Video Games Perfect for Playing Around Halloween – October Blog Brew

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Ib

Ib is a RPG Maker horror game about a young girl named Ib, who becomes trapped in a famous artist’s gallery after visiting with her parents. She must survive and escape the horrific art museum, full of unearthly, unimaginable terrors. This game excels in building and maintaining an incredibly effective atmosphere, with a unique setting where portraits suddenly change in eerie ways, creepy noises happen constantly, and artwork comes to life in monstrous forms. These aspects lead to some noteworthy moments and very neat scares. Whether you love all things horror or are a RPG horror fanatic, Ib is a gallery of nightmares perfect for the Halloween season! 

Silent Hill 2

Although psychological horror has been done (maybe even overdone) in modern horror games, Silent Hill 2 was one of the first games of the genre. It also executes the genre exceedingly well, with an interesting, enthralling story that grabs your attention right away, and a cast of unique characters that have their own secrets to unravel. These aforementioned factors combine to culminate in one of the most memorable, heart-wrenching conclusions in a video game. I don’t want to spoil anything about Silent Hill 2, as it’s best experienced with little knowledge of the game beforehand. Just know that all the hype is true and it’s absolutely worth playing, even more so around Halloween. 

The Evil Within Series

I’m including both The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2 on this list, as both are fantastic games for their own reasons. What both games have in common is great monster/enemy design, fun combat based around stealth and strategy, and some really cool visuals with twisting, changing environments. The combat is executed very well, with it relying mostly on conservation of resources and a cautious approach. If you march in, guns blazing, you most likely will die and have to start over; caution is key here. And it’s that style that makes each The Evil Within video game so enjoyable to play. Consider binging through them for spooky season! 

Outlast Series

If you’re looking for thrills and chills, the Outlast trilogy (Outlast, Outlast: Whistleblower, Outlast 2) has them in spades. Each entry is terrifying and suspenseful with scripted chase scenes and patrolling enemies that are bound to get at least a few jump scares out of you. These games truly never let up, and as the player, you’re rarely ever safe. This contributes to the sensation of being hunted and having to use stealth to survive, which crafts an eerie atmosphere full of impact. Out of all the titles on this list, I think the Outlast games are easily the most thrilling, and that makes them perfect for Halloween. 

Dead Space

Well, this game is called Dead Space for a reason. It takes place on a spacecraft requesting aid, and you’re part of the crew sent in to assist the ship and find out what’s wrong. Of course, only bad things happen from there. It turns out that the crew has been besieged by disturbing, horrifying monsters known as Necromorphs; these creatures can infect and take over corpses, turning them into deformed monsters much like an illness infects humans. The combination of being isolated in space, heaps of body horror, and the fact that Necromorphs can burst from vents at any given moment, creates an experience that is wholly original and terrifying. There are two other games in this series, both of which are just as worth playing. 

Until Dawn

Until Dawn is an incredibly unique horror video game, reminiscent of classic horror and slasher films. It also revolves around a choice making mechanic, where any and all characters can die, and your decisions determine their fates. This system is quite fun and effective, as it gives the feeling that your choices truly matter and make a difference in how the game plays out. Accordingly, it invokes a lasting sense of dread and fear, knowing you could lose a character at any moment. There are numerous possibilities and variations throughout the game based on your decisions, lending to immense replayability as well. Give Until Dawn a try this October and experience the cinematic treat for yourself. 

Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia is a 4 player online co-op psychological horror video game, in which you and your friends play as a team of paranormal investigators who explore and investigate haunted places. Every mission you do is at least a bit different, with the location, possible ghosts, and objectives being randomized; you’ll most likely never have the exact same run twice. Since there’s so much room for variety, things stay fresh, exciting, and terrifying with each mission. You never know just what you’ll encounter, but chances are, it’ll be horrifying. This game makes for great fun with a group of friends, especially in the current climate. We may not be able to attend Halloween parties this year, but you can still connect with your friends for some spooky fun in Phasmophobia! 

