Steam Halloween Sale 2018 is live!
A reminder it always takes a bit for all the sale discounts to go live, 1-3 hours after the sale starts is usually when things settle.
The Halloween Sale is a more specific sale than most on Steam, specializing in games with a Halloween theme, IE Horror Games, games with a Darker or Autumn theme, games that have a Halloween event going on, and the like. A few other titles will be present, but that's definitely the focus. There are more general sales in November and December for the Autumn/Winter Sales.
Anyone is free to come here, ask for recommendations, give recommendations, talk, suggest, and dig out those hidden gems stuffed (like a taxidermy corpse) within the sale.
I'll make the argument that Indie Horror Games are going through something of an underlooked golden age right now, the last couple years have been seeing indie horror games come out both in higher number, but a higher number of them also are legitimately good, and they continually are experimenting. I plan to give a pretty solid list of indie horror games that may have been under your radar that I'd personally recommend or have heard good things about in my circles. I have some criteria I follow for my own recommendations for the OT, though:
-The game is equal to or cheaper than the game has ever been on Steam.
-Hasn't been bundled too many times recently.
-Is available on Steam (there are other sales I will link to if cheaper there like Humble Store and the like as well, however)
-The game is under $20 USD currently
-It's at least 25% discounted off.
-It's actually a Horror Game (in my opinion, but I like a broad horror genre)
Of course, y'all are free to recommend anything you want in this thread even if it doesn't play by my rules.
The sales just hit as this topic has gone up, so the 'Recommendations' list of mine will update slowly over the rest of the day. All prices will be listed in USD, there will be two lists (Highly Recommended, Other Recommendations) and I'll organize them by price point in USD from cheapest to most expensive.
To reiterate, this year I'm not putting the games in any order, neither "big name" horror, "rough recommend," etc. I'm just going to take games I or people in my circles recommend and list them in USD price from cheapest to most expensive. Same price games I'll put in alphabetical order. I am mostly listing things I'd recommend or recommended within circles, a few rougher but good games I'll also recommend if the price is dirt cheap. And so, without further ado...
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(The Sales have just started, I'm reserving a few post as I am probably going to be recommending 100+ games here most likely, use each store's banner image/link to it with a little description of each here. Check back in during the opening hours of this thread to see the recommendations grow and grow, and feel free to recommend and talk about stuff in the thread itself as I update the opening posts.)
All Haze Eve - $0.49
This one is a short adventure game with a white textureless foggy world. It's a bit bizarre and slightly creepy and macabre at parts, but it's got a certain appeal, and it's super cheap, so if interested it's worth a play.
Black Jewel - $0.49
A retro inspired indie game that takes heavy homage to Storm Warrior, Golden Axe & Ghost'n'Goblins. Little cheap gem if want something of that sort.
The Call - $0.49
I actually really liked this one, shame to see it go unnoticed. It's essentially a very atmospheric cryptic horror puzzle game, the game has no words so puzzle solving uses the environment. It has some good variety of scenarios, an unsaid story, though it does have a frustrating final boss fight at the end. I still really liked this little game though.
Camp Sunshine - $0.49
16-bit "80s Horror" game about surviving a night in some dark woods with a mascot killer. Puzzles, characters to save, and some fetch-quest gameplay sprinkled with a lot of secrets, pathways through the game, and playing up those slasher horror vibes.
Cellar - $0.49
A "cute" horror game about a girl with a lantern escaping an ogre in her basement. Has a lot of charm, pretty interesting little story, isn't too long but is well done for what it is.
Changeover: Decisions - $0.49
Part sidescrolling horror platformer, part visual novel. The big draw in this game is most everything you do alters the course of the game, big and small, and lead you down different ending paths. No playthrough is too long, but a lot to go back, try, and experience.
Clandestinity of Elsie - $0.49
A 2D RPG Maker horror game with some classic survival-horror shooting/aiming, limited supplies, about a world war 2 vet with PTSD who suddenly enters into a world of horrors.
The Deed - $0.49
Dark puzzle game that has multiple branching pathways & endings, some good twists, a single playthrough is short but it's replayable and a bit macabre.
D'LIRIUM - $0.49
It's a 2D shooter horror game starring knock-off ponies. It sounds like one weird as hell breed, but it's actually a pretty decent game.
Like Clay - $0.49
A little rough around the edges, but I think a hidden gem. Has a surprisingly nice story and atmosphere to it, some voice acting which isn't great or bad but okay, and has a lot of value for its cheap pricing.
