Games Like DERE EXE: Rebirth of Horror

DERE EVIL EXE is both a terrifying thriller with a gripping meta horror story and a retro 16-bit pixel platformer with unique puzzles and obstacles.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 12.7%, Platformer 11.4%, Horror 11%, Retro 9.4%, Anime 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: This is the direct predecessor in the series and shares the exact same meta-horror platforming DNA.

You bought a PC that belonged to a suicidal developer, do you dare to run "Game.exe"?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 40.1%, Story Rich 21.5%, Pixel Graphics 18.2%, 2D 10.2%, Action 10%

Why You'll Like It: This title leans heavily into the meta-horror aesthetic, featuring a corrupted game world that feels very similar to the DERE series.

They Bleed Pixels is a fiendishly difficult action platformer inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and classic horror.

Why similar: Precision Platformer 23.1%, Difficult 19.4%, Platformer 15.5%, 2D Platformer 15.4%, Female Protagonist 11.8%

Why You'll Like It: A high-difficulty, Lovecraftian-themed pixel platformer that matches the dark, challenging atmosphere of the seed game.

Clea is a jump scare free, skill-based survival horror adventure.

Why similar: Anime 22.5%, Horror 21.4%, Psychological Horror 20.5%, Female Protagonist 20.4%, Retro 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: A survival-horror game with an anime aesthetic that focuses on stealth and tension rather than combat.

Pony Island is a suspense puzzle game in disguise. You are in limbo, trapped in a malevolent and malfunctioning arcade machine devised by the devil himself. It is not a game about ponies.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 36.6%, Horror 24%, Pixel Graphics 16.7%, Indie 11%, Story Rich 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential meta-horror game that tricks the player into interacting with a malicious, sentient software interface.

A 2D exploration adventure game set in a creepy, mysterious art gallery.

Why similar: Surreal 18.2%, Horror 16.6%, Psychological Horror 14.2%, Female Protagonist 12.6%, Anime 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: A masterpiece of pixel-based psychological horror that relies on environmental storytelling and puzzle-solving.

Nixxsz Castle is a precision platform and rage inducing game. Inspired by games from previous generations, Nixxsz Castle has a very hard gameplay experience for those with patience and skill.

Why similar: Precision Platformer 16.5%, Puzzle Platformer 14.4%, Difficult 14.1%, 2D Platformer 11.5%, Anime 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A challenging 2D precision platformer that focuses on tight controls and difficult level design.

Witness the tale of a most foolish family. A remake of the classic horror exploration game makes its way to Steam.

Why similar: Horror 25.3%, Psychological Horror 21.3%, Anime 18.5%, Female Protagonist 10.7%, Pixel Graphics 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A classic pixel-art horror game that captures the same eerie, anime-inspired atmosphere found in DERE EXE.

Silvia never runs from evil—she makes it her business. Eccentric yet warm-hearted, this seasoned modern exorcist has mastered the art of confronting the supernatural, turning haunted places into tangible nightmares. But on this fateful night, nothing goes as planned.

Why similar: Immersive 17.6% ★, Horror 15.6%, Female Protagonist 15%, Action-Adventure 13.2%, Anime 11.4%

Why You'll Like It: A pixel-art survival horror game that balances action-adventure elements with a mysterious, unsettling atmosphere.

Experience rage-inducing precision platforming as a recently deceased soccer player damned to Inferno! Kick your sibling's soul out of Hell for your chance at redemption!

Why similar: Precision Platformer 24.2%, Difficult 18.7%, 2D Platformer 12.6%, Platformer 12.5%, Female Protagonist 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: A precision platformer that requires extreme patience and skill, mirroring the difficult gameplay loops of the seed game.

A young girl, Viola, is drawn inexorably to a mysterious manor that seems to change behind her back. It is a place of pain, turmoil and death. Plumb its detestable depths and abominable history. Untangle riddles that bar your perilous path. And flee the hellish halls of The Witch’s House.

Why similar: Horror 43%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Pixel Graphics 9.9%, Female Protagonist 9.5%, Anime 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game features lethal traps and a dark narrative that rewards careful observation, much like the puzzle-platforming sections of the seed game.

