Highlights

• Steam is a great platform for indie horror game developers to showcase their work, offering a large and supportive community.
• There is a wide variety of free-to-play horror games available on Steam, providing plenty of options for fans of the genre.
• The quality of some of the free horror games on Steam is surprisingly high, offering atmospheric excellence and enjoyable gameplay experiences to those willing to give them a chance.

Fans of horror games have benefited more than most from the meteoric rise of online gaming, with many of the genre's most famous titles and franchises having started life as free-to-play indie games. With Flash games no longer a thing, Steam is now one of the very best places for those indie game developers to showcase their work, thanks in large to the sheer size of the platform.

This obviously works out pretty well for players too, effectively ensuring that there are always plenty of new free-to-play games just waiting to be discovered on Steam. Fans of horror games are particularly spoiled for choice in this regard, as there's an ever-growing number of fantastic free-to-play horror games on Steam. Below are some of the very best ones.

1 After Hours

Steam Rating: Mostly Positive (All Reviews)

It may be a little rough around the edges in places, but what After Hours lacks in polish, it more than makes up for with atmospheric excellence. The game can be unnervingly spooky at times, thanks in large to the thought and meticulous attention to detail that went into designing its setting and its excellent use of sound.

Like many other free-to-play horror games before it, After Hours takes place in an abandoned hospital. Players must explore and escape the derelict facility, while simultaneously being stalked by the mysterious creature that resides there. Stealth and silence will be key for those hoping to survive, though, even then, nothing is guaranteed.

2 Alien Swarm

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Despite now being more than a decade old, Valve's fantastic top-down shooter Alien Swarm remains just as enjoyable as ever. The game even features cooperative multiplayer, which is something of a rarity in the free-to-play market. Of course, given the size and stature of the developer, this perhaps shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to players.

Alien Swarm doesn't contain jump scares, nor does it rely on shocking imagery like some of the other great free-to-play horror games on Steam, but it can still be pretty scary when an alien swarm begins to close in around the player's position. In that sense, the game does an excellent job of creating tension while simultaneously rewarding players for their efforts with satisfying power-ups and weapon drops. For those in the market for a good horror shooter, it's definitely worth a look.

3 Alpha Polaris: A Horror Adventure Game

Steam Rating: Mostly Positive (All Reviews)

The point-and-click adventure genre has seen something of a resurgence in recent years, though it could perhaps be argued that it never really went away in the first place. Released just in time for Halloween of 2015, Alpha Polaris: A Horror Adventure Game is a solid example of a post-2000 point-and-click adventure and boasts an excellent story, thought-provoking puzzles, and an art style that perfectly suits the genre.

Those who are accustomed to cheap thrills and jump scares will likely come away disappointed, as this is a game that seeks to shock its players through immersion, atmosphere, and suspense. It burns pretty slowly in that respect but does so with a surprisingly bright flame considering the limited resources available to the Finnish studio that developed it. Anyone who enjoys Lovecraftian horror will find a lot to like here, though players with an aversion to polar bears might want to sit this one out.

4 Ann

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Inspired by some of the great RPG Maker horror games of yesteryear, Ann is arguably one of the most well-presented free-to-play passion projects on Steam. It looks and sounds fantastic and blends together high-quality animation and traditional 2D sprite-based gameplay to surprisingly good effect.

The game's storyline is nothing to write home about aside from a few interesting beats, but the gameplay more than makes up for this. The puzzles are a lot of fun and the chase scenes have a lot of potential, though the latter are often held back a little by the game's poor controls.

5 At Home Alone Final

Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (All Reviews)

As the game's title might suggest, At Home Alone Final was in development for quite a while before the current version was released at the beginning of 2022. The end result is a game that ends up being a lot more spooky than it is terrifying, though it still very much warrants its placement in the upper echelons of the free-to-play horror game genre.

The juxtaposition between the cutesy and colorful art style and some of the dark themes and imagery explored throughout the game works remarkably well and helps to amplify the creepiness to ridiculously high levels. Granted, it is a little slow to get going, and the translation is a little sketchy in places, but neither of these things should be enough to detract from the game's otherwise overall excellence.

