There's something special about the best indie horror games, isn't there? While the big names like Resident Evil and Dead By Daylight will always hold a firm place in the hearts (and nightmares) of people all over the world, there's no denying that a good hidden gem just hits different. Luckily, there are heaps of amazing handheld horror indies. In this guide, we compile some of our absolute favorites, so you can savor the spooks any time, any place.
While many of these terrifying titles make for great Halloween games, our love for the best horror games survives year-round, as you can see from our list of Roblox horror games and our 99 Nights in the Forest code list. So, if you're ready for a fright, you can rest assured that you're in safe hands.
Here are our top picks for the best indie horror games:
1. The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation
I'll admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of the Bridge Curse movie - and, let's face it, movie games often get a bad rep. However, when I first picked up The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation, I realized just how foolish I'd been to overlook it.
Drawing on elements from both the horror film and traditional Taiwanese urban legends, The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is a first-person atmospheric horror game centered around six college kids attending Tunghu University. As a part of a courage test, they record themselves challenging the well-known Bridge Curse legend, only to accidentally awaken a terrible curse.
From there, it's up to you to run, hide, and find a way to escape, as you switch between the six students and see the horrors of the night unfold from their different perspectives. Along the way, you must solve puzzles and uncover the mysteries revolving around a series of supernatural incidents that have been haunting the campus for several decades.
The gameplay invokes a brilliant mix of realism and B-movie-style horror, with some truly memorable sequences along the way. It's also got some great jumpscares, but the atmosphere and surprisingly decent character building are where it truly shines.
If you decide to take the plunge and find that you enjoy this one as much as I did, you should be delighted to know that its sequel, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, is also available on Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds, stepping up the horror and otherworldly elements to a whole new realm. You can also check out our Junji Ito Maniac interview where we talk to the producer of both the Bridge Curse games and the upcoming Junji Ito game, discussing everything from the art of adaptation to what makes a game scary.
Check prices: Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds
2. Year Walk
Inspired by the ancient Swedish phenomena of the same name, Year Walk is a unique first-person adventure game that sees you venture out into the deep, dark woods, where many strange creatures roam.
Solve puzzles, discover clues, and uncover otherworldly mysteries as you pick at the borders of reality and fiction in this haunting version of 19th c. Sweden, attempting to piece together the events that led you here.
Blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural, Year Walk isn't your typical fright-fest, but its somber atmosphere and haunting designs truly make it stand out. Plus, its gorgeous stylized art and unique character (and creature) designs give it a real sense of identity that you won't soon forget.
The game performs excellently on both iOS and the best Windows handhelds, including the Steam Deck - so you can go for a real wander while you play. And, whether you're hoping to enjoy the complete Year Walk experience or you're simply curious about the captivating folklore that inspired it, we also highly recommend downloading the Year Walk Companion app, which is available for free on the App Store.
Check prices: iOS, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds
3. Detention
Detention is one of those horror games that you just can't shake off. Based on 1960s Taiwan under martial law, it sees you take control of two students who find themselves trapped in the remote and isolated Greenwood High School. However, their once-familiar school grounds have twisted in unsettling ways, and are now haunted by evil creatures.
The game masterfully weaves together different types of terror, drawing on ancient legends and real-world evils to ensnare you in a uniquely claustrophobic environment. No matter where you turn, there's always something watching you from the shadows, and I absolutely love it.
While the strong narrative and deep, provocative topics are the real heart of Detention, its 2D sidescrolling gameplay also features a solid range of puzzles and point-and-click game elements that keep you fully immersed throughout. Plus, both the art style and sound design are truly masterful, painting the unique cultural references in a beautifully haunting way.
Check prices: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds
4. Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness
Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness is a deliciously dark indie horror game that, as the name suggests, sweeps you away on its descent into madness. Set in the 1920s, it follows the story of the deeply troubled Oliver Mills, a former clown who previously performed with the famous Vlad Circus under the name Lazy Ollie.
Years after a devastating fire that tore the circus apart, Oliver and the rest of the surviving members of Vlad Circus receive an invite to reunite at a remote mansion. However, as you'd expect, things are not quite as they seem. With the borders of reality growing increasingly blurry, it's not long before you're plagued by disembodied screams and whispers, battling horrifying headless apparitions, and crawling through creepy sewers in a desperate attempt to piece together the mysteries that surround Oliver and his old colleagues.
Rendered in magically macabre 2.5D, this stunning pixel game oozes atmosphere and personality, as you traipse back and forth across the haunting mansion grounds, solving puzzles, slaying monsters, and trying to keep the darkness at bay. It dabbles with survival mechanics and places some tricky restrictions on you, but overall the biggest challenge is keeping a grip on your sanity. If you still need a bit more info before you commit to a purchase, you can check out our full Vlad Circus review.
Check prices: Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds
5. Maid of Sker
Now, I may be a little biased considering I was born and raised in Wales, but there's something quite special about Maid of Sker. Once again, you can expect no showers of blood and guts or nerve-jangling jumpscares, but this fabulously freaky little gem is incredibly successful when it comes to maintaining a tense atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Maid of Sker is a first-person psychological survival horror that draws inspiration from multiple places, most notably RD Blackmore's 19th c. novel trilogy of the same name, the very real Sker House in Bridgend, and the often overlooked but incredibly rich world of Welsh folklore. Set in 1898 against the eerie backdrop of Sker Hotel, it revolves around a troubling tale of a family empire driven by torture, slavery, and piracy, along with a supernatural mystery that haunts the hotel grounds.
Armed with only a defensive sound device, you must use stealth tactics in order to survive as you navigate the suffocating halls, avoiding an untimely death at the hands of a cult of sound-based AI enemies. Do you think you have what it takes to uncover the mysteries behind these walls?
While the game is quite short and doesn't bring anything new to the table in terms of gameplay, it's a beautiful love letter to its influences, and its story is sure to tantalize. If you want to learn more before you dive in, be sure to check out our Maid of Sker review.
Check prices: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds
6. Slender: The Arrival
Let's face it, Slender: The Arrival is a modern classic. Making its initial debut back on March 26, 2013, it's a first-person survival horror game that reimagines the iconic original, Slender: The Eight Pages, breathing a whole new breath of life into a frightening figure.
This game is not only based on the spine-chilling Slender Man creepypasta - it's actually developed in collaboration with Eric "Victor Surge" Knudsen, the original creator of the paranormal phenomenon that's been haunting us all for so long, so you know you're in (un)safe hands, here.
Slender: The Arrival sees you take control of Lauren, as you set out to help your childhood friend Kate move house. However, when you find the door to Kate's home unlocked, her house ransacked, and ominous scratchings all over her room, you head out to search for her.
With only a flashlight in hand, you must explore haunting houses, freaky fields, and menacing mines as you attempt to hunt down clues to Kate's whereabouts. However, you're not the only one on the hunt. You soon begin to catch glimpses of mysterious figures stalking you at every turn - and the only way for you to survive is to run from every threat, leaving you feeling incredibly helpless.
Atmospheric, tense, and deliciously dark, Slender: The Arrival is one of those games that every horror fan should try at least once. It's a classic of the internet horror genre, and, while it might not have aged too well over the last decade, there's a reason why it and its predecessor have remained on the minds of so many for so long.
Check prices: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and Windows handhelds
And those are our top picks for the best indie horror games you can play on the go. If you're sick of the spooks and want something different to settle down with, be sure to check out our guides to the best Switch games, the best mobile games, and the best Steam Deck games for a wider breadth of genres.