HUMAN EXPENDITURE PROGRAM, too! It stars Harvey Harvington, the main character from the original game, and throws him into an entirely new form of torture.

Harvey Harvington becomes your Tamagotchi-style pet. You’re in charge of feeding him, playing with him, and taking care of him. As you look after him, you get money. You try your best to make Harvey forget what you’ve done to him. However, the trauma he’s been through cannot be forgotten.

With two endings and five minigames to play, including whack-a-mole, HUMAN EXPENDITURE PROGRAM expands the Harvey Harvington universe!

Silver Thread

Silver Thread is a visual novel mystery horror with stylish art design and a great story to boot. Alicia Wilkershire doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she works as an exorcist… yep, that’s right. Meet new characters, explore a variety of locations, and try to crack the case.

The first edition of the game has multiple endings, but there are two other parts to Silver Thread now, offering even more play time! Each part brings you along to different hauntingly fun investigations as Alicia.

Pixel Horror

Either made in RPG Maker or reminiscent of the classics!

Midnight Mansion

• For Fans of:
  • The Witch’s House
  • Mad Father

Reminiscent of old-school RPG maker horrors, Midnight Mansion takes you on a journey through a haunted building that you must escape at all costs. It’s like The Witch’s House a little bit, if you’ve ever played that!

The mansion’s owner disappeared a while back, with no explanation as to why. It’s your job to investigate the murders that have been taking place on the grounds. Read diary entries, and pick up items and weapons, all of which help you to escape this hellhole.

Welcome to Elderfield

• For fans of:
  • Stardew Valley
  • Harvest Island
  • Graveyard Keeper

If you like cosy games and horror, then Welcome to Elderfield should strike your fancy! It’s as if Stardew Valley took place in an alternate universe, where everything looks like it came from the mind of Junji Ito.

Set in Elderfield, you have completed your studies, and it’s time to start properly knuckling down with work. The residents of Elderfield have always been strange, but you start to notice it much more now that you have no other distractions. It’s even worse at nighttime, with the town seeming to take on a life of its own.

Despite the oddities, you do your best to make friends with the townsfolk, as well as maintain the local farm. Like other cosy games, you can fish, cook, gather materials, and make a living. Whilst earning money, you also take it upon yourself to solve any mystery you come across.

Fearsome Tale

• For fans of:
  • Witch’s House

Fearsome Tale is a horror RPG with a charming pixel art style. You play as Diego, a child whose parents have suddenly disappeared, and is now trapped inside his own home. With notes strewn around the house that only add to his confusion, you must investigate what exactly is happening…

Little House

• For fans of:
  • Midnight Mansion
  • The Witch’s House

In this monochrome pixelated horror, called Little House, you wake up from a strange dream to find your home isn’t what it was before you fell asleep. You must face odd puzzles to progress, as you meet eerie beings that roam around.

The limited graphics add to the atmosphere, as you can’t quite tell what you’re looking at. With mild jump scares, Little House is a great psychological horror!

Snarl

This stylish pixel point-and-click horror experience is a prequel to Abscission and Teeth of Glass. Will Stanhope and Ben Drummle are detectives who have just solved quite a disturbing case. They plan to have a bit of a break, tucking into a meal at a diner.

As they try to relax, a man who is clearly injured enters the diner with his son. As detectives, both Will and Ben take it upon themselves to help out. The man and his son describe a grey man with a chilling smile…

Don’t Forget

As an intern for the Ecological Stability Organization, you need to collect data and keep things maintained. Your task of the day is to enter a dark and decrepit location, which harbours a dangerous creature. This monster follows your every step, trying to catch up to you. Make your way through the long hallways that all look the same, whilst trying to evade contact with the entity.

You’re not entirely defenceless, though. The company at least gave you a remote that shocks the monster, stunning it for a couple of seconds.

Nightfall

In this stylistic pixel horror, you play as a god who is now a beating heart, a shell of your former self. As you wander around the forest, you must collect resources while speaking with individuals you find along the way. It’s up to you to help them, use them, or be cruel to them.

Your heart is not safe in the forest, so you must fend off any strange creatures that threaten to destroy it. All you need to replenish yourself is six souls.

