Incursion

Julian Walch

Incursion is a text adventure where you'll have to make your way through a strange story that combines epic fantasy with modern elements, creating an adventure that's reminiscent in lots of ways of Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery. The game is exclusively controlled with the keyboard, and the player's actions are normally restricted to typing in the text field. To begin, for instance, you just type the name of the protagonist and the city where all the events will occur. One of the most remarkable aspects of the game is its graphics, which also bring to mind the aforementioned Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery. All the settings and characters were exquisitely designed pixel by pixel, and just watching the game on the screen will be a delight for lovers of all things retro. Incursion is a very entertaining adventure game with a fun story and an original interactive experience that will appeal to any gamer looking for something different.

Actual Sunlight

William Pugh

Actual Sunlight is a pretty unique adventure game in which you play as Evan Winter, a young worker in Toronto, who goes through some big life changes. The game takes you through a journey that, hopefully, will make you feel exactly what the developers intended. Throughout the game, which is pretty linear, you can meet other characters that share their lives with you. Some will leave an impression on you but others won't. In the end, all of them come together to make a transcendental discovery for Evan. The gameplay is mininmalistic as you'll be limited to moving Evan around each phase in his life. The real core of the game isn't controlling him, rather trying to figure out who he really is. Grafically, Actual Sunlight isn't too incredible. Its visuals come directly from Game Maker and RPG Maker and leave the game as a bit of an eyesore. However, the game still has a lot going for it despite the low graphics. Actual sunlight is a distinctive game that is desirably potrayed even for the most seasoned gamers who expect something more than waves of zombies, pissed off soviets, and machine guns.

7 Days a Skeptic

Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw

7 Days a Skeptic is the sequel to the horror adventure '5 Days a Stranger,' which occurs four years after the first of Trilby's adventures. This time the hero is Jonathan Somerset, a psychologist on the spaceship Mephistopheles which is led by Barry Chahal. The story unfolds from his point of view, and it begins when the ship sensors detect an object floating in space which turns out to be a metal locker. After retrieving the box and bringing it onto the ship, an ancient evil spirit that has been sleeping for centuries awakens. And just like in '5 Days a Stranger,' you'll be trapped in a closed area with a supernatural force that is trying to kill you in any way possible. Your options are pretty typical as far as adventure games are concerned: you can talk to characters, look at and pick up objects, use your inventory, and so on. 7 Days a Skeptic is a terrifying adventure. Thanks to its excellent set of puzzles and great design, it's an unforgettable experience for fans of the genre, especially if you like Chzo Myths.

Blockscape

N/A

Blockscape is a free construction game made in purest Minecraft style; it is based on the great game created by Mojang, and offers a relatively similar experience, only much more beautiful. Blockscape, like all the other 'sandbox' block games, lets you modify the scenery to your will by taking away blocks from the ground (sand), the walls (stones), and even the trees (wood); to then use them in creating your own structures. The main difference is that Blockscape's creation mode is much more versatile. Even though Blockscape will have more game modes in the future, the only one currently available in the development phase is 'survival mode', which lets you start off on a desert island to then let loose your imagination by taking out blocks and putting them somewhere else. One of the most impressive aspects of Blockscape is its graphics, which contrast quite a bit with the other Minecraft 'clones' out there. The water, the sky, and the ground and wall textures all have amazing detail. Blockscape is a very fun 'sandbox' that apart from standing out with its graphics, also comes with a gameplay that is slightly different to the usual in so far as block removal and placement is concerned.

Homesick

technicalpickles

Homesick is a 2D horror game where you play a young woman visiting the abandoned house where her brother and his wife and children were murdered. When she arrives, the first thing she notices is that the lights are not working, so she has to use her flashlight. Soon after getting in the house, she realizes that the door has mysteriously gotten stuck, and then discovers she is not alone. Some sort of ghost armed with a pair of enormous butcher knives is following your protagonist throughout the house. Your task is twofold: to discover what happened in the house and to stop the creature from killing your character. To do this, you'll have to try to keep the lights off as long as possible and not make any noise running. Still, no matter what happens, you'll never be entirely safe. Homesick is a 2D horror game that manages to be genuinely terrifying. You're guaranteed to jump in your chair every time the ghost appears.

