With the releases of Little Nightmares II, Resident Evil: Village, and Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach in 2021, more people than ever are getting into horror games. Some people don’t know that many developers release demos before the actual game. Many of these demos are free and available to download from stores like Steam.
Surfing for demos is a good way to discover new, exciting games. They’re great for getting the feel of what the game will entail when it comes out. Both big and indie game companies have come out with some awesome demos over the years. While some are no longer available to download, it’s easy to find YouTubers who have played them.
The Beast Inside
The Beast Inside is a game made by Illusion Ray Studio in 2019. The demo begins with a gruesome murder from the killer’s perspective, then flashbacks one week to a happy couple moving into a remote house.
However, it’s when the demo flashbacks again to 1864 when things really get terrifying. This demo has freakishly good jump scares, coming at the player from all different angles. The suspense builds and keeps throughout the game, making it a thrilling play. The demo and the full game are both available on Steam.
Our Secret Below
Our Secret Below was made by Dark Stone Digital in 2020 and is from the point of view of a woman who has been kidnapped and is now chained in a basement. It seems like a normal kidnapping game at first, but as the demo progresses, it becomes distinctly supernatural.
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The demo has neat little puzzles and doesn’t keep the player in the basement the whole time. At one point during the game, the player character is transported to a spooky liminal space, which gives them clues for the rest of the demo. Both the demo and the full game are available on Steam.
Fragile
Fragile is a Beer Night Studio game released in 2020 about a young girl who is kidnapped. It has a beautiful and creepy art style, and the gameplay is reminiscent of Little Nightmares.
It’s gruesome, brutal, and disturbing, featuring shocks around every corner. From mini-games with high stakes to chase scenes from ugly monsters, Fragile gets the player’s heart beating. While the demo is no longer available, the full game is available on Steam.
Resident Evil: Village
Resident Evil: Village made waves when CAPCOM released it in 2021. The demo features the same stunning graphics as the game, with an intriguing teaser to the full story. In the demo, the player starts in a dungeon, which they have to escape.
The demo is true to the Resident Evil style, with the sound effects when finding a useful object, and horrific injuries that the player character miraculously recovers from. The demo lets the player explore the beautiful Castle Dimitrescu after escaping the dungeon. Then, it gives an introduction to the infamous character of Lady Dimitrescu. The demo and the full game are both available on Steam.
Train 113
With the latest update on the demo from Wake Up Games in 2021, Train 113 is a demo of an unknown game. Set on a train, Train 113 is ultra-realistic, with good sound design and a unique setting.
The demo has terrific scares as the player walks along the train, confined to the small moving space for the entirety of the game. The demo is available to download on Softonic, but it’s difficult to find information about the full game. There are rumors, though, that Train 113 is a demo for the game, Find Yourself.
Little Nightmares II
Released in 2021 from Tarsier Studios, the demo for Little Nightmares II keeps the creepy atmosphere of the first game while bringing about a whole new story. It lives up to the hype surrounding the first game, with a brand-new player character to get attached to.
Starting with the player outside, the demo has fun and dangerous puzzles and unique things that aren’t in the full game, while still giving a preview of it. Ending with a terrifying chase scene, the demo leaves you hanging and intrigued. The demo and full game are both available on Steam.
The Mortuary Assistant
The Mortuary Assistant, made by Dark Stone Digital, released an original demo a while ago, but then released an updated version in 2021. The mechanics of the game are good and fun, with the player having certain tasks to complete in between the scary bits.
The scares themselves were excellent and frequent, and the story itself was intriguing, leaving the players wanting more after the demo had ended. After all, there seemed to be a bigger picture that the demo was teasing players with. The demo is available on Steam, but the full version will not be out until the spring of this year.
Martha Is Dead
A horror/thriller game by LKA, Martha Is Dead follows the story of a girl named Giulia who finds the dead body of her identical twin sister, then takes on her identity. It’s a story-driven game, and the story itself is fascinating, disturbing, and exciting.
Beginning with a creepy puppet show, the demo goes on to give us the story of Giulia’s new identity as her sister Martha, all set in 1944 Italy. Details are everywhere in this game, and the story in the demo leaves us wanting more. The demo is no longer available, but the full game is set to come out on February 24th, 2022.
Don’t Be Afraid
In 2020, Hydra Games came out with Don’t Be Afraid, played through the point of view of a boy who has been kidnapped and now needs to escape. This demo is the scariest of the entire list, with horrifying images and scares around every corner.
The player has to hold a candle throughout the entire game, though some things in the game threaten to blow the candle out. It’s a game that has the player find notes and keys, though the notes supplement the disturbing context and the keys are hidden in the most terrifying places. The demo is no longer available, but the full game is available on Steam.
Silent Hills P.T.
Hands down, the king of all demos is the Silent Hills demo, better known as P.T. (stands for “playable teaser”). Made by the video game giant, Kojima Productions, P.T. revolutionized the horror game genre. It’s the most famous looping game, where the player walks around and around the same corridor, with variations in each loop around.
The graphics are amazing, and the game is terrifying to the point where many games after it tried to be “the next P.T.” Unfortunately, the full game Silent Hills was canceled, and the P.T. demo is no longer available to play. Yet, some fan-made P.T. games are available.
