Welcome, brave souls, to the spine-chilling realm of indie horror games – where the scares are plenty, the budgets are tight, and the nightmares are free with admission
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Welcome to Booked and Bewitched, where we talk about all things horror, indie, spooky, gothic, and or mystery.
This week, we’re diving into the shadows to ferret out 30 indie horror gems that’ll have you checking under your bed and questioning that innocent-looking pixelated ghost.
Before we start this digital descent into darkness list, let’s shed some light on what exactly makes an indie horror game so good. Think of them as the rebellious punk-rockers of the gaming world – they might not have the grandeur of a AAA title, but they’ve got heart, soul, and let’s be honest a AAA title isn’t a guarantee of anything.
From pixelated nightmares to eerie hand-drawn landscapes. The goal isn’t photorealism but creating an atmosphere that sinks into your bones and leaves you questioning what’s real. And if you need more horror-themed entertainment choices. Oh, and go check out-
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Indie Horror Games
1. 🚢⚓ Favorite indie horror of 2023
Prepare to embark on a harrowing journey into the depths of the unknown with Dredge. As you navigate the eerie confines of a mysterious ship, brace yourself for encounters that will test your resolve and sanity. Just remember, in this chilling adventure, fear lurks in every shadow, and courage may be your only salvation.
RELEASE DATE: Mar 30, 2023
DEVELOPER: Black Salt Games
DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
2. 👻🏚️ Haunted hallways of insanity
So love it or hate it, Outlast is and will always be the birth of a new type of horror game. Journalistic ambitions meet an asylum of horrors. Who knew investigative reporting could be this… gut-wrenching?
RELEASE DATE: Sep 4, 2013
Hell is an experiment you can’t survive in Outlast, a first-person survival horror game developed by veterans of some of the biggest game franchises in history. As investigative journalist Miles Upshur, explore Mount Massive Asylum and try to survive long enough to discover its terrible secret…
3. 🌑🚶Twisted realms of childhood terror
This atmospheric puzzle-platformer plunges you into a monochromatic nightmare, where every shadow hides a potential puzzle or peril.
Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters LIMBO.
4. 🎈🤡 Sinister secrets indie horror
So if you didn’t already have a fear of plushies, this will do it for you. Prepare to plunge into a world of sinister toys and childhood nightmares with Poppy Playtime. As you venture through abandoned toy factories and unravel the secrets of a twisted past, be warned: sanity may be your most fragile possession. Remember, in this chilling adventure, the line between play and terror is blurred, and escaping unscathed may be your greatest challenge yet
RELEASE DATE: Oct 12, 2021
You must stay alive in this horror/puzzle adventure. Try to survive the vengeful toys waiting for you in the abandoned toy factory. Use your GrabPack to hack electrical circuits or nab anything from afar. Explore the mysterious facility… and don’t get caught.
5. 👤🔦 Nightmare nexus indie horror
A spiritual successor to Limbo, Inside explores the eerie and enigmatic with a silent protagonist and a world that begs to be uncovered.
Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.
6. 🌲🏹 Terror trails of monsters
So this one is for all the survival horror girlies out there. Stranded in a forest with cannibals as your neighbors. Consider this your not-so-average camping trip.
Sent to find a missing billionaire on a remote island, you find yourself in a cannibal-infested hellscape. Craft, build, and struggle to survive, alone or with friends, in this terrifying new open-world survival horror simulator.
7. 🕊️🌙 Creeping shadows of steampunk horror
So anyone else excited to jump into this steampunk gem? Prepare to embark on a haunting journey through the depths of the night with Nightingale. As you traverse shadowy forests and unravel the mysteries of an ancient curse, beware the encroaching madness that threatens to ensnare your mind. Remember, in this atmospheric adventure, the echoes of the past whisper secrets that may drive you to the brink of sanity.
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2018
DEVELOPER: Marmalade Game Studio Ltd
PUBLISHER: Marmalade Game Studio Ltd
Set out on a journey of survival and adventure, into the mysterious and dangerous Fae Realms of Nightingale! Become an intrepid Realmwalker, and venture forth alone or with friends – as you explore, craft, build and fight across a visually stunning Gaslamp Fantasy world.
8. 🚑🤖 Dark descent into the ocean
So if you’re looking for a horror game that will scare the skin off you, and make you feel like a monster, give SOMA a go. Dive into the depths of existential dread as you navigate an underwater facility filled with… unsettling occurrences.
From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence.
9. 🐛⚔️ Ghastly game wrapped in cuteness
A beautifully dark and challenging journey through a world of insects. Because nothing says horror like battling giant, menacing bugs.
Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.
10. 🦄💀 Creepy chronicles of childhood imagination
A dark yet whimsical adventure where you guide a sweet, mischievous girl named Misfortune through a world filled with hidden horrors.
Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, Misfortune ventures into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bad luck unfolds.
11. 🖋️🎭 Creeping shadows of ink
Welcome to the animated nightmare of Joey Drew Studios. Beware of ink, jump scares, and an unsettling nostalgia for classic cartoons.
“Bendy and the Ink Machine®” is the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons.
12. 🔪🐱 Chilling nightmares on repeat
This point-and-click psychological horror unfolds the disturbing tale of a little girl named Fran and her feline companion, Mr. Midnight.
Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.
13. 📻👻 Phantom frights or supernatural frights
A supernatural thriller that weaves a chilling narrative as you explore an abandoned island, tuning into ghostly frequencies.
Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.
14. 🗿🔥 Macabre maze of horror
Prepare to descend into a realm of darkness and dread with Effigy. As you explore haunting landscapes and unravel the mysteries of ancient artifacts, beware the lurking madness that threatens to consume you. Remember, in this twisted journey, the line between reality and nightmare is blurred, and only the strongest will emerge unscathed.
Effigy : The Descent is a first-person survival-horror game in which you will face statues, with your lantern as your only tool to stop them. Gather all artefacts from the cave and freedom will be yours !
15. ⚔️🔥 Eternal torment horror
The Underworld has never looked this stylish. Dive into the rogue-like chaos of Greek mythology as Zagreus fights his way out.
Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.
16. 🏚️🍽️ Ghastly grounds indie horror
Survival horror meets Tim Burton in this unforgiving wilderness. Starvation is the least of your worries; the shadows hunger for you.
Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic. Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style.
17. 🧟♂️⚔️ Eerie enigma of rebirth
A relentless rogue-like action-platformer where death is only the beginning. Embrace the cycle of demise and rebirth.
Dead Cells is a rogue-lite, metroidvania inspired, action-platformer. You’ll explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle… assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers in 2D souls-lite combat. No checkpoints. Kill, die, learn, repeat. Regular free content updates!
18. 🌲🔥 Eternal dread in paradise
A narrative-driven mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where the isolation and haunting beauty create an atmosphere of quiet dread.
Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.
19. 🎨👻 Haunted halls of memory
As a tortured painter, actor, author, you descend into madness in a house that morphs with your psyche. Artistic inspiration has never been this terrifying or fun.
All stories must come to an end, even twisted and eerie ones. The canvas. The stage. The novel. This narrative-focused psychological horror experience is ready for its final brushstrokes, its curtain call, its final chapter. Are you ready to return and face your fears one last time?
20. ☕🎮 Tainted tales of cuteness
A run-and-gun platformer that’s equal parts charming and challenging, featuring boss battles that are more devilish than a Faustian bargain.
Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional hand drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings.
21.🚢🕵️♂️ Menacing murmurs on the high seas
A unique detective game where you unravel the fates of the ship’s crew through a mysterious artifact that reveals moments frozen in time.
Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.
22. 🏰💀 Cryptic curses and dark places
Leading a band of flawed heroes, venture into the eldritch horrors of the darkest dungeon. Permadeath and stress management included.
Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Can you keep your heroes together when all hope is lost?
23. 🌙🦊 Wicked whispers in the woods
Follow Mae, a college dropout, as she returns home and uncovers the eerie secrets of Possum Springs in this story-driven adventure.
NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.
24 .🌾👻 Indie horror in sheep clothing
Farming sim by day, supernatural mysteries by night. Unearth the dark secrets of Pelican Town as you tend to your crops and relationships.
You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home?
25. 🌎👹 Horrifying indie horror
So nothing to see here, just a little nightmare fuel. A love letter to Junji Ito, this cosmic horror RPG features disturbing mysteries, unsettling events, and a retro aesthetic that drips with dread.
Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits…
26. 🪦👻 Morally questionable indie horror
So take Stardew Valley, throw in a little Tim Burton, and ta-da! Manage a graveyard, make questionable moral choices, and uncover the dark humor in this unconventional simulation game.
Build and manage a medieval graveyard while facing ethical dilemmas and making questionable decisions. Welcome to Graveyard Keeper, the most inaccurate medieval cemetery sim of the year.
27. 💀 Cringe worth indie horror
So if you’ve ever had the urge to try your hand at russian roulette, here is your game. I’ve had more than a few laughs watching my favorite gamers try their hands at this. And trust me, it’s nowhere as easy as it looks.
Play Russian roulette with a 12-gauge shotgun. Two enter. One leaves. Roll the dice with your life. Good luck!
28. 🌊🚢 Deep sea indie horror
Prepare to dive into the abyssal depths of the unknown with Barotrauma. As you navigate through treacherous underwater caverns and unravel the mysteries of a derelict submarine, beware the encroaching madness that lurks in the shadows. Remember, in this harrowing adventure, the line between survival and madness is as thin as the hull of a submarine.
Barotrauma is a 2D co-op submarine simulator – in space, with survival horror and RPG elements. Steer your submarine, complete missions, fight monsters, fix leaks, operate machinery, man the guns and craft items, and stay alert: danger in Barotrauma doesn’t announce itself!
29. 🎪👻 Must add- indie horror games list
Prepare to awaken to a world of darkness and mystery with Reveil. As you navigate through haunting landscapes and unravel the secrets of forgotten realms, beware the encroaching madness that threatens to consume your sanity. Remember, in this chilling adventure, the journey to enlightenment may lead you to the depths of madness.
REVEIL is a narrative first-person psycho-thriller game that focuses on story, puzzles and exploration. Find out what’s going on inside Walter Thompson and what his dark past at the Nelson Bros Circus has to do with it.
30. 🔍😱 Epic indie horror games steam
Prepare for unexpected twists and a descent into the unknown as you grapple with the consequences of your choices in this spine-chilling indie horror experience
A challenging turn-based tactical RPG that transports you into a medieval apocalyptic infestation. Your survivors are fragile, and every step you take could be your last.
This post is all about 30 Indie Horror videogames to jumpscare you till the very end.
Now, go on, go play something!
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