General Horror

Chakana

• For fans of:
  • Devotion

With a gritty and unique art direction, Chakana takes place in your ‘home’. You’re in the middle of an evening date, with the table set for dinner. As you chow down, things start to get a little… strange around the house.

The building is weirdly quiet and blood keeps appearing in places where it shouldn’t. Chakana plays with your mind, making you desperate to reveal the secrets that have led the main character to this point. Truly, what is going on?

SOMNIFUGE

• For fans of:
  • Alone in the Dark

Entering a dark mansion, you were invited here by receiving a strange note. The corridors may be shrouded in shadows, but there seem to be people living there. With an old-school graphic style, you must complete puzzles as you make your way through the rooms. All the while, you feel as if someone is watching you. It takes inspiration from Alone in the Dark, especially when it comes to the psychological aspect of the game.

Unheard Scream

• For fans of:
  • The Exit 8

Subways are creepy at the best of times, with the long walkways that all look the same, and the shadows that stretch out far beyond the platform. In Unheard Scream, you and your explorer friends decide to investigate a subway station. You become trapped, and you must find a way to escape.

There are puzzles to solve throughout, all the while avoiding the monster that shuffles around. Make sure to stay quiet, as sound is what alerts the monster to your location. It’s a horrific-looking thing, with tall gangly limbs, and an abyss for a mouth. Down in the subway, nobody can hear you scream.

The Boba Teashop

• For fans of:
  • The Closing Shift
  • The Convenience Store

I’m a sucker for boba, so why not play a horror game based around a teashop? You’re the owner of a boba store and you’ve got customers to serve! As Risa, you must take orders and prepare drinks by adding the correct ingredients. Most of the time, your customers are pleasant. However, some are not only rude… but kind of creepy.

As time goes on, strange things start to appear within the shop. You also start to hear odd sounds that are unexplainable. Combining the familiarity of a boba cafe, managing products and customers like a restaurant tycoon game, things start to turn unsettling fast.

DreadVault

• For fans of:
  • Resident Evil 7
  • Visage
  • Layers of Fear

After inheriting his uncle’s estate, Daniel decides to take a look at the property. Instead of a quiet and old building, things seem to move, and unexplained sounds travel through the halls. His uncle is Adrian Lowe, a neurologist who has disappeared with no evidence left behind, apart from an abode filled to the brim with mystery.

Whilst investigating the property, Daniel finds a bunker… it’s more than safe, right? As he looks around, he discovers Project Strosh, a secret experiment that his uncle was involved in, which has clearly gone awry. The memories extracted throughout the project have morphed into something inhuman.

ARSONATE

Inspired by Buckshot Roulette, you are trapped inside a fire tower in ARSONATE. As a forest fire erupts, spreading each time a card flips throughout the game, who gets out alive is between you and your opponent. There are 3 endings to reach, and the one you unlock depends on how the game plays out for you… and the choices you make.

The cards may look cryptic, but the symbols soon gain meaning. Your opponent dons a gas mask, pouring fuel on the cards occasionally, throwing a lit match onto the pile, or extinguishing the flames. You need to outsmart him in any way possible, even if that means wielding a crowbar. Can you protect your tower and survive the match?

KLETKA

• For fans of:
  • Outlast
  • Lethal Company
  • Manhunt

An elevator is hungry… and it wants to eat you and whoever steps inside. To counter this, you must feed the elevator. With what? Well, that’s for you to find out. Traverse down into the depths of the building and explore each terrifying floor.

Criminals are sent to Kletka, the Gigastructure, including yourself. The building itself is massive in size, filled to the brim with traps and entities ready to attack, such as the Samosbor.

I Work as an Exorcist

• For fans of:
  • Faith
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s

As you can guess, you work as an exorcist in this game. Your name is Leslie, and you must go to the house of clients to exorcise the demons that hide in their walls. Stand in the darkness and shine your trusty flashlight to scare the demons away.

There are 4 levels in total to complete, each taking part in different locations. The demons differ, so don’t expect them to be the same every time! Immerse yourself in the story whilst you help your clients.