Oknytt - $0.49
This game has been bundled a lot over the years, but it's as cheap as it can be on Steam and it is really good. A really charming dark point'n'click game.
Overdreamer - $0.49
I'm a little bit sad this sidescrolling horror game has been so overlooked. It's dirt cheap now and has my recommendations. You're a girl trapped in a never-ending looping nightmare with terrible monsters with some interesting gameplay twists and puzzles.
Reveal the Deep - $0.49
A sidescrolling horror where you explore the bottom of the ocean and a story slowly reveals itself. More walking sim than anything, but with some danger.
Settled - $0.49
A pretty interesting 1-2 hour little sidescrolling narrative horror game with a few good spooks, and a pretty weird little experience.
Shutter - $0.49
Play as a Drone robot investigating a haunted house with Barry Burton guiding you. Solve the case of the ghost that lived here, switching between fixed camera angles and a recording device you use. It's short, and has its charms.
Silence of the Sleep - $0.49
This game has been bundled many times, but I have fondness for this 2D sidescrolling horror about a man who ends up in a world slightly The Shining, slightly Silent Hill, and slightly Alan Wake inspired. Solve puzzles, avoid horrors, experience a stylized story.
SINISTRY SILINIUM - $0.49
Want a low budget but decent Russian horror game that's not all that bad, not a defenseless horror game, and for 50 cents? You can go a lot worse than this one.
Verde Station - $0.49
You're on a spaceship expedition testing singular life in space on a year voyage, you have several tasks to do all alone each day. But... Are you really alone?
A Girls Fabric Face - $0.59
This is a slow-burn "paranormal investigation" game, pretty much a haunted house simulator but you're trying to record weird sounds and haunting on your recording device. I think it's got a great atmosphere, serviceable story, and some good scenes, subtlety and build-up which makes it work.
Depths of Fear : Knossos - $0.59
I've always been a bit against the popular opinion on this game (and know I'm not alone as this game popped up on PC Gamer's top 25 horror games in the past), the basic idea is you're prisoner being dropped into the Minotaur's Maze to fight the various horrors and escape the labyrinth. It's essentially a rogue-like, it's rough around the edges but it has a lot of creativity.
Into the Gloom - $0.59
A game in all white, red and black, where you solve cryptic puzzles and avoid horrors. A few different endings to obtain, and has a great atmosphere which managed to unnerve me on several occasions.
Dead End Road - $0.74
It's a driving horror rogue-like where a darkness is after you, you now have to drive to Dead End Road to dispell the curse. There's villages and pitstops to stop in with little story events, can upgrade your car, get gas, and the darkness throws a large variety of things to try and kill you on the way there.
Archimedes - $0.89
This is one of those 'experience' games, one that essentially is a sorta' "window managing" game. It's not really fun, and sometimes the actual gameplay is dull. So why the recommendation? Some of the game and the final few minutes when figuring it out is legitimately haunting and unusual.
Bad Dream: Coma - $0.89
An atmospheric minimalist point'n'click with a sort of unique style. As weird as it is to describe, it's kind of like an 'open world point'n'click'. There's not a linear path of progress or puzzles you need to solve, rather there's several paths through the game that lead you down very different nightmares and changes your experience. It's pretty gruesome in parts, and has some good atmosphere to back it up, and it's kind of cool to see the world of the nightmare change based on what you decide to do.
Adam Wolfe - $0.95 (for episode one, Season Pass with Episodes 2-5 is $2.99)
It's an episodic point'n'click series which is insanely good. Join Adam Wolfe, an investigator of the paranormal, following four uncracked mysteries that are related in some way. While solving puzzles, surviving, and finding items, a conspiracy slowly begins to unravel. It is a very unusual Hidden Object game with a rather thrilling story.
Azurael's Circle: Chapter 2 - $0.99 (Chapter 1 is Free)
An episodic horror mystery game series where you're an investigator looking into strange disappearances in different parts of a town. Episode 1 is free, Episode 2 is linked above, has a good atmosphere, puzzles, and some free form exploration.
Deadly Escape - $0.99
Kill zombies, solve puzzles, utilize limited supplies, and go through a moody facility under lockdown. Has a sorta' "Zelda" 2/3rds view, but has some good classic Resident Evil vibes to it with some mechanical depth.
Kio's Adventure - $0.99
A high school girl named Kio suddenly goes to another world after a weird earthquake full of strange organs and monsters. The game is quite twisted with some gruesome death scenes, and full of secrets. Kind of horror comedyish.
MOMO.EXE - $0.99
A surprisingly decent meme horror game. It's based off of a creepy image that got spread and popularity, the game isn't long but surprisingly creative and can hold attention with some of it's uniqueness and creepiness.
