Game On! Top 10 Spooky Games to Get Into the Halloween Spirit
We are coming upon the spookiest time of the year! I don’t know about you guys but I am ready for pumpkin spice lattes, crunchy leaves, and the overwhelming heat leaving us. The change in weather might mean that some of us will be choosing to spend more time indoors and booting up the old faithful gaming console. With October here, you may be looking to get into the Halloween spirit with some games that err more on the spooky side. Here I have rounded up 10 games, from light and mysterious to spine-chilling and heart-stopping, to help set the mood for the season. For this installment, I’ve decided to use my own ‘spoopy scale’ to measure the level of horror; low means very few jumpscares and is more mystery focused and the highest rating speaks for itself.
10. Night In The Woods
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, MacOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Trigger Warnings (TW): mentions of abuse, suicide, self-harm, and sexual assault
Night in the Woods follows Mae Borowski who has just returned to her small hometown after dropping out of college. Mae discovers how time has passed in her sleepy town while she’s been away, has adventures with her childhood friends, and discovers the town’s darkest secrets. Maybe some things are better when left alone…
This game is good for those looking for something a little lower stakes but still wanting an engaging story with some horror and thrills. It’s very easy to relate to the characters through understanding their individual struggles and personalities. The friendships you pursue — and neglect — will influence the choices available to you later. Night in the Woods will make you do a lot of things: laugh, cry, and think about yourself and the world around you.
Spoopy level: low
8. The Witch’s House MV
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Windows, MacOS,
TW: violence; gore; death; body horror
Viola wakes up in the middle of the woods with no memory of how she got there. She finds herself drawn to a mysterious abandoned mansion, compelled to investigate. Take care as you investigate! Even a single misstep can end in dire consequences…
There are three different endings achievable depending on the choices you make through Viola’s journey. The Witch’s House is reminiscent of the old-school pixelated RPGs of my childhood which makes it endearing, despite its horrifying content. This game might have one of the best-executed plot twists that completely took me by surprise.
Spoopy level: Moderate
7. Soma
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, MacOS, Linux
TW: violence; gore; death
Soma is one of Frictional Games’ finest pieces of work. You start the game as Simon Jarrett who is undergoing a brain scan after a major car wreck caused him serious injuries. During the procedure, Simon blacks out and awakens in what seems to be an abandoned underwater base. It’s up to Simon to piece together what has happened. How did he get here, and how he can make it home? Wherever that may be…
Soma is a purely psychological horror driven game that makes you consider some deep and dark questions. It explores the question that has troubled philosophers and plagued humanity for eons: what makes us truly ‘us’? It is the one game that I have played that I will never be able to go back to.
Spoopy level: Moderate
6. The Medium
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, Nintendo Switch, macOS
TW: death; suicide; body horror; sexual assault; domestic abuse
The Medium is one of the more recent games from Bloober Team, and utilises some unique effects to tell the story. The game follows Marianne, a young woman who can see and communicate with the spirits of the departed. After the death of her father, Marianne receives a strange phone call beckoning her to venture out into the Polish countryside with the promise of revealing to her where exactly her clairvoyant powers come from. Marianne will have to learn to work with the powers she has to find out why she was cursed this way.
Bloober Team uses a unique split screen visual to show how Marianne’s experiences in the spirit world affect her in the living realm. Haunted by shadowy figures, you will quickly discover that not all spirits are harmless and that the constant urge to look over your shoulder might be for a good reason. Overall, The Medium is a game that pays homage to the horror games of old that we all loved, like the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill games.
Spoopy level: Moderate
5. Resident Evil 2, 2019 remake
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Windows, MacOS,
TW: excessive violence; gore; death
Whilst all Resident Evil games are equally spooky and horror-filled, my recommendation is specifically for the Resident Evil 2 2019 remake. Play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield in a single playthrough as they tackle what seems to be the end of the world. Raccoon City is overrun by zombies and something large seems to be stalking our protagonists from the shadows.
There is a soft spot in my heart for the Resident Evil 2 2019 remake; it was my first introduction to the Resident Evil franchise. More action-based than some other entries, but still very firmly stuffed to the brim with horrors. Having limited supplies, such as ammunition and health kits, means that you are constantly on edge trying to figure out if fight or flight is the best response to the enemies snapping at your heels.
