It’s the Halloween season yet again, and what better way to celebrate the spooky season than with some equally spooky horror games? Check out our recommendations on what to play this Halloween 2024!
The Best Horror Games To Play For Halloween
For Different Types Of Scares And Thrills
October has rolled around, and so has the eeriness and spookiness of the Halloween season! It’s better to celebrate with the perfect thrilling horror game, in the true spirit of Halloween. From psychological horror that gets you thinking long after the game has ended, survival horror that will keep you on your toes from trying your best to stay alive, or perhaps you’re looking for something a little more non-conventional—we’ve got you covered! Here are some recommendations for a solo adventure or a tag-team night with some friends this Halloween!
For Psychological Horror That Muddles Your Mind
Mouthwashing
As strange as its title is for a horror game, it makes up for it with its compelling narrative and thrilling twists. Mouthwashing takes you into the vast expanse of space where a space freighter and its five-person crew find themselves stranded after an asteroid crash. Lost in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact the outside world, they’re doomed to slowly perish with their quickly dwindling resources…and sanity. Players will watch an agonizing journey through the crew’s last few months, uncovering the stories of each member of the crew as well as hidden secrets. After all, it’s all they can really do.
This indie first-person psychological horror title has made waves online for its plot and atmospheric horror, with many players praising it as a piece of art. While a short game in its entirety, it’s sure to leave a lasting impression.
Still Wakes The Deep
Still Wakes the Deep is a first-person narrative horror that puts you into the seafaring boots of the protagonist, who works as an offshore oil rig worker. An unprecedented disaster strikes the oil rig you’re working at, and you must navigate the slowly collapsing rig through a vicious storm, freezing waters, perilous surroundings…and an otherworldly horror that has found itself aboard. All exits are gone, all lines of outside communication have been affected—will you be able to save yourself and your crewmates? Use your wit and stealth, running, climbing, and swimming through water-logged corridors while keeping out of harm’s way from the terrifying foe that stops at nothing to make sure you don’t get out of here alive. Be careful—one wrong step might just be your last.
The dreadful setting of the game already gives the perfect ambiance; stuck in a sinking oil rig in the middle of the harsh North Sea, targeting in on the feeling of helplessness. The experience is further enhanced by a haunting soundtrack, stunning graphics, and adrenaline-pumping gameplay that will sure keep you on your toes.
INDIKA
While this title is not your traditional horror in a sense, it still delivers with its dark tale and unsettling atmosphere. Set in the turn of XIX century Russia where religious visions clash with reality, INDIKA tells the story of a young nun who embarks on a journey of self-discovery with a companion that a nun of all people should be wary of—the devil himself. This psychological narrative puzzle-adventure game follows the titular Indika as she sets off and away from the safe walls of the monastery she resides in, tasked with an errand to fulfill. Now all alone (er, sort of), she will have to fight the temptations of the outside world and the Evil One…and find out more about herself. Join her on her adventure full of tragedy and hints of comedy!
In addition to its interesting plot and bouts of dark humor, INDIKA also blends two graphic styles together in one game, with some scenes being realistic while also having several 8-bit-style segments. It illustrates a part of the story really well, and really gives a representation of Indika’s inner struggles.
For Survival And Slasher Horror With Action
Silent Hill 2 Remake
A well-loved PS2 game makes its long-awaited comeback, and it has delivered its best to the high expectations of fans and new Silent Hill players everywhere. Step once again into the shoes of James Sunderland, a young man brought back to the town of Silent Hill after a mysterious letter from his wife, Mary, beckons him to come for her…but Mary’s long passed away. Surely, it can’t be her? However, James pushes through, determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and find his missing wife. Although, this peculiar ghost town seems to make it a difficult ordeal for him, as the town is plagued by grotesque monsters that hinder him from achieving his goal. Will you be able to stay through until the end and find Mary?
The remake improves on several parts of the original, such as new locations and buildings that were originally inaccessible, as well as a new over-the-shoulder perspective that puts players closer to what James actually sees, providing a more immersive experience as you walk through the chilling roads and corridors of this ghost town.
Alone in the Dark
Another remake makes it onto the list, bringing in a wonderful modern reimagination to the original 1992 title. Alone in the Dark is a psychological survival horror with a Southern Gothic charm where players will once again return to Derceto Manor in Louisiana as Emily Hartwood and private investigator Edward Carnby embark on a quest to unravel the mysteries of the manor and find answers to their own pressing questions. However, it’s not a simple walk in the park—our protagonist duo will frequently be challenged to face their own demons and question all they’ve ever known as more secrets are unveiled.
The game boasts a stellar voice-acting cast, bringing the characters to life, coupled with a “doom jazz” soundtrack that haunts you even after you set the controller (or keyboard) down. Its “deep psychological story” is also written by well-known cult horror writer Mikael Hedberg of Amnesia and SOMA fame.
Hollowbody
Hollowbody is a tech-noir short survival horror, set in the decaying remains of a long abandoned British city. Brought to the city ruins on a mission to find your missing partner Sasha, you quickly find yourself trapped within its walls after your hover short-circuits in the exclusion zone and sends you crashing into its ghostly streets. With no way to communicate with the outside world, you must now find a way out of these suffocating walls…alive.
The game has taken inspiration from early 2000s horror titles like the earlier mentioned Silent Hill 2, and definitely gives off the same atmosphere. While the game is easily completed within a span of a few hours, it’s a well-made indie horror title that will surely give you a good dose of Halloween scares.
Until Dawn Remake
Relive the nightmare in Until Dawn in this gripping slasher horror where your choices will determine everyone’s fate. Eight friends return to a winter lodge in the mountains for a relaxing get-together, only for this vacation to quickly turn into a nightmarish hell with no escape. Traverse through this living nightmare while also getting to the bottom of this strange mystery, as well as finding out what exactly happened in this cursed land two years ago. Will you be able to save all eight from this torment…in one piece?
The remake promises the same spine-chilling and adrenaline-pumping thriller experience with rich and enhanced visuals, as well as new collectibles, sequences, and paths to tread. A new musical score has also been added, amping the suspense up a notch. Even if you have played the original back in 2015, the remake will surely deliver a whole new experience!
For Something A Little Different
Animal Well
If you’re up for some haunting horror with Metroidvania-style gameplay and puzzles, Animal Well is the game for you. Waking up from your little flower, you find yourself in a dark and dense labyrinth full of secrets to discover. This pixelated wonder is full of creatures both small and large, but all equally ominous. What exactly are you, and what are you doing here? Find out through exploring its expansive world and solving puzzles that get you closer to the answers you seek.
Home Safety Hotline
Step into the world of analog horror with Home Safety Hotline. This analog horror-inspired telephone operator simulator puts you in the shoes of an operator of the titular Home Safety Hotline, answering callers’ various questions about the peculiar happenings taking place in their homes. Do your best to help the customers with their problems ranging from common pests and household hazards to…something more unsettling. Perhaps, even you yourself, aren’t safe from them.
Shinkansen 0
Japanese indie horror developer Chilla’s Art has done it again with Shinkansen 0, an eerie game set in Japan inside the famous shinkansen, where you are tasked with finding anomalies within each segment of the bullet train. Pretty easy…however, you’re not entirely alone. Despite being a very short game, you might find yourself playing longer than intended with all the anomalies and scares that are waiting for you behind the doors.
POOLS
If you’re looking for a title that doesn’t require you to do much, but still delivers with its uncanny and eerie atmosphere, look no further than POOLS. Essentially a walking simulator at its core (and with a disclaimer that no monsters are chasing you or jumping toward you at any point), it should be relaxing and easy to play. However, there’s something about its overall atmosphere that strikes fear in the player’s heart, feeling oppressive and unnerving at times. Is there really nothing behind you…?