Mushrooming

• For fans of:
  • Through the Woods

Finally, a folk horror game! I love me some folk horror, so I’m delighted to introduce Mushrooming. Atticus has rented a cabin close to the forest as he plans to find a non-existent mushroom called the Grand Bolete.

Whilst in his cabin, he decides to head out in search of it. But once he gets out there, he comes across a strange astronaut. Why is there an astronaut in the middle of the forest? Who knows? What we do know is that they are your one and only obstacle… and they’ve got a gun.

Gou

While Gou is only a short game, it takes inspiration from The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a story originally written by H.P Lovecraft. However, Gou takes place in rural Japan, and there’s an ancient curse lingering in the mist.

It’s a side-scrolling pixel game that was made in just 72 hours, but it sure packs a punch when it comes to atmospheric horror. Fend off the wandering creatures and venture through the swampy forest to find a way out.

Cucina Stellara (Starred Cuisine)

• For fans of:
  • Cooking Companions
  • Ravenous Devils

Set in 19th-century Romagna, you are a gourmet chef and a writer who takes inspiration from Pellegrino Artusi. You decide to cook up a midnight snack, but as you put together the ingredients, as the stars shine bright amidst the night sky, things seem to spiral towards chaos…

DON’T FEED IT

• For fans of:
  • Floors Have Teeth

You are trapped inside a decrepit house, locked by a chain across the door. Noticing a gap in the flooring, with something calling out to you, you have no idea what it is. You do not know where you are, but the only thing you do know… is that you need to feed it.

In 10 days, you must complete the task at hand. Whatever it is that you need to feed, it must be done during the daytime. The nights are too dangerous to do so. Can you reach all 5 endings?

Huntsman

• For fans of:
  • Choo Choo Charles

You may have seen clips of this game around on the internet already! It’s got an absolutely horrifying giant huntsman spider as the main antagonist, and as someone who is scared of spiders, it’s a nightmare for me. But still, I can’t deny that it’s effective horror! It might not be too frightening for those who are not scared, but for arachnophobes, it’s pure fear fuel.

You need to collect items within an office space, taking inspiration from Resident Evil. To beat the game, you must defeat the spider, but you also need to avoid it as much as you can.

Late Night Mop

• For fans of:
  • Visage

Your client wants the house clean and tidy by the morning, so it’s time for a night shift. It shouldn’t take too long, and there isn’t much to do.

Once you get to the house, though, something isn’t right and odd things start to happen. It’s almost as if you’re wandering through a haunted house. Or maybe… it really is just that. Late Night Mop keeps you on the edge of your seat, as you never know what’s going to happen next!

The Cursed Garden

• For fans of:
  • Puppet Combo games

Gardens are usually quite tranquil places filled with nature, but in The Cursed Garden, all is not what it seems. You are the garden’s caretaker, and you’re going about your tasks as you usually do. Suddenly, you start to spot shadows moving at their own accord and hear noises that don’t sound human. The trees even feature carvings of strange symbols. This isn’t the garden you’re used to in the slightest.

It looks like a cult has overtaken the garden…

Sanctium

• For fans of:
  • Harthorn
  • The Classrooms

You were a student at Saint Agnes High School, but somehow you’ve woken up here despite no longer being a part of it. The weirdest part is that this Catholic school shut down a few years prior. Why, you ask? Well, brutal murders started to occur, and all of the victims were students. Father Benedict, who had close relations with the school, had previously warned students that there was a demonic presence throughout.

I Am Not Alone

• For fans of:
  • Silent Hill
  • Outlast

Whilst I Am Not Alone is only a short experience, its imagery and visual aesthetic make it an atmospheric and unsettling piece of media. To me, it feels like a bit of a POV take on Silent Hill. It’s mostly the main creature that reminds me of the franchise, but also the desolate and industrial environments.

Still Residue

• For fans of:
  • Viscera Cleanup Detail

After losing your job, you need some money. You find a job that requires you to clean up after the people. It seems normal at first, until you actually get to work. The messes you’re cleaning aren’t what you expect, and they allude to something much more sinister.

Part cleaning simulator, part horror, this horror title boasts a mystery you just have to uncover.

