Key Takeaways
- Every game here has at least 1,000 Steam reviews and is ranked by its share of positive reviews.
- Ib takes the top spot at 99% positive, and the first six games all score 92% or higher.
- Doki Doki Literature Club! is free, and Buckshot Roulette costs $2.99.
- None of these ten appear in our main short indie horror guide, so you won’t see the same names twice.
- A few entries carry content warnings, and we flag them under each game.
Quick answer: for the safest pick by reviews, play Ib. For the cheapest quick scare, try Buckshot Roulette at $2.99.
Search for the best short horror games and most lists are ordered by someone’s taste. This one is ordered by Steam players instead.
We kept it simple. A game needed at least 1,000 Steam reviews, had to be finishable in one or two sittings, and couldn’t be one of the games from our short indie horror guide. Then we ranked what was left by the percentage of positive reviews. A few picks aren’t horror in the traditional sense, and we’ll say so when that’s the case.
How We Ranked Them
- Reviews: minimum 1,000 Steam reviews. Ranked by positive %, with review count as the tie-breaker.
- Length: short enough to finish in one or two sittings.
- No repeats: none of the games from our short indie horror guide are included.
- Scare level: our own rating from 1 (mild) to 5 (very scary), not a Steam number.
Quick Comparison Table
| # | Game | Released | Length | Price | Steam Reviews | Scare Level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ib | Apr 11, 2022 | ~3 hours | $12.99 | 99% (5,065) | 2/5 | Puzzles, gentle horror |
| 2 | Doki Doki Literature Club! | Oct 6, 2017 | [add length] | Free | 96% (215,199) | 3/5 | Psychological twists |
| 3 | Buckshot Roulette | Apr 4, 2024 | [add length] | $2.99 | 95% (115,061) | 3/5 | Tense quick sessions |
| 4 | Pony Island | Jan 4, 2016 | [add length] | $4.99 | 95% (17,947) | 2/5 | Clever, self-aware |
| 5 | Five Nights at Freddy’s | Aug 19, 2014 | ~3.5 hours | $4.99 | 94% (58,776) | 4/5 | Jump scares |
| 6 | DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition | Oct 21, 2015 | [add length] | $5.99 | 93% (12,508) | 3/5 | Sad pixel-art story |
| 7 | Lost in Vivo | Nov 5, 2018 | [add length] | $11.99 | 92% (3,842) | 4/5 | Claustrophobia |
| 8 | Home Safety Hotline | Jan 16, 2024 | [add length] | $14.99 | 91% (2,841) | 2/5 | Creepy retro desktop |
| 9 | Slender: The Arrival | Oct 28, 2013 | [add length] | $19.99 | 88% (7,643) | 4/5 | Classic dark-woods dread |
| 10 | Fears to Fathom: Woodbury Getaway | Sep 12, 2024 | ~2.5 hours | $9.99 | 86% (3,488) | 3/5 | VHS-style story horror |
1. Ib: A Gentle Art Gallery With Teeth
Released: April 11, 2022 | Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive, 99% of about 5,000 | Price: $12.99 | Length: about 3 hours | Scare level: 2/5
Ib is a 2D exploration game set in a creepy, mysterious art gallery. You play a young girl who visits with her parents and then finds herself alone. The Steam version is a remake of kouri’s free 2012 original.
It tops this list for a simple reason: almost nobody who plays it dislikes it. The horror is more eerie than frightening, and the puzzles and multiple endings keep it moving. If you want a first short horror game with a very low risk of disappointment, start here.
2. Doki Doki Literature Club!: Not the Game It Looks Like
Released: October 6, 2017 | Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive, about 95–96% of 216,000+ | Price: Free | Scare level: 3/5
This one looks like a cute school dating sim, and that’s the point. It’s a visual novel that starts sweet and turns disturbing, and we won’t spoil how.
It’s free and the most-reviewed game on this list by a wide margin, so it costs you nothing to see why so many people talk about it. Go in knowing that the horror is psychological, and read the content warning on the store page first. (Note: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a separate, paid release. This entry is the free original.)
View Doki Doki Literature Club! on Steam
3. Buckshot Roulette: Four Enter, One Leaves
Released: April 4, 2024 | Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive, 95% of 117,000+ | Price: $2.99 | Scare level: 3/5
You play Russian roulette with a 12-gauge shotgun against a dealer in a dark back room. It’s one of the more unusual picks here, because the fear comes from tension and risk rather than monsters.
Solo developer Mike Klubnika first released it on itch.io in December 2023, and the Steam version in April 2024 added features like online leaderboards and gamepad support. At $2.99, it’s the cheapest way onto this list that isn’t free. It’s built for short, tense sessions rather than one long story.
View Buckshot Roulette on Steam
4. Pony Island: A Suspense Puzzle in Disguise
Released: January 4, 2016 | Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive, 95% of about 18,000 | Price: $4.99 | Scare level: 2/5
The Steam page describes Pony Island as a suspense puzzle game in disguise. You’re trapped in a malfunctioning arcade machine devised by the devil himself, and, as the store page points out, it isn’t a game about ponies.