The Survey - $0.99
This is an asset flip game, but one done right. You get a strange late night questionaire on your phone, and suddenly as you answer the phones questions a strange entity begins to haunt you in your home. Only 1-2 hours, but it does a few interesting things.
The Charnel House Trilogy - $1.19
An anthology point'n'click horror game telling three connected but separate stories set on the same train. Pretty short, but interesting.
The Nothing - $1.24
It makes me think of a modern day Harvester, but instead of about violent games it's about the video game scene as it is now. It has weird procedural generated aspects, but a story with nine different pathways and endings. It has a strange aesthetics, and describes itself as an "atmospheric action game". It is weird, but also somewhat fascinating and engaging. It is a bit more style than substance, but the deranged weird B-vibe will definitely resonate with some.
Malebolgia - $1.29
A cel-shaded Dark Souls like in a snowy castle, playing up some horror elements. It has some rough edges, but I think makes up for it in its charm.
Pathologic Classic HD - $1.29
This is a cult classic for a reason, but be warned it's not for everyone. The game is text heavy, set on a timer, and it's the sorta' game you can do something really early that really screws you much later in the game (hours later), and then you have to load back hours earlier to change your course. So why is this one well regarded? It has quite a story to tell and a very unique atmosphere. It's a harsh game all around, and one that may stick with you if you decide to stick with it.
Slender: The Arrival - $1.49
I know it's really easy to be passive of anything starring this character, but I've always considered this to be an actually pretty solid little game. Kinda' the most playable "found footage" horror game that's cinematic not with cutscenes and QTEs, but rather a sorta' gameplay pacing, mechanics, and the world around you. The best parts of the game are admittedly probably the secret and bonus content, but it's a nice little package.
DreadOut - $1.49
It's basically a low-budget Fatal Frame but with Indonesian folklore at play rather than Japanese. It's a bit rough, but I think what it does well prevails over everything else. There are some absolutely stellar and unique horror moments through the course of the game, especially in Act 2. Especially for how cheap it is currently, I'll highly recommend it.
Scanner Sombre - $1.49
It's a walking sim horror game, but with a very unique look, nice little strange story to it, and some pretty good atmosphere.
Bulb Boy - $1.52
A sorta' grotesque pont'n'click about a bulb child that goes through a surreal nightmare. Kinda' a gross but interesting little horror experience.
Lydia - $1.69
It's a point'n'click, but a rather simple one. The game is more focused on its story and atmosphere, which in fairness is actually where it highly succeeds in. It is not very long, but it touches a subject games have honestly not really touched on before, it's a game about childhood and if you're anything like me might bring you to tears.
Root of Evil: The Tailor - $1.74
An atmospheric horror puzzle game where you unlock deeper into a house where a murdered couple were killed nearly 20 years ago, leaving only behind their recently born child. The girl goes back to the house 20 years later to find out what happened to her parents in this unsolved murder.
Slayaway Camp - $1.79
A pretty fun puzzle horror-comedy game obviously riffing on Friday the 13th (they got famous Jason Voorhes actor Derek Mears to play the slutty teen trope, and Mark Meer best known as Male Commander Shepherd in Mass Effect to play the Killer). You play as the psycho slasher killer Skullface and kill blocky teenagers in a sliding puzzle game with brutal violence and murder.
Stairs - $1.94
This is kinda' a rough recommend from me. I think back fondly on this game, and liked it while playing, but it's a game of highs and lows. Some parts drag out with nothing much at all happening, some of these stretches even look dull, and there's a couple moments that can only be described as trial and error. On the flip-side of this, it has a few really stellar sequences, at its best it's quite engaging, and has some unexpected twists and turns. I don't think everyone will like it, but it's the cheapest it's ever been and I find myself fond of it, so here's a recommend.
Claire - $1.99
Join a girl in this sidescrolling atmospheric, sometimes confusing, but very charming 2D horror game with a dog companion. Part Silent Hill, part Clock Tower, part Haunting Ground, it's sometimes very cryptic and the levels are huge and easy to get lost in, but the story is interesting and it has some interesting beats and horrors.
Cleansuit - $1.99
A text adventure horror comedy game. You see pictures of what's going on, write in text commands and do things to go through the game. You're being stalked by a slasher horror movie killer, and need to try to be creative to outwit them. I think the game works since it's both all rather entertaining and the game responds to a lot of things you'd think it wouldn't, and gives a lot of pathways towards how this may go down.