Segatakai

Bleak Peaks Games

Segatakai is a horror adventure game that fits into the increasingly more popular slender games category; it puts you in an Asian-inspired house in the middle of a sinister forest and lets you roam about. Segatakai's gameplay is just like all the other games in its genre: find eight pages that are strewn about the scene, trying to avoid the creature that is on the loose and is trying to find and kill you. Your only defense is a lamp, which you can turn on and off as needed. During the adventure you'll also need keys to open certain doors. These keys can be found randomly strewn about the scene. Some will be inside closets... others on top of paintings... and others just lying on the ground. Your mission on Segatakai will be to find the eight pages with notes that describe 'Slender' so you can escape from its claws. And it won’t be easy, considering that it will, sooner or later, start to chase you and appear where you least expect it. Segatakai is a very good slender game that not only comes with an Asian-inspired scene and amazing graphics, but also includes terrifying sound effects and a dare system for those brave enough for it.

Vanish

Vanish AI

Vanish is a first person adventure horror game in which you control a character who wakes up in some type of underground cell without knowing how and why he's there. It doesn’t take long for him to notice that the back fence is broken, so he can go out onto the sewage tunnels... which ends up being a very bad idea. Shortly after starting to wander the dark tunnels you'll start to find notes glued to the wall that give you clues on where to go and what to expect. The problem is you are not alone down there. A mysterious creature is with you, and if you get too close, it'll instantly kill you. Your objective is thus to try to escape the sewers in any way possible. To do so you'll not only have to explore in search of a way out, but you'll also have to try not to make any noise and hide from the creature. Vanish is a first person adventure horror game that is very similar to other slender style games, only instead of having this mythical creature stalking you, it has a monster that's relatively similar to the ones on the great videogame, Amnesia.

Kraven Manor

Demon Wagon Studios

Kraven Manor is a free and independent first-person horror game in which the players have to sneak into the mysterious Kraven Mansion to find out what exactly is going on in there. The first thing that grabs your attention about Kraven Manor is its spectacular visuals. This is principally due to its Unreal Engine (one of the most popular engines for commercial releases), which together with excellent lighting and some gorgeous textures makes every hall and parlor of the mansion come alive. Kraven Manor's mechanism harks back to other popular horror titles like Amnesia: The Dark Descent. That is, you have to explore the game's different spaces looking for various objects you can then use to solve different puzzles. Along the way, you also have to look out for a creature that lives in the mansion. This creature, a sort of bloody mannequin, will start just by watching you, then start to threaten you, and finally, will spring into action and come after you. Kraven Manor is a horror adventure that, thanks to its excellent setting, outstanding graphics, remarkable mechanism, and highly engaging story, has managed to become one of the best titles in its genre.

Masked

N/A

Masked is a first-person graphic adventure that takes place mainly inside a room. Your hero has been locked inside by a masked woman, who will only communicate with you through a crystal. After a brief conversation with the woman, you discover that, for some reason, she is angry with you - in fact, she seems to know you quite well. It doesn't take long to figure out that this woman is an ex... or maybe something more. It's also clear that you've done something to make her angry. Your objective, in any case, is to escape the room using the items that you find within it. So, you'll need to examine all of the objects around you - there aren't many - and collect things like coins, keys, and metal bars, then figure out how you're supposed to use them. Masked behaves like a traditional graphic adventure, where you have to pick up objects, examine them, and use them to solve puzzles. It's a horror adventure that is short but intense, in which you need to solve puzzles and make it through terrifying situations derived from the main storyline.