Re:Turn - One Way Trip is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle-adventure horror game. Trapped in a ghostly train, Saki must search the past and present to find and save her friends. More importantly, Saki must use her wits if she is to survive against an unspeakable evil hellbent on avenging unrequited love.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 21%, Horror 13.8%, Psychological Horror 11.1%, Female Protagonist 10.8%, Anime 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: A side-scrolling horror game that emphasizes puzzle-solving and a haunting narrative within a retro aesthetic.

Virtua Unlimited Project is a 2D pixel-art style ACT game featuring VTuber characters. With classical platformer gameplay, challenging combat, and retro game feelings, VUP presents you a surreal, virtual world in which you will play as Aizawa Kana to venture and seek the truth beneath.

Why similar: 2D Platformer 29.7%, Anime 18.8%, Action-Adventure 15.4%, Pixel Graphics 10.6%, Female Protagonist 7%

Why You'll Like It: An action-platformer that blends retro pixel art with intense, fast-paced combat and platforming challenges.

A tough platformer following a girl diving over the heads of terrifying creatures and bouncing off walls to traverse a mysterious, unsettling world that's so much bigger than her: the "world between all worlds"

Why similar: Precision Platformer 21.6%, 2D Platformer 15.7%, Platformer 15.1%, Surreal 10.8%, Horror 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A 2D platformer that emphasizes exploration and precision movement in a dark, atmospheric world.

Trapped in a buried, forgotten facility, you must reach the core of an ancient machine to rescue your lost lover. System Purge is a challenging, atmospheric 2D platformer.

Why similar: Platformer 16.9%, Horror 14.2%, Precision Platformer 13.2%, Female Protagonist 13.1%, Difficult 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A horror-themed platformer that features a female protagonist navigating a dangerous, corrupted environment.

Paradox Soul is a chilling fight for exploration and survival; a Metroidvania pixel action-shooter hybrid!

Why similar: Difficult 21%, Platformer 17.9%, 2D Platformer 17.1%, Female Protagonist 10.8%, Sci-fi 9%

Why You'll Like It: A pixel-art action-adventure game that features exploration and platforming within a hostile, post-apocalyptic setting.

Take the role of an antivirus software within the world of an operating system, eliminating malware spawns in a challenging, platforming quest!

Why similar: Precision Platformer 30.5%, Platformer 18.8%, Female Protagonist 13.8%, Minimalist 13.2%, Action-Adventure 11.2%

Why You'll Like It: A side-scrolling platformer that incorporates souls-like difficulty and arcade-style progression.

This is a SHORT, 2D PLATFORMER with TIGHT CONTROLS about exploring a single level to get past a bunch of TRAPS. There is an EASY mode and a HARD mode depending on your skill level.

Why similar: Precision Platformer 25.1%, Difficult 18.4%, 2D Platformer 15.2%, Platformer 12%, Female Protagonist 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A minimalist precision platformer that focuses on high difficulty and quick, repeatable deaths.

Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain, in this super-tight platformer from the creators of TowerFall. Brave hundreds of hand-crafted challenges, uncover devious secrets, and piece together the mystery of the mountain.

Why similar: Precision Platformer 22.8%, Difficult 18.2%, Platformer 12.4%, 2D Platformer 12.1%, Female Protagonist 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: While not a horror game, it is the gold standard for precision platforming and shares the intense, repetitive gameplay loop of the seed game.

Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits...

Why similar: Horror 36.8%, Psychological Horror 25.5%, Anime 17%, Pixel Graphics 13.6%, 2D 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A retro-styled horror game that uses meta-elements and cosmic dread to create a deeply unsettling experience.

This is a game in which you traverse the extremely dark world inside a dream.

Why similar: Surreal 27.5%, Psychological Horror 20.5%, Horror 17.7%, Female Protagonist 13.9%, Pixel Graphics 9%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, dream-like horror experience that relies on exploration and atmosphere, influencing many modern indie horror titles.

Rediscover this great Metroidvania game in a brand new version with a lot of features and improvements! Run in a vast world full of mysteries and action in this Metroidvania-style game inspired by the classics of the 16-bit era.

