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Tis the Season of Survival Horror and More Psychological Horrors
Key Takeaways:
- Diverse Survival Experiences – Each game offers unique survival horror challenges, from resource management to psychological terror.
- Cold-Like Atmosphere – The cold and/or isolating settings amplify fear and immersion in every title.
- Folklore and Mystery – Several games draw from Nordic and Lovecraftian mythology for deeper, lore-rich horror.
- Gameplay Variety – Expect a mix of open-world survival, point-and-click adventures, and stealth-based horror.
Introduction

Winter’s unforgiving landscapes provide a chilling backdrop for survival horror, where the biting cold amplifies the struggle for life. If you want more psychological or survival games, check out my 10 Latest Indie Horror Trends 2024.
For those seeking indie games that encapsulate this harrowing experience, here are some of the survival horror best games that plunge us into icy realms of terror or cold, unforgiving environments. Now, lets brace ourselves for the “7 Cold Indie Survival Horror & More.”
The Long Dark

Game Details
Developer: Hinterland Studio
Price: $34.99
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Description: Set in the frigid Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic disaster, The Long Dark is a first-person survival horror game that challenges players to endure the elements. With a focus on realism, it requires careful management of resources, body temperature, and energy to survive the relentless cold.
Additionally, the game offers free downloadable content (DLC), such as Tales from the Far Territory, which places you in the Far Range, a massive rock wall that watches over Great Bear’s invaluable resource wealth.
Few have been successful in unlocking the wealth hidden within these rocks despite several attempts throughout the decades. And there are many mysteries (TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY- THE LONG DARK).
Gameplay: You must scavenge for supplies, craft tools, and fend off wildlife while navigating a vast, open-world environment. The game features a dynamic weather system and permadeath, intensifying the survival experience.
Its episodic story mode, “Wintermute,” adds a narrative-driven experience to the survival mechanics. After a mysterious geomagnetic accident separates Dr. Astrid Greenwood and bush pilot Will Mackenzie on Great Bear Island, Canada, Wintermute follows them (The Long Dark Wiki).
Despite their respective survival challenges, they must make it across the hostile terrain and reconnect.
Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn

Game Details
Developer: Angry Demon Studio
Price: Varies
Platform: PC
Description: Drawing inspiration from Swedish folklore, Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn immerses you in a nightmarish journey through dark forests and icy landscapes. The game delves into psychological horror, with mythological creatures lurking in the shadows (Unforgiving – a Northern Hymn).
Linn and Lucas, two young adult siblings, are left abandoned in a dark, ominous forest in the middle of the night after a car accident at the start of the game. The siblings determine that they must navigate the forest.
Naturally, it quickly becomes evident that they are not alone in the gloomy northern wilderness because they had the misfortune of becoming stuck in an area where ancient tales are still very much alive and well.
Gameplay: Played from a first-person perspective, it emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving, with a strong narrative thread. The game creates tension through its atmospheric design and the constant threat of enemies inspired by Nordic legends.
The game mostly consists of stealthily avoiding enemies with some puzzle-solving aspects, with little to no combat. There are subtitles in other languages, but the conversation is mostly in Swedish.
Ready to face the frozen horrors? Click below to grab your copy of Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn now at low cost!
Shiver

Game Details
Developer: Kowai Sugoi Studios
Price: Free
Platform: PC
Description: In this point-and-click horror adventure, with some survival horror aspects, you find themselves stranded in an abandoned national park during a snowstorm. The game’s retro aesthetic and eerie atmosphere make for a chilling experience. Windy Oaks National Park is the setting.
A stunning and terrifying area where you realize something is off. Everything goes wrong on your way to see your elderly relative, trapping you and making you feel alone.
Gameplay: You must explore the park, solve puzzles, and uncover the dark history of the area to find a way out. The game’s design encourages thorough exploration similar to survival horrors and critical thinking.
Being a chilling point-and-click horror adventure, the isolation you feel becomes palpable.
Cold Front

Game Details
Developer: RachelDrawsThis & STUDIO INVESTIGRAVE
Price: Free (Name Your Own Price)
Platform: PC, macOS
Description: Cold Front is a short 2.5D RPG Maker horror game that follows two childhood friends, Augustine and Winnie, who find themselves trapped in a freezing blizzard despite it being summer.
As they navigate the supernatural cold, they must confront the chilling dangers and the strains in their friendship. Saskatchewan appears to have served as a major inspiration for the Cold Front’s setting (racheldrawsthis).
Gameplay: The game combines narrative-driven exploration, much like RPG elements, with visual novel and adventure elements. You guide Augustine and Winnie through the blizzard, making choices that influence the story’s outcome, with two possible endings to discover.
In a way, the gameplay was straightforward, which is what makes it so captivating.
Alpha Polaris

Game Details
Developer: Turmoil Games
Price: Free
Platform: PC
Description: Set in a research station in Greenland, Alpha Polaris is a horror adventure that delves into Lovecraftian themes with Inuit folklore. As unnatural events unfold, you must uncover the truth behind the horrors lurking beneath the ice.
Character interactions are the main focus of this atmospheric psychological horror game, which is similar to an H.P. Lovecraft tale. The puzzles make sense, yet they demand real thought. If you’ve seen John Carpenter’s The Thing, this game has similar vibes (Alpha Polaris).
Gameplay: The game focuses on narrative, character, and point-and-click mechanics with puzzles integrated into the storyline. Its atmospheric setting and psychological horror elements create a sense of dread as you progress through the mystery.
Slay Bells

Game Details
Developer: Blake McKinnon Productions
Price: Free (Name Your Own Price)
Platform: PC
Description: Slay Bells is a Christmas-themed survival horror game with a retro PS1 aesthetic. Players must escape from a murderous Santa Claus in a snowy urban environment, combining festive elements with slasher horror.
It combines the atmosphere of a PS1 horror game with the music and the short story to create a fun and spooky experience.
Gameplay: The game involves exploration and combat as you navigate through streets and buildings to find safety. Its unique blend of holiday cheer and horror offers a thrilling experience for fans of the genre.
Prepare yourself for intricate level design, big, detailed maps, intense mechanics, and a confrontation with a villainous Santa Claus (Slay Bells).
Tempus Triad (Demo)

Game Details
Developer: Mendesz
Price: Free Demo
Platform: PC
Description: In Tempus Triad, you assume the role of a scientist attempting to repair a fractured timeline after experimental mishaps. This survival horror game thrusts you into environments inhabited by massive, prehistoric creatures driven by relentless predatory instincts.
The surrounding fog and sound create an immersive surrounding that keeps the tension going.
Gameplay: This first-person action game emphasizes survival aspects with realistic graphics and a discreet HUD. You navigate through a secret military base, evading intelligent dinosaurs, adding to the tension.
The demo offers approximately 30 minutes of gameplay, showcasing the initial use of the time machine and the challenges that ensue the main character (Mendesz). The crouching is smooth as you can use it to crawl through tight spots or move more quietly around terrifying dinosaurs.
Closing Thoughts

These winter-inspired survival horror and psychological horror indie games offer immersive experiences that test players’ resilience against both the elements and the unknown. Each title presents a unique blend of survival mechanics and horror, making them perfect companions for those long, cold nights.
So, which of these chilling survival horror and psychological horror games have you played? What about winter/cold horror do you find intriguing? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Nero lives in the United States, delving into indie horror to mainstream games. Armed with a psych degree and a passion for storytelling, he wrote stories and essays published online and in museum catalogs. Besides writing, he also likes sketching and tuning into rock music. Catch his latest posts or follow him across social media.