The Thing at the Window

The Thing at the Window

VladiMatt · October 24, 2022 · Difficult, First-Person, Horror, Action, Thriller

The Thing at the Window is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Mixed47% · 15
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

The Thing at the Window price

The Thing at the Window is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About The Thing at the Window

This game contains flickering/flashing lights and loud noises.

The Thing at the Window is a short horror game that was initially developed from December 2018 through October 2019 and then shelved for a few years while we took a break to experiment with other ideas. Please note that while the game is playable it's still in alpha so expect it to be rather rough around the edges. I strongly suggest playing in the dark with headphones for the most immersive experience (which I mean, it's a horror game so that kind of goes without saying). The game can be kind of LOUD at times but that is by design. I don't recommend turning the volume down too much or you won't be able to hear crucial audio cues.


You live with your father in the rural American midwest. He left you home alone while he's out of town for the weekend, and you heard on the radio that there's a large storm heading your way.

You live in a rather underdeveloped part of the country so you're off the power grid, but fortunately your dad's pretty handy and he's wired up your old farmhouse to a gas generator, which you moved to the basement to keep it out of the storm. The basement smells kind of funny and it's really hazy down there, but it should be okay for now. There's a big fuel tank outside where you can refill your jerry can, and dad refilled it before he left. There's also a big pile of wooden boards out front from when your dad renovated the barn over the summer, so you can use those to board up the windows just in case.

The storm should be here soon and you're as prepared as you can be, but still you feel uneasy; something's not quite right... you feel as if something's lurking out there, watching.


Your goal is to survive three nights of the Thing trying to force its way into your home, by barricading doors and windows. The thing really doesn't like light, so you can drive it away with your rechargeable flashlight. You can also "reinforce" parts of the house by turning lights on, which will slow the thing's attacks at the cost of draining more power and needing to refill the generator more frequently.

The Thing at the Window — game info

Platforms
Windows
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Player modes
Single-player
Controller
Partial controller support
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

The Thing at the Window creates an effectively scary atmosphere that initially terrifies players, but the core gameplay struggles with balance issues that frustrate many. The main complaint centers on the alien moving too quickly to counter—it breaks through defenses faster than players can repair them, making survival feel unfair rather than challenging. Some players do find the horror elements compelling once they adapt to the pace, though others feel the basic mechanics and lack of recent updates make it more tedious than enjoyable.

Not recommended Sep 1, 2025
Alien breaks things down too fast and you lose too easy.
2 found this helpful
Not recommended Apr 20, 2024
Tutorial was ok. Alien moves too fast from window to window, could not survive night 1. Rating: 4/10
2 found this helpful
Recommended Oct 11, 2025
I love the game a lot a first you get very scared and dont know what to do, but i got the hang of it 9/10 horror game
1 found this helpful
Not recommended May 29, 2026
It's basic, and doesn't really feel fun to play. The alien is kind of fast when it's breaking in, and when you're outside grabbing boards and he's already broken off two by the time you get to him, it feels kinda poopy.
Recommended Nov 9, 2025
Игра "The Thing at the Window" — это настоящий подарок для любителей атмосферных хорроров. С первых минут она погружает в гнетущую атмосферу изоляции и паранойи. Графика, хоть и не претендует на фотореализм, прекрасно справляется с созданием нужного настроения, а звуковое сопровождение – отдельное произведение искусства, заставляющее вздрагивать от каждого шороха. Механики игры просты, но эффективны. Вам предстоит не столько сражаться, сколько выживать, используя смекалку и ограниченные ресурсы. Главный козырь – это, конечно, само "Нечто". Его непредсказуемое поведение и способность принимать различные формы держат в постоянном напряжении. Каждый новый взгляд в окно может обернуться шоком. Сюжет развивается постепенно, раскрывая мрачные тайны и заставляя сомневаться в каждом встреченном персонаже. Игра затягивает и не отпускает до самого финала, оставляя послевкусие тревоги и удовлетворения от пройденного испытания. Это тот случай, когда действительно чувствуешь себя запертым в холодной, темной комнате с неизвестной угрозой за стеклом.
Not recommended Apr 2, 2025
"Mom can we have the man from the window?" (mom) We have man from the window at home." man from the window at home. All jokes a side this game is trash the game play is horrible he breaks the boards in 2 seconds flat. The last update was 2 years ago and even though it was free i will always say it is a waste of money.

