It’s surprising to think that some of the best horror games available on Steam are completely free. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: gaming is an expensive hobby. This is the reason why most of us have a Steam account to catch some of those sweet seasonal Steam-sales that will cut the prices on amazing games. I think most of us have a dedicated category of games in our library that we’ve never play and probably never will, but that happened to be discounted or free.
For that, I decided to dedicate a list to some amazing free horror games that you can get on Steam right now. Proving once and for all, that not because something is free, it means that it’s bad. Some of these games have been genre-defining for horror, and you can get them without having to open your virtual wallet.
Deceit
At the top of the list, we have Deceit. A multiplayer first-person shooter in which you wake up, along with five other players in a dark room. One of you is infected by the Game Master’s virus and has the task to hunt down and kill the rest of the players. The premise is similar to that of Death by Daylight, yet manages to be its own thing.
The map is pretty good, with each zone testing your skills when trying to find an exit. The kind of game that can be either fun, scary, or both depending on which group of friends you’re playing with. The graphics are decent, the gameplay is solid for a free game, and the time you’ll spend having a blast is worth a try.
SCP: Secret Laboratory
SCP: Secret Laboratory is another multiplayer horror based on the shared universe of the SCP Foundation. Compared to other games like it, this one is a bit more complex in the player’s objective. You’ll be put into a role, either as part of the Foundation personnel, scientist, security force, insurgency cell force, first MTF units, or SCP entities themselves.
Your objective will vary depending on your role, all players with opposing goals, providing an extra layer of thrill that will keep you on your toes. Like most multiplayer games, your experience will vary depending on the people surrounding you, but you can bet it’ll be entertaining, to say the least. As a final note, the game can be buggy at times, but nothing too Bethesda.
Dead Frontier 2
You’d think that zombie games would be dead by now (pardon the pun). And while it’s true that the genre has lost the great appeal it once had, there’s still something about it that keeps us coming back to it. If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t be having more Resident Evil and Dying Light sequels on the works.
Dead Frontier 2 is a free-to-play online game that has its own player-driven economy and cool PvP elements. Not only that, but it brings back the survival horror aspects we fondly remember from older games of the genre. The atmosphere is almost tangible, and you’ll feel the advancement as you create your character and customize them with their own skills, equipment, and cosmetics.
No More Room In Hell
This is one of those free horror games that you probably have on your Steam library already and have never bothered to play… until now.
No More Room In Hell is a co-op multiplayer zombie game akin to Left 4 Dead. The main difference between them is the pacing. In Left 4 Dead, you’ll be sprinting from one area to the next while hordes of zombies and special infected hunt you down relentlessly. Here, however, zombies are slower, your movement is more calculated, and the game itself teaches you to be patient by giving you very limited ammo and weapons.
It has two different modes: Waves and Objective, and each consists of exactly what you think they would. I would highly recommend the Objective mode over the Wave, but you’re free to choose. The maps are dynamic to the point where no matter how many times you’ve played one area, it’ll always feel different. Also, there are kid zombies, so take that as you will.
Ultimate Custom Night
So, this one might be one of the most controversial ones on the list. Not so much because of its content, but because not that many people find Five Nights at Freddy’s scary anymore. There’s still a huge, and I mean huge, following for this game.
So, if you’re one of those people, then Ultimate Custom Night is for you. In this free game, you have complete freedom to create your own custom night with over 50 characters, mix and match the difficulty settings, and a bunch of different tools to be aware of. I’m one of those people who thought that, while brilliant, the idea of Five Nights at Freddy’s lacked a bit more of a push to make it scarier, but here, you’re free to make it as scary as you want.
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion
Stop laughing. Really. Ok, you done? Alright, so let me clarify by saying that not all of the free horror games on Steam are what they look like, and such is the case here. This seemingly cute game has a very simple objective. To traverse 1000 rooms in order to escape. Each room is filled with cuddly and harmless jumpscares. But, the deeper you walk through the mansion, the more you start to notice that things are just… off.
In Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion, the feeling of dread creeping over you as if someone’s following you is prevalent throughout the entire game. Real monsters are out to get you now, and there’s no other way out but to keep going…
Doki Doki Literature Club!
So, by this point, you’ve probably realized that not everything is as it seems with some games. Just taking a look at the user-tags of Doki Doki Literature Club! on Steam will reveal that the main descriptive phrase for this game is ”psychological horror.” I think this game is best played with the least information as possible, so all I’m going to say is that this anime-inspired visual novel has more that it meets the eye.
SCP – Containment Breach
Ok, so I’m gonna be real with you, this game is not on Steam. You can think of it as a sort of bonus entry on this list. The SCP Foundation narrative is a fascinating one, incorporating different stories, creatures, haunted items, and the like in one big narrative. In the game, you’re trapped inside one of the SCP facilities with an array of supernatural creatures, all of them with different quirks, abilities, and strategies to survive, making it a spine-chilling endeavor to try and make it out alive. The game is available to download here.
Slender: The Eight Pages
Alright, you got me, I cheated again. This game is worth recommending, though, especially to those uncorrupted minds that still haven’t seen the best of what horror games have to offer.
This is a pretty straight-forward game based on the creepypasta of Slenderman, in which your objective is to collect eight pages randomly scattered throughout the map. The more pages you collect, the eerier the music becomes, and the closer Slenderman gets to you. This was Five Nights at Freddy’s before Five Nights was the big thing. You can check out the game here.
Imscared
Another sort-of cheating entry on the list. Mainly because it is not free, but its regular price is around the range of $3-4 dollars, and if you happen to come across Imscared during a Steam sale, then you’re golden.
The reason this is on the list it’s because it is too good not to recommend. It’s a simple first-person, pixelated experience where you’re tasked to escape the nightmare you’ve found yourself in. Despite the minimalistic graphics and obscure premise, the game is an enjoyable experience that will make you wary of every turn.
Cry Of Fear
And finally, the granddaddy of free horror games of all time. Cry of Fear is a first-person psychological horror created as a mod from Half-Life. You play as Simon, a young man who’s sole objective is to get back home safely, but finds himself in a desolated city filled with nightmarish creatures and where nothing is what it seems.
This is a game that will have you on the edge of your seat since the first minute. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Silent Hill, the soundtrack is chilling and moving, and the gameplay will become one of the most terrifying experiences of your life. Definitively a game that every horror fan should get their hands on.
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