It’s a good fit if you like clever, self-aware games more than jump scares. It’s also by Daniel Mullins, the developer behind Inscryption.
5. Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Original Night Shift
Released: August 18, 2014 | Steam reviews: Very Positive, 94% of about 57,600 | Price: $4.99 | Scare level: 4/5
You’re a night guard watching camera feeds while animatronic robots, programmed to please the crowds, start to move. It’s the game that started the whole franchise, and it’s still mostly about managing limited power while you wait for the next jump scare.
It’s cheap and it earns its spot by being the most recognised name here. Expect repeated attempts rather than one clean run.
View Five Nights at Freddy’s on Steam
6. Lost in Vivo: Claustrophobia, Turned Up
Released: November 5, 2018 | Steam reviews: Very Positive, 92% of about 3,850 | Price: $11.99 | Scare level: 4/5
Lost in Vivo is described as a horror game about claustrophobia. Along the way you meet others who are also stricken by abnormal or psychological fear.
It’s the most intense pick in the middle of this list, and it’s a good test of whether tight spaces get to you. It costs more than most of the cheaper entries, so check the store page for sales.
7. Home Safety Hotline: Call Waiting
Released: January 16, 2024 | Steam reviews: Very Positive, 91% of about 2,750 | Price: $14.99 | Length: about 2.5 hours | Scare level: 2/5
Hearing noises? Seeing things? You work the phones at the Home Safety Hotline, answering callers who are worried about their homes. It’s an analog-horror-inspired telephone operator simulator, played on a retro, 1990s-style computer.
It’s the gentlest scare on this list, more creepy and clever than frightening. It’s also one of the pricier entries, so wait for a discount if you’re unsure.
View Home Safety Hotline on Steam
8. DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition: A Sad Pixel-Art Nightmare
Released: October 21, 2015 | Steam reviews: Very Positive, 90% of about 7,600 | Price: $4.99 | Length: about 2 hours | Scare level: 3/5
DISTRAINT is a 2D psychological horror adventure about Price, an ambitious young man who seizes the property of an elderly woman to win a partnership with a famous company. In that moment he finds out the price of his humanity.
It’s more sad than scary, and that’s what people tend to remember. If you like pixel-art horror with a story behind it, this is a strong pick. A sequel, DISTRAINT 2, is also available on Steam.
View DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition on Steam
9. Slender: The Arrival: The Classic Dark-Woods Scare
Released: October 28, 2013 | Steam reviews: Very Positive, 88% of about 9,300 | Price: $19.99 | Length: about 2 hours | Scare level: 4/5
Slender: The Arrival is the official game adaptation of Slender Man, built around being alone with no one to come for you. Steam players rate it well, though critics were cooler on it: its OpenCritic score is 57.
That gap makes it a good example of why we rank by players, not critics. It’s dated in places, but the dread still lands for fans of classic first-person horror. Wait for a sale rather than paying the full price.
View Slender: The Arrival on Steam
10. Fears to Fathom: Woodbury Getaway: A Weekend Away Goes Wrong
Released: September 12, 2024 | Steam reviews: Very Positive, 87% of about 3,400 | Price: $9.99 | Length: about 2.5 hours | Scare level: 3/5
In the fifth episode of Fears to Fathom you play Sydney Harper, a 23-year-old who plans a weekend getaway to a rental in Woodbury with college friends. Steam describes it as a first-person narrative walking simulator with exploration, driving, fishing and conversation mechanics.
It finishes at the bottom of our ranking, but it’s still a Very Positive game that most players enjoyed. If you liked Home Alone from the series, this is the natural next step.
View Fears to Fathom: Woodbury Getaway on Steam
Which One Should You Play First?
- You want the safest pick by reviews: Ib.
- You want it free: Doki Doki Literature Club! (read the content warning first).
- You want the cheapest quick scare: Buckshot Roulette at $2.99.
- You want jump scares: Five Nights at Freddy’s or Slender: The Arrival.
- You want clever rather than scary: Pony Island or Home Safety Hotline.
- You want a story with a sad edge: DISTRAINT.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best short horror games on Steam?
By Steam review score, the top three on this list are Ib (99%), Doki Doki Literature Club! (95–96%) and Buckshot Roulette (95%). Every game here has at least 1,000 reviews.
What are some good short horror games for beginners?
Ib, Pony Island and Home Safety Hotline all have a scare level of 2 out of 5 in our ratings, so they’re the gentlest starting points.
Are there any free games on this list?
Doki Doki Literature Club! is free on Steam. The cheapest paid game is Buckshot Roulette at $2.99.
How did you rank these games?
By the percentage of positive Steam reviews, with the number of reviews breaking any ties. Scare level is our own rating.
Are these the same games as in your other short horror guide?
No. We left out every game from our short indie horror guide, so these ten are all different picks.
Final Thoughts
Ranking by player reviews won’t tell you which game will scare you most, but it does tell you which ones people finish and still recommend. If you only try one, make it Ib. If you want a free one, try Doki Doki Literature Club! with the warning in mind.
Which of these are you starting with? Tell us in the comments, and if you think a great short horror game deserves a spot, we’d like to hear about it.