The last few years havev seen a resurgence in the horror genre for video games, with all-time classic series making a return and brand new games trying drastically different things to shake the genre up. With the Halloween season upon us, there’s no better time to jump in and scare yourself silly. We’ve compiles a list of some great recent horror games to play for Halloween.
As a note we’ve stuck to more recent entries that you might not have played yet this year, rather than all-time classics like Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, or Amnesia.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Soma
Soma comes from the minds at Frictional Games, the same team behind the terrifying Amnesia series. While there’s a huge change in scenery, switching to sci-fi, the sense of dread and tension in Amnesia still permeates all of Soma. The game takes place in the underwater research station of PATHOS-II, which originally functioned as a mass driver to send objects into space.
The crew of the station unexpectedly become the last humans alive after an extinction-level event, and the machines inside PATHOS-II begin to develop consciousness.
Soma is so terrifying because of the way it uses psychological horror, instead of relying on your typical jump scares. The narratives hooks you early on and keeps you there, and it’s more about dealing with the horror of reality than any mind-blowing event. If you’re looking for a more thoughtful horror game this Halloween, Soma should definitely be your choice.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Alien Isolation
The Alien series has long been renowned as one of the best sci-fi horror franchises out there, and Alien Isolation finally delivered on what an Alien video game could be. The game follows the Amanda Ripley, the daughter of the original Alien protagonist, Ellen Ripley.
Fifteen years after the original film, Amanda is trying to investigate the disappearance of her mother, and has to explore the abandoned space station Sevastopol.
Isolation puts a big emphasis on survival horror and tension, as a Xenomorph stalks you throughout the space station. The game gets it right by painting the Xenomorph as a hulking monstrosity that you just don’t stand a chance against. Every single encounter with the Alien ratchets the dread up to a ridiculous level, and it’s only strengthened by the game’s audio and visual design.
You do get weapons during the game, but limited ammo makes it a much better option to use stealth and evade the enemies you go up against. Isolation sticks to the classic style of the Alien franchise, and it’s a great addition to the series, and horror gaming in general.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
The Inpatient
VR has so much potential for the world of horror, and the Inpatient taps into that potential. The Inpatient is set in the same world as Until Dawn, the cult horror hit from Supermassive Games.
Taking place before Until Dawn you play as an unnamed patient in Blackwood Sanatorium, suffering from amnesia. You have to explore the Sanatorium to reclaim your lost memories, interacting with the other inpatients along the way.
The Inpatient does an excellent job of setting up its mood and tone, and even though the game is pretty slow paced there’s a sense of dread that creeps into every moment.
Supermassive uses binaural audio to supplement the visuals, with a big focus on psychological horror. It may not be the perfect horror experience, but if you’re looking for an immersive horror game in VR, it’ll definitely fit the bill.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 7 brought the legendary horror series back to its former glory, and it’s one of the best horror games of this generation so far. The latest entry has you exploring a derelict plantation in Louisiana, encountering the nightmarish Baker family while searching for your lost wife, Mia.
A switch to first-person perspective is a big shift for Resident Evil, but it ended up being just what the series needed to return to its survival horror roots. Limited resources and ammo ratcheted up the tension just like in classic Resident Evil games, and the spooky Baker mansion evokes serious memories of the first game.
There’s a fascinating story to uncover at the heart of Resident Evil VII, both in terms of learning more about the Bakers and other side characters. To make things even better, Resident Evil VII remains one of the very best games in VR, if you’re looking to scare the crap out of yourself this Halloween.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Darkwood
Darkwood provides an incredible twist on the horror genre, being one of the only horror games played in a top-down 2D style. The semi-open world game takes place in the Soviet bloc in the late 1980s in a mysterious forest that continues to expand, for unknown reasons.
You take control of a number of strange characters, from a Doctor to a half-man half-wolf hybrid known fittingly as The Wolfman.
The game is split into a day-night cycle, with you exploring your surroundings during the day, rebuilding barricades, cooking food, and more. At night all hell breaks loose and you’ll need to defend your hideout from a number of monsters and horrors.