The Count Lucanor- $1.99
It's kind of like a Horror-ish Zelda game but in a more 'dark medieval' setting than fantasy, and with a tinge of dark humor and gross grittiness, is the easiest way for me to describe it. A boy runs away from home after his parents forget about his birthday and finds himself at a mysterious dark castle, where a strange being tells him if he can guess his name correctly he will be rewarded handsomely. You explore the castle to try to learn the entities name while solving puzzles, interacting with the citizens of the castle, and surviving the strange horrors within. It's quite charming, has a few endings to get, and has some of the fun dungeon solving aspects of the Zelda series. I quite enjoyed it.
Devil Daggers - $1.99
A really intense survival game where you're on a small platform in an inky abyss as strange and increasingly terrifying monsters come at you from the darkness. Survive, don't be knocked off, and see how long you can last. It's addicting, challenging, and especially at the start, very tense.
Fibrillation HD - $1.99
It's basically a surreal walking simulator with some light puzzles and stalker gameplay. It tells an odd story, and where it succeeds is it's pretty bizarre. The world is interestingly strange, the design of the monsters are actually pretty unique and a bit disturbing, and while not too long it definitely came off as quite an experience by its end for me. A fractured tower scales for an abstract industrial nightmare is the easiest way to put it.
First Winter - $1.99
A short but actually really well done little horror experience with multiple endings. Part of why it works is the story is both interesting, and the game actually manages to be quite scary but engaging. Some great surrealism and atmosphere in this one.
Killing Time - $1.99
A hidden little gem from 1995, a more horror-themed Doom clone from that era of gaming. This is also the best version of Killing Time, other versions had downgrades and technical issues, the Steam release fixed a lot of them and did the highest quality version of FMVs, sprites, etc. If what you're looking for, this is a good pick.
The Lost Crown - $1.99
This is a really slow burn point'n'click horror game about a strange haunting that's overtaken a quiet town. It's all at once really subtle and kinda' shlocky, really slow but creative with its point'n'click gameplay, and matched with a great atmosphere and story. Not for the impatient, but if you don't mind a lengthy and slow-burn horror point'n'click, this one is highly recommended. Also has spawned a franchise that follows it.
Dark Fear - $2.39
This game most certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who like older style Adventure-RPG games will like it. It mixes together puzzle solving, turn-based battles, and strong horror elements into a little modern retro experience that's pretty well crafted for what it is.
Masochisia - $2.39
A narrative driven game with a scrolling gameplay style a bit similar to 'Year Walk', but with less puzzles and more exploration and narrative. You live in a messed-up family and through a hallucination learn that you're destined to become a violent psychopath. Is fate changeable? How will you deal with this knowledge, if it's even true? Again, more of a narrative experience than anything gameplay driven, but it's a nice little experience as it lasts.
The Strange Man Bundle - $8.60 together, $2.39 individually.
I'm admittedly cheating a bit here to include all four of these games together (The Crooked Man, The Boogie Man, The Sand Man, & The Hanged Man). They're a series by one developer that all released through the last year on Steam as expanded remasters of their older freeware forms from several years ago. Crooked Man got some big attention and these games have a cult following, they're good if you want some RPG Maker Horror with story and puzzle focus and slight chaser elements.
Left Alone - $2.44
It starts off a bit rough, but soon gives way to a tense atmosphere. Made by two brothers who created everything from the ground up, they succeed in creating an atmospheric puzzle-horror game which can be surprisingly tense at times. It's more an 'experience' game, but I found it an interesting romp from a dark forest to an abandoned school with a dark past.
Amberskull - $2.49
an anthology horror game with several short experimental horror games to play through. They do some interesting diversity here, a few cheap but effective scares, but also utilize other nice horror techniques. It's got some charm to hold the package together.
The Eerie Inn - $2.49
Do you want a strange little horror narrative experience with some puzzles? This is a game with some low-budget but earnest animation and voice work effort that comes off like a playable B-Horror movie. It has some good bits, atmosphere, and the sort, but it's actually pretty amusing and fun through its playtime.
Stories Untold - $2.49
Essentially a text adventure game but with visuals, play four different scenarios of people having to interact with text-based inputs while strange shit is going on around them. It's got some highs and lows, but if you don't mind a slightly more visual text adventure but have a love for that style, and have an appreciation for a somewhat new take and something quite old, this game will strike among certain audiences very heavily for all it does right and uniquely.
Among the Innocent: A Stricken Tale - $2.71
Puzzle thriller on an abandoned farm in South Africa. It actually has a really good story and really good puzzles mixed with well done thriller and horror elements.
