Hello, all you ghouls and gals! You’ve ventured far in search of some dreadful delights this Halloween. Rest assured, your hunt is over, as I’ve gathered seven of the finest, most spine-chilling horror games for whatever your needs. Whether you’re a mummy looking to entertain a spook-loving young zombie or a Van Helsing veteran, there’s something for you here. Let’s get started.
For those who want a playable watch party with bite: The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan
The Dark Pictures, the ongoing anthology of horrific playable adventures by Supermassive Games, taps into the studio’s pedigree for interactive horror with gusto. While the next entry Little Hope is still a ways off, the first journey in Man of Medan sees a crew of five survivors trying desperately to escape a haunted ghost ship inspired by a true unsolved mystery, and it is fantastic with friends.
In addition to solo play and an online two-player co-op mode with unique choices and scenes for each player, there’s a five-player watch party mode where everyone can control a character. Be sure to remind everyone to choose wisely, lest their favorite character end up dead in a game where no one is safe and everyone can face a grisly end.
Available on: Steam, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
For those who want to revisit a resurrected classic: Silent Hill 4
It’s rare for Konami to actually throw the Silent Hill fanbase a bone, making the out-of-nowhere re-release of Silent Hill 4 on GOG a welcome jump scare. While not as beloved as the first three Silent Hill games, Silent Hill 4 is oddly the most timely, what with its protagonist locked inside his apartment against his will. As the last Team Silent-developed entry in the series, a number of risks were taken, from the apartment to a greater emphasis on skillful combat and an escort objective that influences how challenging the final boss becomes.
Though far from a perfect port, GOG’s team has supplied additional patches, which is more than one would receive if they were to track down the decade-old physical PC release. One can only hope this is a sign of more Silent Hill games returning, as both the second and third games have much-beloved PC ports that fans have been patching on their own for years now. Till then, why not dive back into Team Silent’s most ambitious work?
Available on: GOG
For those who want a more family-friendly horror game: Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered
Let’s say that you’ve got some little goblins in need of a proper distraction. What better way to get them cackling with glee than Terminal Reality’s classic Ghostbusters: The Video Game? And if you ask the head Ghostbuster himself, Dan Aykroyd, it serves as the missing third film in the original Ghostbusters series. Filled to the brim with fan service, solid yet accessible action, and vocals from the original bustin’ team in full, it’s the perfect game for generations of gamers, whether they grew up with the Ghostbusters or are just discovering the classic films for the first time. It even has a rock-solid Switch port, making it the perfect way to start bustin’ ghosts on the go!
Available on: Epic Game Store, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
For those who want an absolutely not family-friendly horror game: 2Dark
On the flip side, maybe you’re an experienced creature of the night, stalking around for something truly chilling. Well, 2Dark will absolutely do that for you. Even a veteran monster hunter such as I couldn’t bring myself to reach the end of this aptly named game about a man struggling to save his children from a ring of murderers that grow only more twisted the deeper you delve.
Mechanically, 2Dark is like an isometric Hitman. There’s all manner of traps and trickery to play around with in the hellish halls that await, which can be used in your favor if you’re clever. Opponents with dynamic AI can be combated with a wide array of tools, though the direct approach is rarely advised. I can’t emphasize this enough — if you’ve a weak stomach for dark themes, this one might push you too far, but if you’re hankering for the bleakest horror game on the market, there’s few that can beat 2Dark.
Available on: Steam, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
For those who want existential horror: SOMA
Perhaps you’re a more discerning customer, seeking a high-minded interpretation of horror. Something that’s terrifying at the mere thought, rather than repulsive or bowel-rending. SOMA is the game for you then. Few games have mastered the art of existential horror quite as well as Frictional Games’ science fiction offshoot. While their Penumbra and Amnesia series are well known, SOMA might just be Frictional’s smartest game of all.
What starts as a simple medical exam swiftly sends you beneath the sea in an apocalyptic future, trying to escape monstrous entities while encountering disturbingly human machines. To say more would spoil the many heavy questions raised by SOMA’s story, which gnaw at something far more terrifying than flesh and bone — what it means to be alive and to be human. If you haven’t taken the plunge yet, you owe it to yourself to witness the brilliant, unnerving world of SOMA, which even has a new story-focused difficulty mode for those who’d rather skip the monsters entirely.
Available on: Steam, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
For those who have some horror wanderlust: Days Gone
Too cramped beneath the sea? Wanna stretch your wings and try to avoid their being ripped off and devoured by zombies? Then Days Gone is the survival horror trek for you. While we’ve touched on some of the highlights of Days Gone in the past, it really can’t be overstated that it’s the best zombie-centric tale of survival to come out on the PlayStation 4 in quite some time. If you dug The Evil Within 2, you’ll want to bite into Days Gone. It’s easily one of the best designed games on the system, harnessing its open world to brilliant effect rather than just smattering it with useless filler. Dynamic dangers lurk down every road as you fight to keep yourself and your bike intact while fighting off all manner of threats.
Plus, unlike certain other zombie games of late, Days Gone is actually thematically uplifting and harrowing in equal measure as you slowly piece together a series of mysteries tying into protagonist Deacon St. John’s past. By the end, there’s a sense of hope, which is something we all need right now. Tying it all together is a truly astonishing recreation of Oregon to explore, offering a living, breathing world that’s comforting while we’re all keeping safe inside this year.
Available on: PlayStation 4, PS Now
For those who want to possess their friends and frenemies: F.E.A.R. 3
Okay, so you played some Man of Medan with your friends, but you got all the characters killed. What to do now? Break out F.E.A.R. 3 and rip your friends’ souls a new one in the horror heir apparent to GoldenEye 007. Whether doing co-op with a buddy in the deliciously demented campaign or raising hell as a party with three friends in the game’s four multiplayer modes, there are few competitive horror multiplayer games this easy to just pick up and play.
Now, you may be thinking — why isn’t Dead by Daylight here? Well, first of all, because I’m The Escapist’s dedicated weird games guy, but more importantly because F.E.A.R. 3 is a much more even playing field. In Contractions and F***ing Run, you play respectively as a team of F.E.A.R. agents either scrambling to survive as Alma and invulnerable ghosts ambush you mid-defense against undead hordes, or you’re trying to outrun an unyielding wall of death that chases you across a level until you reach the end.
Feeling more competitive? Soul Survivor pits one player against their former allies as a demon trying to devour their soul and transform them into more demons as AI enemies assist the demon’s assault. Or better yet, everyone becomes demons in Soul King, competing in the most absurdly evil twist on free-for-all Deathmatch in years, with players possessing and killing enemy bots to score while taking out opponents to steal their points. It’s the perfect way to spend an evening with your best fiends, cackling at the gruesome fun.
Available on: Steam
Those are our seven thrilling frights for you to sink your jaws into. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section below! Happy Halloween, everyone!