Path of Shadows

Lince Works

Path of Shadows is an action, adventure and stealth game where you control a shadow assassin who has returned from among the dead to serve the wishes of his goddess. Your objective: to free her from the mysterious warrior clan that is holding her captive. The protagonist of Path of Shadows can use shadows to help him overcome all of the difficulties in his path. One of his most useful abilities is to create shadows anywhere, allowing him to hide. And, thanks to the fact that he can teleport from one shadow to another, you can combine the two skills to safely get to where you need to go. You'll meet many different enemies along your adventure, all of which will be quick to kill you if you give them the chance. That's why it's important to lead off with an attack as soon as you catch sight of one: really the only way is to hide in the shadows and stab them in the back. Path of Shadows is a fun stealth game with outstanding graphics and an interesting storyline. Believe it or not, the game was developed by a group of students, and you can play it for free.

The Kite

N/A

The Kite is a point-and-click graphic adventure where you play Masha, a lady who lives in the suburbs of a generic Big City and has to face some very real problems now affecting certain parts of the population. When you start the adventure, Masha's main problem (and your problem, by extension), is that her son is hungry and there's absolutely nothing to eat in the kitchen. Unfortunately, this is not the only problem. Soon enough, you find out that Masha's husband is an alcoholic abuser who hits her. While he just drinks and watches TV when he gets home, your role is to take care of your little boy. Because of this story, The Kite is not an easy game to swallow. Many of the subjects addressed in this adventure will leave a sour taste in your mouth, but with some luck, it will also make some people think more about them. The Kite is a traditional graphic adventure that beneath its gray and dark graphics hides an even darker and sad story. Obviously this is not a game for everyone, but it still is a highly recommended title.

Stairs

N/A

Stairs is a first-person horror adventure where you play a character who enters a dark abandoned factory complex to find out what happened inside. At the beginning you just have to explore the complex, searching for clues about what has happened. As you penetrate ever further and advance, you'll start to hear the confessions of the last people who were there. That said, it will be a while before you'll start getting properly scared, after discovering a horrible secret. That's when you'll realize you're not alone in the dark ... there's someone else down there with you. When you come face to face with this creature, the only thing you can do is run – run for your life. If the creature catches you, that'll be the end of your life and the game. Stairs is a first-person horror game where you'll be surrounded by darkness most of the time. Without a flashlight, your character won't be able to see a thing ... although sometimes it's best not to see anything anyway.

Env

N/A

Env is a first person survival game set in a world on the brink of destruction, in which you have to try to survive all of the dangers caused by the world falling down (or up) around you for as long as you can. The entire game lasts just six minutes, during which you have to try to survive the end of the world. You will see how the ground begins to crumble beneath your feet, and you have to try not to fall into the abyss because if you do so, you will die. In addition to paying attention to the ground, you also have to avoid the water. If by chance you try to run away from the disaster, you will run into the water. And you will drown. And you will have to start all over again from the beginning. Bad luck to you. Visually speaking, Env is marvelous, particularly when there's lots of movement, as you'll see tons of blocks flying all over the screen. Env is a unique independent game with very interesting gameplay. In addition, it is visually stunning, though it does demand a lot from your computer.

The Well

N/A

The Well is a minimalist interactive experience in which you control an old Chinese traveler who can only jump and move forward and backward. He can also get on a boat to keep moving. What really makes The Well stand out, since its playability and story are practically nonexistent, is the game's charming visual design. Only black and white are used throughout the game, but they manage to construct a landscape within a universe through which you can move freely. As you go on your 'adventure', you'll be able to read texts (in Chinese), although the music is even more important. It is played using an old Chinese instrument that has been around for over five thousand years. The Well is a minimalistic, introspective interactive experience. Instead of providing nonstop action-based gameplay, it proposes an emotional experience to any player who will accept it.