Community reviews

—

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.

More like The Thing at the Window

News

All news →
Games like Undertale that remember what you didPC

Games like Undertale that remember what you did

Undertale's own listing calls it the RPG where you don't have to destroy anyone. Games like Undertale that keep that idea: permanent choices, fights you can talk past, worlds that notice.

Nov 14, 2026
Games like Slay the Spire that keep the branching climbPC

Games like Slay the Spire that keep the branching climb

Most games like Slay the Spire copy the cards and lose the map. These keep the risky-or-safe choice, from a three-floor train to a deck made of poker hands.

Nov 14, 2026
Bodycam game price: what the zombie update changes about buyingPC

Bodycam game price: what the zombie update changes about buying

The Dead & Damned put Bodycam's zombies back on 13 November. What our dated record says about the Bodycam game price, and why the store's end date matters more than the sticker.

Nov 14, 2026
SilkMU is our new partner: MU Online Season 6 in a browser tabBlog

SilkMU is our new partner: MU Online Season 6 in a browser tab

SilkMU, a MU Online Season 6 server that runs in a browser tab or as an app, opened on 6 November 2026 and is now our partner. What it offers, what is free and what costs WCoin.

Nov 13, 2026
Games like Dying Light, where nightfall changes the rulesPC

Games like Dying Light, where nightfall changes the rules

Games like Dying Light are easy to find if you only want parkour or only want zombies. These eight keep the part that matters: a city that becomes a different place after dark.

Nov 13, 2026
Games like Portal 2, where one idea carries the whole gamePC

Games like Portal 2, where one idea carries the whole game

Games like Portal 2 all share one habit: teach a single impossible trick, then spend a campaign breaking it. From rewinding objects through time to Escher geometry that loops back on itself.

Nov 13, 2026
Planet Coaster DLC: skip the collection, buy the packsBundles

Planet Coaster DLC: skip the collection, buy the packs

The Planet Coaster DLC catalogue closed in 2019, so there is no curve left to wait out. Our record shows the collection bundle costs far more than assembling the same packs one by one.

Nov 13, 2026
Toxic Commando Game Pass: subscribe, or buy the key?Xbox

Toxic Commando Game Pass: subscribe, or buy the key?

The Toxic Commando Game Pass add landed on 12 November. Our price record since late September shows the key route barely moved, which changes what a subscription is worth.

Nov 13, 2026

Top games right now

All rankings →
  1. 1Counter-Strike 2Free
  2. 2Dota 2Free
  3. 3PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSFree
  4. 4Grand Theft Auto V Legacy—
  5. 5Terraria$2.08
  6. 6Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeFree
  7. 7Rust$20.19
  8. 8Garry's Mod$6.21
  9. 9Team Fortress 2Free
  10. 10Black Myth: Wukong$35.72
  11. 11HELLDIVERS™ 2$23.99
  12. 12ELDEN RING$38.88
  13. 13Apex Legends™Free
  14. 14Left 4 Dead 2$9.99
  15. 15Stardew Valley$12.11
  16. 16Wallpaper Engine$3.93
  17. 17Cyberpunk 2077$17.99
  18. 18Euro Truck Simulator 2$4.99
  19. 19Dead by Daylight$6.83
  20. 20Red Dead Redemption 2$13.71
  21. 21The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt$9.77
  22. 22Baldur's Gate 3$53.57
  23. 23Phasmophobia$15.19
  24. 24War ThunderFree