With franchises like Silent Hill and Resident Evil long cemented as the gold standard in survival horror, it comes as little surprise that countless developers continue to look to them for inspiration.

If you count yourself among the genre’s devoted followers, you will be pleased to learn that a well-reviewed horror game, one explicitly inspired by Konami and Capcom’s flagship series, is currently available for free on Steam. Below, we walk you through how to add it to your library and start playing right away.

A Horror Game Inspired by the Genre’s Best Is Free on Steam

Independent studio Roger Entertainment released its newest title on July 16, and the reception on Steam has been largely favorable. The majority of user reviews are positive, with players singling out several aspects of the experience for particular praise.

Titled The Lure, the game delivers a third-person psychological horror experience that casts you as John, a detective investigating the baffling disappearance of a colleague. A single clue steers him toward the missing man’s apartment where a relentless search will begin.

John then finds himself trapped inside the belly of a mimic, a nightmarish entity that lures victims by replicating familiar surroundings and then consumes them whole. What follows is an unending loop of dread, from which escape is the only option.

Each reset introduces subtle shifts in the environment: new details emerge, and a creeping corruption gradually distorts the apartment’s reality. While The Lure openly channels narrative, visual, and mechanical cues from Silent Hill, Resident Evil, The Evil Within, and other horror staples, it never loses its own distinct voice.

Should the premise intrigue you, simply navigate to the game’s Steam page and click the “Play” button. The title will be permanently added to your account at no charge. As a free-to-play debut, it remains accessible without any cost.

The Lure Steam

What is The Lure?

Despite its clear influences, The Lure deliberately steers away from action-oriented conventions. Exploration takes center stage as the environments grow progressively more unsettling.

Combat is entirely absent, so players expecting to blast their way through hordes of creatures will need to adjust their expectations. Instead, sharp observation and careful attention to recurring patterns are your only tools for deciphering the loops and the changes they bring.

You will also need to keep an eye out for clues and usable objects that inch you closer to solving the case and to escaping with your life. Visually, The Lure stands out due to its realistic graphics and clean and minimalist interface.

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