Indie Horror Games That Will Keep You Up at Night

25 October 2025

Let’s face it, horror games are like jump scares you willingly sign up for—they haunt your dreams, quicken your pulse, and weirdly, keep you coming back for more. Now, while big triple-A titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill often grab the spotlight, the indie horror scene is killing it (pun intended) when it comes to originality and bone-chilling gameplay. These games don't have big budgets, but trust me, they don't need them. They rely on atmosphere, clever mechanics, and heart-stopping tension to deliver terror that sticks with you long after you've turned the lights off.

So grab your headphones, maybe a stress ball, and prepare as we dive into some truly spine-tingling indie horror games that will keep you up past your bedtime.

1. SOMA: Existential Dread in Digital Form

What’s scarier than monsters lurking in the dark? Facing the fragile nature of your very existence. Enter SOMA, a game that blends sci-fi horror with big, mind-bending questions about consciousness and identity. Developed by Frictional Games, the masterminds behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this underwater nightmare is as much psychological as it is horrifying.

Set in an abandoned deep-sea research facility, you're stranded among half-crazed machines and remnants of humanity. The isolation alone is enough to make your skin crawl, but it’s the game's narrative twists and morally challenging decisions that really mess with your mind. The line between human and machine blurs, and before you know it, you're questioning your own reality. Pro tip: keep an existential crisis hotline on speed dial.

2. Phasmophobia: Ghost Hunting With Friends (Or Alone, If You Dare)

If ghost-hunting shows have taught us anything, it’s that investigating the supernatural can be utterly terrifying—and Phasmophobia delivers that fear tenfold. This co-op horror game drops you and up to three friends into haunted locations where you’ll gather evidence of paranormal activity... or get hunted by the ghost.

The game’s immersive mechanics make it stand out. You actually use your real voice to talk to the ghosts, which ups the creepy factor significantly. Ever asked an angry spirit where it’s hiding, only to hear it whisper “behind you”? Yeah, that'll send shivers down your spine. And believe me, nothing bonds friends like a shared blood-curdling scream session.

3. Inside: A Dark, Twisted Puzzle Adventure

Inside isn’t your traditional scream-out-loud horror game, but its sense of foreboding dread is unmatched. Developed by the geniuses at Playdead (the folks behind Limbo), it takes you on a disturbing journey through a dystopian world where every step forward feels like a step closer to your doom.

What makes Inside so chilling is how it layers its horror. The muted visuals, eerie sound design, and grotesque moments will leave you squirming in discomfort. And the ending? Let’s just say it’s a hauntingly surreal twist that no amount of therapy can prepare you for. Some games take cheap shots with jump scares, but Inside gets under your skin—and stays there.

4. Darkwood: The Horror of the Unknown

Imagine being trapped in a creepy, desolate forest where everything—not just the monsters—feels out to get you. That’s Darkwood in a nutshell. This top-down survival horror game doesn’t spoon-feed you information or rely on flashy graphics. Instead, it makes you feel helpless, confused, and utterly terrified.

With its day-and-night cycle, you scavenge supplies by daylight and barricade yourself inside when darkness falls. The thing is, night is when the real nightmares start. You’ll hear unholy noises outside your safehouse, and sometimes, things break in. The game thrives on this creeping anticipation—like knowing the boogeyman’s hiding under your bed but never being able to catch him.

5. Doki Doki Literature Club: Not What It Seems

Let me tell you right now: this is NOT a game about writing love poems. Doki Doki Literature Club starts like a cheerful visual novel, complete with cute anime characters, bright colors, and overly peppy music. But as you dig deeper, the cracks in this “perfect” world start to show—and things get dark fast.

Without spoiling too much, this game pulls the rug from under you in ways you won’t see coming. It messes with your emotions, psyche, and even your computer. If you love psychological horror that plays with your expectations, this one will wreck you in the best (and most horrifying) way.

6. Little Misfortune: A Sweet and Sinister Tale

On the surface, Little Misfortune is a quirky, adorable game about a young girl seeking eternal happiness. But beneath its charming hand-drawn art style lies a deeply unsettling story about innocence, loss, and danger.

The game is darkly comedic, and you’ll find yourself second-guessing every choice you make for poor little Misfortune. There’s an underlying sense of dread that keeps you on edge—like a storm cloud hovering over a sunny picnic. It’s not your typical horror game, but the unsettling undertones and the gut-punch ending are enough to leave you shaken.

7. Outlast: Run. Hide. Pray.

Okay, so maybe Outlast isn’t exactly “indie-indie,” but its small development team at Red Barrels deserves a shoutout for creating one of the most terrifying experiences ever. You play as an investigative journalist trapped inside a psychiatric hospital, armed with nothing but a camcorder.

Here’s the thing: Outlast doesn’t let you fight back. Your only options are to run, hide, or pray the lunatic chasing you loses interest. The night-vision camera mechanic is both innovative and horrifying; seeing glowing eyes in the pitch-black darkness is enough to make you toss your controller across the room.

8. Layers of Fear: An Artist’s Descent into Madness

Ever wondered what would happen if Van Gogh made a horror game? That’s Layers of Fear. You step into the shoes of a tortured painter as you explore a Victorian mansion that shifts and warps around you.

This game doesn’t rely on cheap scares—it’s all about building tension and crafting a surreal, psychological horror experience. The deeper you go into the painter’s fractured mind, the darker and more twisted the world becomes. It’s like being trapped in a Salvador Dalí painting that wants to eat you alive.

9. The Mortuary Assistant: The Stuff of Nightmares

If the idea of working in a morgue doesn’t already creep you out, then The Mortuary Assistant will absolutely do the trick. You play as a young woman tasked with preparing bodies, but—surprise—one of them might be possessed.

This game does an incredible job of blending subtle horror with in-your-face terror. Doors slam shut, eerie whispers echo through the halls, and shadowy figures loom just out of sight. Oh, and did I mention that you’ll have to perform demonic rituals? Yeah, good luck sleeping after this one.

10. Detention: A Haunting History Lesson

Horror isn’t always about jump scares—it can also be an exploration of real-world trauma. Detention, a 2D horror game from Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games, is steeped in the history and culture of 1960s Taiwan under martial law.

The game’s oppressive atmosphere and ghostly apparitions are tied to its heavy themes of guilt, repression, and fear. It’s haunting in a different way—one that lingers even after the screen goes dark. If you’re looking for horror with emotional depth and cultural significance, Detention is a must-play.

The Charm of Indie Horror Games

Indie horror games thrive because they take risks. Developers, often working with limited resources, pour their hearts (and maybe a little of their nightmares) into crafting unique, unforgettable experiences. They don’t need flashy graphics or big-name voice actors—they rely on atmosphere, tension, and creativity to scare you silly.

And honestly, that's the magic of indie horror. It sneaks up on you like a chill down your spine and leaves you staring at the ceiling at 3 AM, wondering why you ever hit “new game.” So the next time you’re craving a good scare, skip the big-budget titles and give one of these indie gems a shot. Just… maybe keep a light on.