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Curses fly, time rewinds, mysteries unfold
Key Takeaways
- Game Variety: Each RPG offers unique, immersive stories from Tales of the Black Forest to Dad’s Monster House.
- Gameplay Mechanics: Innovative combat and puzzle-solving elements enhance engagement.
- Art and Sound: Distinctive visuals and soundtracks elevate the eerie atmosphere.
- Replayability: Some free RPG games, Grimm’s Hollow and Kowloon’s Curse: Lost Report with multiple endings and paths to explore.
Introduction

If you’re into story driven RPG games that mix deep good narrative with the unsettling vibes of horror, then you’ve hit the jackpot. Story-Driven RPG Games aren’t just about the exploration and creepy monsters (though I love that!). Horror RPGs also dive deep into emotional stories.
Today, we’re diving into a selection of indie horror story driven RPG games that deliver a rich story and a good scare. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill RPGs—each game brings something unique, whether it’s exploring twisted realms, confronting memories, or navigating the supernatural.
If you’re seeking some more indie horror RPGs that I think are great, check out my 10 Great Indie Horror RPGs for 2024.
After some research on some known and lesser known indie horror RPGs, I made a list of the “Top 6 Indie Story-Driven RPG Games”. Let’s jump in and explore these RPGs.
Dark Deception

Overview
Dark Deception is an episodic first-person horror maze game that combines quick arcade-style gameplay with a rich narrative. Developed by Glowstick Entertainment, you navigate through nightmarish mazes, each guarded by unique and terrifying monsters working for an demon named Malak.
The Story
You step into the shoes of Doug Houser, who finds himself trapped in a mysterious ballroom with a woman named Bierce, who has an… interesting personality. To escape, Doug must collect Soul Shards from various realms, each guarded by entities under the command of Malak.
The Gameplay
Among RPG games online, I can say the game challenges you, not only with collecting shards but also evading relentless enemies. Let’s not forget the boss events, which consists of more than one phase. As you progress, you unlock abilities that aid in survival, adding layers of strategy.
Graphics and Audio
Utilizing Unreal Engine 4, Dark Deception boasts high-quality graphics that enhance its hectic and eerie environments. The sound design and voice acting further immerse you into its haunting world.
Performance and Technical Aspects
The game runs smoothly on modern systems, with developers providing regular updates to address any technical issues.
Length and Replayability
Each chapter offers a unique experience, and the increasing difficulty encourages replayability for those seeking to master each level.
Lisa: The Painful

Overview
Lisa: The Painful is a side-scrolling RPG by Dingaling Productions, set in a post-apocalyptic world devoid of women. It combines dark humor with mature themes, delivering a gem among story driven RPG games that’s unsettling and emotional.
The Story
You follow Brad Armstrong, a man tormented by his past, who’s searching for his adopted daughter in a world where females were wiped out. Determined to protect her, Brad embarks on a harrowing journey filled across Olathe with difficult choices and sacrifices.
The Gameplay
The game features turn-based combat with a unique party system. You recruit various characters, each with distinct abilities, but must make tough decisions that can lead to consequences, including loss of limbs or the loss of party members.
Graphics and Audio
With its pixel-art style, the game conveys a bleak atmosphere. The soundtrack complements the tone, ranging from somber melodies to intense tracks during pivotal moments.
Performance and Technical Aspects
Lisa: The Painful runs well on most systems, with minimal technical issues reported by gamers.
Length and Replayability
With so many story driven RPG games that have good replayability, this game’s branching paths and multiple endings encourage multiple playthroughs to explore narrative possibilities that are well worth the time. Plus, with Lisa: The Joyful, there’s always more to play.
Tales of the Black Forest

Overview
This indie RPG, by 拾英工作室 or SakuraGame, blends 16-bit pixel art with horror elements, offering a unique story experience. Among the story driven RPG games out there, this game offers a story mixed with historical events with both beautiful and horrific graphics..
The Story
Set in the 1990s, You control a young girl named Kihara Kashin, who wakes up confused outside a creepy, abandoned train station in Kuromori—her old stomping grounds and scene of her mom’s tragic accident.
Turns out, she’s cursed and stuck in this ghost town, but with a bit of ancient magic called Nensha, she can time-travel back to the ’90s to untangle this mess with her shape-shifting guide, Kiritani.
While the main plot might make you scratch your head, Tales of the Black Forest keeps you engaged with separate chapters, each focusing on a different yōkai, blending spooky urban legends with gritty ’90s social vibes.
The Gameplay
The game combines exploration with puzzle-solving, requiring you to interact with the environment and characters to progress. Choices made during dialogues can influence the story’s outcome.
Graphics and Audio
Featuring hand-drawn art and a haunting soundtrack, the game effectively creates an eerie atmosphere that immerses you in its world. In face, if you’re familiar with Studio Ghibli, you can see the inspiration it had on the character and world design.
Performance and Technical Aspects
Generally stable, though some gamers have reported minor bugs, which the developers have addressed through updates. It runs on Windows 7 on up
Length and Replayability
With different endings, the game offers some replayability for those interested in uncovering all story paths.
Grimm’s Hollow