Mad Father - $2.99
A cult classic Wolf Editor RPG Horror Game (think of it similar to RPG Maker Horror if you know what that is) which was remastered with new graphics, touches, and content for a commercial release. Mad Father brings together a Gothic Horror Dark Fantasy setting with a 'Science Gone Wrong' sci-fi edge, featuring a variety of scenarios based off of pretty simple mechanics, but gets the pacing down, a likable cast of characters, and fun twists and turns to keep you engaged. It's rather charming all around.
Perseverance Part 1 - $2.99
The first episode in a horror visual novel with choices that affect things, it's a pretty good showing for a series that hopefully continues. You're a father trying to keep a family falling apart together as you unknowingly descend into a horror scenario.
Lazaretto - $3.14
It plays to a lot of typical horror set-ups, but it has excellent execution. Great sound design, some good scares, a good atmosphere, engaging pacing, with some good variety, an interesting setting and story, and it plays well. It's just a really well done version of what I think most people think of when they think, "Indie Horror Game."
A Sun of Salt - $3.74
This is an interestingly strange one. You're on a ship with a few other people on a lifelong space journey for the benefit of mankind, and can form romantic relationships with them. However, as the voyage goes on longer, things about the other people on board and the whole voyage begins to blur in their meaning and the truth behind them. The character interactions and some twists and turns won the shoe here, not really scary but gave me goosebumps a few times from unexpected directions and execution. Short, though.
Fran Bow - $3.74
A dark fantasy horror point'n'click about a young girl named Fran Bow who's parents are murdered and she's admitted to a mental asylum. Her pet cat back from home tells her to escape the asylum, but a demon tells her if she ever leaves this place he personally will hunt her down. It's very charming with a likable cast of characters, there are some chapters I personally like more than others but it's become a cult hit for good reason.
Horns of Fear - $3.74
It's a detailed 2D B-Horror game which is puzzle focused. It has a lot of weirdness to it which does add to the sorta' fun factor of it, it's part horror comedy almost. However it also is very graphic, intense, and surprisingly scary at times. It's a bit supernatural grindhouse, and quite challenging at points. If that makes any sense. If that sounds up your boat, then this may be for you.
Stitched - $3.98
A girl gets in a tragic accident and awakens in a deranged doll factory. The game actually has a really good story which may not be what you're expecting from the premise, it's pretty challenging though. It's got this morbid dark fairytale feel at times, has some good exploration, and some great still art for scenes.
Golden Krone Hotel - $3.99
A really, really good gothic horror rogue-like. Simply to pick-up, but with a lot of mechanical and hidden depth. If that doesn't sell you, it's strangely similar to the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, if you're familiar with them. You go through generated dungeons, 11 different dungeons in all with 10 floors each dungeon,and as you play through a dungeon at some point you'll switch from being a human to a vampire, which has some pros and cons and part of the game is learning how to use your time as a human before turning into a vampire.
Witchkin - $3.99
This is one of those horror games that knows exactly what it is, and does what it aims to very well. In this case, you're in a creepy old house where several toys are alive and hunting you. You collect various items to distract and hamper them from getting you, and each behaves in a different stalking pattern to make things interesting. If you don't like chaser games, this one won't win you over, but is one that's actually nicely designed mechanically, and also pretty fucking scary at points. You can tell the development team spent some time to make memorable stalkers with fluid yet creepy animations and took the time to polish this little hidden gem.
The Miskatonic - $4.01
Full disclosure on this one before I begin talking about it, this is more an interactive graphic novel than a game. There's very little gameplay to be spoken up, and the whole experience is really on-rails. However, it gets a recommend due to an interesting world, cast of characters, story and writing you get to experience through it which is all rather engaging and interesting.
My Big Sister - $4.01
This game is literally about a week away from coming out of Early Access. This game follows a girl and her older sister who get kidnapped and try to make their way back home. It's surprisingly charming in a lot of ways, goes over a variety of emotions through its course, has a lot of interesting twists and turns, and a likable cast of characters.
The Town of Light - $4.36
In the 1930s Italy, we join a woman who years later returns to a mental institute she was once admitted to before it shut down, and begins to relive through her memories. This is a walking simulator with some light puzzles, and it won't be to everyone's taste, but it may strike with some who've had to struggle with mental health due to a very respectful but sometimes brutally honest view of the matter. The game does not hold back its punches, the realities some had to and still have to deal with, and the game does not shy away from disturbing procedures that were done in the past in gruesome detail, or the blooming of sexuality within closed in walls, for example. How can you feel like you're worth anything if you're lead to believe that what you are naturally is wrong? What if the only place you can call home is something that's harmful to you, but you lack any power to control your life. These and many other heavy themes are tackled with a level of tact and maturity in this game.
