What are good games for getting into the spirit of Halloween? Like, games that double down on theming. TF2’s always been my go-to game but I’ve been playing it for so long I’m pretty bored of it now and I don’t really like PvP anyway. There’s Overwatch which I expect has a lot going on but again I don’t really enjoy games like that.
Anyone got any highlights?
There’s always Don’t Starve which definitely fits the mood, though I’ve always found that game insanely difficult.
Anything by Chilla’s Art. The Coffee Shop, Parasocial, The Bathhouse, Shinkansen 0, The Radio Station.
Also The Hex if you want a spooky mood but no jumpscares. Go in blind, it’s by Daniel Mullins who did Inscryption. It’s an incredible game. Ignore the screenshots on Steam and don’t watch the trailer, it’s five USD and the graphics make sense after playing for 30m.
If you want jump scares, At Dead of Night. My partner and I are horror aficionados and we cannot play that game.
For spooks, Phasmophobia is a good one. They do a Halloween event every year too 🎃👻
I’ve been playing it with friends daily this month. It’s a fun time during this season
Inscryption, 100%. Such a good game. Tons of post game content, too.
Pumpkin Jack. It’s a 3D platformer. I haven’t played it in a couple years, but I remember it being mostly linear. Not a ton of collectables, but some. 11 months out of the year it’s a pretty “meh” game, but it absolutely NAILS the Halloween aesthetic. Not “horror” or “scary” or “autumn” but very specifically Halloween.
MediEvil is similar, though much older. I have only played the original for PS1, though there is a modern remake on all platforms that looks pretty good. Not quite as explicitly Halloween-y, but still pretty close. Flawed in its own ways, but I would still say a better game overall than Pumpkin Jack. The levels were a bit less linear and it was a bit more like an adventure game than a platformer.
Luigi’s Mansion is a classic too.
A lot of other games have levels or worlds that are good for Halloween even if the whole game isn’t. Like Pumpkin Hill in Sonic Adventure 2, or Subcon Forest from A Hat In Time. Honestly one day I want to compile a list of all of these themes areas across my favorite games and the play all of these levels seasonally.
I want to get Luigi’s Mansion as I remember really enjoying the first one. It’s just so expensive though.
If you’d like a less serious, funny comedy-horror game, I enjoyed The Upturned.
Some less silly games I’d also reccomend are 10 Dead Doves
and
Withering RoomsAmnesia: the dark descent
SOMA is also fantastic
The secret of Monkey island games have a tropical Halloween feel with ghost pirates and root beer
Kentucky route zero for a slower ghost story, dear Esther for a walking sim ghost story both with great soundtracks
I remember they used to do gm run player events around Halloween in EverQuest back in the day and on project 1999, not sure if any mmo or online games theses days still have human gms
Eternal Darkness for Gamecube.
I can’t invest the time in MMOs anymore but I always miss them around this time of year. Guild Wars/Guild Wars 2 did a great job of it.
Costume Quest is great for a single player game.
I’ll also throw out a classic - Ghost Master. You manage a team of ghosts haunting different locations.
The best MMO for Halloween IMO is secret world. unfortunately it is pretty dead, so finding people for group content is near impossible, but the solo quests are pretty well done and a lot of fun.
Second on Costume Quest. Super fun and charming games
SOMA is one of my all time faves.
The Outlast Games are also classics for HalloweenSoma adds Halloween theming in PATHOS-II for a time limited period?
I am surprised I’ve never heard of this. Seems a bit out of character.
The 7th Guest if you want to play a puzzle game with campy acting
also Deus Ex Randomizer has a Halloween mode
Vampire Savior
How about Jack in the dark, the little game that shipped with the cd version of the two first Alone in the dark games?
The Cursed Forest is fun.