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly

Fatal Frame 2 is a Japanese survival horror game that centers around two twin sisters who become lost in a forest and end up spirited away to a haunted village. One fairly unique aspect of this game is that combat is conducted through a camera that’s able to photograph and capture the dead. This particular mechanic switches you from first-person gameplay to third-person, which is always frightening when facing creepy ghosts. In addition, the combat system is well fleshed out, including many unlockable upgrades and skills that strengthen your camera. Vengeful spirits will randomly appear throughout the entire game, keeping things tense and terrifying for the player. If you want a dark tale with spooky ghosts and atmosphere, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly is great to play this month. 

Detention

Set in 1960s Taiwan while it was under martial law, Detention is a 2D horror side-scroller that incorporates Taiwanese culture and mythology in its story, monsters, etc. That particular aspect is done very well and lends to an enthralling, emotionally wrenching story that grips you from the very beginning. Furthermore, this game has a fantastically bleak, eerie atmosphere that stays just as creepy through its entire runtime. It also has a plethora of puzzles, some of which are fairly challenging; all of them are fun and interesting, though, with ties to the actual story. Last but certainly not least, the art style is really cool and unique, utilizing an almost paper-like style. Clearly, Detention is a game that readily sets the stage for both story and spookiness, the best of both worlds. 

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove

This spooktacular rhythm based game begins with the title character, Gabrielle, sneezing her soul right out of her body. As a result, the young girl must travel to Monster Town and go on a journey of dancing fun to regain her lost soul. Among the other games on this list, Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove is easily the most cute and charming, with an adorable, chibi art style. Similarly, it’s one of the very few video games featured here that’s actually family-friendly and suitable for players of all ages. Additionally, there are many different music stages to dance to, and the majority of songs are upbeat and catchy. Without a doubt, Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove is a whole lot of creepy, cute fun for the whole family! 

Resident Evil Series

Of course, I had to save one of my favorite horror video game series ever for last. Please don’t ask me to pick a definite favorite (they’re all just too good, and I can’t do it). This is because almost every single entry in the game is incredible. They have smooth, well-designed combat and gameplay, amazing characters with genuine depth who are great fun to play as, and frightful atmospheres composed of dim lighting and haunting sounds in the distance. Resident Evil games are typically difficult, but also manage this facet well by ensuring that obstacles are never impossible to overcome. Throw in some of the best existing monster design/types, including the likes of Nemesis, Regenerators, and Marguerite, and you have numerous video games that are both phenomenally enjoyable and fear-inducing. 

As mentioned above, I love this series too much to settle on an overall favorite. But, I do have a few favorites from the long-running series. These include Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil Revelations 2. Halloween is the perfect time to start on this incredible saga, and any one of the aforementioned games would be a wonderful starting point! 

Honestly, I wanted to include even more video games on this list, but this post would’ve ended up way too long. There are still many, many games worth checking out, though, especially for the Halloween season. So, I’ve included a list of additional titles to look into below! Hope you have lots of spooky fun with these! 

Other Games to Check Out

• Remothered: Tormented Fathers

• Corpse Party Series

• The Crooked Man

• Angels of Death

• Man of Medan 

• Luigi’s Mansion Series

• Alien: Isolation

• Through the Woods

• Soma 

• Observer

• Little Nightmares

• Call of Cthulhu

• Coma: The Recut

• Alan Wake

• Condemned Series

• Creeping Terror

• White Day: A Labyrinth Named School

• S.I.M. (Sara Is Missing)

• Mad Father

• Witch’s House

• Amnesia: The Dark Descent

This post is part of the Blog Brew, a monthly collaboration between eight other amazing bloggers and myself where we cover various topics each month. Our theme for October is ‘Halloween’, and accordingly, we all have some spooky fun to serve up for this horrifically charming season. Be sure to follow along with the other bloggers in this collab below! They have wonderful posts that you’re guaranteed to love. Hope you enjoy! 

Day 1- Luce over at perselem

Day 2- Beth over at thoughtsofarealredhead

Day 3- Jessie over at wandererandtraveller

Day 4- Rhiannon over at mrssleejones

Day 5- Thanks so much for reading my post! 🎃💕

Day 6- Karalee over at talesofbelle

Day 7- Kim over at chimmyville

Day 8- Kirsty over at kirstymarie

Day 9- Adebola over at mybreakingviews

Advertisement