Deal | 8 hours of survival: Well-rated horror game now free on Steam

“They've haunted you for too long. Tonight they want to strike, but you're no longer helpless,” is how the developers at Sine Coda introduce their game. Paragnosia is a horror experience that relies less on grotesque creatures and more on a pervasive sense of creeping unease. Instead of obvious threats, players are confronted with subtle yet dangerous anomalies and the constant doubt of whether they have truly noticed every detail around them.

Paragnosia drops players into a dark, oppressive apartment where the objective is simple: survive the night. The only way to defend yourself against the anomalies is to detect them and capture them on camera. To do so, you monitor the rooms using a 360-degree camera that moves along rails mounted to the ceiling. You must make it through eight in-game hours while identifying as many irregularities as possible. The catch is that you never fully know what to look for. Some anomalies are subtle, such as faint shadows, while others are far more disturbing, including rotating eyes staring out from a washing machine. Each anomaly you fail to detect costs you one of your six protective seals. If all of them are lost, the night ends in defeat. According to the developers, a full playthrough takes between 45 and 180 minutes.

Players have praised Paragnosia for its unsettling atmosphere and the wide range of anomalies it presents. This positive reception is reflected in its ratings, with 89% of roughly 220 Steam reviews recommending the game. Criticism has centered on the use of AI-generated assets and the relatively short playtime. However, at its regular price of around $4, many players consider it good value.

Free to claim on Steam

According to SteamDB, Paragnosia is available to claim for free on Steam for the first time since its release in October 2024. The offer runs until February 23 and may be particularly appealing to handheld players. Compatibility with the Steam Deck is listed as “Playable,” making it a solid option for gaming on the go.

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