The Raven and the Light

N/A

The Raven and the Light is a horror adventure game in first person, with special focus on the story and narration. There's a lot of text to read in order to understand some of the plot details, and there are even some non-interactive scenes that help in the development of the game. The gameplay in The Raven and the Light is pretty interesting. You move your character like in any other first person adventure. However, to interact with the settings, you move the left arm with one button and the right arm with a different button. This way, you can open doors, pick up objects, and read documents. One of the main problems in The Raven and the Light is how it begins. The game has a really slow first chapter, where you just have to move through the woods, avoiding wolves. This part of the game is pretty boring, but once it's over (in about five minutes), you finally reach the catholic high school where the adventure takes place. The Raven and the Light is a horror adventure game that manages to give a few good scares. The story is also really interesting, and the graphics, although not outstanding, have nice effects.

Redundancy

AntonBezett

Redundancy is an adventure game where you play the head of your office's IT department. The trouble is, all the computers in your office have stopped working, and no one knows why. Now it's up to you to talk to your colleagues and gather information to fix the computers before it's too late. Redundancy's graphics are based on textures, so you can easily identify everything in the room. Using the directional pad on your keyboard to move and your mouse to change the view, you can explore each room as you hunt for more information. If you want to talk with one of your colleagues, simply walk over to them and click. These conversations are the best way to advance your investigation, as they provide the clues you need in order to repair the entire computer system as soon as possible. You'll also have to venture into the basement to fight against various robots who want to stop you at all costs. Reviving your office's computer network all depends on you, so you better get moving.

Monuments to Guilt

louis things

Monuments to Guilt is a strange video game in which you visit a virtual museum, with no objectives other than what a normal person does when visiting a normal museum: hope to discover something new and, with a little luck, to be surprised or amazed. And, considering the particular museum featured in this game, chances are you'll be plenty surprised. Monuments to Guilt's controls are explained on the first wall of the virtual museum, which is integrated into the exhibit itself. With the WASD keys, you can move from side to side, and with the C key, you can crouch; with the right mouse button, on the other hand, you can zoom in on objects of interest. By pressing the ESC key, you can also access the options menu, from which you can change the game resolution with a single click. As already mentioned, in Monuments to Guilt, there are no objectives, and there is no end. Once you start playing, it's up to you to decide when you've seen enough and want to leave. In any case, the truth is that exploring the entire museum from top to bottom, stopping in front of each and every one of the pieces, doesn't take more than half an hour. Luckily, it's a half hour well spent, during which you can learn a little about exclusionary design. But what is exclusionary design? Exclusionary design is a prominent trend in large and modern cities, which consists of designing objects and furniture, such as benches, to be less comfortable, less accessible, and less appealing to the people who may want to use them. And all with the excuse of design and modernity. Inside this virtual museum, you'll find many examples of this practice, with exquisite 3D representations and detailed information about the creation and location of each bench. Monuments to Guilt is an interesting interactive experience that will hopefully open your eyes to a design trend that's as terrible as it is absurd. Cities are filling up with objects and furniture that, instead of being designed for the people, are in fact designed to make everyone more miserable.

Byte of the Draculator

Tim Sycamore

Byte of the Draculator is a short graphic adventure where you play a young man who's been turned into a robot vampire to have a series of experiments done with him. Your aim is to use your ingenuity to escape the military base you find yourself on while picking up and using the many objects found in the setting. It is, in short, the classic gameplay found in all graphic adventures. Pay attention to everything in your surroundings, use the appropriate objects, etc. Byte of the Draculator is a very short and entertaining title with an awesome sense of humor. It's also been dubbed in English and contains great animations.

Cherry Tree High Comedy Club

773

Cherry Tree High Comedy Club is a conversational adventure in which your objective will be to recruit enough members for your high school's comedy club. At the beginning of the game you only have the protagonist and her friend, so you need to get at least three more. How do you get new people to join the club? Very simple: by talking to them. You'll have a limited amount of time before registration for the club is closed; in that time you must participate in many different activities with other students and town citizens. Gameplay is similar to the relationship system you find on Person 3 and Person 4. You'll have to know how to behave with each different person in order to make them your friends and then convince them to join your club. The game's graphics, as can be seen in the images, are not amazing, but are well-designed. Manga fans will be happy, because some of the illustrations are really well made. Cherry Tree High Comedy Club is a fun adventure game that comes with good characters and an original gameplay which hasn't been used much on PC's.

