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The January 2023 roundup names 20 horror games as free, but that historical label is not a guarantee that every title is still free to download today. The list includes demos and partial chapters as well as games described as full releases, so check the current store listing for the specific game, platform, and region before downloading. One horror game with a current free-to-play Steam listing is SCP: Secret Laboratory; it is a useful current example, but it was not one of the roundup’s 20 titles.
What the January 2023 roundup listed
The historic list names these 20 games. It records what the roundup included, not a verified current catalog or a claim that each game remains free:
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Resident Evil Requiem Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Project Songbird - PlayStation 5 | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Cronos - PlayStation 5 | $28.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Resident Evil 4 - PS5 | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition - PlayStation 5 | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- SCP – Containment Breach
- Eyes – The Horror Game
- The House 2
- Slender: The Eight Pages
- Fears to Fathom
- Emily Wants To Play
- The House on the Hill
- Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion
- Haunted PS1: The Scariest Face
- Night Terrors
- SCP-087-B
- Innocence
- The Mortuary Assistant
- The Fear: Creepy Scream House
- Mad Father Demo
- Kraven Manor
- The Haunted
- DreadOut: The Matrix
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 1
- Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals
Names such as “Demo” and “Chapter 1” signal that some entries may be limited portions rather than complete games. A free demo, a temporarily free promotion, and a free-to-play full game are different offers; check which one a store currently provides.
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How to check whether a game is free now
Availability and pricing can change over time and may differ by platform or region. Before installing, open the official store or developer page for the exact title and confirm the current price and what the download includes. A historical article date cannot establish today’s price for every game on the list.
#1 Best Overall
- Amazon Exclusive - 2 sided poster included in every game!
- Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily scared, representing a new type of character for the Resident Evil series. Grace will experience horror from the same perspective as the player as she learns to overcome her fears throughout the course of the story.
- For the first time ever in Resident Evil history, players will be able to freely switch between both first- and third-person perspectives throughout the game.
- An Anniversary to Remember: With March 2026 marking the Resident Evil series’ 30-year anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem marks its own milestone in the franchise.
- Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem are now open, with the bonus of Grace’s costume: Apocalypse. Please note that the picture weapon does not come with the costume, but it can be obtained in-game.
A current free-to-play example: SCP: Secret Laboratory
SCP: Secret Laboratory’s Steam listing, accessed October 11, 2026, describes it as a free-to-play multiplayer horror game developed and published by Northwood Studios, released December 29, 2017. Its premise centers on players escaping entities or fighting to secure a facility. The store listing is evidence for this game only, not the other 20 titles.
Check the content disclosure
Steam’s listing discloses strong violence, firearms, blood, horror, and potentially disturbing imagery. Consider that disclosure alongside your own comfort with horror before playing.
Rank #2
- A dark, enthralling 4-5 hour narrative to keep you hooked and guessing until the end. Gorgeous visuals as you traverse numerous and diverse environments, presented with a cinematic, film-like aesthetic. Ranged and melee combat with upgradeable weapons to help you survive your nightmarish journey.
- A stellar voice cast, starring Valerie Rose Lohman (What Remains of Edith Finch, Wolfenstein: Youngblood), Jonah Scott (Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Date Everything), and Aleks Le (Persona 3: Reload, Marvel Rivals, Ghost of Yotei).
- A beautifully dynamic and haunting soundtrack composed and performed by Jacob Noska, and Jonah Henthorne: members of the band Auric Echoes.
- The puzzles you encounter are more than your standard key hunt. Project Songbird rewards those with an eye for detail, making each puzzle a challenge of creativity and wits.
- The combat of Project Songbird offers a variety of approaches inspired by the classics of the survival horror genre. Melee and gunplay is slow and weighty, and ammo is incredibly scarce. However, combat isn't your only option, as you have a multitude of tools at your disposal to aid in sneaking past any creatures that wish to do you harm.
Check the PC requirements
The same listing gives these minimum requirements for Windows:
- 64-bit Windows 10 version 21H1 or Windows 11
- 4 GB RAM
- GTX 1050 Ti or equivalent graphics card with 4 GB VRAM; integrated graphics are unsupported
- DirectX 11
- Broadband internet
- 8 GB available storage
- A microphone for voice chat
Store requirements can change, so use the live listing to confirm compatibility before installing.
Rank #3
- Cronos: The New Dawn is a brutal third-person survival horror where you fight for the future by salvaging the past. Burn monsters before they merge. Extract souls from the living. Adapt or die.
- Set in a grim world where Eastern European brutalism meets retro-futurist technology, Cronos: The New Dawn lets you experience a gripping story that straddles the line between past and future.
- The enemies you’ll encounter are nightmarish creatures, born from the remnants of humanity – defeating them will require you to make full use of your arsenal.
- The creatures you kill won’t stay dead for long. Fallen enemies can be absorbed by others - through a grotesque process called Merging - to become faster, tougher, and far deadlier.
- This physical edition of Cronos: The New Dawn comes with bonus in-game content and a set of collectible stickers.
Choose a horror game that suits you
Horror varies in style and intensity. Think about the kind of scares you want, how much disturbing imagery you are comfortable with, and whether you want a solo experience or multiplayer. Then verify the title’s current platform, price, and system requirements rather than relying on the roundup’s old “free” label.
Headphones are optional
The roundup suggests headphones to heighten immersion. They are an optional way to experience sound, not a stated requirement for any game on the list.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- FEAR COMES HOME -- Fear, combat, exploration, and item management: these are the four pillars of survival horror, a genre that has never been more masterfully executed than in the gameplay of Resident Evil. The horror continues in the ground-breaking Resident Evil 7. Step into the new Isolated View and experience true survival horror in a world created by the all-new RE Engine.
- DEEP IN THE BAYOU - When Ethan Winters opened his inbox, the last thing he expected was to find an email from his wife; she had been missing for three years. The message was simple: "Come get me," and an address in Louisiana. This leads Ethan to a decrepit mansion in the heart of the bayou. The place has a seriously creepy vibe, but Ethan continues his search – until a stranger attacks him and knocks him unconscious. Ethan has no idea what awaits him when he wakes up...for he is now in the clutches of the Baker family.
- A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- In RESIDENT EVIL 7, we're changing the way you interact with the world. For this next major entry in the series, play from a first-person point of view, dramatically increasing your ability to become fully absorbed in the world we have created.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
Rank #4
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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