10 terrifying and totally free horror games you can play right now

Not all good games need to cost you. If you’re looking for a game with terrifying gameplay and spine-chilling jump scares, check out these amazing free horror games!

10. Doki Doki Literature Club!

One of the most beloved free horror anime games is Doki Doki Literature Club! The game is available on Linux, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The game starts off fairly normal. The protagonist is invited by his childhood friend Sayori to join their high school’s literature club. There, he meets the other club members: Natsuki, Yuri, and Monika, with the latter being the president. As the protagonist participates in club activities, he grows closer to them. Things take a dark turn when Sayori ends her life. What happened? How did things get so morbid? And did Monika, the president, have something to do with it?

9. The Static Speaks My Name

If you’re looking for a more psychological take on horror, then I highly recommend The Static Speaks My Name. The game is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The player takes on the role of Jacob Ernholtz, who is revealed early on to have died by suicide at just 31 years old. As Ernholtz, the player performs a series of everyday tasks, such as eating breakfast and chatting with friends. However, as the player explores his apartment, it becomes apparent he is obsessed with a painting of two palm trees and the artist, Jason Malone. Is this obsession normal, or is Ernholtz hiding a dark secret?

9. September 1999

If you’re a fan of found footage and want to experience being in one for yourself, you should check out September 1999. The game is available on Windows and macOS.

September 1999 is a VHS-styled first-person found footage horror game. It’s short, with a gameplay time of around 5 and a half minutes, so it’s perfect for those who want a quick game. However, despite being short, it manages to pack quite a punch. It leaves the player struggling to find safety, resulting in a nightmarish experience.

7. Wrong Floor

Wrong Floor is a quick, 15-minute first-person game. However, many have claimed this is the scariest game they have ever played, with jump scares that keep you on your toes! This game is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

In Wrong Floor, you play a character trapped in an elevator. The elevator falls to the basement, which clearly disturbs a creature living there. Will you be able to make it out of this terrible place in one piece? Or will you fail to see the light of day again?

6. Lucid

If you loved the premise of Silent Hill 4, then I highly recommend you check out Lucid! The game is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Lucid centers around the experience of someone trapped in their house, but exploring dream worlds that haunt their days. These parallel worlds are unique, disorienting, and filled with subconscious symbols. Despite being a first-person game, there is minimal interaction with the environment and it’s more like a walking simulator.

5. Ib

Don’t be fooled by the price on Steam; on the developer’s page, Ib is 100% free. The game is available on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

Ib is a single-player adventure game, where the player acts as Ib as she tries to escape a surreal art gallery. As Ib, the player must examine and interact with different objects, collect items, and solve puzzles. Despite there being enemies, there is no combat; the player must evade enemies by escaping to other parts of the gallery. What happens if you get caught? Well, you’ll have to play to find out.

4. Dark Deception

Do you love a good jump scare? Let me introduce you to Dark Deception, where there are monsters at every turn. The game is available on Windows and PlayStation 5.

Dark Deception is a first-person horror action maze game that uniquely blends classic arcade games with jump scares and other games. The player is trapped in a world filled with mazes and monsters, forcing them to confront the darkness head-on to escape and ensure their survival.

3. Poppy Playtime

Don’t let the bright colors and adorable animatics fool you; Poppy Playtime is a terrifying horror game. The game is available on Windows, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

In Poppy Playtime, you play as a retired employee of the toy manufacturing company Playtime Co., who returned to the abandoned toy factory after all its staff had mysteriously disappeared. There, the player discords that the toys are alive and evil, and must find a way to escape unharmed. Will you be able to make it out alive?

2. Mad Father

Despite this game costing $9.99 on Steam, Mad Father is actually 100% free on VGPerson. Mad Father is available on Windows and Nintendo Switch.

This game reminded me of one of Fullmetal Alchemist’s most infamous plot twists: when the daughter of a bio-alchemist is transmuted with her dog to turn into a Chimera. In Mad Father, Aya Drevis breaks into her father’s secret laboratory and discovers the horrifying truth of his research. She discovers that her father had intended to taxidermy her to convert her into a doll. With this information, what will Aya choose to do next?

1. Cry of Fear

When talking about free horror games, Cry of Fear is considered the king due to its storyline and how it touches on themes of mental illness and trauma. The game is only available on Windows.

Cry of Fear is a psychological horror game set in a desolate town haunted by terrifying creatures and creepy delusions. You plan as Simon Henriksson, a 19-year-old Swedish man who struggles with depression and anxiety, who takes to the streets of Stockholm as he slowly descends into madness. As Henriksson takes on the streets of Fäversholm, it doesn’t take long to discover that not everything is as it seems.