Everyone’s entitled to one good scare.
Horror games and Halloween go together like fries and a Coke. Whether you’re looking to get scared out of your socks this Halloween, or you’re like me and find horror a little more cozy, here’s a few things to keep you busy this All Hallow’s Eve, you creature.
5. Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is one of the most dread filled games I’ve ever played. From the Alien stalking me throughout the halls, to needing to think on the spot to get out of a less-than-desirable-situation. Alien: Isolation put me on the spot and asked, “ok, so how do we get out of here?” The first time I played it, I never knew what was going to happen next.
Hiding in lockers is your best friend, and you spend a lot of your time debating whether you should leave or not. Tip-toeing on the proverbial edge of scared and confident will be a common struggle you will face. Seeing the evolution of the story and how balanced it all was throughout the sheer fear exhibited by our main character was nothing short of brilliant. Play Alien: Isolation. It’s probably sitting somewhere in your backlog, so take this as a sign.
4. Resident Evil (2002)
You really thought I’d make a list about horror games, and not include this one? Resident Evil is the epitome of survival horror, and perfect for Halloween. Resident Evil (2002) simplifies horror to its basic necessities: fixed camera angles, the grossest zombies noises I’ve ever heard, and dread, then mixes them together into a single, beautiful concoction. If you’ve already played this game, then you know what awaits you. I would highly recommend playing through the game in three hours to get the grenade launcher. It’s absolutely worth it if you can pull it off.
If you haven’t ever played this game, know you’re about to step into perfection. Pace yourself and let it wash over you. Each section of the game has its own charm, and without spoiling anything, there will be moments that will break the horror and make you giggle. Then the terror returns.
3. Fran Bow
Fran Bow is one of those games that will make you question everything about the world you play in. When you can switch between realities by popping a pill, the questions start to pile up: Is the world you’re in real? Are you the one to blame for what’s happening? Are the things that you fear lying to you? Fran Bow combines a powerful narrative and creepy atmosphere in a 2D side-scrolling point and click experience.
You play as Fran Bow, a young girl in an era where mental illnesses were treated with an ice pick rather than medication and therapy. The entire aesthetic is very Tim Burton-coded: a lanky skeleton befriends you, and there’s an incredible cat. The ending is open to interpretation, which I appreciated. I would highly recommend Fran Bow if you haven’t played it. It’s creepy, it’s haunting, and there are a lot of puzzles giving more meat to the experience.
2. Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy
Red Nun’s Legacy is the final entry in one of my favorite horror trilogies. It has just the right amount of jump scares. They’re never annoying and they never takes away from the core message and feel of the game. It’s a short, sweet, and to-the-point nine-hour journey that will make you go ask yourself what you just experienced. While you could play it on its own, I would highly recommend playing its predecessors first so you don’t miss anything.
From cultists that want to rip your head off, to a bride that wants you to take her babies, Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is the kind of game you need to experience to really understand. Puzzles litter the game and are a crucial part of the story. I love a good puzzle, and the ones here are a treat. Sure, a game can be scary, but not a lot of horror games balance psychological horror and jump scares in a way that’s meaningful instead of trite. Red Nun’s Legacy is the perfect combination of anticipation, dread, and fear.
1. Visage
Where do I even begin? Visage is unique and incredibly gruesome. Murders and suicides are all wrapped up into a single suspenseful game that takes you on three separate journeys. The house you’re in consistently changes, the jumpscares and dread are on another level of horrific, and the sound design is impeccable. You control the story you experience, but be aware that once you start a story, you have to see the entire thing through to the end.
I’d recommend playing Rakan’s story last since it is the most difficult to get through if you’ve never played the game before. The long and short of it is this: you’re in a haunted house, you need to solve a puzzle, and a woman you don’t know is watching you. Is there a better way to spend Halloween?