Broken Sword 2.5

mindFactory

Broken Sword 2.5 is a 'point and click' adventure game, which continues the story of the Broken Sword franchise, and fills the gap between the second and the third instalments (hence its name). The game is offered free because it has been developed solely by a team of amateurs. Broken Sword 2.5 is faithful to the visual style of the first two instalments of the series, with graphics that border on a cartoon style, some lovely two dimensional backgrounds, and logical puzzles that are not overly complex. The main difference to the earlier games, of course, is that it does not have the original dubbing. In any case, the most important thing in a Broken Sword is the storyline, and once more you get a script full of intrigue, with the American George Stobbart again caught in the eye of a storm. Other well known characters such as Nicole or Lobineau André also make an appearance to the delight of the fans. Broken Sword 2.5 is an excellent adventure game that has everything to dazzle fans of the series who saw the beautiful 2D graphics replaced by a far more ugly three dimensional look in Broken Sword 3.

Octodad

Young Horses

Octodad is a very strange game, and is difficult to place in any one genre in particular. The reason for this is that your goal throughout the game is to perform simple tasks like turning off your alarm clock or picking up an object with a tentacle. Of course, carrying out these seemingly routine tasks may seem easy enough for a normal person, but it is a different story altogether for an octopus. And this is where the gameplay in Octodad takes shape, you can control each of the octopus´ tentacles independently... with all the complications that entails. The best way to visualise the control system in Octodad is to compare it with the role of a puppeteer. The problem is that, along with the usual awkwardness of controlling a puppet, you also have to take care of the children and carry out tasks such as clothing them... at the end of the day your new favourite octopus is a great dad above all else. Graphically, Octodad is a really beautiful game and thanks to its 'cartoon' look and its colourful graphics, the game manages to be very pleasing on the eye. It also has support for resolutions up to 1920x1080. Octodad is one of the most original independent games of recent years, as proven by the huge number of awards it has won at a number of gaming festivals. Best of all is that it is not just a truly original title, but a really entertaining one.

The Unknown

N/A

The Unknown is a first-person horror game where players control a character lost and disoriented deep in some catacombs, from which they'll have to try to escape while keeping their sanity intact. The dungeon is randomly generated as you move through it, such that no two games will be the same. Thanks to this, The Unknown is a very replayable title that always (or almost always) will have a fright awaiting you. You'll find many elements typical of horror games in the various corridors and rooms of the catacombs, such as traces of blood, locked gates, or objects that fall in your path. But what you will really be afraid of is 'the creature', to give a name to whatever is that's in there with you. This ghostly creature will follow you everywhere and, occasionally, attack your mental state. If it manages to send your fear level over 10, your character will go completely insane and you lose the game. The Unknown is a first-person horror game in the same vain as Slender, but offering a slightly different experience. It also has spectacular graphics ... though perhaps a little too dark.

Awakener

N/A

Awakener is a traditional graphic adventure where you control Fadi, a young boy who needs to help his aunt with a pretty serious problem: there's a man sleeping at the door to her tavern, and he's impossible to wake up. To wake the man in the doorway, you'll have to dive into a story full of absurd characters and dialog in the purest 90s graphic adventure style. The whole adventure develops from one location. You'll have to talk to different characters, collect some objects, and of course solve a few puzzles. For example, a girl who is eating potatoes will only give you one of them if you give her some salt first. Since the adventure is only in that one scene, it's relatively short - about 20 minutes of gameplay. Still, it offers up more than one laugh thanks to some great dialog, like the one with the spacey assassin. Awakener is a traditional graphic adventure, with traditional graphics, traditional gameplay, and a traditional sense of humor.