Play Things

Dolls… they can be pretty creepy, especially if they’re suspected to be haunted. In Play Things, you need to investigate a bunch of dolls that may or may not be cursed. Take part in tests as you try to figure it out, but don’t be surprised if something bad happens.

You must complete five tests per doll, and after all five of them, it’s your job to determine whether or not it contains a sinister entity.

Thunderhead

The residents of Thunderhead went through something traumatic, but only one remembers it all. That is the milkman. He delivers milk to quiet towns every Friday, including Thunderhead. What happened in the town occurred on a Friday, just in time for the milkman to witness it.

Drive your milk van, deliver milk and juice to residents, and try to work out what happened to Thunderhead.

End of the Night

Usually, in a horror game, the goal is to survive until the end of the night. The credit screen usually rolls, whether or not you reached the good ending or not.

But what happens when the real horror doesn’t start until the sun attempts to rise? End of the Night flips what we come to expect on its head and introduces a new way to experience the early hours of the morning.

Silent Still 2

• For fans of:
  • Dream Cage

Despite the on-the-nose title of the game, this has nothing to do with Silent Hill. Instead, it is based on the fear of sleep paralysis and the all-consuming dread that comes with it.

You cannot move or make any noise. But you can hear and see everything. Is something watching you? If there is, you can’t do anything about it. You’re paralysed, after all.

Death Sketchbook

While the ‘Death Sketchbook’ sounds like another way of saying the ‘Death Note’ (if you know, you know), this game is entirely separate and utilises the skill of drawing to solve crimes. Whilst your art allows you to investigate unsolved cases, there’s something from the past lingering in the back of your mind.

It’s imperative to note down even the smallest of details, just in case they help you later down the line. Choose the tools you wish to use and start drawing!

Twisted Toys

I’ll always stand by the fact that dolls are one of the creepiest additions to any horror game. In Twisted Toys, you play as a worker in a warehouse. But you’re working the night shift. It pays well, and it seems easy enough.

However, once you start to settle into the routine, things start to go wrong. Doll heads are moving by themselves, there’s an uncomfortable presence around you, and you no longer feel alone.

Project Arktik

You work at a facility that has an ongoing experiment focusing on ‘dream control’. However, whilst you’re just a staff worker, you start to realise that you’re trapped, almost like a prisoner.

It’s not the most charming environment to be in for hours on end. Who knows what effect it will have on you and the others? This dystopian short horror leads you through foggy, snow-covered locations with a claustrophobic, heavy atmosphere.

Vacant

You’re on the way to your new house, but it’s getting late, and you’re getting pretty tired. You come across a motel, which is the perfect place to rest your head for the night. It’s just a place to sleep for a few hours, so it can’t be that bad, right?

All is well until the motel’s host starts acting extremely strangely. Even your fellow residents aren’t the friendliest. With just 10-15 minutes of playtime, this is a fast-paced horror experience that promises to deliver.

SUITBORN

You’ve got a new job at a facility. This isn’t just any job, though, as you work in a building that used to deal with Kaiju. You must go through your shift as usual, but if you fail to do so, you might just meet Gojira himself.

Lonely and uncomfortable, SUITBORN takes the night shift trope and switches it up with a new type of monster.

OBSCURE

After a science experiment fails, you wake up in a laboratory that’s been abandoned. Well, it’s seemingly abandoned until you notice the creatures that are wandering around, blocking your way out.

To escape, you need to explore the building by entering rooms to find anything that may help you, such as items and any clues that can point you in the correct direction.

The Haunting of Mochnor

The village of Mochnor is no longer what it used to be. What was once a delightful place to be is now shrouded in unspeakable horrors. You must stay out of the dark and remain in the light as much as possible.

Your curiosity gets the better of you, and you decide to visit the village. The streets are empty, with little to no residents. There are secrets you must uncover as you try your best to rid the darkness of Mochnor.

Hachi: Eight Feet Tall

Miyu enters the forest despite her family telling her not to go. As she ventures through the forest, curious about everything she sees, she soon realises she is being followed by Hachishakusama. The only way to stop this haunting is by performing the ritual correctly.

