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The 10 Best Free Horror Games on Steam

If you are looking for excitement, or like to challenge your guts and heartbeat, then try the best free horror games recommended in this article to give you a different extreme experience.

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Alice Estelle
Updated on Apr 21, 2023

Start a horror game journey, bringing you a different sense of excitement and tension!

From scares to thrilling plots, horror games can satisfy even the most daring of thrill-seekers. Horror games have been gaining popularity over the years with their creepy soundtracks, incredible art styles, and captivating storylines. For those who love thrill-seeking or horror plots, these horror games are the best way to satisfy your senses with intriguing experiences.

Not only do these games provide an immersive experience, but they also challenge players to think outside the box and push them to their limits. In recent years, the horror genre has exploded onto gaming platforms like Steam and gamers now have access to a wide variety of horror titles, each with their own unique blend of atmosphere, puzzles, and suspense. These horror games will allow you to immerse yourself in the feeling and provide you with an unforgettable experience.

No matter your preference, there's a horror game out there that can provide an unforgettable experience. Below, we will introduce you to some of the best free horror games in Steam.

1. After Hours

The free horror game "After Hours," which can be downloaded from Steam, is perfect for a night in. In 'After Hours,' an augmented reality game set in the 1980s and full of mysteries, players assume the role of a detective. Players here explore the internet on an 80s computer for famed encrypted research that has been lost for 30 years.

Based on the viral "Newgrounds game 128k," this one is completely remade from the ground up with fresh puzzles. You will need to utilize your intelligence and deductive reasoning to break the code and access the game's revolutionary research as the game continues.

The game's stunning visuals and compelling gameplay were funded in part by Kickstarter backers. If you enjoy puzzle games and are searching for a good challenge and a compelling story for free, check this one out.

2. Deceit

Deceit, created by Automaton Games, is one of the best top-tier free horror games. It's a gripping first-person shooter/horror game that sets players against each other. The game takes place in a strange laboratory where the players must band together to defeat swarms of terrifying monsters. You have to use your head and talents to figure out who among you is infected and who isn't in this game of survival.

Here, players must activate switches, locate objects, and complete multi-stage puzzles in a hostile setting. For their part, the unaffected players must team together to find and remove the infected ones, while the infected ones will utilize their abilities to infect the rest of the group. Players decide how to survive and whether to trust each other. It's a wonderful free-to-play horror game in Steam for thrill-seekers.

3. Cry of Fear

"Cry of Fear" is a unique free scary game on Steam, and it is an absolute need for everyone who enjoys the horror genre as a whole. The protagonist, a young guy named Simon, is lost in a strange and foreboding city at night. He soon learns that monsters and other mysterious creatures populate the city, and he must battle his way out.

The game's primary focus is on creating a sense of psychological terror and anxiety by plunging the player into several progressively more frightful and ominous settings. You'll enjoy hours of terror with 24 diverse weapons and several unlockables.

This game has an 8-hour single-player adventure, various endings, and a 4-player co-op campaign. 'Cry of Fear' offers a thrilling horror experience with furious combat, strategic gameplay, and player distrust.

4. The House In The Woods

One of the finest free horror games is "The House in the Woods," and it's a great one to play around Halloween because of how spooky it is. The player is taken to a camping vacation in 1996 in Maryland's Burkittsville Woods, when their companion mysteriously disappears and they become lost while trying to find him.

The gameplay revolves around looking around, figuring out what's going on, and being scared. The game has a haunting mood thanks in large part to the atmospheric music and unnerving sound effects. The player's goal as they venture farther into the woods is to discover not just what happened to their companion, but what the woodland holds as well.

If you're looking for a free scary game to play but like the survival genre, "The House in the Woods" is a great option.

5. Doki Doki Literature Club!

In its two forms, visual novel and psychological horror game, "Doki Doki Literature Club!" is unlike any other horror video game. Team Salvato made what is possibly the most exquisite free horror game on Steam. Throughout the game, you'll come to know Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri, and Monika, four students who are all part of the same high school reading club.

