Usually, Halloween means one of three things: I’m watching horror movies, attempting trick-or-treating (you’d be surprised what a 5’4” nineteen-year-old can do), or taking obligatory pumpkin patch photos for my mom.
Between staying at home and studying for classes, our Halloween plans are limited this year. Horror video games are a combination of my two favorite things: video games and screaming like a buffoon. These always seem to work as a great ice breaker between my roommates and me, as watching your friends freak out is always a good bonding experience. They also provide much more immersion than a horror movie. Additionally, horror game mechanics aren’t too difficult: the most you’ll have to do is run or maybe shoot some people. I’m not much of a shooter, so horror games really play to my “run away like a baby” technique and generally subpar gaming skills.
This list is short, but it is very comprehensive. There are plenty of other horror games out there that are arguably better than the ones I’ve listed. The difference between those games and the games I have listed here is that I’ve found them to be extremely compatible with group settings.
Warning to all those that do not like horror and/or disturbing themes: they are present in all of these games!
1. Jackbox’s “Trivia Murder Party”: A Fun, Spooky Trivia
Buying a Jackbox game is not only guaranteed fun, but it’s a good investment of your money. Jackbox Games, Inc. makes packs of party games that play like board games for your television. When you buy a Jackbox party pack, you get five games in one purchase. The best part of these games is that they use cellphones as the controllers (yes, like Kahoot), meaning everyone can play without limitations. The “Trivia Murder Party” game isn’t actually scary, but it has a “spooky” atmosphere. It’s a classic trivia competition with the penalty of missed answers being the possibility of death.
2. Doki Doki Literature Club: The Scariest Visual Novel
“Doki Doki” is much scarier than “Trivia Murder Party.” Like, way scarier. It’s a slow burn, meaning you should probably start it a few days before Halloween to really get to the good stuff Halloween night. It’s a visual novel, a Japanese style of game that means you won’t have to do any real gameplay besides reading and making a few choices. I’m purposely leaving this description vague because I wished I hadn’t known anything before I played it.
3. Until Dawn: An Interactive Horror Movie
If you have a PlayStation 4, this game is for you. “Until Dawn” plays like an actual horror movie, complete with performances from stars like Hayden Panettiere, Rami Malek, and Peter Stormare. You play as a group of teenagers who are vacationing in a cabin in the woods. The goal is to keep all of the characters alive until dawn (badum-tsssss). My friends and I have played countless times by choosing characters at the beginning and passing the PS4 controller amongst each other when our characters have their playtime. The game runs on a “butterfly effect” notion, meaning the choices you make throughout the game will have lasting effects on what happens throughout your playthrough. The amount of actual playing is much higher than the last two, but it’s quite easy to get a handle on, as it’s mostly focused on giving out a good story and scares.
4. SCP: Containment Breach: The Scariest Game Ever
“SCP” gave me whiplash. Literally. I flung my head away from the screen so fast that I woke up the next day with neck pain. Honestly, I can barely play it because I always get way too scared. A staple of indie and horror gaming, “SCP” is based on the SCP Foundation, a fictional organization that revolves around an online forum/website of sorts. The gameplay is simple and based on the lore of the website. Players must escape the containment facility by finding keycards and avoiding the scary monsters (a gross overgeneralization), all of which have their own rules. I recommend playing this game in turns and on safe mode; you’ll die pretty fast, which makes for quick turns.