The Best Indie Horror Games

 I’ve been playing more indie games in the last few years. I find them to be much better than the AAA games. Big-budget games all feel the same, while indie games tend to take more chances in terms of subject matter and gameplay.

This is an update from last year’s blog post on indie horror games. There were a lot of them released last year, and I discovered quite a few. Trying to keep up with all the indie horror games is quite the challenge, so thank you to everyone who recommended games for me.

I know that I missed a bunch of other games. Hundreds of indie horror games seem to be constantly being released. I felt like I was on top of the releases, and then I would stumble across several games I hadn’t heard of.

The games on this list are the ones I enjoyed the most. I have a few more that I haven’t had a chance to play yet. I’ll get to those sometime next year.

Bottom Line up Front: An update from 2023’s list of indie horror games

Selection criteria

Let’s talk about what qualifies for this list. I’m not just going to be putting any random game on this list. Here are the criteria I used to compile this list:

• Has to be a horror game
• I have to have found it fun or scary
• Must be an indie game

Varney Lake

Developer: LCB Game Studio

Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure

Review Score: 8/10

This was a lot of fun and brought up many memories of video games and things I used to do during the summer. It is a vampire story set in a small lake town. It is told from several perspectives and features a few recurring characters from Mothmen 1966.

Like many visual novels and point-and-click adventures, Varney Lake has you following a story and has a few puzzles for the player to solve. There are several dialogue choices for you to go through, creating some replayability options. It is a short but fun story for a game like this.

Playing Varney Lake reminded me of my summer vacations on the lake. The story takes place in the 1950s, and things are very bright; when it switches to the 1980s, things are dark and stormy. It is a fun and unique game.

Mothmen 1966

Developer: LCB Game Studio

Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure

Review Score: 9/10 (Steam)

This is the first game in a trilogy that includes Varney Lake and Bahnsen Knights. Unsurprisingly, it takes place in 1966 and follows the story of four people during a meteor shower. It has many similarities with the Mothman myth but takes those stories in a unique direction.

The story takes place at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. Our characters have the misfortune of going out there simultaneously as a cosmic event spawns a bunch of anthropomorphic creatures, like the Mothman. This whole story about it would go into spoilers if I talked about it. It is very interesting, though.

I played this series out of order, but I’m glad I took the time to play them. I didn’t like the characters as much as those in Varney Lake, but the story is pretty good. After playing it, things make a lot of sense, and I now like the game.

Killer Frequency

Developer: Team 17

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 81/100 (Metacritic)

This fantastic adventure game reminds me of a 1980s horror film. Killer Frequency takes place in a small town with a mysterious killer in its past. It is a simple game where you don’t have to do much besides solving puzzles and selecting dialogue options.

The story takes place in a small town, and you play as a radio DJ. Everything takes place in the radio station, which is an excellent idea. It does take away a sense of danger about what is happening, but the story is very good.

I loved the setting and what the game asked the player to do. Everything you need to solve the puzzles is in the radio station, you have to find it. The premise for why people call the station instead of emergency services is ridiculous, but it works for a game like this. Killer Frequency is a ton of fun.

A Night on the Farm

Developer: East Asiasoft Limited and Frozen Flame Interactive

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 8/10 (Steam)

Night on the Farm is one of those games where I wonder why things become the protagonist’s problem. Was there no one else who could handle this or knew what the scientists were up to? It works for the game, but it always feels odd to me.

The game starts with you crashing your car and looking for help at a nearby farm. Finding no one home, you decide to snoop around and uncover a secret research facility that was experimenting on an entity that looks like a Mothman. From there, you can decide what to do with the research facility.

This is a very dark game, not in subject matter but in lack of lighting. It also looks like a lost PS1 game, which I like a lot. It was fun to play through, and I would like other possible endings.

