Get ready for blood-curdling screams as you explore the scariest multiplayer games on Steam that won't cost you a dime. If you're looking for a terrifying good time with friends, these free multiplayer horror games on Steam will deliver the frights and make you think twice about turning off the lights.
Multiplayer horror games have become increasingly popular in recent years as one of the top genres on Steam. The social aspect makes them even more terrifying as you explore haunted worlds and run for your life with friends by your side. Having other real people experience the horror with you heightens the tension and makes every creepy noise and jump scare even more frightening. Steam offers some great free options to get your multiplayer scare on that are just as good as paid multiplayer horror games on Steam.
In this article, I will list and provide an in-depth review of the 26 best free multiplayer horror games currently available on Steam in 2024. My ratings for each free multiplayer horror game on Steam are based on critical gameplay elements including the mechanics, atmosphere, and multiplayer features. I've played through them all, so you can be sure you're getting the top recommendations for the most terrifying free cooperative and PvP horror experiences on Steam.
1. After Hours
After Hours throws players into an abandoned hospital where you'll need to explore, solve puzzles, and evade the dangerous creature stalking the halls. This free indie game is light on story but excels at creating atmosphere. The hospital location is expertly crafted with eerie sounds and unnerving set pieces around every corner.
You can play solo or online co-op, which amps up both the fun and fear exponentially. When playing with others, you'll need to communicate carefully while exploring so you don't get separated. Once the creature starts hunting you, the tension skyrockets as you desperately try to regroup or hide. For a free game, After Hours provides some top-notch scares and multiplayer thrills.
Key Features:
- Beautifully rendered abandoned hospital environment
- An immersive atmosphere emphasizes sound design and tension
- Support for online co-op multiplayer
- A persistent mysterious creature hunts players through the hospital
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2. Alpha Polaris: A Horror Adventure Game
This free point-and-click adventure game transports players to a remote arctic outpost. You'll follow the story of a young mechanic stranded in the area as strange events start to unfold. What begins as an eerie mystery soon descends into Lovecraftian cosmic horror.
Alpha Polaris shines thanks to its immersive atmosphere, engaging story, and unique art direction. The moody pixel art style perfectly suits the isolated, ice-covered setting. While gameplay mostly involves examining items and solving puzzles, the ambiance and lore keep you invested. There's even full English voice acting that helps bring characters to life. And for those who want a shared scare, you can play co-op with a friend online.
Key Features:
- Strong Lovecraft vibes with cosmic horror elements
- Beautiful pixel art visuals and a chilling soundtrack
- Intriguing story told through notes, files, and conversations
- Co-op multiplayer lets you investigate the mysteries together.
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3. At Home Alone Final
Don't let the cutesy anime aesthetic fool you––this free indie game offers plenty of psychological horror once the story gets going. You play as a young woman who finds herself home alone one night. At first, you'll pass the time watching TV and playing games. But eventually, strange things start happening around the house. The story touches on dark themes as the protagonist (and the player) question what's real.
With multiple endings, At Home Alone Final offers good replay value. The juxtaposition between the colorful visuals and unsettling horror creates an entrancing atmosphere. While mainly a single-player experience, you can stream your playthrough and share your reactions over Discord or other chat programs. If you think you can handle the horrors in store, it's a great zero-cost game to play with friends online.
Key Features:
- An unsettling storyline that plays with reality
- Bright, anime-inspired visuals mixed with horror
- Multiple endings add replayability
- Fun to play "together" via online streaming/chats
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4. Alien Swarm
Alien Swarm comes from Valve, the legendary developers behind games like Half-Life and Portal. As you might expect from a Valve game, even one that's completely free, the quality here is top-notch. This co-op shooter casts players as space marines battling an alien swarm spreading through a remote colony. The top-down perspective provides a unique gameplay experience compared to most shooters.
Your squad will need to work together tactically, covering blind spots and coordinating attacks. Helpful team commands allow you to lead comrades into position. As you progress, you can unlock new weapons, equipment, and perks to improve your chances against the alien onslaught. If you're looking for co-op shooting action with a side of horror, Alien Swarm is one of the best free options out there.
Key Features:
- Polished shooter gameplay with a top-down perspective
- Co-op focused with many team commands
- Unlock new gear and upgrades as you progress
- Fight back the alien horde as a squad of space marines
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5. Ann
Combining anime visual novel style with survival horror gameplay, Ann provides a fascinating and frightening free gaming experience. The story follows twin sisters Ann and Yin as they are stalked by horrific creatures. To survive, you'll need to make careful choices during story sections and master quick reflexes during action scenes.
The high-quality anime cutscenes and character designs help you connect more deeply with the protagonists. This makes the scary parts of the game even more intense. You can download fan-made translation packs to play the game in English. While mainly focused on solo play, Ann has online leaderboards so you can compete with others around the world for the best times and endings. If you enjoy anime visuals blended with horror gameplay, Ann is definitely worth checking out.