Why similar: Platformer 37.8%, Pixel Graphics 16.3%, Retro 13.3%, Anime 9.7%, Indie 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A metroidvania-style platformer that combines action and RPG elements with a distinct retro pixel aesthetic.

Rosenkreuzstilette is a mega-action-platformer game in which you step into the shoes of Spiritia Rosenberg, a virtuous young woman caught on the wrong side of a revolution instigated by her closest friends.

Why similar: Difficult 17.1%, Platformer 15.3%, Anime 13.1%, Female Protagonist 11.9%, Retro 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: An anime-styled action platformer that provides a high level of challenge and retro-inspired gameplay.

Wander a castle built of bitter memories in LOVE ETERNAL, a psychological horror platformer with devious trials and an unsettling, experimental narrative. Find a way out - or live in Shelter forever more.

Why similar: Precision Platformer 17.6%, Puzzle Platformer 12.1%, Surreal 10.7%, Platformer 9.3%, 2D Platformer 9.1%

A pseudo 8-bit action platformer taking a bit of inspiration from film-noir and samurai dramas, iaidoka_interlude applies a few parkour and fighting game influences to mix up familiarity with a little uniquity.

Why similar: Platformer 20.3%, Difficult 17.9%, Retro 11.7%, Anime 11.5%, Female Protagonist 11.2%

Why You'll Like It: A retro-styled action platformer that focuses on precise timing and combat mechanics.

The Sirena Expedition is a short PSX-style horror-platformer in which you explore a mysterious underwater facility.

Why similar: Platformer 23.3%, 2D Platformer 22.6%, Horror 21.7%, Retro 17.4%, Female Protagonist 15.1%

Why You'll Like It: A horror-themed platformer that uses an underwater setting to create a unique, claustrophobic atmosphere.

VVVVVV is a platform game all about exploring one simple mechanical idea - what if you reversed gravity instead of jumping?

Why similar: Precision Platformer 26.1%, Platformer 15.8%, Difficult 14.7%, 2D Platformer 14.7%, Pixel Graphics 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A challenging precision platformer that uses unique gravity-flipping mechanics to create difficult, puzzle-like levels.

A retro action martial arts game inspired by classics, like Kung Fu Master and Shinobi with modern elements!

Why similar: Precision Platformer 16.5%, Platformer 16%, Difficult 13.2%, Retro 11.9%, Female Protagonist 9%

Why You'll Like It: An action-adventure platformer that offers a mix of combat and exploration within a pixelated world.

A PSX Inspired horror game where you must work and cook at a shop late at night and the horrors that comes with it.

Why similar: Horror 35.2%, Psychological Horror 25.9%, Retro 21.7%, Female Protagonist 12.6%, Indie 4.6%

This is a point-and-click, command-selection style adventure game where the protagonist is a girl who has become a ghost. The objective is to fulfill her desires by speaking to her beloved "him" causing poltergeists, visiting in dreams, or even cursing.

Why similar: Horror 40.4%, 2D Platformer 21.6%, Pixel Graphics 18.9%, Story Rich 7.9%, 2D 6%

A wandering soul mistakenly enters a world of strange tales and odd rules. Beware! This place is fraught with danger. To complete reincarnation, you must toe the line. Any soul that dares to go against the system will face correction. Will you comply—or defy?

Why similar: Horror 23.1%, Surreal 19%, Female Protagonist 18.7%, Psychological Horror 11.7%, Pixel Graphics 9.2%

"シシテナオ-Even in Death-" is stealth horror action game that requires trial and error. It tells the story of a young girl who wakes up in a strange and unsettling world, where eerie creatures known as "Ochibito" roam.

Why similar: Horror 24.5%, Psychological Horror 19.4%, Female Protagonist 17.1%, Action-Adventure 12.4%, 2D Platformer 8.2%

Hardcore action platformer with multiple endings that depend on your choices.

Why similar: Difficult 22.1%, Platformer 18.5%, Female Protagonist 13.4%, 2D Platformer 12.1%, Anime 10.2%

Escape from horror anime ghost story in your school's classroom!