The Coma: Recut - $4.49
A remaster of The Coma: Cutting Class, a sidescrolling Korean horror game set in a school after hours where your teacher has turned into a deranged killer. You must escape the school, talk with fellow kids trapped in the school with you, and reach one of multiple endings. It's White Day: The Labyrinth Named School inspired, but forges its own path in a rather stylized way.
Detention - $4.79
This game has gotten some deserved attention. Hey Taiwan horror game set there during 1960s when the country was locked down under martial law. The horror explores local mythology, the horrors of the real world time period, and the psychological aspects of our lead heroine in an atmospheric story that's engaging and at times surprising.
Yomawari: Night Alone - $4.99
It's a cute horror game with J-Horror and Silent Hill influence with a cute coat of paint. It is sometimes a bit frustratingly challenging (all enemies kill you in one hit), but it has a lot of charm, great production values, a very wide array of threats, and a neat story and world to invest you in it.
Night Trap - 25th Anniversary Edition - $5.09
A classic in gaming history which was remastered for its 25th anniversary and includes deleted scenes, a playable prototype game, documentaries, and more. If you want to experience Night Trap, this is the best way to go about it.
Sagebrush - $5.24
This is a "small open world" walking sim with a focus on its narrative. A girl who used to be part of a cult returns to the site of where they used to live now that it's abandoned to face her own history and guilt that's been haunting her since she left. It doesn't really feature a surprising story, but a grounded and well-told one that bases what happened in the cult on real world examples and explores them in a more personal way.
Coffin of Ashes - $5.25
This game is better than it initially looks. It uses default RPG Maker sprites almost entirely, though does have custom drawn portraits and CG scenes. It's basically a horror puzzle game with some loose Clock Tower inspiration, and has a pretty interesting twist where you kind of need to play the game twice to get the full experience. It starts off pretty standard honestly, but a bit into it the game begins to get a bit more gripping. After your first playthrough, if you start a second playthrough there is some extreme differences in the game and the story in New Game+, which honestly ends up being the better half of the game even though the first playthrough in itself is nice enough. It's among some of the best in default RPG Maker Horror asset games, you can tell the creators had passion and talent for what they were making, though might not be up your alley if you're not big on puzzles as this game is literally full of them.
Dead Rising - $5.99
This game started a franchise that went on for four games for a reason. Play as Frank West, a cameraman who's covered wars as he tries to get a scoop on the zombie apocalypse ans ends up trapped in a mall. Now he must survive against the undead, a cult, and various crazed psychopaths for rescue to come in an open world where you grab what you can get and use it to survive. Really fun, multiple endings, time system may not be to everyone's liking, but the game is well designed with it in mind.
INFERNIUM - $6.24
This is a great example of how to make an amazing game out of a simple concept. The developer self-admit to the initial idea behind this game being "Pacman as a first-person horror game", but that doesn't really do it justice. You're in a beautiful semi-open world trying to collect various objects as these veiled monsters stalk you, there's various gadgets and gizmos around to utilize in the world for and against your benefit. You explore, go to deeper areas, all in a world with strange beauty, deep horrors, and subtle environmental storytelling. It's quite a little experience.
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker - $6.29
An FMV mystery game where you play as a psychiatrist trying to solve a murder. It's hard to talk about this one without spoiling it, but it's got adventure game elements with its FMV qualities, and a really, really good story.
Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin' Gallery - $6.74
VR only. What starts as a simple visit to an abandoned shooting gallery ride soon goes twisted as there's something evil lurking in these mines... I have a strange affinity for this game. It's well reviewed, but if I think about it, it is a bit reliant on some things, but for whatever reason something about the setting, pacing, and actuality of the game makes me like it a lot.
Narcosis - $6.79
Stuck at the bottom of the ocean, you're losing oxygen and your mind and must try to get out to the surface and survive deep sea creatures. One of the best takes on deep sea horror in games in my opinion, playing on real world deep sea horrors, as well as a twisting madness.
Dreadhalls - $6.99
VR only. You're trapped in a dungeon and must escape only with your wit, a small light, and stealth. Can you survive and make your way out? It's got some clever tricks for VR users up its sleeve.
Darkest Dungeon - $7.49
What can I say about this game which hasn't been said before? It's a merciless turn-based Lovecraftian rogue-like where you have to think greedily and coldly to play with characters lives to earn the most out of a dungeon of madness. Have fun!