Spoopy level: Moderate
4. Detention
Available platforms: Playstation, Windows, MacOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Android
TW: violence; murder; suicide; spirituality; substance abuse; sexuality;
Detention is set in a fictional 1960s Taiwan, where the country is under martial law and certain reading materials have been banned. You play as Wei, a student that suddenly wakes up in the middle of school after falling asleep during class. Other than your fellow student Ray, you find the school abandoned and impossible to leave. You must solve the mysteries hidden within the school whilst avoiding the ‘lingered’ if you want any chance of escape…
The game is a 2D side scroller that has its own unique visual style: Black and white gameplay with only hints of brighter colours make it seem as though you are playing through a photograph. The ominous and atmospheric soundtrack works well to create a sense of dread and anticipation. After all, you never know what could be lurking around the next corner….
Spoopy level: Moderate
3. Phasmophobia
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Windows
TW: Flashing lights; violence; death
In Phasmophobia you play as ghost hunters that have been given a contract to figure out what is haunting the chosen location. This is a unique entry as you can play alone, or with up to three friends. By successfully completing a contract, you will receive money that will allow you to purchase and upgrade equipment. On the other hand, death at the hands of the ghost means that you will lose all your hard earned equipment. Choose wisely…
With numerous locations, and over twenty different ghost types, this is a game that has the most replayability factor. The game recently had a massive update that completely changed how it worked and reset every player back to level 1. If you were too afraid to try it before, or maybe feeling a bit left behind compared to those that had been playing a while, now would be the perfect time to jump in.
Spoopy level: Mad spoopy
3. The Devil in Me
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Windows
TW: death; gore; excessive violence
The Devil in Me is the last game in ‘The Dark Pictures Anthology’ first season. It is loosely based around the serial killer H. H. Holmes and his murder castle, and the title comes from the words he spoke after confessing to the murders he committed: “I was born with the devil in me”. You control the fate of five characters, a film crew investigating serial killers. For their big series finale they are invited to visit a replica of H. H. Holmes’ famous castle. However, something is not right. Their mysterious benefactor fled after a walkthrough of the place and something peculiar is afoot….
One of the most interesting factors in the game, which adds to its replayability factor, is the use of the butterfly effect. Players are given a wide range of options to lead the story; some harmless and some leading to certain death. The survival of all five protagonists depends on decisions you will have to make, and regardless of your choices, the game carries on.
Spoopy level: mad spoopy
2. Outlast
Available platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch
TW: Flashing lights; gore; death, mutilation; self-harm; suicide; cannibalism; necrophilia
This is a bit of a cheat! The Outlast series has three games to date (and has DLC for the first game) and I recommend them all. This game really redefined horror games way back in 2013, as instead of the classic combat-based gameplay, Outlast draws horror from being completely helpless and removes combat altogether. You are forced to strategically slink through the shadows to avoid the numerous enemies. You play as Miles Upshur, who is investigating the remote Mount Massive Asylum after receiving correspondence from a whistleblower that something strange is afoot…
Outlast is probably one of the scariest games I’ve ever played, but what makes it that way? Well, one of the first things you are told is ‘you are not a fighter.’ Your only choices are to flee or hide from the enemies that stalk you. In every other game I’ve played I’ve at least been able to combat the enemies in some way. Another way the game limits you is the management of batteries. It is essential to see at all times and the night-vision mode on your camera will guzzle batteries like there is no tomorrow, leaving you in the darkness at the worst possible moment if you don’t manage their usage carefully.
Spoopy level: Mad spoopy
1. The Mortuary Assistant
Available platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch
TW: Flashing lights; gore; death; self-harm; suicide; body horror; graphic medical procedures
Probably the most recent game, but also the scariest by far. Rebecca has just been hired to embalm corpses at River Fields Mortuary. For a moment things look dicey, and her job could be on the line, however late one night her boss, Raymond, calls her in to work on some new cadavers for her first solo shift. What could go wrong…?
The fact that the game’s jump-scares and events are completely randomised helps to set the atmospheric tone, especially the longer the night goes on. There are various endings available so you are guaranteed to be clocking back into the mortuary for numerous shifts to get the full story.
Spoopy level: ‘will very likely induce a heart attack’ spoopy
