10 Best Horror Games to Play this Halloween

As we near the end of October, I thought I'd do something I haven't done in a while; Halloween content. I didn't get the chance to do anything last year, so I thought I'd do it again. With that said, let's look at 10 horror games you should definitely play for Halloween.

Number 10: BloodRayne (2002/2020)

You are Rayne, a dhampir (human/vampire hybrid) on a quest to stop the Nazis from acquiring certain occult items that would grant supernatural powers.

The game was developed by Terminal Reality as a spiritual successor of sorts to their previous hit, Nocturne, before being turned into its own thing. BloodRayne was originally released in 2002, but Terminal Reality joined forces with another studio, Ziggurat Interactive, to release a remastered version of the game - BloodRayne: the Terminal Cut.

It has a fairly good story, and the combat is very well done, so it's kind of sad that the game seems to have just fallen through the cracks. With that in mind, why not give this one a go?

Number 9: Cayne (2017)

Cayne is a free-t0-play isometric sci-fi horror game with an emphasis on puzzle-solving.

Produced by The Brotherhood and published by Daedalic Entertainment, this little gem was released in 2017 and has since disappeared from the gaming landscape it seems. The game was developed as a prequel/spin-off to The Brotherhood's previous title, Stasis.

In Cayne, you play Hadley, a woman who wakes up in a mysterious facility and is heavily pregnant. You have to solve a variety of puzzles throughout the game with the end goal being to escape the facility.

If you like horror, and you like puzzles, then you have to give this one a try!

Number 8: Alien Isolation (2014)

Okay, now before anyone throws anything at me, let me explain. Alien Isolation is a survival horror game based in the Alien universe. The reason it's so low on this list is that I have not personally played this one...yet. Now, now, put down the pitchforks and torches!

The story follows Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda, as she heads out to a space station to recover what appears to be the Nostromo's black box. Why? So she can find her mother. Of course, she spends the game running from Xenomorphs in one of the deadliest games of hide-and-seek you'll ever see.

Number 7: Vampire, the Masquerade (2004)

I'm not sure you'd classify this one as a horror game, but it's worth talking about so here we go. The game is based on a tabletop RPG, you play as a fledgling vampire who has to navigate the intricacies of vampire society without giving yourself away.

There isn't really a fear factor to this one, there are horror elements occasionally but it's not a terrifying game by any means. Still, you should definitely play it this Halloween.

Number 6: Doom (1993)

Doom is an all-time favorite of mine, I've been playing it again recently and I'm amazed at how well it holds up - even with the mid-90s graphics. The basic gist of the game is that you're a lone survivor, a space marine who is forced to fight the demonic hordes of Hell to save the world.

Placing this one at 6th place was really hard for me because I really, really love this game. The creature designs are terrifying - even if the graphics are dated - and the fact that they just come out of nowhere is great. Here's the thing, a lot of the scares are jump scares which, while fun initially, do get dull after a bit. I also just didn't find it scary, that may have been thanks to the banger of a soundtrack!

Number 5: Amnesia: the Dark Descent (2010)

Amnesia: the Dark Descent is a first-person survival horror game that came out in 2010. The story follows a man named Daniel as he works to kill the owner of a castle while avoiding various supernatural forces and staying sane.

I can't say much more as I've just started this one myself, but I can say that the sound design and music are great, and I'm on the edge of my seat playing it.

Number 4: Resident Evil (2002 Remake)

Sticking with survival horror, we have a game I discussed just recently, Resident Evil - specifically the 2002 remake. You play as either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, a member of an elite rescue team on a mission that goes pear-shaped. As a result, you and your team (though, realistically it's just you) are trapped in a mysterious mansion filled with zombies and have to figure out what's going on.

The graphics and sound design are absolutely fantastic, as is the world building and atmosphere of the game. I was able to get a lot of the games on special so I have almost the whole series - which is great because this quickly made its way to my list of favorite games!

If you haven't played this one, I highly recommend it.

Number 3: Doki Doki Literature Club (2017)

Okay, I talked about this one as well in a previous list of horror games that I put together around 5-ish years ago. In fact, it took the top spot on that list, and many others like it. Now, I haven't played it since finishing my first ever playthrough - just don't have the mental/emotional strength for that kind of psychological onslaught.

I played it to see what all the hype was about and it was mostly peaceful. A nice little dating simulator that I could waste time with; the trigger warning must've been bait, I thought....oh, how wrong I was! You play as...well...you and are recruited into your school's literature club by your childhood friend Sayori.

You spend the game composing poetry and building relationships with the other club members - which is where the horror comes in. I won't say anything more than you really should heed that trigger warning.

Number 2: Dead Space (2008)

The USG Ishimura is a mining ship that's gone radio silent, a team is sent in to investigate the situation. On that team is Isaac Clarke an engineer who's trying to reconnect with an old girlfriend. When they arrive, the team is forced to crash land on the ship and quickly discover that the ship is full of bloodthirsty mutants.

Dead Space is another recent favorite that I discussed a little while ago, the pacing, atmosphere, sound design, and story are all fantastic. You never know what's going to come around the corner and some of the creatures are pure nightmare fuel.

Number 1: The Letter (2017)

The Letter is a visual novel that was released in 2017, it's inspired by J-Horror films. The story follows a group of people as they get caught up in the curse of a chain letter. They have to figure out how to get rid of the vengeful spirit who's gunning for them.

This is a fantastic game but it's also a LONG one so it's going to take a good while to finish (took me a little over 30 hours). That said, it's a great time and if you're looking to be chewing holes in your fingers, this is the game for you!