Overview
Grimm’s Hollow by ghosthunter is a short, free RPG on Steam and Itch.io that combines charming visuals with dark themes, offering a poignant narrative experience. Like some other story driven RPG games, this game was made in RPG Maker with a top=down perspective, which is a plus.
The Story
You follow Lavender, a young girl who awakens in the afterlife, in a place called Hollow. She was reincarnated as a Reaper and eventually learns that her brother also died. Determined to find her missing brother, she sets out, confronting various ghosts and uncovering the truth about her circumstances.
The Gameplay
The game features turn-based combat with timing-based mechanics, adding an interactive element to battles. Exploration and character interactions are key to progressing the story. In battle, you collect Spirit Energy, which functions as experience points to develop your skill tree.
Graphics and Audio
With its pixel-art style and atmospheric music, Grimm’s Hollow balances its cute aesthetic with the game’s darker themes.
Performance and Technical Aspects
As a lightweight game, it runs smoothly on most systems without issues. You can paly it on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 on up.
Length and Replayability
While relatively short, the game’s multiple endings and hidden secrets encourage players to revisit and explore different outcomes. Plus, with it being free, this is one of the story driven RPG games that you can easily jump on and play it.
Dad’s Monster House

Overview
This point-and-click adventure game by Cotton Game that combines horror elements with a touching narrative about family and reconciliation. The unique art style and strange characters, this is a unique game within story driven RPG games.
The Story
You take on the role of Carlos, who returns to his home after receiving a distressing message from his father. After he goes to an old, creepy mansion, deep in the woods, in his banged up car, you take control of Carlos and explore the house.
As you explore you uncover memories and confront monstrous manifestations of his father’s inner demons.
The Gameplay
Dad’s Monster House focuses on puzzle-solving and exploration, with you interacting with objects and solving standard and logical puzzles to progress. The narrative unfolds through environmental storytelling and flashbacks, making its storytelling standout a bit among story driven RPG games.
Graphics and Audio
Featuring detailed hand-drawn art and a haunting soundtrack, the game effectively conveys its emotional and eerie atmosphere through environment design and unique styling of quirky characters. Plus, the cartoon-like background as a nice tone to the mood of the scene.
Performance and Technical Aspects
Generally stable, with intuitive controls that enhance the immersive experience. Like many story driven RPG games, it can be played on Windows 7 and 10, and it can be played on Mac too.
Length and Replayability
The game’s linear narrative offers a concise experience, though the emotional depth may encourage players to revisit the story. If anything, being one of many story driven RPG games, the diary entries you read in this game adds nice lore to the game’s massive mansion puzzle.
Kowloon’s Curse: Lost Report

Overview
Kowloon’s Curse: Lost Report, by Studio [notes.], acts as a prequel to the upcoming Kowloon’s Curse. This indie horror among other story driven RPG games immerses you in a surreal world inspired by the infamous Kowloon Walled City, blending turn-based combat with exploration and story-driven gameplay.
The Story
You assume the role of Tony, a member of a mafia group working for and led by the mysterious ‘The Inspector.’ Tasked with retrieving a briefcase from a nightclub called Echoes, Tony navigates the labyrinthine streets of Kowloon City, confronting both external and internal threats.
The Gameplay
The game features turn-based combat where you face a diverse range of enemies, each presenting a different challenge. Exploration is key, with three districts of Kowloon City to traverse, offering various aspects to the story.
There’s also KowloonChan to have fun browsing. Along with the Shenmue feel, you, like me, can have a lot of fun playing this. The puzzles are fun too because they aren’t spoon fed to you. For instance, one puzzle was with two clocks and four light switches. I will say me knowing military time helped a lot on this.
Graphics and Audio
Being among the RPG games online, this game draws inspiration from late 1990s and early 2000s games. The game employs a low-poly visual style that evokes a sense of nostalgia from the Dreamcast era. The atmospheric sound design adds to the eerie and surreal environment, immersing you in the world of Kowloon City.


For instance, I was really confused on some of the characters I saw from human to… something else entirely. This is actually a good thing because it keeps me interested in figuring out what’s going on in Kowloon beyond my tasks.
Performance and Technical Aspects
Kowloon’s Curse: Lost Report is available for Windows platforms and runs smoothly on systems meeting the minimum requirements. The developers have released updates, including the Definitive Edition, which introduced new content, bug fixes, and graphical improvements.
Length and Replayability
The game’s branching narrative paths and multiple endings encourage you to replay and explore different choices and outcomes, which are affected by your stats too. The addition of new story routes and side quests in the Definitive Edition further enhances its replay value.
Closing Thoughts

These story driven RPG games prove that indie developers know how to blend intense storytelling with gameplay that keeps you on edge.
Whether it’s dodging monsters in twisted mazes, making tough choices in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, or exploring eerie towns haunted by spirits, each game offers something memorable.
Each of these story driven RPG games got that perfect mix of compelling plots, emotional depth, and enough horror to keep you glued to your screen. So, if you’re on the hunt for games that deliver both narrative and nightmare fuel, these titles are a must-play.
So which game have you played? What games did I miss? Share your thoughts and comments down 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.