A selection of games to play in October
October is one of the best months of the year. The crisp Autumn winds and color changes of the leaves have us craving that spooky scary delight that’s been a part of our lives since childhood. While there are many horror-themed video games that exist, today we compiled a solid list of suggestions for games you should play in October for the spooky season this year.
Table of Contents
Little Nightmares
A beautifully dark and dreary fairy tale-esque title. The girl in the raincoat finds herself in a bizarre, nightmare (hence the name ) fueled world where misshapen creatures are lurking about aboard a cruise line. Run, duck, hide and make your way out of this hellish vacation . The service stinks, the guests are rude, oh and everyone is trying to make a meal out of you.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Not even a horror game, but it’s so damn creepy and atmospheric it almost becomes one. Arkham Asylum sees our dear Dark Knight fall into a dastardly trap when Joker and his henchmen overtake the island. Batman must fight tooth, nail, and batarang to bring this madness to an end. The asylum itself is one of the coolest and best-designed locations in any game ever made. The gothic angel statues, the German expressionist-style buildings, and the spirit of Arkham’s secrets are enough to entice anyone into a good spooky adventure.
Silent Hill 2 Remake
Remake of the flagship title. While you should definitely play the original, its high price and rarity for the time being make that a bit of a chore. The remake is, bar none, one of the best in modern horror history. It takes everything that made the original great and puts a beautiful, fresh coat of paint on it. Smoother controls, tighter combat, more cinematic bosses, and the titular town looking better than ever — the Blooper Team knocked this out of the park.
Resident Evil 4 (Original or Remake)
Both are so good they share a spot. Thankfully, the original RE4 is one of the most ported games in history and is easily available on modern platforms. The remake, in my opinion, is THE best remake of all time and easily the best in the series. That being said, both games, while similar, are just different enough that playing them back-to-back still feels fresh. The original delivers that classic early-2000s B-movie vibe, while the remake takes a more serious tone with a brooding environment and a more nuanced approach to storytelling. Either way, both are absolute must-plays!
Inside
We step into the shoes of an unnamed boy making his way through a distilled landscape where an unknown organization is attempting to eliminate all individuality and free will. What really makes this game stand out isn’t just the smooth, finely tuned controls — it’s also one of the most disturbingly beautiful blends of styles I’ve ever seen. Think Tim Burton meets George Orwell.
Dead Space Remake
Another fantastic remake of an already superb horror classic, Dead Space Remake is high-octane sci-fi terror at its absolute peak. The USG Ishimura serves as the perfect Halloween nightmare — a claustrophobic metal tomb drenched in flickering lights, oozing gore, and just the right amount of jump scares to keep your heart racing without feeling cheap. It masterfully keeps you on edge while standing firmly on its own, never leaning too heavily on the 2008 original’s legacy. This version outshines the classic in every way — atmosphere, story, pacing, and sheer tension. It’s a gloriously gruesome blend of grotesque dismemberment and psychological unraveling, a blood-soaked descent into cosmic madness that’ll have you grinning through the screams.
Luigi’s Mansion
When I think of the perfect summertime game, Super Mario Sunshine instantly comes to mind – bright, carefree, and full of tropical chaos. Then, when spooky season rolls around, nothing hits quite like Luigi’s Mansion. It’s my all-time favorite E-rated horror game, no contest. As much as I appreciate the sequels, the original from the early 2000s just had a vibe modern games can’t recreate – that eerie, liminal atmosphere and slightly rough edge that made it feel almost dangerous for a Nintendo title. It wasn’t just cute ghosts and slapstick scares – it was haunting in its own weird, lonely way, and that’s what made it special.
(Checkout my full retrospective) + (All Luigi’s Mansion Ghosts Ranked List)
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Essentially a living Halloween special. Cooper and his girlfriend Amber are taken hostage by the twisted Baron Von Ghoul, and Cooper must fight his way through this kooky house, facing all manner of ghouls. Nothing here is supposed to make sense, and I absolutely love it. You’ll battle skeletons, mummies, hunchbacks, ninja imps, and even haunted doors, to name a few. While the combat can be a tad awkward, the design, music, and setting give the game a wonderfully lighthearted charm that’s perfect for getting into the season.
Clock Tower
Poor orphan Jennifer just can’t catch a break. Her father passes away, and she holds out hope that being adopted by a wealthy Norwegian woman, along with her friends, might finally turn things around. Sadly, that hope is short-lived. A deranged little demon schoolboy is running around wielding a giant pair of scissors, intent on turning Jennifer and her friends into a twisted game of tag — where the loser gets cut to ribbons.
(Read full review of remaster)
Left 4 Dead 2
Everything you loved about the first game — and then some. More maps, more characters, more infected, and more guns to blast those brain-eating SOBs sky-high. While it’s not exactly a lore-heavy or story-driven experience, this game is pure FUN. Endless hours are spent making your way through cityscapes, either gunning down zombies or devouring survivors. Without a doubt, it’s the greatest horror multiplayer game ever conceived.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
A great entry point for younger audiences into the horror genre. You play as a down-on-his-luck security guard working the night shift at a popular family restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Sounds simple enough — just watch the monitors and collect your paycheck. The catch? The animatronics have gone berserk and see you as a threat outside their costumes. And the penalty for that “violation”? Death.