6 BABBDI

Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (All Reviews)

Located in a forsaken district on the outskirts of a sprawling megalopolis, the town of BABBDI perfectly encapsulates the concept of strangeness. Its desolate streets and the humanoid creatures that reside there are wonderfully unsettling, while the town's many hidden encourage players to explore it more deeply despite the ever-growing sense of dread.

The goal of BABBDI is a simple one, with players just needing to find a way to escape, yet this is far from a simple game. Yes, there's no combat in the traditional sense, but then nor are there many limitations when it comes to exploration. Everything just comes together perfectly, making this not only one of the best free horror games on Steam but one of the best free Steam games period.

7 Cry of Fear

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

One of the most popular horror games of all time thanks to its unique combination of Silent Hill and Half-Life, Cry of Fear is objectively one of the better free-to-play games around. The game boasts a triple-A adjacent experience, with an 8-hour campaign and multiple ending scenarios, on top of a co-op experience and diverse modding community that satisfies anyone left wanting more.

Cry of Fear takes the premise of Silent Hill's otherworld and puts it into a first-person survival shooter. While the addition of heavy weaponry feels like it might dampen the horror experience, the game still manages to do a fantastic job of making the player feel helpless, with limited resources and unsuspecting scares hiding around every corner.

8 Cursed

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Most people have probably never heard of Disaster Squad Productions' Cursed trilogy, which, in truth, is a real shame. The three point-and-click games are full to the brim with passion, and although they rarely end up being scary despite the many horror themes and motifs that can be found throughout them, this doesn't make them any less enjoyable for players.

It's always nice to see an indie developer improving with each new game and this is very much the case with Cursed. Not only do the visuals improve from game to game, but so too does the gameplay; painting the picture of a developer who is gradually mastering the tools of their trade. It will be interesting to see what comes next now that the trilogy has been concluded.

9 Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft

Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (All Reviews)

Described by its creators as "a 3D narrative experience in madness," Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft is one of the most immersive free-to-play horror games on Steam. At least it is when played in VR mode, anyway: a feature that most indie devs could only dream of implementing in their titles, especially those that are being given away for free.

As the title might suggest, it's one of many games inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft and can be played with or without a VR headset. The whole thing can be completed in under half an hour, but the atmosphere presented within this visual novel will likely have players returning whenever they find themselves in the mood for another spooky boat ride.

10 Dark Deception

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Dark Deception is a little bit like Pac-Man, only with pink shards instead of tiny yellow balls and terrifying monkey bellhops replacing all the ghosts. The giant maze that players are forced to navigate is equally intimidating, with the rundown hotel providing no safe havens in which players can hide to catch their breath.

It's perhaps that last detail that makes Dark Deception such a great free-to-play horror game, as players are forced to remain on guard for the entire duration of their playthrough. Knowing that one of the evil monkeys could be lurking just around the corner is really quite frightening, as too is being chased by one only to find the path ahead blocked off by another.

11 Dark Fracture: Prologue

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

There's still no word on when exactly the full release of Dark Fracture will see the light of day, but, if Dark Fracture: Prologue is anything to go by, it looks set to be one of the better free-to-play first-person horror games on steam. The visuals and audio combine to provide a delightfully disturbing atmosphere, while the thought-provoking puzzles contribute just the right amount of challenge.

Classed by the developer as a stand-alone game, the prologue is designed to give players just a little taste of what they can expect in the full release. It has its own spooky story and does an excellent job introducing the main character Edward while simultaneously easing players into the dark depths of his tortured mind.

12 Deathly Stillness

Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (All Reviews)

According to its creator, Deathly Stillness was never intended to be an officially released game. It was thrown together in just 17 days and is meant to serve as a tutorial of sorts for other game creators. That hasn't stopped tens of thousands of people from downloading and enjoying it though, with the title now one of the best free horror games on Steam when it comes to positive review scores.

As per its own description, Deathly Stillness is "a boring third-person shooter with no plot." As more established franchises like Dead Rising have shown though, there's nothing boring about tearing through zombies with powerful weapons and this is something that the free-to-play Steam game does exceptionally well. There are some pretty decent character customization mechanics on offer too, though the real fun is in the gameplay.

13 Deceit

Steam Rating: Mostly Positive (All Reviews)

Some of the more recent changes made to Deceit have arguably cheapened the overall experience, but that's not to say that there isn't still a lot of fun to be had with this asymmetrical multiplayer game. Developer Baseline has done a great job balancing the gameplay, ensuring that controlling one of the infected is just as fun as playing as a survivor and vice versa.

