Free Horror Games on Itch.io

Itch.io is a criminally under-explored repository for independent games. It showcases work by established creators and new developers alike. Horror is a particularly popular genre on the platform and there are some incredibly innovative and creative scary games lurking in the extensive catalog.

Some of the free games available on itch.io are just demos of paid games and others are full games. Developers of free games on itch.io often operate on a ‘pay what you can’ system, which means the game is free to download, but there is an option to support their work with a donation. Here are some of the top free picks that players might be missing out on.

10

Summoning Solitaire By LCB Game Studio

Card Based Demonology

There is something truly wonderful about a well-made horror card game. Summoning Solataire follows in a long tradition of video games that use traditional card games as the framework for their game design. The player must make the cards in the summoning circle to add up to 39, nine times to summon the demon.

There are still a few things that could be improved. For example, the system for moving cards is a little clunky. But after adjusting to the controls, it becomes an engrossing card game with a side serving of the supernatural.

9

Creature Packets By Ken Forest

Disturbingly Crunchy

Creature Packets is a strange little game which was made in 72 hours and is not for those with entomophobia (fear of bugs). Or those who really love bugs, for that matter. It is a recipe creation and fulfillment game in which the key ingredients are small creatures.

Like many indie horror games such as those by Chilla’s Art, it relies on the mundane routine of an entry-level job to create an unsettling vibe. The nameless boss who orders the player around only exists as a face on a monitor. Apart from that, the player is utterly alone with the tiny creatures that are simply consumable commodities. It doesn’t have a strong ending, but it is a lot of fun and shows a lot of potential.

8

Can a Cute Ghost Story Be Spooky? By Dema Studios

Yes. Yes It Can.

Can a Cute Ghost Story Be Spooky? is a charming yet terrifying horror game that subverts expectations. It is the story of Jimmy, a 374-year-old ghost who loves his hat. One day, someone steals his hat, and he ventures into the abandoned crypt in his backyard to confront the thief.

The voice acting is delightful, and the music is straight out of a kids’ cartoon. The gentle humor continues throughout the jump scares and the most harrowing experiences to be had with an adorable sheet ghost. It’s very short, but absolutely worth playing.

7

The Open House By Corpsepile

Don’t Look At It

The Open House is another indie horror that uses the uncanny nature of modern technology to build dread and suspense. This game received a lot of attention from streamers and Let’s Players when it was released. It opens with a delightfully cheesy generic real estate slide show. Then the player is able to explore the house at their leisure.

At first, the house seems pretty normal, but a shovel in the backyard and a bloody saw in the garage are early clues to the horrible story that will unravel during this digital tour. The Open House can be played in browser and is available to download for Windows, Mac and Linux.

6

FeedVid Live By Varun R.

There’s Something Behind You

Indie horror developers love to make self-reflexive horror games that take place within modern technology. FeedVid Live is a horror game that takes place on a live-streaming app that is an obvious parody of Twitch. FeedVid Live can be played in browser, but the game is also available for download on Android, Windows, Mac and Linux.

It is a found footage horror game that uses live-streaming chat as an interface for writing text prompts to solve an escape room puzzle. The character live-streaming responds to basic instructional prompts typed in chat.

5

Crawl by Sole Rift

It Has How Many Legs?

Crawl is a spelunking-themed survival exploration game that will be incredibly hard to play for those with claustrophobia. The player is tasked with finding evidence of missing people within a narrow cave system. There is an element of resource management, with players needing to keep their torch cranked to provide light and replace camera cartridges after use.

The eerie silence of the cave is interrupted by the unsettling squelching and shuffling noises made by the player-character’s movement. To explain much more would be to give away too much, but suffice to say the player is not alone down there.

4

‘last seen online’ By Qwook

You’re Not Liz!

‘last seen online’ is an in-browser retro horror game, and it’s best to go in blind without any prior knowledge. The developers describe it as a “psychological horror escape room” and cite early flash games as an inspiration. It has similarities to other found footage and technology games such as Simulcra but has a unique 2010s charm.

The player character buys an old computer at a garage sale and begins to rifle through its contents. The player must piece together passwords and puzzle solutions from the information contained within the computer, including photos, chat logs and a strange online game called Otherworld.

3

No Players Online By Paper Cookies

Looking For Players

No Players Online is a game about long forgotten games. It takes place in a VCR recording of a strange first-person multiplayer shooter. As the player goes through the game, there is a message that the server is ‘Looking For Players’. No one seems to be playing this classic capture-the-flag game, until suddenly someone, or something enters the game.

It’s a terrifying game that takes place in an environment that will be all too familiar to players of early 3D games. The original No Players Online is free and there is a demo for the upcoming Steam release of the new version available as well.

2

Seance By Alex Rose

Who’s There?

Seance is a charming supernatural mystery game with a gorgeous art style. The police are completely stumped on a murder case, so they have turned to a psychic as a last resort. It is a point and click game and communication with the ghosts is facilitated through a Ouija Board.

One of the best things about this game is that once a word is identified as being important, the player can click on the notebook rather than spelling it out on the planchet. The voice acting is impressive, and the twist is well executed. It’s a must-play for those who like puzzle murder mysteries.

1

Doki Doki Literature Club! By Team Salvato

It’s Just Monica

There is a reason that Doki Doki Literature Club! has had such an enduring legacy in indie game design. It sets the tone for horror embedded in modern technology. In this case, the horror takes place within a visual novel dating simulator. Players who’ve never experienced this psychological horror classic can play it for free on itch.io.

Designed to parody the dating simulators that treat romanceable characters like disposable objects, Doki Doki Literature Club! is an uncomfortable look at how player-characters sometimes fulfill unethical power fantasies. It has a clever meta narrative element which takes a particularly devastating turn.