Those Who Remain

Developer: Camel 101 and Warp Digital Limited

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 7/10 (Steam)

Those Who Remain is a confusing game for me. I knew what was happening regarding the plot, but I was going back and forth on including it on this list. I enjoy the game and the story, but there is something odd about it occasionally.

This is a psychological horror game set in a small town. The main character is a piece of crap, and something is punishing him for his sins. At least, that was how I felt about the game.

It looks good, and I like the setting. The choice to not have combat in the game is interesting because it is different from other games like this. You have to avoid enemies while solving puzzles, and you have no way of defending yourself. I like the story quite a bit.

Faith: The Unholy Trilogy

Developer: Airdorf Games

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 10/10 (Steam)

This is a trilogy of adventure horror games. It tells a fun and creepy story, and the graphics are similar to those of early computers and the Atari 2600. Even the digitized speech reminds me of something you would hear from the early 1980s.

The games follow two characters as they investigate demonic possessions and satanic cults. The story feels like it was inspired by horror movies from the 1970s and the satanic panic of the 1980s. I like it a lot.

The gameplay is okay. It reminds me of a Sierra Online adventure game where everything is about trial and error. You can die a lot in this game, and you’re expected to learn from your mistakes so you can beat the game.

Fork Road

Developer: Simon Au Yeung

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 9/10 (Steam)

Fork Road is a strange adventure horror game. It consists of a series of questions with two answers. These questions sometimes require you to solve puzzles, and I’m unsure how the game expects you to know the answer to all of them on the first try.

When you get something wrong, you’ll get another chance to solve the problem. There doesn’t appear to be a story; you don’t have to worry about dying in this game. It can be fun at times, but the game relies on jump scares, which is a bit too much for me.

This game reminds me of a few other indie games that keep the controls simple and the gameplay minimal. If you get a puzzle wrong enough times, then it starts throwing hints at you. It is a fun game, but there are things in it that I don’t like as much.

Terminus: Zombie Survivors

Developer: Longplay Studios

Genre: Survival

Review Score: 8/10 (My Score)

This is a fun indie survival horror game. I like the retro-inspired graphics that remind me of X-COM: UFO Defense. Being a turn-based game ratchets up the tension as night falls and as you encounter more zombies.

You have to reach a safe place called Terminus. It sounds simple enough, but the game ramps up in difficulty as you make your way through a zombie-infested city. You can meet other people along the way, but this isn’t necessary.

Much like 7 Days to Die, in its early versions, I think the developers took the realism of being hungry and thirsty to the extreme. Granted, I don’t eat every three to four hours, so maybe it makes more sense to you. It is a fun game despite some minor flaws.

Still Wakes the Deep

Developer: The Chinese Room

Genre: Survival Adventure

Review Score: 84/100 (Metacritic)

This is a creepy game. You play as a regular guy who works on an oil rig. You’re surprisingly capable as you can climb, jump, and maneuver through most obstacles as long as you’re fast enough.

You play as Caz. His life is falling apart after he beats someone up. He gets fired from his job, and his wife is talking about divorce. That is when the oil rig you’re on blows up, and some creepy stuff happens. Things become very empty after this, and that is when things get scary.

This reminds me of some things people would talk about when I was on submarines in the Navy. What would happen if you woke up and everyone was gone? It is a creepy thought, and things get weirder when you throw in some Lovecraftian horror.

Detention

Developer: Red Candle Games

Genre: Point and Click Adventure

Review Score: 79/100 (Metacritic)

This game and the movie shed light on a part of history I didn’t know much about. The game is set in Taiwan during the White Terror, a period of the island’s history. The movie dives into this much better than the game does.

The story follows two characters who find themselves trapped in a deserted school. Monsters roam the halls, and a typhoon is about to hit the island. Like a Silent Hill game, there is a normal and nightmare version of the school.

It is a cool story about accepting responsibility for your actions and forgiveness. It is a fascinating story about a part of the world that I’ve never heard of before. The creepy setting made me do some more research on what was going on in Taiwan at the time. I’m by no means an expert, but I learned a lot.

