Trick or Treat: Six Games to Terrify You This Halloween

Spooky season. It's called that for a reason. October is a month where we purposefully scare ourselves for fun. Some people go to haunted houses, others go see a scary movie, and plenty play a terrifying game. 

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of scary games you could play this Halloween. With that being said, I’m going to recommend some of my favorites as well as ones I plan to play. 

Phasmophobia

A game where you hunt down paranormal creatures and make money doing it. Phasmophobia is a first-person game that has the player use ghost hunting equipment like an electromagnetic force (EMF) reader and a spirit box to determine the type of ghost haunting a location before that ghost comes after them. 

Phasmophobia can be played alone, but is best played with friends. It’s online multiplayer and supports cross-platform play for up to four players. You can find Phasmophobia on Windows, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Phasmophobia is one of my favorite multiplayer horror games. The experience is like no other because of how scary it is. The only games I’ve found to come close are Bigfoot (2017) and In Silence (2021).

Until Dawn

Eight friends stranded at a lodge in the mountains. What could go wrong? A lot, actually. Until Dawn is a choice-based game, where the player makes the decisions and watches the consequences unfold. Your goal is simple: survive until dawn.

While Until Dawn doesn’t have a traditional multiplayer feature, it’s still enjoyable to sit on the couch with friends and pass the controller around. Until Dawn is available to play on PlayStation and Windows. 

The unique gameplay offers a different style of horror game, one where the player almost feels like they’re directing a movie. This style of game is one of my personal favorites and can also be found in The Dark Pictures Anthology (Man of Medan, Little Hope, House of Ashes, and The Devil In Me) and The Quarry. 

Castlevania

A classic horror game series that started in 1986, centered around the conflict between the Belmont clan, vampire hunters, and Dracula himself. 

Most of the Castlevania installments are single player; however, there are a few that have a multiplayer feature- Castlevania: Harmony of Despair being the most notable. Castlevania can be played on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows. 

Castlevania is a game I remember playing on my DS as a little kid, but I never finished it because of how scary I found it at the time. The series itself has plenty of games you can choose from and dare yourself to play. 

The Mortuary Assistant

Embalming corpses and preparing them for their funerals is already a creepy job, but what happens when there’s demons possessing the bodies? The Mortuary Assistant explores that idea. 

As a single-player game, you’re forced to experience the terror alone, just like the main character. The Mortuary Assistant can be played on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Windows. 

The Mortuary Assistant remains one of the only games I’ve had to pause just to turn on the lights so I could continue playing. For anyone looking for those subtle scares perfectly blended with jump scares, I highly recommend it. Some similar games to The Mortuary Assistant are Five Nights at Freddy’s, and The Closing Shift, or anything else developed by Chilla’s Art. 

Little Nightmares

A horror puzzle game where you play as a young girl trying to escape a mysterious vessel filled with enemies. The ending is like no other- at least from what I’ve been told. I’ve yet to play Little Nightmares. 

Little Nightmares is a single-player game that can be found on PlayStation, Xbox, Microsoft, and Nintendo Switch. 

Since I haven’t played Little Nightmares yet, I only know what I’ve been told- that it's horrific and feeds off of your childhood fears. Little Nightmares is the first in a series, meaning there’s more to the experience outside of just the first game.

The Evil Within

The fuel of nightmares. Reality is twisted, and the player is forced to live through a grotesque and horrific story. The Evil Within is definitely not for the faint of heart; it’s gross and vile, making anyone cringe at the gore. 

The terror of The Evil Within is played alone with no option to hide behind your friends or with other players. This game is available to play on PlayStation, Xbox, and Microsoft. 

Without giving away too much, The Evil Within is the only game that’s ever scared me before clicking play and taught me to be wary of loading screens. If the horror of The Evil Within is your speed, you can play the sequel, The Evil Within 2, or any of the Resident Evil games. 

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This Halloween, you can scare yourself with any game. I dare you to play any of these spooky games. Happy Halloween!