Darkwood - $7.49
An exploration survival horror game from a top-down perspective, it was in development for years and finally came out this year. With fantastic atmosphere and sound design, a quiet and slow burn psychological horror element, twisted monstrosities, and an intriguing story.
Dead Secret Circle - $7.49
A horror whodunit mystery game where you investigate a broad variety of suspects in an apartment complex where murders are happening by a strange masked maniacal laughing killer. There's good atmosphere, exploration, puzzles, investigation scenes and mechanics, voice acting, mythology, surrealism, and some okay chaser sequences. If you want a murder mystery horror game, this is a good one.
Get Even - $7.49
This is a rather divisive game that's probably not what you expect if you haven't played or dug deeper into it. It's got horror, shooter, and investigation elements, it kinda' reminds me of a non-melee focused Condemned but rougher around the edges. The real meat and potatoes here comes from the story, which I will not spoil here but goes in really unexpected directions, and a number of interesting investigation scenes and scenarios. It has actually amazing voice acting, music, and some rather perplexing questions it asks the audience, if any of that may raise your intrigue. Weakest part is definitely the shootouts, though.
Outlast 2 - $7.49
Now this sequel has all sorts of interesting opinions since it frankly is very different than the original, and some of the changes are good, while others aren't, and much more of the game comes down to subjective chase. The biggest critiques are that you're constantly chased with no breather room in big open levels where it's not always clear where you need to go making trial-and-error affairs and the story is actually rather strange and a bit hard to follow, with pros being the setting itself, it manages to be scary and tense when it wants to be, and a stronger surreal element, plus if you want some outlandish violence, this game's got that in spades. It's a divisive game and many prefer the original, but I think it's an interesting game, thus my rough recommendation here.
SHINRAI - Broken Beyond Despair - $7.49
A really well done horror mystery game, in a similar vein of something like Danganronpa and 999. The first hour is a bit slow character build-up, but once things get going, they really become gripping. It has a complex story and twists and turns that aren't huge leaps in follow and feel rewarding if you figure them out ahead of time and surprising but sensible if you don't. There's a reason why to date the game has maintained a 100% review average on Steam, it's a hidden gem that might turn some off with its art, but completely worth checking out.
The Cursed Forest - $7.69
This has been a cult classic indie horror that's nearly completed (it's fully playable from start to finish and polished now, outside of the ending which they're holding back for full release) that's releasing early next year. It was updated regularly over the years, and now is a really well done indie horror game set in the forest with a ton of secrets, variety, good pacing, and really just an all around well done game. It fits the image of what many imagine indie horror games to be, but is an exceptional one.
Zombie Army Trilogy - $8.99
A stylized 4-player co-op online zombie campaign game (yes, it's actually structured like a campaign, though with a survival mode you can also play). The trilogy in the title is because this is the third game in a series that spun-off from the Sniper Elite games, and for the third game they decided to update the previous two games with new stuff and then release an all new third chapter. With 15 expansive stages with different themes where you must kill the ever-living shit out of Nazi Zombies... And Nazi Skeletons, Nazi Fire Spewing Demons, Nazi Chainsaw Maniacs, and more. That's a lot of demonic nazi killing. It's pretty fun though, notable the last 5 chapters (aka the 'new' third episode) are of higher quality than the rest, but it's all pretty good, and can be a lot of fun with friends. The gunplay is pretty satisfying, the style is on-point, and there's real fun to be had with trying to snipe zombies from a distance, set-up explosive rounds, get in their face with a shotgun and blast them off, though in my opinion they maybe buff'ed the melee from the original games too much, but it's not too much of a detractor.
INSIDE - $8.99 (can also be found on Humble for the same price if you're a Monthly subscriber to get an additional 10% off)
In many ways a successor to LIMBO by the original developers taking what they learned from that and improving on it to make an absolutely atmospheric, detailed dialogue-less narrative with some puzzle platforming and horror of an odd dystopian society. Scale through dying but organized worlds as a young boy trying to get to the heart of a strange city.
Corpse Party - $9.74
The indie version of the cult classic Corpse Party. Follow some characters who get trapped in a school in this horror visual novel with light RPG Maker-esque exploration mechanics.
