It’s that time of the year again, leaves shifting colors in the trees, houses lined with orange and black lights, and the weather turning cold. Halloween may have come and gone, but autumn is still the perfect time to bundle up under some blankets, sip some apple cider, and enjoy these horrifying games, for free.

1: ELLIE’S

A brand new game developed by “Scribby”, Ellie’s throws you in an abandoned building, with a dark backstory to uncover. All seems normal at first, but as time progresses, the paranormal experiences you’re tasked with investigating become more frequent… And deadly. Just like another game on this list, Ellie’s first person, point and click gameplay was inspired by the horror game that took the world by storm, “Five Nights at Freddys”. Can you uncover all the dark secrets this building has to hide before Ellie and her friends end your night?

Gameplay: ★★★★☆

Story: ★★★☆☆

Horror: ★★★☆☆

https://gamejolt.com/games/ellies/319530

2: OTTER ISLAND

Spending a fun weekend with friends, cooking and chatting it up on an island, sounds fun, right? Otter Island starts out pretty simple and easy, however, as night approaches, so does something strange and dark, lurking in the woods. Otter Island’s retro-like graphics don’t stop it from being completely terrifying and suspenseful, and despite being a little annoying at times, the controls are simple and easy to learn. Can you survive a weekend on Otter Island?

Gameplay: ★★★☆☆

Story: ★★★★☆

Horror: ★★★★☆

https://mizzen.itch.io/otter-island

3: INFINITE PIZZA

What could possibly be better and less scary than an endless amount of everyone’s favorite food, pizza? Probably the weirdest and fastest paced horror game I’ve ever played, Infinite Pizza tasks you with, simply, diving towards the center of a never ending pizza. Seems simple enough, but as you pick up speed on your journey towards the center, you’re more likely to become one with the cheese. Infinite Pizza’s eerie atmosphere and music is what places it under the horror genre, so don’t expect crazy jumpscares to keep you up at night. However, if you’ve got a couple minutes to kill, why not try to reach the center in the ominous, arcade-styled, Infinite Pizza. 

Gameplay: ★★★★☆

Story: ☆☆☆☆☆

Horror: ★☆☆☆☆

https://gamejolt.com/games/InfinitePizza/567814

4: ANIMATOR’S HELL

Developed by Gestalt Games, and released as a demo a few months ago, Animators Hell is easily one of the scariest games on this list. When you open up the game, you’re given a menu full of monsters, all inspired by actual animators or video game icons. This menu allows you to choose how many, and which monsters will hunt you down at night. Once you make your choices, Animator’s Hell throws you in a claustrophobic office, and tasks you with surviving until 6 AM. Similar too Ellie’s, this game features point and click, fast paced gameplay, inspired by Five Nights at Freddy’s. How many monsters can you survive in Animator’s Hell?

Gameplay: ★★★★☆

Story: ★☆☆☆☆

Horror: ★★★★☆

https://gamejolt.com/games/animatorshell2/445906

 Whether you love crazy jump scares, eerie atmospheres, or suspenseful gameplay, all of these games should have something for you. Sweet nightmares tonight.