Ethan Crossfield 
Free game giveaways are one of the fastest ways for PC players to expand their libraries without spending extra, and this week’s horror drop is a good example. If you want two short, narrative-driven scares for free, Itch.io is offering Decrypt and Within—until July 13.
Two horror titles are free-to-claim on Itch.io until July 13
PC gamers currently have multiple storefronts that regularly rotate free promotions, and Itch.io is now hosting a time-limited offer for horror fans. The platform is letting players claim two games—Decrypt and Within—completely free of charge.
Both titles are published by Crux Game Studios and are being given away to celebrate the studio’s recent announcement of its upcoming game, Drift. In other words, this isn’t a random discount: it’s a promotion tied to what’s next for the developer.
The deadline matters. The giveaway for Decrypt and Within is set to expire on July 13, 2026, at 12:23 AM ET. After you claim them to your Itch.io account, you can download the games later, but the claim window is the part that closes first.
The games are designed to be quick. Decrypt is estimated at roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour, while Within is described as taking around 30 minutes to beat. Despite the short playtime, both are positioned as bite-sized thrills with intense scares and original soundtracks.
What to expect from Decrypt and Within
While both games aim for horror atmosphere, their settings are notably different.
Within takes place in an office building, leaning into a confined, everyday-location kind of tension. Decrypt, by contrast, has strong sci-fi vibes. The game centers on a ship called the ISS Travan, where players investigate a mystery involving its crew.
The developer characterizes both experiences as narrative-focused adventures, and player comments on the respective pages are described as extremely positive—particularly around how strong the stories feel even when the games are short.
How to claim (and why timing is everything)
To pick up the games, you’ll need an Itch.io account. From there, the process is straightforward: visit each game’s store page, choose the option to download or claim, and then follow the prompt about donating to the developer. If you don’t want to donate, you can select the option to skip donations and proceed directly to the downloads. After claiming, the titles remain available in your Itch.io library.
This is also a reminder that free giveaways on PC aren’t always heavily advertised. The source context points to other ongoing promotions across major storefronts, including a Steam free weekend promotion running until July 13 and Epic Games Store free giveaways that extend later than the Itch.io deadline. Still, if horror is your priority, the Itch.io window is the one you should treat as urgent.
Key points
- Decrypt and Within are both free-to-claim on Itch.io until July 13, 2026 (12:23 AM ET).
- Both games come from Crux Game Studios and are tied to the announcement of Drift.
- After claiming, you can download later, but you must claim before the deadline.
- Within is set in an office building; Decrypt takes place aboard the ISS Travan.
Free horror claims currently highlighted in the source
| Platform | Games | Cost | Claim deadline (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itch.io | Decrypt; Within | Free | July 13, 2026, 12:23 AM ET |
Expert View
This kind of targeted giveaway signals that smaller studios are leaning into storefront ecosystems to build goodwill and attention ahead of upcoming releases. For the community, short narrative horror titles are especially likely to spread through word-of-mouth—because players can finish them quickly and share impressions. For the market, it reinforces that “free” on PC isn’t just about big publishers; indie horror releases can still generate momentum when they time promotions around studio announcements and upcoming projects.