Killer Frequency
A beautiful love letter to Friday the 13th and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Forest Nash, a once-famous big-city DJ, has lost his job and been demoted to Gallow’s Creek, a tiny speck on the map with fewer than 1,000 residents. He tries to make the best of a bad situation, but a lunatic known as the Whistling Man has other plans. The sheriff’s department is wiped out, and the surviving officer redirects all emergency calls to you until reinforcements arrive from the next town. You’ll help callers survive the night while unraveling the mystery of this masked killer.
Overwatch 2
The premier hero shooter. The game constantly updates with new seasons and themes, and October delivers everything you could want — spooky costumes, themed maps, emotes, and sprays. Seeing your favorite hero decked out in a Halloween outfit while chaos erupts across beautifully decorated arenas feels like one big, bombastic Halloween party.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
I dare you to push through the first couple of hours of Symphony of the Night without giving up. At first, it might seem tough or confusing, but this game isn’t about punishing difficulty — it’s about the transformation that comes after. Once you snag a few upgrades, Alucard evolves from fragile noble to absolute powerhouse, and the focus shifts to exploration, secrets, and pure gothic atmosphere. Few games capture the seductive horror of wandering Dracula’s Castle — every corridor dripping with mystery, every room whispering danger. As a Halloween pick, it’s damn near perfect. There aren’t many better ways to spend a spooky night than getting lost in Symphony of the Night.
Bloodborne
This game is simply badass. Full stop. The heavily Lovecraftian-inspired Bloodborne might just be FromSoftware’s true magnum opus. It’s rotten, it’s vile, it’s gothic, and it’s pure nightmare energy — a perfect embodiment of October horror. Every corner of Yharnam oozes atmosphere, from grotesque monsters to its haunting, decaying beauty. It’s a game that terrifies, punishes, and yet somehow lures you back for more with that intoxicating mix of dread and triumph. If you want a game that’ll make your heart race and your palms sweat, look no further. Here’s hoping it doesn’t remain forever trapped in the PS4 mausoleum.
Until Dawn
If you’re craving a horror experience that feels like an ‘80s slasher flick blended with a David Cage-style interactive thriller, Until Dawn is your ticket. It’s a tense, cinematic romp where you’re tasked with keeping a group of obnoxious teens alive until — you guessed it — dawn, all while unraveling the chilling mystery lurking beneath the surface. Every decision counts, and what seems like a tiny slip-up can spiral into a blood-soaked disaster. The tension is so thick you’ll find yourself gripping the controller like your life depends on it — and yes, if you mess up, a quick quit-and-reload might just save your favorite character… if you’re fast enough. It worked for me…
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
One of the titans that popularized Let’s Plays and video game reaction content, Amnesia is a modern classic that everyone should experience. The game masterfully plays on your anxiety and fear without relying heavily on cheap jump scares. Instead, it traps you in a constant state of dread — the kind that crawls under your skin and refuses to leave. You’re powerless, forced into flight rather than fight, and that helplessness makes every shadow feel like a threat. With outstanding sound design and a creeping sense of unease, by the time the credits roll, you’ll understand why this game has secured its place as a cornerstone of the survival horror genre.
Darkwatch
Look, no one talks about this game more than me (Mikhail). I have to level with you – this game isn’t anything that will blow your socks off, but I just adore the gothic wild west vibes and the satisfying gunplay. This game just hits right and it looks really cool. When I think of the best games to play during October, I can only pray that one day we’ll see this game get the proper remaster treatment – because let’s face it… we’re never getting a revival on that cancelled sequel.
(Checkout my full retrospective)
Slender: The Eight Pages
Such a simple concept, yet one that went on to inspire an entire generation of horror games. Slender: The Eight Pages takes the barebones premise of collecting scattered notebook pages in a dark, desolate forest – each scribbled with ominous messages – while being relentlessly stalked by a faceless entity. By today’s standards, it’s minimalistic to the point of absurdity, but that’s exactly what makes it so effective. It’s a masterclass in atmosphere and tension, proving that fear doesn’t need jump scares or complex mechanics to work. Revisiting it today is a reminder of where so many modern horror titles, from indie hits to AAA thrillers, found their roots.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
I predict we’ll see this one resurface on the Switch 2. One of the only two M-rated Nintendo GameCube exclusives – and honestly, the better of the pair (sorry Geist, I still have love for you) – this game introduced the brilliant sanity meter, which messes with both the character and the player in equal measure. As the game unravels, the world twists around you, turning everyday hallways into nightmarish corridors and innocuous sounds into spine-chilling cues. It’s a brilliant stroke of psychological horror that keeps you questioning what’s real and what’s in your head, cementing its place as a timeless horror classic.
Alan Wake 2
Step into the shoes of Alan and Saga as they team up to unravel a twisted cult-murder mystery in this maddening sequel. FBI agent Saga Anderson and renowned author Alan Wake each bring their unique perspective to the chaos, navigating a story they’ve literally become a part of. It’s brilliantly meta, blending psychological horror with supernatural intrigue, and offers a deep dive into the disturbing, fractured psyche of its characters. Every twist keeps you questioning reality, making it a hauntingly immersive experience.
