Psychological horror Survival horror Co-op and multiplayer horror

Cry of Fear

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A free psychological horror game in a nightmarish Scandinavian town at night.

Platforms: PC
Price: Free
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (89% of 87,860 reviews)
Length: over 8 hours for the story
Players: 1, or 1 to 4 in the co-op campaign
Made by: Team Psykskallar
Released: 2013

What frightens A young man walks through the empty streets, alleys and underpasses of a Scandinavian town at night, lit only by street lamps and his phone, while deformed creatures come at him out of the dark. The town feels more and more like a nightmare of his own, and the music and silence press on as he loses his grip.
Content: gore, violence, jumpscares, disturbing themes.

A free psychological survival horror game that started as a Half-Life mod. You play a young man searching for answers through the deserted town of Fäversholm on a cold Scandinavian night, fighting horrific creatures with scarce weapons as his mind comes apart.

About Cry of Fear

Cry of Fear is a horror game by the group Team Psykskallar. It began as a modification for the original Half-Life, took four years to make and won modding awards along the way, and was released on Steam in April 2013 as a free standalone game.

You play a young man searching for answers in the cold Scandinavian night. The town of Fäversholm is deserted apart from things that should not exist, and as you go deeper, through flats, alleys, train tracks and beyond, the line between the town and his mind blurs. The store sums it up plainly: he slowly descends into madness, and not everything is as it seems.

It plays like the survival horror games it was inspired by. Inventory space is tight, ammunition is short, and you often light the way with your mobile phone. There are 24 weapons, melee weapons and firearms among them, and many fights are better avoided. Puzzles ask for lateral thinking rather than just finding a key.

The single-player campaign runs over eight hours with several endings and unlockables, including an extra campaign after you finish. A separate co-op campaign lets up to four players go through it together, and modding support adds custom campaigns. It looks its age, but its atmosphere, sound and five-hour soundtrack carry it. It deals with heavy subjects and is not for the faint of heart.

How to play Cry of Fear

Install it free from Steam and start the single-player campaign, or the co-op campaign with up to three friends.
Explore the town with your phone's light, picking up weapons, ammunition and items.
Manage your limited inventory slots, keeping only what you need.
Solve the puzzles that block your way, reading notes and looking around for clues.
Fight or flee the creatures, saving at the save points when you find them.

Screenshots

Cry of Fear screenshot: an empty town street at night with street lamps, a parked car and a bicycle by a railing

Cry of Fear screenshot: a pistol and flashlight point at a police officer slumped by graffiti-covered pillars

Cry of Fear screenshot: a bloodied creature lunges out of the dark across a field toward the player's lit phone

Tips

Do not waste ammunition on every creature; some are easier to run past.
Keep a melee weapon for weaker enemies to save bullets.
Look closely at notes and surroundings; many puzzles need thinking outside the obvious.
Save whenever you can, since save points are far apart.