Key Features:
- Beautiful anime visual style combined with horror elements
- Story choices and quick reflexes required to survive
- Fan translations available for English gameplay
- Global leaderboards let you compete once you finish the story
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6. Cursed
This indie horror adventure game series crafted with RPG Maker has a charming retro look. In Cursed, you take on the role of a young woman who finds herself lost in the woods and ends up in a strange abandoned village. You'll need to explore your surroundings, solve puzzles, and evade the deadly cursed spirits haunting the area.
While the graphics are fairly simple, the game does a surprisingly good job of creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. The developers also expertly use the limited tools at their disposal to generate plenty of scary moments. While mainly focused on single-player, Cursed does have local multiplayer support for up to 4 people. Gather some friends to take turns surviving the nightmarish encounters together.
Key Features:
- Retro RPG Maker visuals combined with immersive horror atmosphere
- Puzzles and exploration gameplay keeps you engaged
- Local multiplayer support to enjoy the scares with friends
- Completely free indie horror series with multiple entries
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7. BABBDI
BABBDI is one of the strangest and most surreal free horror games you'll come across on Steam. The story follows a businesswoman named Debbie who finds herself lost in the bizarre town of BABBDI. This creepy destination seems frozen in time, with strange humanoid inhabitants wandering the foggy streets. As Debbie, you'll need to explore the town and search for a way back home.
The mysterious atmosphere and disturbing character designs make BABBDI extremely unsettling to play. The lack of combat also creates a sense of helplessness. Your only option is trying to navigate through the freakish town without drawing attention. With its creativity and constant feeling of unease, BABBDI provides a unique take on psychological horror. Just don't expect to feel comfortable anytime you're playing.
Key Features:
- Bizarre setting and creatures create constant discomfort
- No combat means exploring carefully and escaping encounters
- Surreal, Lynchian storytelling keeps you guessing
- Free download lets you immerse in the strangeness at no cost
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8. Cry of Fear
This iconic indie horror game started life as a Half-Life mod before becoming a standalone title. Many consider Cry of Fear one of the best free horror games. It mixes psychological horror, survival, and shooter gameplay into a terrifying package. Set in the dark streets of a nightmarish Swedish town, players must endure abandoned subway tunnels, deranged locals, and mutated monsters.
With an 8-10 hour campaign and multiple endings, Cry of Fear offers impressive value. You can also play co-op with friends which adds to both the scares and the fun. Severe lack of resources forces you to be cautious in combat and adds to the feeling of vulnerability. For adrenaline-pumping horror action that will cost you nothing, Cry of Fear is a must-download.
Key Features:
- Polished survival horror experience blends action and psychological scares
- Large single-player campaign with co-op also available
- Nightmarish enemies and lack of resources keep tension high
- Completely free full-length PC horror game with great reviews
9. Dark Deception
The closest comparison for Dark Deception's gameplay is Pac-Man with a horror twist. You play as a character trapped moving through a series of deadly mazes. Your goal is to collect shards to unlock new areas and make progress. The problem is murderous monsters patrol each maze hunting you down. Similar to Pac-Man, touching these creatures means death. You'll need to avoid their line of sight and use objects in the environment to distract them as you navigate the labyrinth.
Despite the silly appearance of the monsters, their bizarre designs actually make them more unsettling. The gameplay also provides jump scares around every corner thanks to the relentless AI foes. If you want a unique take on a horror game that replaces tension with adrenaline, Dark Deception's cat and mouse style chases deliver. The game is single-player only but watching someone try to survive the mazes can be very entertaining.
Key Features:
- Unique horror twist on Pac-Man gameplay
- Outmaneuver bizarre homicidal enemies across maze levels
- Excellent scare factor despite the enemies' goofy looks
- Entertaining to watch friends try and survive the deadly mazes
10. Deathly Stillness
Survival horror fans will feel right at home in this free zombie shooter. Deathly Stillness places you in a city overrun with the undead with the goal of fighting your way through and surviving as long as possible. Along the way, you'll need to scavenge for weapons like axes, swords, and guns to dispatch the living dead.
Despite the developer not considering it a full game, Deathly Stillness provides an authentic classic zombie survival experience. The satisfaction of landing headshots and chopping down zombies with melee weapons captures the essence of the genre. The game really shines in local 4 player co-op mode where you can team up to take on bigger hordes. If you're looking for local multiplayer zombie action but don't want to spend any money, Deathly Stillness is your best bet.
