As we creep ever closer to my favourite time of the year, Halloween, it’s time to slip into our comfiest pyjamas, grab some tasty snacks, and settle in for a frightfully good time.
Whether you’re a horror fan or someone who jumps at the slightest creak in the floorboards (like our very own Cody), there’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in spine-chilling horror games to get into the Halloween spirit.
From haunted houses that make your skin crawl to monstrous foes that’ll have you questioning your life choices (like why you decided to play alone at night), I’ve compiled this list of my favourite must-play horror games that will make you scream, laugh, and perhaps even sleep with the lights on.
So grab your mouse or controller, and let’s dive into the pixelated terrors waiting to give you the chills—because what’s October without a little heart-pounding excitement and spooky thrills?
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 returns our favourite writer-turned-accidental-detective, battling more than just writer’s block – he’s facing nightmarish foes. This time, Alan finds himself in a creepy small town that makes your average horror movie setting look like a vacation resort.
As you unravel a mind-bending mystery filled with plot twists sharper than a pencil in a horror flick, you’ll confront shadowy figures and grapple with the existential dread of realizing your manuscript might not be as good as you thought.
Armed with a flashlight and a knack for snappy one-liners, Alan must illuminate the darkness while dodging threats that make even his worst critics look tame.
Alan Wake 2 promises to keep you on your toes with a perfect blend of psychological horror and dark humour. Get ready for a spine-chilling experience that will have horror game enthusiasts eagerly awaiting each twist and turn.
If you want to read about how Alan Wake 2 made me fall in love with video games again, you can follow the link here.
Dead By Daylight
Dead by Daylight invites you to the ultimate game of hide and seek, where the stakes are life or death, and the seeker happens to be a horror movie villain with a serious grudge.
You can choose to play as one of four survivors, frantically trying to power up generators and escape, or as a killer whose idea of a good time involves chasing you down like you’re the last slice of pizza at a party.
As a survivor, you’ll dodge hooks, trip over your own feet, and shout, “Where did they go?” like a cliché horror movie character. Meanwhile, the killer is busy perfecting their best dramatic entrance – because nothing says terrifying like a chainsaw revving at full volume.
With constant tension, jump scares, and the kind of adrenaline rush that makes your heart race faster than a chase scene, Dead by Daylight serves up a unique blend of horror and humour in a twisted game of survival that will keep you coming back for more… unless you get caught!
Hollowbody
Hollowbody tosses players into a bleak, dystopian future where everything’s falling apart – literally. You play as Mica, a courier who crash-lands in the most abandoned and eerie city imaginable, only to discover that the biggest problem isn’t the broken drones or crumbling buildings but the creepy things lurking in the shadows.
Armed with your wits, a flashlight, and a serious case of how did I get into this mess? You’ll explore dark alleyways and malfunctioning tech, trying to escape while unravelling the city’s spooky secrets.
With its survival horror vibes, retro-inspired aesthetic, and enough atmosphere to make you second-guess every step, Hollowbody is the perfect mix of futuristic tech and old-school scares. Just remember: in this city, the Wi-Fi isn’t the only thing that’s dead.
Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 7 puts you in the boots of Ethan Winters, a guy who clearly never watched a horror movie in his life. After receiving a cryptic message from his missing wife, he heads to a creepy, rundown mansion in the Louisiana Bayou (because that always ends well). Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
What follows is a first-person nightmare where you’ll face the Baker family. Between dodging Jack Baker’s axe, running from mutated horrors, and desperately searching for health items like they’re the last snacks in a zombie apocalypse, you’ll quickly realize that this housewarming party was a terrible idea.
With the return of classic survival horror mechanics, plenty of nope! Moments and more jump scares than you can count, Resident Evil 7 will make you think twice about visiting abandoned mansions… or ever answering mysterious messages again.
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 drags you into the foggiest, most unsettling town in video game history – because who wouldn’t head back after receiving a letter from their dead wife? As James Sunderland, you’re on a quest for answers, but the real question is: why does everything in Silent Hill look like a nightmare architect designed it?
Armed with nothing but a plank of wood and a deep sense of dread, you’ll wander through creepy hospitals and ominous streets and face creatures that seem like they crawled out of your worst fever dream (looking at you, Pyramid Head).
Every corner is a fresh psychological mind-bender, with puzzles that make you question your sanity and love of horror games.
It’s a mix of deep existential dread and “Wait, did that mannequin just move?” vibes. So grab your flashlight and emotional baggage because Silent Hill 2 is ready to mess with your head… again!
