If Resident Evil were set in a doll's house, it might look something like Alisa—The Awakening, which swaps zombies for murderous life-size dolls, but keeps the shooting and the puzzling, and is set in a very similar creepy mansion.
Compared to a lot of indie survival horrors, this is less like a prototype, and more like a fully fleshed-out game (albeit the demo for one), featuring voice-acting, item puzzles, and even an introductory CGI video to set the scene. Yeah, it feels like a budget PS1 game rather than something Capcom would have put their name to, but it's clear that a lot of work has been put into Alisa.
While it references Resident Evil, it actually reminds me more of the PS2-era survival horrors, such as Rule of Rose or Haunting Ground, which were generally a lot weirder, and more interesting, than those of the previous generation. If you miss the glory days of survival horror—and you don't mind tank controls—then you're probably already downloading this free demo. (Ta, Alpha Beta Gamer.)
For more great free experiences, check out our roundup of the best free PC games.