Key Features:
- Satisfying first-person melee and shooter combat
- Authentic zombie survival horror feel and gameplay
- Local 4 player co-op multiplying the zombie slaying enjoyment
- Completely free download featuring plenty of undead combat
11. Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft
Dagon offers a short but frightening dive into Lovecraftian cosmic horror. True to the legendary author's unique brand of horror, this game immerses you in feelings of dread and a sense that the world is not as it seems. The art style and sound design are spot on for the setting and atmosphere. For a 30-minute Lovecraft gaming experience that will send shivers down your spine, Dagon is a perfect choice.
Key Features:
- Faithful adaptation of classic H.P. Lovecraft cosmic horror
- Immersive graphics and audio create thick, unsettling atmosphere
- Short experience provides a bite-sized horror tale
- Free download lets you access top-notch Lovecraftian horror
12. Dead Frontier 2
Dead Frontier 2 fuses zombie survival horror with MMO features for a unique free gaming experience. You'll need to scavenge this open world for weapons and supplies to fight the undead while interacting with other players. Band together or go solo as you improve skills and explore the post-outbreak cityscape. With satisfying combat and the tension of human encounters, Dead Frontier 2 brings authentic zombie survival to your browser.
Key Features:
- Massive online world overrun with zombies
- RPG skill progression and looting mechanics
- PvE and PvP gameplay allow cooperating or competing with other players
- Captures the tense experience of a zombie outbreak and aftermath
13. SCP: Secret Laboratory
Inspired by stories from the SCP Foundation collaborative fiction wiki, this multiplayer game immerses you in a facility overrun with paranormal anomalies and horrors. During a containment breach, you can choose to play as security forces trying to lock down the facility or escaped experiments with special powers sowing chaos. Unique abilities, randomly generated maps, and different win conditions provide endless replayability and surprise.
Key Features:
- Deeply engrossing gameplay inspired by compelling collaborative fiction
- Play as security forces or escaped experiments with unique powers
- Ever-changing randomly generated maps and spawn points
- Free download provides endless replayability
14. Stay Out
For multiplayer survival horror featuring confronting both supernatural forces and other desperate players, Stay Out fits the bill. The expansive open world and detailed weapon mechanics provide an authentic post-apocalyptic feel. You'll need to balance sneaking, scavenging, ranged combat, resource management, and tools like barricading to survive the horrors hunting you down. With PvE and PvP gameplay, each session brings unique challenges.
Key Features:
- Huge open world map provides endless exploration and discovery
- Avoid or confront environmental hazards and other players
- Variety of horror creatures with different abilities hunting you
- Satisfying simulation of survival mechanics and gunplay
15. No More Room In Hell
With its authentic zombie outbreak setting and survival-focused co-op, No More Room In Hell is one of the best free multiplayer zombie games. Resources are scarce, meaning you'll need to work together as a team and make every shot count. Objectives change each map so replayability stays high. No More Room In Hell captures the tense, desperate struggle to survive against overwhelming zombie hordes in a post-apocalypse world.
Key Features:
- Zombie survival focused around realistic weapons and co-op gameplay
- Different maps and randomized objectives allow endless replayability
- Few resources means strategy, teamwork, and well-placed shots are key
- Free download provides AAA quality zombie action without the price
16. Codename Cure
Team up with three other players and test your skills in Codename Cure's two intense multiplayer modes. In objective mode, you must set explosives at key points then make your escape while battling ravenous zombies. The endless survival mode pits your squad against endless waves in a claustrophobic bunker. With defined classes and unique mechanics like sentry turrets, Codename Cure adds innovation to co-op zombie survival.
Key Features:
- Innovative take on co-op zombie survival
- Objective-based and endless survival modes provide variety
- Classes and tools like sentry guns allow unique strategies
- Polished visuals and responsive first-person shooting action
17. Secret World Legends
This story-driven MMORPG provides 100+ hours of multiplayer supernatural horror. With deep lore across real-world locations, Secret World Legends has you investigate paranormal activities and unravel conspiracies. Flashy ability effects and challenging group raids allow living out superhero fantasies. Whether you want to just experience the story or push endgame challenges, this free-to-play title delivers scares and excitements.
Key Features:
- Massive open world with 100+ hours of story content and side quests
- RPG progression and abilities make you feel like a paranormal superhero
- Challenging PvE group raids test teamwork and skill
- Highly praised storytelling and writing bringing dark myths to life
18. Unfortunate Spacemen
Drawing inspiration from Among Us, Unfortunate Spacemen infuses deception survival gameplay with horror elements. In each match, one player is a shape-shifting alien monster attempting to kill the crewmates. The innocents must complete tasks and expose the monster by process of elimination. With gunplay, monstrous abilities, and form-swapping, the hidden killer can create all kinds of chaos and scares.
