The 17 Best Free Horror Games on Steam

Take a deep dive into the dark writing Wiki side of the World Wide Web and you might just come upon the lore surrounding "The Secret Laboratory." The fictional tales lifted from that series of sci-fi digital literature have been implemented into one of the better multiplayer horror games on Steam. This one's all about dealing with the madness connected to a breach created by the "Chaos Insurgency." Players take on different roles from a first-person perspective while they come into contact with objects and beings that are simply otherworldly.

Please believe us when we tell you - please don't look up any info on this visual novel masterpiece! We know you just took one look at this game and were like "This isn't anything but a cute and cuddly anime game, right?" It's way more than that! The elements of psychological horror are contained within this one and they'll completely catch you off guard when they come up. We say all that to say this - Doki Doki Literature Club! will leave you with mental scars! This shockingly creepy and shocking title is definitely for the adult crowd on the lookout for the best free horror games on Steam.

We'll always have a ton of respect for all those experienced PC gaming modders out there that provide us with fun spins on some of our favorite games. With the aid of Valve's "Source" game engine, developer Matt "Maxx" Kazan created a co-op first-person survival horror experience called No More Room in Hell. As one of eight gun-toting survivors, you and your squad will have to employ strong teamwork in order to brave the dangers presented during a zombie apocalypse. The more realistic take on first-person combat should excite you the most. And the clever gameplay feature where you can get bitten and choose to either alert your team or keep quiet until you discover a cure stands out the most.

What started out as a Half-Life mode released in 2012 has morphed into its very own standalone game that will definitely scare the hell outta you. Cry of Fear, which can be played solo or with a friend, challenges you to survive in the face of the many dangers existing within an abandoned Scandinavian town. The replay value for this game is off the charts, by the way - there are multiple endings, four-player co-op, two single-player campaigns, 24 weapons to arm yourself with, and so much more.

Trying to change one's fate is an insurmountable task when you're forced to maneuver through some of the most terrifying mazes you'll ever explore. Dark Deception focuses on that approach to horror-focused gameplay and offers an engrossing story to follow during your chilling adventure. There's no way for you to hide here - rely on running as fast as you can in order to stay ahead of the horrendous monsters that want to tear you to shreds. The mazes in Dark Deception are even filled with traps and other hazards you'll need to avoid, so stay on your P's and Q's while you explore them.

This pick on our list is a bit more lighthearted, which makes it a bit more approachable for scaredy-cat gamers on the lookout for the best free horror games on Steam. Trick & Treat lets you engage in a Halloween-themed adventure centered around a young witch and her maid exploring a derelict mansion. And the owner of that mansion just so happens to be a mysterious vampire who keeps track of you as you tackle puzzles in his house of horrors. The adventure you'll embark upon here will pave the way for jump scares and romantic moments that will lead you to an ending that you'll hopefully be pleased with.

Mix in with the elements of deception and distrust seen in Among Us with first-person gunplay and you have Deceit, a multiplayer shooter that puts your team on the opposing end of the famed "Game Master." You and five other players are thrown into a squad where a few of them have been infected with a deadly virus. Players taking on the role of "Innocents" must take down other members of the same group and fight through three zones in order to make their grand escape at the end of their mission. The infected members of the team will need to cover their tracks and try to keep the Innocents from finding out about their condition. Transforming into a rabid beast in the final zone is awesome if you can make it far enough to not be found out!

If visual novels are your thing, then you'll want to step into the macabre and extremely unsettling world of Tiny Bunny: Prologue. This is the first part of an episodic adventure that lets you explore a creepy Siberian forest as Anton, who must fight to stay sane and figure out why his life is being disrupted by unsettling events. Prepare for a game full of meaningful choices that produce unforgettable instances of psychological terror.

You've heard it all before - a zombie outbreak brings the world to its knees and you're one of the few survivors alive who can fend them off with a powerful arsenal of firearms. Even though your weapons are reliable, your sanity might not be - the VR effects of this survival horror adventure will freak you out as you're regularly scared to death by ruthless creatures. You'll probably have better luck surviving your horrifying ordeal in this game's abandoned train station with a friend since it comes with a two-player co-op option.

Getting stuck in a seemingly neverending time loop is frustrating. Now imagine being stuck in that sort of ordeal while you're desperately trying to escape an abandoned space station. That's a million times more stressful, right? If you're mentally strong enough to take that challenge head-on, then it's worth tackling the dynamic escape room vibes We Went Back delivers. The game's constantly changing rooms, mind-bending puzzles, and short runtime all add up to an enjoyable adventure that switches things up every time you tackle it.

Now imagine if your average theme park haunted house increased from a dozen rooms up to 1000! Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion embraces that crazy premise and presents its night terrors in the cutest ways possible. If you love all those classic dungeon explorers that are controlled from a first-person perspective, then you'll find yourself addicted to what this title offers. Don't let the game's adorable exterior fool you - there are moments when you'll hop out of your seat thanks to some unforeseen terrors.

Like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ultimate Custom Night fully embodies the tagline of "EVERYONE IS HERE!" Every horrifying animatronic hailing from the Five Nights at Freddy's series is thrown into this custom game maker where you set their levels of difficulty and try to survive a perilous evening among them all. You'll gain access to a new set of tools during your many attempts at cheating death as you keep watch over every entrance to your security office and keep those killer animatronics at bay.

Those "Idle Clicker" games seem to still be garnering a lot of attention from mobile phone owners who just want to twiddle their thumbs while on their way to work. This Halloween-themed take on that style of passive yet still simultaneously active participation gameplay formula will keep your fingers equally busy as you furiously click away on your mouse. And all that clicking comes into play as you select a whole bunch of scary items to place around your pixelated attraction, play fun minigames, and add extra spooky rooms to your designated haunted house.

Being the only living resident of an abandoned hospital is the sort of premise that would freak anyone out if that were them. AfterHours takes that nightmare scenario and turns it into a matter of life and death in video game form. A mysterious being is on your trail as you try to find a way to escape from your life-threatening ordeal. Stay hidden as much as possible as you tackle the severe psychological horror AfterHours delivers.

H. P. Lovecraft's fictional works have left a legacy in their wake that has inspired the rest of the horror medium. Thanks to his introduction of the "Cthulhu Mythos," fans have grown accustomed to seeing its themes and creatures featured in all forms of media. Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft goes the video game route and presents a memorable 3D narrative experience. Try not to go mad as you step into the shoes of a troubled former ship officer who wanders into the madness of the "Stygian Abyss." This one is short yet sweet at a total run time of 30 minutes, which makes it one of the shorter yet wholly satisfying picks on our list of the best free horror games on Steam.

Imagine if Among Us embraced a more realistic 3D graphical style. The end result of that dream has thankfully become legit thanks to this multiplayer experience that embodies teamwork, double-crossing, and deception. Unfortunate Spacemen puts you in the role of helpful "Spacemen" that must complete objectives in order to overcome the relentless monster hunting them down. It also gives you the opportunity to terrorize that same crew of survivors as a traitor that can aid the rabid creature, even at the cost of your own well-being! Unfortunate Spacemen excels as a fun spin on Among Us that may just turn into your and your online friends' new go-to multiplayer favorite.

While you await the full release of Dark Fracture, hop into its horrifying introductory chapter to get a feel for what the rest of the game has in store for you. Psychological horror elements are at the heart of this first-person adventure game where darkness and nightmarish images brought forth by a troubled mind come in abundance. As the tormented soul known as Edward, you'll need to push through the worst midnight shift at work ever and confront everything that may or may not be real in order to get through the night.