Why similar: Horror 31.9%, Female Protagonist 26.4%, Psychological Horror 22%, Action-Adventure 19.7%

You’re stuck inside an abandoned video game, haunted by its own digital decay. In oneway.exe, uncover the mystery of UNTITLED.exe, its three developers, and the evolving Internet eras that once shaped their love. How does your story end? How did it ever begin?

Why similar: Horror 38.5%, Psychological Horror 30.2%, Story Rich 15.8%, Indie 7.8%, 2D 7.7%

The 16-bit nightmare returns. Survive, hide, and avoid the deadly Scissorman in this legendary horror classic.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 29.3%, Retro 21.3%, Psychological Horror 19.8%, Pixel Graphics 14.9%, Horror 9.1%

It is a strange high-rise elevator. The objects that appear and the people you board are all strange. Depending on your actions, you will face a variety of consequences.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.2%, Female Protagonist 18.8%, Surreal 15%, Horror 12.3%, Anime 11.8%

A dark tale of survival and conscience, blending platforming, puzzles, and haunting beauty. Journey through surreal lands where every choice shapes the fate of a world on the edge of ruin will you restore the light or embrace the darkness?

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 24.2%, Horror 16.1%, Platformer 15%, Psychological Horror 13.1%, Female Protagonist 11.2%

Re:Turn 2 is a 2D psychological horror adventure game. The game follows on from the events of the first game. Saki and her fiancé, Sen, are trapped on an abandoned train that is haunted by an evil spirit that takes the form of a little girl named Ayumi.

Why similar: Horror 26.4%, Psychological Horror 24.6%, Female Protagonist 21.2%, Pixel Graphics 12.3%, 2D 8.2%

Solve riddles, puzzles and platforming challenges as you descend the cryptic pathways of a distorted microcosm reality fueled by a symbolic landscape of faith and erotic nightmares.

Why similar: Surreal 17.3%, Precision Platformer 15.7%, Puzzle Platformer 15.4%, Horror 12.4%, Female Protagonist 11.7%

Explore a school plagued by unnatural phenomena in this horror-adventure game revolving around the missing girl Misao. Improving upon 2017's "Definitive Edition" with refreshed graphics and support for HD resolutions, you can now experience the terror in a new form.

Why similar: Surreal 20.6%, Horror 16.6%, Psychological Horror 14.8%, Female Protagonist 14.3%, Anime 13%

Cat in the Box is a horror adventure game. Help the poor girl explore the mansion and escape from unknown entities that are pursuing her. Use a variety of tools and your wits to overcome any challenges you face. At times, you'll even have to wake yourself from nightmares to survive.

Why similar: Horror 44.4%, Psychological Horror 14.1%, Pixel Graphics 10.6%, Female Protagonist 8.3%, Anime 6.9%

REDO! is a game about a girl trying to find another human in a dystopian world overrun by biomachines. It's a lonely and evocative game about exploring the unknown and overcoming obstacles to see what is left.

Why similar: Immersive 18.4% ★, Difficult 18.4%, Female Protagonist 16.8%, Horror 14.8%, Pixel Graphics 8.6%

Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…

Why similar: Surreal 31.7%, Horror 15.8%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Action-Adventure 9.9%, Story Rich 8.1%

A simple 2D action game centered on themes of masochistic tendencies, yearning for death, as well as despair at being attacked by terrifying beings.

Why similar: 2D Platformer 24.8%, Anime 16.7%, Horror 14.3%, Action-Adventure 13.8%, Psychological Horror 10.4%

Tormenture is a psychological horror game where you play as a child trapped in a cursed 8-bit game with a dark secret. To survive, you must find four relics and solve reality-blurring puzzles. But beware—some creatures may escape the game and haunt you in the real world. A game within a game.

Why similar: Immersive 24.1% ★, Surreal 18.9%, Retro 17.2%, Horror 16.8%, Pixel Graphics 8.5%

Embark upon a tragic tale and discover the ravaged world of Elypse! Fight your destiny in an arduous 2D adventure, story rich platformer, in a mesmerising and mysterious world.

Why similar: 2D Platformer 24.5%, Platformer 22%, Female Protagonist 14.7%, Action-Adventure 14.2%, Difficult 6.2%

You are Youngho, a Korean high school student trapped and relentlessly pursued by a psychotic killer in the hellish corridors of Sehwa High. Run, hide, explore, and survive while piecing together the mystery The Coma in this remastered version of the Korean cult classic.

