Halloween is approaching fast, but with the current pandemic sure to dampen festivities worldwide, it’s up to each of us to build excitement in our surroundings. And what’s the safest and most enjoyable way of lighting up our spirits so close to Halloween? No, not watching horror movies exactly. Why watch something like that when you can be in it, or perhaps a less scary thought would be if you can control the people within them?
If you haven’t caught on from the title and this introduction, then the only thing left would be to state the obvious: below is a list of mystery and horror games to play in preparation for Halloween — ranging from more action-oriented to more story-oriented, mildly creepy to insanely nerve-wracking – that will hopefully keep you entertained for some weeks after.
- Until Dawn
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Starting off our list is a 2015 interactive drama survival horror game where every choice you make has a lasting consequence on the rest of the story and, in many instances, on the survival of the characters.
Set in a remote snowy mountain with a history of violence, the player takes turns in controlling each of the eight main characters as they navigate the mysteries and terrors of their surroundings, which would ultimately become their ‘prison’ until the break of dawn. With twists and turns at every corner and timed decisions ambushing you during the most intense scenes, you will soon find yourself completely enveloped by the dark, oppressive atmosphere as well as forming your own attachments to each of the characters whose personality traits are directly affected by some of your choices.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine
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Arguably the most avant-garde entry in the list, Bendy and the Ink Machine is an episodic first-person puzzle horror game that “begins in the far days past of animation and ends in a very dark future,” according to its developer, Joey Drew Studios, which is strategically named after the in-game animation studio.
The player takes the role of Henry Stein, a retired animator who used to work for Joey Drew Studios, and has returned at the invitation of his old friend, the eponymous Joey Drew, in order to experience the wonders of the titular Ink Machine. These wonders turn out to be bringing to life twisted versions of the studio’s animated characters, who Henry created himself during the studio’s early days, and numerous failed manifestations of the former that nonetheless can kill the player if they do not destroy them with specific weapons picked up during the game. The most dangerous of these ink monsters is Bendy, the hallmark character of the studio, and who the player is constantly running away from in addition to the slew of characters – some good and some just plain murderous – that they’ll encounter throughout the game’s episodes.
- Outlast
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For those players that don’t mind jump scares, a little close-up gore, and their protagonist having no fighting skills whatsoever: this first-person survival horror game is just for you.
The story starts with the arrival of Miles Upshur, a freelance investigative journalist, at Mount Massive Asylum after he was sent an anonymous email stating that inhumane experiments are being conducted in the institute. One thing led to another and Miles found himself stuck in the asylum surrounded by many of its dangerous inmates, leaving it up to the player to help him escape all the while recording firsthand evidence of the murders, mutilation, and a seemingly unnatural phenomenon happening within the asylum.
- Little Nightmares
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Rather than jump scares, graphic violence, and vengeful supernatural beings, Little Nightmares offers a different take on the horror genre by abandoning all of the mentioned tropes and bringing instead an immersive, relatively short experience of grotesque imagery and allegorical storyline accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful score.
A puzzle-platformer horror adventure game, Little Nightmares follows Six, a tiny girl, as she tries to escape from the Maw, a gigantic vessel housing various large, contorted humanoid inhabitants who are determined to catch Six if they laid their eyes on her — or, in some cases, if they heard her or caught her scent. The magic of this game lies in its mystery, and, with the sequel coming out early next year, there’s all the more reason to play it for a unique, haunting Halloween experience.
- Pinstripe
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Puzzle adventure video games with a complex, symbolic setting seem to be the underrated gems of the mystery/horror genre. Different from Little Nightmares, however, Pinstripe’s metaphor is slowly unraveled in-game through a handful of clues and character dialogues, leading up to a definite confirmation of how the journey in the game came about.
In Pinstripe, the player controls Ted, a former minister, as he attempts to rescue his three-year-old daughter, Bo, from the depths of Hell, watched over by the titular creepy and short-tempered Pinstripe. A short game with only a few chapters, Pinstripe is perfect for players who want a casual yet atmospheric adventure the day before Halloween night.
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
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Probably the most renowned entry in the list due to the worldwide acclaim of the video game series to which it belongs. With Resident Evil 8: Village coming out sometime next year, it seems only fair to include its direct prequel, especially considering how the list wouldn’t feel complete without a zombie-infested entry to wrap up our numerous mentions from the survival horror genre.
A stark contrast to previous Resident Evil games in terms of gameplay and storyline, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard adopts a first-person rather than a third-person perspective and features not the undead per se, but a very much alive mutated human family as its primary antagonists, who are even more dangerous than the usual zombies due to their enhanced regenerative abilities. The player themselves takes the role of Ethan Winters, a man that came knocking at the Baker’s family’s home after being contacted by his wife, Mia, who had been missing for three years and was therefore assumed to be dead. This simple reunion/rescue mission would quickly spiral into a seemingly endless fight for survival as Ethan unknowingly inches closer to figuring out the source of the madness around him.
So, how about it? Interested in playing some of these games, or have you perhaps completed a few of them before? Well, there’s no reason for you not to play them again. Try out various modes, select different choices, or opt for just running away from enemies instead of engaging them in battle – whichever game you decide to play and whatever method you decide to finish them, remember to just enjoy yourself while doing so. Don’t forget to stay happy, stay healthy, and share your excitement with your loved ones this Halloween – or any other day for that matter!