Hide

N/A

Hide is a first person adventure horror game where players control a character who is running from another mysterious character. At no point do you find out why you have to run, nor who you are running from, all you know is that if you reach the end it will all be over. Your goal, as in the main title of the Slender games, is to find five different elements scattered throughout the snowy forest. These can be found literally anywhere: in the facade of a lonely house, on a rock, a tree, etc. The best thing about Hide is the audio. It can fill you with more fear that any other game in the genre just by using its minimal score and powerful sound effects. Then when you add in the a retro visuals, the result is a truly frightening adventure. Hide is a truly scary adventure with lots traditional elements, and while there is nothing really innovative as far as the gameplay is concerned, it does manage to create a really scary environment with a technical level that is actually far more advanced than it may initially appear.

Forgotten Tunnels

LostBullet

Sara is Missing

Monsoonlab

Sara Is Missing is a visual adventure that unfolds on Sara's smartphone. Sara is a young woman who has disappeared without a trace. Now it's your job to figure out what happened to Sara - but it won't be easy, because her smartphone is badly damaged. This game takes place on Sara's smartphone, which is to say that your computer screen 'transforms' into Sara's smartphone. Use your mouse on the smartphone's interface as you would your fingertip: tap icons, swipe up and down, and so on. You can access her messages, emails, gallery, and music player. All the clues you need to solve the case are there, but it's your job to find them and put them together. During most of the game, you'll be in touch with IRIS, the AI on Sara's smartphone, kind of like Siri or Cortana. IRIS gives you advice on what to do and how to do it. IRIS also offers information about Sara's disappearance, because at the end of the day, IRIS wants to find her just as badly as you do. Sara Is Missing is an exciting and immersive game with an original format. This is an outstanding experience that's better to play on a smartphone but works just as well on Windows.

I See You

N/A

I See You is a first-person horror adventure that, unlike the vast majority of games in this genre, doesn't try to scare you through the main character, but instead goes directly for the player sitting in front of the computer, mouse in hand. The backstory is straightforward: you'll be trapped inside a strange abandoned hospital, and have to find the right keys in order to escape. On the way, though, you'll encounter something that won't want you to get away. During the game you'll come across messages aimed at you, the player, that will try to scare and confuse you. Some of them will attack your perceptions directly, to make you more vulnerable. The best part of I See You, in any case, comes when you finally finish, something that shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes. I See You is a first-person horror adventure that will give you more than one good scare. Not recommended for the faint of heart.

Punity

Farhan Qureshi

Punity is the Windows adaptation of the brilliant game P.T., the Silent Hills technical demo by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro that so thoroughly amazed and terrified players on Playstation 4. In this tribute to the Konami classic, players walk through the legendary terrifying hallway. The game system in Punity is very similar to the original P.T. Players can walk up and down the sinister hallway and take in all the details. The sounds, bumps, and strange movements you'll start noticing are what make this game amazing. The game has very similar graphics to the technical demo mentioned earlier. Most surprisingly, it uses the versatile motor Unity, so if you have a powerful operating system and can set the graphics at the highest settings, you'll be able to enjoy this spectacular terror even more. Punity, just like P.T., is a video game that brings you a truly terrifying playing experience. Walking down a hallway has never been so scary ... and those scares are totally guaranteed.

Hell Loop

AbsurdGames

Don't do it

JN Squared

Don't do it is a first-person terror game in which you can explore the depths of a sinister laboratory. Not only that, but there are items and keys that open doors that you can collect as you move through different rooms in the lab. As you explore the lab, it becomes clear that a sinister entity lives within the walls... maybe it would have been better to leave it undisturbed. Don't do it has a remarkable setting, and from the moment you start the game you'll feel the signature fear of a horror game. On top of all that, this game has very intuitive controls. Just tap on the arrow keys on your keyboard to move your character, and move the mouse to change your point of view and check out each nook and cranny in the rooms. The deeper you delve into the laboratory, the more dangerous your adventure becomes. Pay close attention to each step you take... if you don't want an evil being to catch you by surprise. One wrong move that draws too much attention could put you in serious trouble. Feel the fear of exploring a sinister lab from your PC with the game Don't do it. Without a doubt, it's the perfect horror game to play in the dark.