NightCry - $9.99
This is a rough recommend from me. It with some caution: this game is a required taste. It's a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series from the director of the original Clock Tower, but it reminds me much more of Clock Tower (PSX). It's janky, rough, has some bugs, and frankly it super obtuse, cryptic, and hard to swallow at times; missing easily missable things can lead you to having to replay an hour of the game sometimes least you go down a bad ending path. It is unapologetically old-school. However, I actually liked the story told in the game, it has some fantastic over-the-top death scenes, enjoyably hammy voice acting, the B-charm the series had in my opinion since PSX game, and feels like a Clock Tower game.
YUMENIKKI -DREAM DIARY- - $9.99
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think as it's own thing this reimagining of Yume Nikki is a pretty good little surrealistic game. It has stronger horror vibes than the original, is often a 2.5D platformer. Go through the surreal dreams of a young girl, solving some light puzzles but mostly taking in the odd atmosphere and exploring the world.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School - $10.19
This is a remake of a cult classic, it has some old-school design decisions behind it, but the original was surprisingly ahead of its time being really the first 'hide'n'sneak' horror game as we know it, with some older horror conventions mixed in. There's some areas I feel the remake surpasses the original, and others its a bit behind in, but they have continued to update, fix, and add little goodies post release, so the support behind it is certainly there. Compared to the original it does have some new content, including an unlockable new campaign with a new protagonist. My overall opinion is if you want something a bit old-school in the stylings of Korean horror, and don't mind some challenge (since this game is honestly not too easy, especially on harder difficulties - and certain things like hidden ghosts and costume parts are only available on harder difficulties) then you may very well enjoy this. Has some great atmosphere, and a decent amount of replayability with 10 endings and 3 pathways through the game based on your choices with a few drastic differences between the three of them.
The Letter - $11.99
This was a Kickstarter success story that released earlier this year and has quickly been gaining a cult audience. Seven people fall prey to a vicious curse, and soon will have to deal both with the supernatural as well as the darkness inside of them. It's a very interesting blend of Western/Eastern Horror, having indie developers from American and Asia collaborate together. Really likable and deep cast of characters, some great animated touches, music, full optional English voice acting (and it's actually pretty good), and an all around fantastic horror visual novel.
ECHO - $12.49
A rather experimental bigger budget game about weird monsters deep in an underground paradise who seem to evolve their AI, adapt, and learn from your actions to get smarter at hunting you.
The House in Fata Morgana - $12.49
One of the most popular cult classic horror-themed visual novels of all time. I haven't played it yet personally, but I have a lot of people who have told me I need to play this and a lot of people I respect adore this game. What I know about it is that it takes place inside of a manor that's connected to different time periods, each tell and individual but connected story. If you like visual novels, this is supposed to be one of the best in the horror-themed genre.
Organ Quarter - $12.49
VR only. It's a very Silent Hill inspired VR game, but a really good one. combining classic survival-horror item management and elements with VR and a strong Silent Hill atmosphere and puzzle solving. Honestly if you have VR and want something Silent Hill-esque, I highly recommend this.
Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs - $12.49
By the creators of Higurashi, and done by the same team re-translating and releasing the recent fantastic Steam versions of the Higurashi games too, comes the first arc of Umineko, a cult classic horror visual novel about a family and related peoples coming together on a mansion on an island where murder has occurred. However, that's only the beginning. Things may be much more perplexing than they first seem... Allows for updated and new art, as well as other customizable choices and a complete more accurate re-translation from the original release.
Duck Season - $12.99
Duck Hunt turned into a horror game where you play as a kid playing a Duck Hunt knock-off as it strangely begins to feed into the 'real' world, as there's something wrong with this copy of the game. With multiple endings, a fun premise, and a surprising amount of stuff to discover and do in it.
Gray Dawn - $13.99
A beautiful looking game with strong religious and psychological horror tones. Quickly has become a cult classic, worth checking out. It's more narrative/world building focused than gameplay, but it's an interesting experience.
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows - $19.49
Really the comments on the first Yomawari could apply to it, it's a bit prettier but it's about just as good as the first game and manages to keep things interesting to not tread the same ground as the first game while retaining the charm and quality, and has a great story and urban legends to uncover.
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Hope this list is helpful for people. There's a lot of hidden gems popping up in the indie horror scene, I didn't get to recommend close to all of them I wanted to due to a number of them not being the cheapest they've ever been/not on sale, but I think this has turned into a pretty solid list. Of course, I haven't played every horror game out there nor the people in my circles, so sure there's gems I'm unaware of as well.
And I'll close off with a small shameless plug, I make my own little RPG Maker Horror games, if you'd like to check them out you can find my games here:
Yai Gameworks Complete Bundle
I hope you all find some games that interest you among my list, feel free to recommend things did or did not suggest yourselves, and have a Happy Halloween!
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