Why similar: Horror 29%, Anime 22.4%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Female Protagonist 8.5%, Indie 8.1%

Adventure through bizarre and intricately made levels in this 2D platformer game.

Why similar: 2D Platformer 37.8%, Platformer 36.4%, Psychological Horror 7.9%, Surreal 6.7%, Horror 5.4%

Wallachia Reign of Dracula is a retro-styled action platformer/shooter game.

Why similar: Indie 23%, Platformer 21.7%, Action 20.7%, Female Protagonist 13.5%, Pixel Graphics 12.7%

Extreme Exorcism is a paranormal platformer where every move you make comes back to haunt you.

Why similar: Platformer 37.5%, Horror 21.3%, Indie 19.8%, Action 10.8%, Pixel Graphics 10.5%

Rose must escape the Cursed Mansion - a demonic space that preys and feeds on fear and despair. In this horror RPG you'll solve puzzles and learn the mansion’s history. Mystery, malignant spirits, and misery everywhere. Cursed Mansion brings an eerie atmosphere which leaves one with goosebumps.

Why similar: Horror 21.7%, Psychological Horror 18.6%, Female Protagonist 16.5%, Anime 12.5%, Pixel Graphics 9.6%

Reflection of Mine is a dark puzzle video game about the dissociative identity disorder. The entire game takes place in the broken mind of Lilly Witchgan and the goal is to discover who is real – Lilly herself or one of her many personalities.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 26.9%, Difficult 22.8%, Psychological Horror 17.2%, Female Protagonist 13.4%, Anime 12.2%

A bite-sized 3D Platformer with a few weird elements.

Why similar: Precision Platformer 22.2%, Platformer 15.6%, Surreal 14.8%, Horror 13.4%, Psychological Horror 10.7%

"Xi" is a horror puzzle game set in the context of modern Chinese folklore. The story takes place in an long-abandoned mountain mansion. This immersive escape room experience feels a bit too real, with eerie and strange elements everywhere—an empty banquet, an endless corridor.

Why similar: 2D Platformer 30.5%, Horror 20.6%, Psychological Horror 20.6%, Pixel Graphics 12%, 2D 8.2%

Highschool student Haneko has forgotten her class assignments and must retrieve them by traversing a world of haunted horrors. Explore the dilapidated halls, find your missing homework, and avoid whatever's lurking around the corner in this bite-sized, retro survival horror experience.

Why similar: Horror 25%, Psychological Horror 22.6%, Retro 21.8%, Female Protagonist 16.5%, Pixel Graphics 10.8%

A young woman returns back to her home in a rural Japanese village - but something is very wrong. Find items, solve puzzles, fight monsters and traverse between dimensions. Help Kario Ito reveal hidden mysteries and stay alive in this retro-styled survival horror!

Why similar: Horror 24.9%, Psychological Horror 21.7%, Female Protagonist 20.8%, Retro 20.3%, Story Rich 12.3%

"INHUMAN" is an independent horror game. The story takes place in the conspiracy of an ancient clan, and the protagonist is in a psychedelic state and can't even distinguish herself. With further exploration and confrontation with all kinds of ghosts, the puzzle will be solved step by step...

Why similar: Horror 24.8%, Psychological Horror 22.5%, Puzzle Platformer 22.2%, Story Rich 11.3%, Action-Adventure 9.5%

Sakura Miko and the Hololive members are suddenly warped into an alternate future timeline. In this 3D adventure game, Miko must reunite with her friends and uncover the truth of this strange world to find her way back home.

Why similar: Anime 21.7%, Psychological Horror 20.7%, Horror 20.5%, Female Protagonist 15.8%, Action-Adventure 9.6%

Relive the nostalgia with OYASUMII, a horror and exploration game inspired by PSX and N64 classics. Enter liminal spaces and face surreal terrors in an adventure that challenges your skills and sanity. Are you ready to relive the golden age of video games with OYASUMII?

Why similar: Surreal 31.9%, Horror 25.2%, Psychological Horror 22.1%, Retro 20.8%