The Paperman

Psychological horror about a child investigating a forest legend on Halloween

Proto1Studios · Released Dec 20, 2019

Reviews: Mixed; 69% of 351
Recent reviews: Not enough recent
Players: 0; daily peak, Oct 28, 2026
Steam Deck: Unsupported
Last update on Steam: 6 years ago; Dec 17, 2019
Minimum PC: GTX 970; 8 GB RAM · 6 GB disk; Full requirements

What is The Paperman?

A free single-player psychological horror game set in the United States on Halloween night in 1978. As ten-year-old Sam, you record footage for homework and explore levels while investigating a legend about a paper man in the woods. You can play with or without VR, but Oculus Rift is not compatible.

For you if...

+you prefer exploration over frequent jump scares

Not for you if...

−you want a lengthy horror campaign

What players say

69% of 351 reviews are positive

Players praise the atmosphere, visuals, and psychological horror. Repeated complaints concern the game opening the developer’s website in a browser without warning; players also report crashes, excessively loud audio, and an abrupt ending.

Screenshots and trailer

The Paperman system requirements

Minimum: GTX 970, 8 GB RAM, 6 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

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Minimum

OS: Windows 7
Processor: i5 4690K
Graphics: GTX 970
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Storage: 6 GB available space
DirectX: Version 11

Does The Paperman have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Single-player

Does The Paperman run on Steam Deck?

Unsupported No: Valve rates it Unsupported on Steam Deck.

Graphics settings cannot be configured to run well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows
Steam features: Family Sharing
Languages: Full audio: English.

Does The Paperman use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam