‘Tis the season of doom and gloom, where pumpkins decorate the streets outside, and a strange, unsettling air lingers. On the cusp of Halloween, what better way to get into the spirit, and indulge in a love for all things creepy and scary, than to play horror video games?
There’s so much room to move in this definition. Horror video games can be anything. They can creep you out, or jump scare you. They can send zombies and vampires to your door. They can even make you question the nature of living, and your place in the universe. But they can also be sweet and reassuring, and speak to your inner feelings. They can provide a reassurance, while opening your eyes to the world.
This Halloween, take some time to indulge in your favourite horror video games, in whatever form they take. Spend some time with zombies in Resident Evil 4. Take on the darkness in Alan Wake 2. You could even go deep sea fishing in Dave the Diver. It’s fun to scare yourself silly, and spend some time with the ghoulies.
If you’re struggling for recommendations, or you’re just looking to expand your horror game horizons, here’s the ScreenHub picks for the best horror video games to play this Halloween.
The best Halloween video games – quick links
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is an ambitious horror sequel that tells dual narratives within a surreal, Lynchian world. You play as both Alan Wake – a writer trapped beneath a mysterious supernatural lake – and his rescuer, FBI agent Saga Anderson, as they work to defeat the forces of darkness, and unravel the mystery of Wake’s final fate.
This game really is an incredible horror experience, filled with creepy jump scares and a sense of dread that grows with each passing chapter. But there’s plenty here for action-adventure fans too, with a neat balance of terror and power fantasy that makes it one of the must-play video games for Halloween.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is one of the best Resident Evil video games of all time. There might be debate around stating this definitively, but given it’s critically-acclaimed, and genuinely brilliant, I don’t think it’ll cause too much fuss to say so. While less horror-oriented than other video games in the franchise, with a plot that leans more into the action genre, there’s still plenty of creepy, cool surprises in this game.
It really is a perfect storm. Resident Evil 4 is defined by well-designed puzzles, sleek and satisfying gunplay, and a menagerie of enemies you’ll want to defeat with all your might. If you’re looking to be creeped out, but not too scared, this is a very approachable horror game that feels perfect for a Halloween playthrough.
Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver isn’t one of the first video games you’ll think of when you’re ruminating on the best horror games around. But the moment you enter its lower depths and encounter your first shark or whale, you’ll absolutely understand how scary it can be.
You play as a lone diver in this adventure, fishing for various ingredients to deliver to a sushi restaurant. Your path through this game takes you all the way from lovely, cosy shallows to the shadowy ocean floor, where strange and uncanny horrors lurk around every corner. This game brims with light-touch horror, but it’s still horror, all the same.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (the original, not the newly-released sequel) is an excellent horror adventure. While it is fairly janky – it was developed and released in the early 2000s, with plenty of bugs – once you get past this, you’ll find an excellent vampire simulator that really lets you embody a creature of the night.
Entering the game, you’ll pick a faction to join, and then set off on a dark, grimy odyssey through city streets, completing various quests for a menagerie of wonderful freaks. For those who love a noir tale, or horror video games in general, this is a rough but very shiny gem.
Cube Escape Collection
Cube Escape Collection is the closest you’ll get to Twin Peaks, in game form. It’s a collection of mini point-and-click adventure video games, each following a unique thread in the tale of detective Dale Vandermeer, a character who largely resembles Twin Peaks‘ Dale Cooper.
In each of these tales, you’re presented with a unique conundrum, and must visit multiple different escape rooms, to solve various puzzles. There’s a very neat sense of logic flow in each solution, but you must pay attention to your surrounds. It’s all about observation and experimentation – and in some cases, having a very strong stomach. These games do get very creepy as the plot evolves, making Cube Escape Collection a perfect Halloween companion.
The Darkside Detective
A short jump away from Cube Escape Collection, Spooky Doorway’s The Darkside Detective is another Twin Peaks-inspired point-and-click adventure game. Here, you play as the titular Darkside Detective, Francis McQueen, as he investigates all sorts of supernatural mysteries and shenanigans, from the encroachment of gremlins, to the haunting of ghosts.
This game has more of a focus on comedy than horror, which makes it perfect for anyone looking for a spooky, supernatural time without the potential baggage of jump scares or nightmares. It really is just very, very funny, with its supernatural theme elevating fun, moreish gameplay.
Birth
Birth is a beautiful, melancholy puzzle game that follows a lonely young person looking for companionship, who decides to build their own creature from spare bones and organs. With a lush, minimalist art style, the game invites you on a light-hearted but grisly journey across a town of skeleton creatures, with various puzzles to solve.
As you roam town, you’ll find various rooms of strange puzzles and clues, and it’s all up to you to put these together. Without dialogue, you might occasionally find yourself lost in Birth, but there is a novel video games logic backing each and every discovery here. Think deeply, and you’ll always be able to find your way.
The Drifter
The Drifter is an excellent sci-fi horror adventure from Melbourne studio, Powerhoof. The further you travel into this game, the more it becomes a horror, with its winding, time-looping plot eventually revealing strange and discombobulating terrors.
From the ScreenHub review: ‘Between sharp, breathy voice acting, a tightly-written narrative, and well-designed puzzles, this game will have you desperately clawing onwards, searching for the bright light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the sort of game you’ll devour, given the chance, buoyed by such a grimy, richly-textured sense of personality and flair.’
Malys
Malys is an excellent option if you’re looking for horror-themed video games this Halloween. Newly-released by Australian studio Summerfall, this game follows a former priest turned exorcist who must fight back against an unholy order of demons, who are attempting to take over his city.
From the ScreenHub preview: ‘Malys has a bright and creative approach to deck-building, and exploring the world of the supernatural … it brims with a charm that demands attention.’ Here, the gameplay loop is moreish, the art is very stylish, and the spooky horror vibes are immaculate. You can’t look past this game as a Halloween treat.