The mysterious setting in which the game takes place gives off an incredibly sinister vibe, while the blackout periods that punctuate the end of each zone really crank up the tension. Everything tends to happen incredibly quickly too, forcing players to think on their feet, particularly when faced with an infected in their terror form.

14 Dissonance

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Atmosphere alone can go a long way toward creating a great horror game, as evidenced by Dissonance from Resonance Studio. To be clear, that's not at all to say that atmosphere is the only thing that the game has going for it, but the abandoned research facility in which the game takes place is definitely one of its strongest assets.

The way that different gadgets need to be used when faced with different creatures forces players to think their actions through, though the short windows that they're given to do so make the experience a lot more exhilarating. Both mechanically and visually it is a fairly simple game, but one which manages to draw its players into its SCP-inspired world incredibly effectively.

15 Doki Doki Literature Club

Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (All Reviews)

A late addition to the YouTube horror fad, Doki Doki Literature Club became an instant classic as its unassuming facade of a "raunchy fan-service visual novel" quickly broke down into something a lot more disturbing. For fans of Japanese horror cinema, Doki Doki is comparable to a supernatural take on Audition's shocking romance plot.

The game doesn't rely on shock factor to get by, however, and is an intriguing experience for those looking for more psychological horror media after the recent surge of Silent Hill-inspired games. Critics and players alike have praised the game's refreshing take on visual novels, a genre that's become more or less the modern equivalent of dollar-store romance novels.

16 Don't Be Afraid - The First Toy

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

There are plenty of free horror games on Steam that rely on subtlety, but Don't Be Afraid - The First Toy really isn't one of them. Just about every element of this game was designed to be spooky, and, for the most part, developer Broken Arrow Games delivers on this front.

The game places players into the shoes of Jamie, a young boy who has been kidnapped by a psychopath. As they explore the house in which they now find themselves imprisoned, they'll stumble upon plenty of terrifying imagery, all of which is backed up by a simple yet surprisingly effective score.

17 Empty Shell: Prologue

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Empty Shell: Prologue is one of the most atmospheric free-to-play horror games on Steam. Its art style is delightfully deliberate and helps to turn what might otherwise be a fairly generic experience into an adventure that is dripping with tension and suspense. The game features excellent enemies, perplexing puzzles, and a surprising amount of lore for players to immerse themselves in.

Some will perhaps argue that games with roguelike design elements are a dime a dozen these days, and while this is certainly true, Empty Shell: Prologue uses these mechanics to great effect. Those who enjoy difficult video games will love what's on offer here and will no doubt be left wondering what exactly is in store for them when the full release arrives.

18 Entropy: Zero 2

Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (All Reviews)

Released in August of 2022, Entropy: Zero 2 is a free Half-Life 2 mod, boasting new enemies and weapons, an overhauled combat system, and full Achievement support. It allows players to command squads of soldiers as they explore the mysterious Arbeit Communications facility in an attempt to capture Dr. Judith Mossman.

The mod was developed by Breadman and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback since going live on Steam. Though strictly speaking it may not be a free-to-play game in its own right, it really may as well be given the huge number of people who already own a copy of Half-Life 2.

19 Estigma

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

All things considered, Estigma is a relatively straightforward title with a simple yet satisfying gameplay loop - even if it doesn't look like it is at first glance. At its core, it's a little reminiscent of Pac-Man, only in this game, everything can (and likely will) kill the player at every opportunity that it gets.

Players are unlikely to spend more than a couple of hours with Estigma, though, for the price, that still seems like pretty good value for money. The visuals really are quite striking throughout and the fast-paced gameplay has the potential to really get the heart racing.

20 Estranged

Steam Rating: Very Positive (All Reviews)

Fans of atmospheric horror games should love what Estranged has to offer. The mysterious island on which players find themselves stranded is wonderfully well-realized and drenched in mystery, making it the perfect place to explore for free-to-play horror game fans.

As far as Half-Life 2 mods go, this is perhaps one of the strangest, with a lot of the design choices eschewing established tropes. This makes it very difficult to predict what will happen next, while the lack of build-up and the game's refusal to stand on ceremony during what are ultimately key moments is as puzzling as the game's plot.