Oxenfree

Developer: Night School Studio

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 81/100 (Metacritic)

This is still one of my favorite indie games. It has a spooky atmosphere and tells a fun story about ghosts and alternate dimensions. I loved the interaction between the characters and how it can change each time you play.

The game begins with the characters riding a ferry to an island so they can have a graduation party. Most students don’t show up, so we only have five people to follow. Oxenfree revolves around you using a radio to deal with malevolent spirits and trying to get off the island.

Oxenfree is a fun adventure game that tries to tell a story. It is an excellent ghost story about friends working through their issues. I like the game a lot.

Oxenfree II

Developer: Night School Studio

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 85/100 (Metacritic)

This is a good follow-up to the first game. At first, it seems like it has little connection to the first game until you get into the story. This follows the ending where the characters are trapped in a time loop.

In Oxenfree II, you follow the story of two people who have no connection to the people from the first story. You learn about a cult or religious group on these islands but don’t know much about them. A story is playing alongside the main story with a group of kids trying to join the spirits from the first game.

I like the first game more than this one. The mechanics are basically the same, but the story feels slightly looser than in the first game. Both are great, and I like the additions to Oxenfree II’s gameplay.

Dredge

Developer: Black Salt Games

Genre: Adventure

Review Score: 84/100 (Metacritic)

This horror fishing adventure game draws inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s stories about the water, small towns, and psychological horror. It has a very fun story about self-discovery and uncovering the secrets of a small town.

The story begins with you getting in a shipwreck. Your boat is lost, but don’t worry because the town that finds you has a boat you can use. You become the fisherman for the town and, for some reason, have to solve problems for the people that live on the archipelago.

Dredge is a great game, and things get scary when night falls and when you start finding mutant fish. This is a combination of genres that I wouldn’t have expected to work. Playing through is a lot of fun, and I like the alternate endings.

Rewind or Die

Developer: Comp-3 Interactive

Genre: Survival Horror

Review Score: 9/10 (Steam)

This game is so much fun! It reminded me of a horror movie from the late 1980s. There were a bunch of horror movies like this where the main character works a mundane job, and one of their co-workers goes crazy. It reminded me of Intruder.

In Rewind or Die, you play as a video store employee. You get called into work and are eventually attacked by a killer in a pig mask. Then, the game shifts to a murder house where you need to solve a series of puzzles to escape along with a few other prisoners.

This is a short game, but it is so much fun. It is about two hours long, about the length of a long horror film. There is a twist ending when the killer gets revealed, and it feels like a B Movie. I really like this game a lot.

Scarlet Hollow

Developer: Black Tabby Games

Genre: Visual Novel

Review Score: 9/10 (My Score)

This is one of the best Indie games that I’ve ever played. If I were to list the best games I’ve ever played, this would be on it. Scarlet Hollow is still in early access, so there is more from this game.

Scarlet Hollow is a horror visual novel set in an old mining town. Although it takes place in modern times, the town feels old and rundown. This makes it an excellent setting for a game like this, where you deal with monsters and the secrets of the Scarlet family.

This is a wonderful game, and I can’t wait for the rest of it to come out. The developers have crafted a creepy and engaging story that is hard to put down. I can’t wait to see what other secrets this town and the people who call it home are hiding.

Conclusion

Horror games are always fun for me. I like being scared and seeing fresh takes on older horror stories. When a developer mixes in some history of places or popular myths, that adds to my enjoyment.

A few games carried over from last year. If you want to check out that list, you can find it here at Spooky Indie Games to give you the Creeps. There are nine or ten new games on this list. Each of these games is a lot of fun to play.

I like indie games a lot more than the releases from larger studios. Something about them feels like the developers care more about their games. They take more chances with subject matter, graphics, and gameplay. While I enjoy some RPGs from large studios, like Unicorn Overlord, I tend to enjoy indie games more.