From zombies to ghouls, these atmospheric games will allow you to take on monsters from beyond the grave this Halloween
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THIS weekend it’s Halloween, the one time of year when we can openly embrace our darker sides. And what easier way to get some chills with your thrills than exploring the macabre side of gaming?
There are some incredible games out there catering to every type of creepy experience you’re craving, from silly, spooky fun to heart pumping tension and scream-outloud terror.
So if you’re looking for an experience to keep you from sleeping this weekend, may we suggest you try one of the following titles ....
Darkwood
(PEGI 18) PS4, XBOX ONE, PC, Switch
For some reason Darkwood sailed under the radar on release in 2017, meaning it’s one of the best games you’ve probably never heard of.
Set in a procedurally generated open world, the game begins with a portent about a coming plague, and warnings the woods are coming to life. The bad news is you are in a cabin in those woods – and something outside, wants in. Even worse, if you have any hope of making it through the night, you need to venture out among those trees for supplies.
Packed with skin-crawling terror, and tension so thick you could literally slice it, Darkwood makes you work to reveal its story. This really will leave you with a fear of the dark.
Until Dawn (PEGI 18) PS4
One of the first real attempts at making a slasher movie as a game, Until Dawn is now recognised as a classic story-driven title.
Eight friends are trapped in that horror trope cliche, a remote cabin in the woods.
They soon suspect they are not alone, and quickly find themselves fighting for survival.
How the plot plays out is dictated by the decisions you make – and those choices could lead to the death of your friends.
Beautiful detailing makes the small map feel huge, and everything drips with an evil menace like it’s out to kill you.
Played out over 10 chapters, the player’s gameplay is ‘analysed’ by Dr Hill, a psychologist, until you really begin to question your actions.
Once you’ve completed the game, you can replay it to try new tactics, which reveal new storylines.
SOMA
(PEGI 16) PS4, XBOX ONE, PC
Not the scariest game on this list, but certainly one of the most unnerving.
Set in the ocean bed research facility PATHOS-2, strange goings on are about to pull Simon Jarrett into a waking nightmare.
The radio has fallen silent, and mechanical issues plaguing the machines mean they have now become almost murderous.
You are unarmed, and your only
Set three years after the events of Biohazard the game starts with protagonist Ethan Winters’ idyllic life being brought to a shattering end.
Waking in an eerie European village, Ethan sets out in search of his family.
The village itself is gloriously creepy, sitting in the shadow of an imperious castle – it’s suitably isolated with a pervading sense of menace and begging to be explored.
The village’s increased roster of bloodthirsty beasts makes for an interesting variety of combat encounters – as are the deranged nobles you have to defeat.
Graphically this is jawdropping, with a story that offers you a selection box of gory delights.
The horrifying characters feel tangible and fleshed out. means of escape would send you to a horrible death in the deep, freezing, dark waters surrounding you.
Beautifully realised environments rich in colour and texture create a clawing sense of claustrophobia, while the metal hull’s groans under the constant pressure of the deep ocean, set your nerves on edge.
A thoughtful horror game exploring the delusions of human consciousness, this is more about existential terror than jump scares.
Little Nightmares 2
(PEGI 16) PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, PC
If you could bottle that sense of unease you sometimes experience at night – that feeling that you’re somehow not alone, then you’d get Little Nightmares 2.
The sequel to 2017’s horror adventure hit, this puzzle-platformer introduces a new character to its spooky, and twisted story – Mono – who must escape the hauntingly beautiful Pale City.
Much like the original, the villains are nightmarishly brilliant.
There’s the Teacher who, like the ghoulish Japanese rokurokubi, is able to extend her neck and chase Mono through ducts and drains – and the silent, ceiling-crawling Doctor, whose presence is first felt when you look up to see his bulbous face leering down at you.
One of the first real attempts at making a slasher movie as a game, Until Dawn is now recognised as a classic