Key Features:
- Multiplayer gameplay pits hunters against hidden monsters
- Challenging deduction mixed with firefights against deadly creatures
- Unique abilities allow the monster to deceive and destroy the crew
- Free download provides endless multiplayer mystery and scares
19. Escape From School
Up to 4 players must combine wits to escape paranormal horrors in this multiplayer escape room title. With psychological plot twists and jump scares around every corner, Escape From School keeps you tense as you uncover clues and solve puzzles. The first-person perspective paired with the abandoned school environment heightens the creepy atmosphere. For an entertaining co-op horror challenge, Escape From School hits the mark.
Key Features:
- Co-op psychological horror experience
- Investigate school's twisted history and disappearances
- Immersive first-person view ratchets up environments' scare factor
- Free escape room gameplay provides unique multiplayer thrills
20. Deceit
If you want unpredictable multiplayer horror centered around deception and paranoia, Deceit is the perfect pick. You and 5 other players wake up together but some are infected. These monsters can take out the innocent humans undetected using brutal environmental kills. With murmured conversations and voting sessions, innocents must spot odd behavior and identify the killers in disguise before it's too late.
Key Features:
- 6 player online matches driven by suspicion and subterfuge
- Innocent humans must identify disguised monsters among them
- Monsters can perform brutal execution environmental kills
- Free deception-based multiplayer horror filled with tension
21. Hide and Shriek
This 1v1 multiplayer game provides hilarious scares in a haunted school setting. Both players start invisible and must scare their opponent three times before the same happens to them. You'll need to craft clever tricks and harness magic abilities while avoiding your rival's traps and spells. With jump scares around every corner, Hide and Shriek delivers multiplayer horror sprinkled with laughs.
Key Features:
- Innovative 1v1 multiplayer ghost scaring
- Use spells and abilities to startle opponent before they do the same
- High school setting allows endless possibility for pranks
- Free scares and laughs making for unique horror experience
22. Tales of Escape
Team up with friends for an escape room horror adventure where death awaits failure. By investigating environments and solving puzzles before time runs out, you must find a way to safety. With an eerie atmosphere and wide selection of themed stages, Tales of Escape provides nail-biting cooperative thrills not bound by reality. Expect jump scares aplenty as the clock ticks down on your survival.
Key Features:
- Co-op escape room scenario with horror twists
- Huge variety of themed stages offering unique challenges
- Puzzles and hidden objects necessary for you and friends' survival
- Free-to-play multiplayer escape room gameplay
23. Infestation: The New Z
The zombie apocalypse hits an open world landscape in Infestation, providing tension-filled exploration and survival gameplay. Alone or with friends, you'll need to carefully loot, craft, and pick your battles wisely against the undead hordes. With both PvE and PvP, you can cooperate or compete with others in the wasteland. Varied maps and skill trees give you many options in the fight to outlive the end of the world.
Key Features:
- Open world zombie survival gameplay
- Crafting, looting, skill progression for varied gameplay
- PvE and PvP combat keeps the multiplayer experience fresh
- Well-designed maps capturing apocalyptic devastation
24. Mist of the Dark
Simple but adrenaline-pumping multiplayer survival horror awaits in Mist of the Dark. Playing as armed soldiers or terrifying monsters, two teams battle it out in mysterious realms filled with horror ambiance. With deadly skills and abilities on both sides, matches are fast-paced bloodbaths where only the skilled survive. While basic in scope, Mist of the Dark provides free frantic multiplayer slaughtering aplenty.
Key Features:
- Simplified multiplayer survival horror at its best
- Play as soldiers or monsters in team vs team matches
- Deadly abilities and skills to demolish your enemies
- Free online battles full of supernatural scares and intensity
25. Brain Bread 2
Fight against friends as humans trying to preserve civilization or zombies aiming to destroy it in this multiplayer horror game. With tons of weapons, inventive abilities, varied maps, and different modes, Brain Bread 2 adds excitement and replayability to the humans versus undead formula. Even if you tire of blasting zombies, you can join them instead and start the feast.
Key Features:
- Humans vs zombies multiplayer matches
- Huge arsenal of weaponry for dispatching the undead hordes
- Unique character builds and abilities
- Multiple modes and maps to provide fresh experiences
26. A Walk in the Woods
You and friends awake alone in sinister woods and must regroup before a mysterious evil hunts you down in this free multiplayer horror game. With each match featuring randomized starting locations, exploration is tense and different each time. The art style adds to the unnerving atmosphere. For a quick yet frightening multiplayer experience, A Walk in the Woods hits the mark.
Key Features:
- Online co-op multiplayer horror in randomized woods
- Race against the clock to find friends before death catches you
- Eerie environments and spooky encounters throughout the forest
- Free indie horror providing bitesized scares with friends
Conclusion
In this article, I reviewed 26 free multiplayer horror games on Steam spanning a variety of scary gameplay styles and creepy atmospheres. The social nature of these games enhances the horror experience.
Try out some of these great free games for your next multiplayer scare fest! Follow me on YouTube for more gaming recommendations.