The game appears to be a comical visual narrative at first, but the tone quickly changes as the tale develops. Truths about the club and its members are gradually revealed to the player as the plot unfolds. The game includes numerous endings, and player decisions affect the storyline and finish.

Numerous reviews have lauded the game for successfully combining a dating sim with elements of horror and psychological thriller. The game is highly recommended for gamers seeking a suspenseful thriller experience.

6. Dark Deception

Indie studio Glowstick Entertainment created the nightmarish horror game Dark Deception. The game is a story-driven first-person horror action maze in the manner of vintage arcade games, with a humorous horror twist. In a dark realm filled of nightmare mazes and absurd monsters, the only way out is to confront the darkness and survive.

The game has apex quality visuals and inventive level design, along with horrifying new realms where players must flee for their lives from creatures that cannot be killed but may be stunned or avoided.

The Power System in this game allows players to gain experience and unlock new abilities as they move through the game. The arcade terror, one-of-a-kind foes, and perilous settings in 'Dark Deception' have all been well appreciated. The game's unique style of stylized dark comedy makes it fun for players of all ages.

7. No More Room In Hell

To stay alive in the post-apocalyptic world of "No More Room in Hell," players must take up arms against hordes of the undead at no cost to themselves. The game's objective maps are dynamic, so each playtime is different and tough in its own way. You'll perish if you try to play this game solo. Collaboration with other players to share medicine, weaponry, bandages, ammunition, etc. is essential for success.

The game has a wide selection of weapons and gadgets, as well as a distinctive multiplayer option where up to eight players may band together to take on the zombie hordes. One of the many choices available to players is the ability to play either cooperatively or in a free-for-all setting.

The game's unique and challenging AI system adds a new layer of difficulty and unpredictability. It has an award-winning soundtrack and its own style of dark humor, which makes it entertaining for everyone.

8. The Backrooms Game Free Edition

One of the most captivating free horror games on Steam is "The Backrooms Game Free Edition." Location of the game is the enigmatic and scary "the backrooms," which is claimed to exist beyond the boundaries of our own reality. The objective of the game is to explore a terrible location and learn its mysteries whilst avoiding the many dangerous monsters that reside there.

A wide range of enemies, each with their own traits and quirks, occupy the dark and scary rear hallways, which are portrayed in exquisite detail. Some are quick and hostile, while others are deliberate and methodical. The game also includes a number of challenging puzzles that you'll need to complete to advance.

Gameplay, plot, and presentation have all been lauded as among the best in the industry. If you're searching for a free, tough, and entertaining horror game, this is a fantastic option.

9. We Went Back

One of the best Steam's popular free horror games, "We Went Back," is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror game. Players play as survivors in this free-to-play horror game. From the outset, the protagonist has no memory of how he arrived at the mysterious and deserted complex where the action takes place. As the player is followed by mysterious beings and strange things start to happen, it's clear that something is wrong.

The cycle of day and night is dynamic in 'We Went Back,' altering the mood and the foes you face. Players will have to fight off swarms of creatures during the day and then avoid the enigmatic and strong Night Stalkers at night. To survive, players must use their wits to explore the space station, understand clues, make use of ever-shifting scenarios, and confront their deepest fears.

10. SCP: Secret Laboratory

"SCP: Secret Laboratory" is a free horror game available on Steam in which players assume the role of security personnel at a facility loaded with potentially lethal SCP items.

The game's scenario takes place in a top-secret laboratory that has been taken over by monsters from another reality. Players must explore the facilities and uncover its hidden mysteries while fending off aggressive animals and other perils in order to escape. Players take on the roles of Class-D staff, scientists, or members of the Chaos Insurgency in order to perform missions and stay alive at the facility.

It contains a number of game types, such Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Escape. The game also has a compelling "story" mode in which players are tasked with making difficult choices and completing missions to advance the plot.

About Alice Estelle
Alice Estelle has been a newspaper editor and a book editor with extensive writing experience. She also has deep research in the field of mobile software and is keen on exploring and solving various problems of iOS and Android systems.
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