‘Tis the season to get spooky, and we’ve rounded up the top 10 video games to make you poop your pants this Halloween. If you think you’ve got a strong enough stomach and a scream worthy of early-2010 YouTubers, here are just a few essential horror video games for you to play this Halloween.
10. Red Dead Online/GTA Online (PC/XBO/PS4)
As is traditional, online games from Rockstar Games pull out all the stops when it comes to seasonal events. Whether you prefer GTA Online or Red Dead Online, there’s tons happening in both titles – plus playing online means you can have a social Halloween while still remaining pandemic-friendly!
In GTA Online there’s more than $1,000,000 of in-game currency which you can claim right now. You can also earn double RP and GTA$ by playing the Halloween themed Adversary modes: Beast vs. Slayer, Come Out to Play, Condemned, Lost vs. Damned, Slasher and Slashers. The psychoactive Peyote Plants will also make a triumphant return to trip-out any player that consumes his sort-after piece of vegetation. Get the details here.
As for Red Dead Online, Rockstar has introduced the Halloween Pass, which offers loads of exciting new things to dive into.
Rewards featured in the Halloween Pass include a Gothic Decor theme for your Moonshine Bar, filters for your Advanced Camera, Halloween-themed clothing for both you and your horse, new emotes, weapon variants and new Photo Studio backgrounds.
Also included in the Halloween celebration is a new Dead of the Night mode, where four teams will compete against each other to slay the dead. The team that tallies the most points by the end of the match wins! Get all the details here.
9. Dead by Daylight (PC/XBO/PS4/STADIA)
A classic horror multiplayer, Dead by Daylight recently got even more spook-tacular thanks to the Silent Hill collaboration. Introduced earlier this summer, the Silent Hill Chapter includes a new map of everyone’s favourite middle school, and you’ll be seeing fan-favourite characters including Heather Mason and Pyramid Head.
Dead by Daylight explains: “The new Killer is The Executioner: take control of Pyramid Head and wield his great knife to unleash his twisted brand of punishment on all who cross him. The new Survivor is Cheryl Mason, a courageous, outspoken woman who survived the hellish Otherworld of Silent Hill, and exacted revenge on the Order that killed her father. With experience beyond her years, she’s prepared to once again stand against any evil that confronts her.”
Dead by Daylight is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam. A mobile-friendly version is also available.
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone (PC/XBO/PS4)
Okay so far we’re not seeing that many spooky games on this list, but what we are seeing is horror-themed games for you and friends, without having to leave your home, so give me a break okay?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone’s latest event brings all the scares to Verdansk, adding in characters from classic horror franchises including Saw, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and more.
With a bunch of news skins, weapons and more, Halloween is the perfect time to jump back into Warzone. You can find out all the details right here.
7. Remothered: Broken Porcelain (PC/XBO/PS4/Switch)
Modus Games’ latest horror launch may have gotten off to a sticky start, but a number of recently-released game patches have made Remothered: Broken Porcelain a lot more palatable. We played a demo of the game before launch and can confirm that – when it’s working – the terror that awaits you in the Ashmann Inn is more than poop-worthy. Make sure you’ve downloaded all the latest before diving in – and running away from – a survival horror which is perfect for fans of Clock Tower, Haunting Ground and more.
6. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope (PC/XBO/PS4)
One we haven’t yet played, there’s a lot riding on the next horror escapade from Supermassive Games. Though Until Dawn smashed it out of the park when it released back in 2015, the first game in the Dark Anthology series, Man of Medan, failed to make the same impact in 2019. Though Man of Medan’s story left a lot to be desired, it’s Hope-d that Little Hope will be just as good as Until Dawn. It launches 30 October.
5. Days Gone (PS4)
Although it didn’t quite meet the lofty heights of other PlayStation exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man or God of War, there’s a lot to be said for Bend Studio’s Days Gone. The huge open-world post-apocalyptic nightmare is well worth your time, and it’ll keep you busy way past Halloween with anywhere from 30 to 60 hours of gameplay depending on your style.
The game will be available to play via PS5’s backwards compatibility, and right now it’ll cost you less than £20 in the PlayStation Store Halloween Sale. What’s not to love?
4. Alien: Isolation – The Complete Edition (PC/XBO/PS4/Switch)
An absolute classic, Alien: Isolation is still regarded as one of the finest survival horrors of the current gaming generation. With guaranteed jump scares set against the claustrophobic background of a forgotten space vessel, Alien: Isolation excels in both its gameplay and its poop-your-pants atmosphere. Again, this one is currently up for next to nothing, with the Complete Edition available for less than a tenner in the PlayStation Store Halloween Sale.
3. Silent Hill 4: The Room (last-Gen Consoles and PC)
“Huh? Why is this super old game on this list? How am I supposed to play this in 2020?!” I hear you cry. Well don’t fear (or do), because this October saw the release of 2004’s Silent Hill: The Room on PC thanks to GOG, which puts it at number three on our list of essential horror video games this year.
GOG gave the adventure of Henry Townsend new life by making it PC-friendly, without the need for emulation. Though it’s by no means the best Silent Hill game in existence, it’s well worth playing if you love your psychological horror and classic games. Again, it’s cheap as chips, retailing for less than £8.
2. CARRION (PC/XBO/Switch)
A horror with a twist, there’s a reason why 2020’s CARRION boasts an impressive score of 9/10 on Steam. From developer Phobia Game Studio, CARRION has you “assume the role of an amorphous creature of unknown origins, stalking and consuming those that imprisoned you.” Definitely a change in style from what you might be used to, this is one horror that’s likely to get right under your skin with more gore than you can shake a stick at it. Check it out on Steam here.
1. Amnesia: Rebirth (PC/PS4)
Can you really have an essential horror video games list without mentioning at least one Amnesia? Probably not.
The latest Amnesia game to launch, Rebirth is already wowing both longstanding fans of the franchise as well as series newcomers. The game’s official description teases the horror that awaits, writing: “In Amnesia: Rebirth, you are Tasi Trianon, waking up deep in the desert of Algeria. Days have passed. Where have you been? What did you do? Where are the others? Retrace your journey, pull together the fragments of your shattered past; it is your only chance to survive the pitiless horror that threatens to devour you.” Not one for the feint of heart, this is our ultimate pick this Halloween!
So there you have it – 10 essential horror video games for your Halloween. Did we miss off anything crucial? Let us know with the reacts Emojis below!
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Featured Image Credit: Activision/Konami/Frictional Games