Darkwood loops in quite a bit of player choice, molding the narrative around the choices you make. It also doesn’t rely on jump scares, instead building an oppressive atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you want a horror game with a twist, Darkwood is the perfect choice to pick up for the holidays.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Observer
The cyberpunk genre has some serious potential for horror, but in video games, the genre has failed to really capitalize on that promise. Luckily, Observer manages to provide an engaging experience for both cyberpunk and horror fans alike.
You play as Daniel Lazarski, an elite detective known as an Observer, who can hack into peoples minds to interrogate them and use augmented reality to investigate his surroundings.
Observer is set in Krakow, Poland in 2084, after a digital plague” has ravaged the world and killed a substantial part of the human population. The game brings up some fascinating themes like the nature of humanity and our dependency on technology.
Many parts of the world and story feel strangely surreal, and the hacking sequences can be particularly terrifying to play through.
Observer has some serious style, and manages to set an intriguing tone while you explore the story of Daniel and his family. If you’re a fan of cyberpunk, you absolutely need to play through Observer this Halloween.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Outlast 2
The Outlast games have made a name for themselves over the last few years, and Outlast 2 manages to keep up the same level of terror its predecessor did.
Once again Outlast 2 has you playing as a journalist, this time named Blake Langermann. When on a trip with his wife in Arizon to investigate the murder of a woman, Blake and his wife become separated, with Blake becoming trapped in a village run by an eccentric cult that believes the end of days are upon them.
Outlast 2 consistently delivers on scares, both psychological and jump scares. The found-footage gimmick of the first game still works here, and there’s even an interesting mechanic that involves your character wearing glasses, and his vision becoming limited if they happen to fall off.
Morality is a question constantly brought up, and while it may not be the most philosophical game out there, Outlast 2 still delivers some interesting twists and segments.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
The Evil Within 2
Once again from the mind of Shinji Mikami, the creator of Resident Evil, The Evil Within 2 continues the story of former detective Sebastian Castellanos. Sebastian is taken, against his will, to a MOBIUS facility where he enters a simulation of a quaint American town named Union.
The Evil Within 2 puts a much larger emphasis on psychological horror than its predecessor, oftentimes warping Sebastian’s reality and making you question what’s really going on.
There are a few pacing issues and frustrating moments, but for the most part The Evil Within 2 improves upon everything the first game did, providing more satisfying gunplay and scares.
Unlike a lot of horror games, it understands when to layer the scares on thick, and tone things back to give you a breather. If you’re a fan of Resident Evil and looking for a new experience, you should definitely give The Evil Within games a go.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
Little Nightmares
Like a combination of horror and Studio Ghibli anime whimsy, Little Nightmares is yet another incredibly unique horror game. The 2D puzzle platformer has you playing as a little girl named Six, who wakes up on a ship called the Maw inhabited by a wealth of strange and grotesque creatures.
Six has bouts of excruciating hunger, something she has to grapple with while trying to escape the Maw.
Little Nightmares may not have the tightest of platforming, but the horror elements are more than enough to make up for it. The game sets an incredible mood and tone with its aesthetic and soundtrack, and it consistently throws disturbing imagery and sequences your way.
It’s a fascinating world to explore, and three DLC episodes help expand the story even more. It’s one of the most unique horror games in recent years, and one that any fan of the genre needs to give a look.
Scariest Games to Play This Halloween
The Forest
The Forest hit surprising popularity when it released on Steam Greenlight in 2013, and with the full release finally hitting in 2018 it’s once again achieved notoriety. The game takes place in a heavily forested peninsula after Eric Leblanc and his son Timmy suffer a plane crash onto the peninsula.
The Forest is an open-ended experience that lets you explore the forests of the peninsula however you want, as you search for Eric’s lost son Timmy. However, during your explorations, you’ll have to contend with a tribe of nocturnal, cannibalistic mutants. Considering you’re intruding on their homes, they certainly don’t take kindly to you romping about.
The cannibals are surprisingly intelligent in combat, and at night, things can get really terrifying in the dark forests. Even more so as you explore the cave system underneath the island.
The open-ended story provides a lot of freedom when playing The Forest, but it’s great fun to uncover the secrets the game’s world holds. The advanced AI of the tribe make them a terrifying foe to contend with, and the survival elements of the game help make it yet another unique horror experience.
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