Still Wakes the Deep
Still Wakes the Deep throws you into the ultimate offshore horror – because being stuck on an oil rig isn’t stressful enough without creepy, otherworldly forces lurking in the shadows. You play as a regular worker, just trying to make it through the day when surprise! The rig is falling apart, mysterious creatures are prowling, and the sea has suddenly become your least dangerous problem.
With waves crashing around you and an unrelenting storm raging, it’s a race to escape with your life -and avoid becoming fish food. Expect plenty of running, hiding, and wondering why you ever took that job in the first place. It’s the perfect survival horror scenario: limited space, nowhere to run, and lots of screaming (mostly from you).
So grab your hard hat and prepare for an ocean of terror. Remember, it’s all fun and games until the monsters start waking up!
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me takes you on a twisted tour of the ultimate Airbnb nightmare – a replica of America’s first serial killer’s murder castle.
Sounds fun, right? This time, a group of documentary filmmakers checks in, thinking they’re about to create the next true crime hit. Spoiler alert: they might not check out.
You’ll guide this unlucky crew through puzzles, choices, and heart-pounding quick-time events that determine who lives to finish the project and who becomes part of the castle’s… permanent collection.
It’s like Saw meets HGTV, but with more screaming and fewer houseplants. Every decision you make could save a life – or end it in a creatively terrifying way.
With traps lurking around every corner and moral dilemmas making you rethink everything, The Devil in Me offers the perfect blend of horror and “I definitely should’ve seen that coming.” Who knew making a documentary could be this dangerous?
The Quarry
The Quarry is like the ultimate summer camp experience – if that camp involved cursed forests, monstrous creatures, and enough teen drama to fuel a dozen horror flicks.
As the sun sets on Hackett’s Quarry, a group of camp counsellors quickly realizes their biggest worry isn’t a late-night ghost story but surviving until morning without becoming the latest urban legend.
You’ll guide these unlucky souls through tough choices that will have you questioning your decision-making skills. One minute, you’re flirting around the campfire; the next, you’re dodging death traps with all the finesse of a character who’s definitely never seen a horror movie before.
Will you make the right choices and save everyone? Or will your favourite character trip on a log and end up as the main course for whatever’s lurking in the woods?
Think Until Dawn, but with even more “Why did I do that?!” moments. The Quarry delivers classic horror, amplified with next-gen screams.
If you want to read our full review of The Quarry, you can follow the link here.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game slices its way into the survival-horror genre, placing you smack in the middle of the most unfortunate family reunion ever.
Whether you’re running from Leatherface or embracing your inner chainsaw-wielding maniac, this multiplayer fright-fest is all about outwitting (or out-sawing) your opponents.
Think of it as hide-and-seek, if hiding meant avoiding a seven-foot-tall butcher and seeking meant… well, chainsaw-related activities.
With a team of survivors on one side and the infamous Slaughter family on the other, it’s a brutal game of “who can outlive the other?” You’ll need a strategy, nerves of steel, and a good sprint button.
One wrong turn, and suddenly, you’re today’s special at the family dinner table. Remember, it’s not about who screams first but who screams last.
Until Dawn Remake
The Until Dawn Remake takes you back to Blackwood Mountain for a spine-chilling reunion – because who doesn’t love a remote cabin, dark secrets, and a terrifying supernatural entity just dying to meet you?
This updated version breathes new life (and death) into the original, featuring enhanced graphics, smoother controls, and even more ways to get your favourite characters killed accidentally.
This survival-horror adventure offers branching choices, where one wrong move can turn your quick-time event into a quick-death event.
You’ll guide a group of unlucky friends, trying to keep them alive until dawn. With plot twists sharp enough to rival a slasher villain’s knife, the Until Dawn Remake will have you laughing nervously as you shout, “Don’t go into the basement!” while inevitably doing just that.
Who knew horror could be so much fun… or so fatal?
If you’re looking for a guide on keeping everyone alive until dawn, you can follow our walkthrough here.
As we wrap up our spine-tingling journey through my top horror game recommendations, remember that nothing brings the Halloween spirit to life quite like a little virtual terror.
Whether teaming up with friends or braving the darkness solo, these horror games will surely get your adrenaline pumping and your heart racing.
So grab your favourite snacks, dim the lights, and prepare for some hair-raising fun as you explore haunted houses, escape nightmarish monsters, and maybe even confront your fear of what’s lurking under your bed (spoiler alert: it’s just the dust bunnies).
As you dive into these frightful adventures, remember that every scream, every jump scare, and every moment of sheer panic is just part of the Halloween experience and means you’re doing October right.
Do you have any horror game recommendations of your own? let me know what they are in the comments!