Hachishakusama is a Japanese urban legend about a woman who is 8 feet tall. Hachi: Eight Feet Tall takes inspiration from Japanese folklore and takes you from a quiet forest to a dark cavern as you seek the truth.

The Hop Hop

You’re left alone in the shadows and the silence. However, the silence is good, as it keeps Hop Hop away. If you walk into the light or make any loud sounds, Hop Hop will know where you are. To navigate the environment, you must stay out of the light as much as possible and move around slowly so as not to catch Hop Hop’s attention.

Hop Hop was first sighted in 1984 and appears between 12 am and 3 am. This entity specifically hunts children who are left alone or have otherwise misbehaved.

Invocation: Ghost Photography

• For fans of:
  • Fatal Frame

You are a paranormal investigator who specialises in taking photos. As you explore the environment, you must take photos of the spirits you meet. Keep the camera on, otherwise you won’t be able to see the ghosts. Some require puzzles to be completed for them to appear.

It’s not as easy as it seems, though, as some spirits will attack you when the camera highlights them. Each time you are attacked, your sanity level lowers. There are other tools to utilise during your ghost hunt, such as the spirit box and radar.

Me and I

A streamer receives a piece of mail from an anonymous fan. Suddenly, every day seems to be a time loop, with no explanation as to why. Me and I is a short horror experience that lasts between 10 to 15 minutes, throwing you into the action almost immediately.

Things get weird quickly, and you’ll soon find yourself feeling confused and lost, trapped within a loop that you can’t get out of.

BLOODMONEY!

A short game that has taken the internet by storm, BLOODMONEY! puts you in the driving seat of attacking Harvey Harvington. Why would you do this, you ask? Well, you need 25K to pay for treatment. Suddenly, Harvey Harvington appears behind a stall and offers to grant you cash if you click the screen. Each time you click the screen, you earn cash. Sounds simple enough.

You can increase the amount of cash you get per click by purchasing new items, such as a hammer. As you can imagine, constantly clicking the screen means that Harvey is being hit. The more powerful the weap-… item you use, the more cash you get, but the more he gets hurt. Things get quite gruesome!

SPECIMEN

It’s your job to capture an alien within an abandoned space station. The thing is, you don’t know where the specimen is. You need to explore the space station as you hunt the alien down, either by yourself or with other players.

With proximity chat, walking too far away from your colleagues puts you in a dangerous spot. It’s best to stay together at all times. There are pieces of equipment to use as you search for the alien, which you also need to manage by collecting batteries. This game features not just one alien… but multiple. Various specimens can appear, each of which has unique behavioural patterns.

Owen the Quiet

After finding an old toy, you turn it on. It’s a strange shape, with a cone for a body, a rectangle through the middle which features two eyes, two little feet, and a number pad on its stomach. Its name is Owen, and he asks you questions. You need to get all of his questions right, otherwise… silence fills the house.

If you manage to answer all of his questions correctly, you can beat the game! It’s a short experience, so you can always replay to try and beat your previous completion time. Some of the questions may seem a little obvious, but they force you to explore your surroundings and pay close attention. The risk of answering incorrectly is always present.

Parasomnia: No REM

This first-person psychological horror focuses on the experience of sleepwalking. As you explore both reality and a dreamlike state, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish the difference.

Your family disappeared 10 years ago. You’ve been struggling to sleep the past few days, so you consult a doctor. They prescribe you some sleeping pills, but they cause you to have the deepest of dreams, leading to sleepwalking through past trauma from your childhood.

In No REM, you can’t tell whether you’re awake or asleep. You cannot read as the environment changes around you, and everything has become distorted. Can you evade the entities whilst trying to get a grasp on reality?

The Radio Tower

You are John. Your job requires you to climb towers to repair and maintain them. Obviously, you can’t be scared of heights in this line of work, and it certainly doesn’t faze John!

However, all changes when John receives a call asking him to fix a tower in Crimsonpine. This is a quiet city, and small in size, so getting the tower working again is of utmost importance. For some reason, unbeknownst to John, Crimsonpine is in quarantine. I wonder why?

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