We live in a world where thousands of high-quality indie games never get their time to shine. Everyone wants their game to be seen, and every day, it feels like a new batch of games hit Steam or Itch.io en masse. Today, in honor of the spooky season, I want to give two indie horror games the credit they’re due.

First, let’s start with Alisa.

Horror contestant number 1

Alisa is a throwback to an era of survival horror that includes the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill at their absolute best. You play as Alisa, a Royal Agent tasked with chasing down a wanted fugitive. It doesn’t take long before a multi-limbed spider-doll monstrosity rises from the ground, taking Alisa to a mansion where she’s thrown into a horrifying realm of creepy dolls and other unspeakable terrors.

I wish I could tell the full story of my experience with this game, but it would ruin so many genuinely unsettling surprises. It’ll satiate your “classic survival horror” fix. It’s got hidden mechanics, a roster of unique weapons, and some immaculate boss encounters. You can even unlock new dresses for Alisa, each one offering an advantage in combat or maneuverability. It’s got bangin’ music, delightfully campy voice acting, and a silly but morbid sense of humor.

Multiple endings are available depending on your decisions. There are many secrets to discover as well! Now, I will say that this game is hard. Like, survival horror cranked up to 20. Some of the puzzles will make you mad. A few enemies may have you pulling your hair out. But, overall, Alisa has personality and charm like nothing before (or after) it. If you can forgive the difficulty, you’ll be in for a great time.

This next one arguably did get its flowers, but I want to talk about it anyway. Get in here, Crow Country!

contestant number 2

I love, love, love this game. If Alisa is an 8.5 out of 10, Crow Country is an easy 10/10. In this one, you play as Mara Forest, a detective on her way to the abandoned, dilapidated Crow Country theme park. Mara’s looking to solve the mystery of what happened to the park’s owner, Edward Crow, who disappeared alongside the closure of his park.

You aren’t ready for the places this game will take you. Like Alisa, Crow Country is modeled after the survival horror classics of “the old days.” But the tank controls are crisp and responsive. The aiming and shooting of your weapons feels good rather than frustrating. The environmental design is varied with love poured into every last square inch.

The puzzles? Perfect in difficulty — a hard balance to strike! Satisfying to solve, intuitive in design, and constantly throwing something new your way to keep things fresh! And the story. You have your requisite lore notes to read. But there’s no filler or meaningless information. Every sliver of knowledge you gain is a necessary part of a complex, fascinating tale of the park’s tragic downfall.

As far as endings, there aren’t exactly “multiple” endings in the traditional sense of wildly different scenes. However, you can make decisions that will determine how much you ultimately know about the park and the characters within it. In conclusion? Play Alisa first. Then, hop on Crow Country. Treat yourself to the best indie horror has to offer!