2024 has been full of spine-tingling indie horror titles. With plenty of terrifying dystopias and eerie haunted houses, these games explore fear in all its forms. In this list, we're counting down the top 10 indie horror games of 2024, where atmosphere, storytelling, and sheer terror meet to give you sleepless nights. Ready to find your next scare?
10 Indie horror games that made 2024 scary
All of the following games were released in 2024, each one offering its own unique spin on horror, from claustrophobic dread to psychological scares.
10. CONSCRIPT
Though CONSCRIPT takes place during World War I, the horror goes far beyond the battlefield. As a soldier separated from his comrades, you begin to experience bizarre, otherworldly events in the trenches. The plot runs on historical horror with supernatural elements, which creates a gripping narrative where survival feels impossible.
CONSCRIPT's slow build of dread, coupled with resource management and puzzle-solving, adds layers to its chilling atmosphere. Its unique setting and combination of real-world horrors with the supernatural make it a standout, though its niche appeal keeps it from ranking higher.
9. Hollowbody
In Hollowbody, you’re a courier stuck in a dystopian wasteland after a routine delivery goes horribly wrong. The city you're trapped in is both decayed and hauntingly alive, filled with malfunctioning machines and bizarre entities.
Hollowbody's plot revolves around uncovering the dark secrets behind the city’s collapse, and your survival hinges on navigating the twisted streets while being hunted by an unknown force. The sense of isolation and the game’s world-building are its strongest points, but the repetitive mechanics keep it from climbing higher in this list.
8. Zoochosis
In Zoochosis, you play a night guard at an abandoned zoo, investigating strange occurrences within the dilapidated grounds. But as you explore, it becomes clear that the zoo’s dark history goes far beyond neglect. The animals were part of horrific experiments, and now you’re trapped with something far worse than beasts.
Zoochosis excels in creature design and psychological horror, using the unsettling location of the zoo to ramp up the tension. The unique setting and terrifying lore make Zoochosis one of the most visually disturbing games of the year, though it can feel a bit linear at times and the repetitive nature of the tasks has been frustrating to players.
7. Reveil
In Reveil, you find yourself waking up in an abandoned circus, with no memory of how you got there. As you explore the twisted circus grounds, it becomes clear that this place is not bound by the rules of reality.
Reveil uses surreal horror to keep players on edge, constantly questioning what’s real and what’s a hallucination. The sense of unease only grows as the environment shifts around you. It’s a psychological horror that has excellent narrative design, with a pacing that keeps you hooked until the very end.
6. Clap Clap
Clap Clap is one of the Nightmare Files games. You play a character who is house sitting, and you have a few directions for how to look after the house while the owner is away. You can clap twice in any room to turn the lights on or off, but you probably shouldn't go snooping around too much if you want this night to go smoothly.
The PS1-style graphics will take you back to the early 3D era, and the game definitely feels and looks like something that could have come out in the mid-90s. While short in length, Clap Clap creates plenty of tension. It's also free!
5. Rental
Rental puts you in the shoes (paws?) of a bunny who’s rented a seemingly perfect beach home for a weekend retreat. She finds the man renting the cabin, who tells her that he's been trapped in the cabin for weeks. Umi finds out she needs to perform a ritual to exorcise the house.
But, as the rental man is describing her strange scavenger hunt for ritual items, he disappears. Literally mid-sentence. Twice. From there, the game begins in earnest, forcing you to run Umi around the house to find the list of items and make it safe for her family.
The rental isn't all it seems, though. As you explore, you'll find more than a few paintings and candles.
4. Crow Country
The year is 1990, and it’s been two years since the mysterious disappearance of Edward Crow and the sudden closure of his eerie theme park, Crow Country. But your arrival has stirred something in the park’s unsettling silence. If you want answers about Edward’s fate, you’ll have to explore the park's abandoned, twisted attractions to find them.
While the setting of Crow Country may appear whimsical at first glance, there’s something deeply wrong here, and as you unlock new areas, it becomes clear why Edward shut everything down. Rumors about his disappearance swirl, and you’ll soon discover whether they’re more terrifying than you ever imagined.
3. Psychopomp
Your entire life has been a carefully constructed lie. Beneath every building and home, sprawling catacombs stretch deep into the earth, hiding unimaginable horrors. For years, everyone around you has known of their existence, but they've kept the truth from you - until now. Something pulls you into these dark, twisted tunnels, and it's up to you to descend into the depths to uncover the truth… Or perhaps, face something far worse.
Psychopomp is a free-to-play first-person psychological horror dungeon crawler that takes you on a journey into a world where nothing is as it seems. As you explore, you’ll encounter strange creatures, unsettling secrets, and bizarre characters - some who might be allies, and others who are anything but friendly.
2. Buckshot Roulette
Set in a deranged underground game show, Buckshot Roulette forces contestants into deadly situations where they must gamble their lives with a revolver. You play a character who has been unwillingly entered into this twisted contest, and each round brings more dangerous, grotesque challenges.
Buckshot Roulette combines fast-paced survival horror with dark humour, and the sense of impending doom never lets up. Its unpredictability is what keeps you hooked, but the chaotic gameplay might not appeal to everyone, which is why it lands in the middle of our rankings.
1. ANIMAL WELL
At first glance, ANIMAL WELL looks like a charming, pixelated adventure, but don’t let its cute aesthetic fool you - this game is as terrifying as they come. You explore a strange, interconnected world filled with bizarre creatures, each one more unsettling than the last.
The beauty of ANIMAL WELL lies in its subtle storytelling and environmental clues that slowly reveal the dark mysteries of the world you’re trapped in. It’s the atmosphere that truly shines, creating a sense of wonder and dread simultaneously.
Buckshot Roulette may be a fast-paced horror experience packed with tension, but ANIMAL WELL edges ahead to number one on this list with its masterful atmosphere, offering a more immersive world that stays with you long after the game ends. With its innovative design, perfect pacing, and eerie visuals, ANIMAL WELL earns its place as the best indie horror game of 2024 in this list.
Want to read more about horror games at Pro Game Guides? Check out the Best Roblox Horror Games with Multiplayer and 20 First Person Horror Games To Play.
Lyssa Chatterton has been a freelance writer for over 6 years, ever since graduating from their Master's degree in Transliteration & Screenwriting. They have worked with clients in practically every industry, including iGaming and TCG/Tabletop news. Lyssa prefers cosy games and indie games, but that doesn't stop them from going all out with a great fantasy RPG or digging out old retro games. An avid fan of Pokémon, Animal Crossing, the Witcher, and Persona, you'll be seeing a wide range of writing from this freelancer.