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Not only did we pick the best games for Halloween, but we also included those worthy of exposure and support. Some of these are indie, old, or early-access games. We recommend you try these out as they will surely keep you entertained at night and in the dark.
1. Critter Crops
Critter Crops is an indie game that lets you play as Sylvie, an outcast witch who just moved to Murmur Town in search of a place to call home. As you find your magical mansion, it tells you to prove yourself worthy before being able to live in it. Your main goal is to help rebuild the town by raising and selling Critter Crops through your modest farm. Besides that, you will meet the charming residents of Murmur Town and master your gift of witchcraft.
The game only started development in 2021 and is still in its Alpha stage. Despite this, Critter Crops should still bewitch both Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley fans. You can try out their demo or check out their plushie merchandise on their Twitter account.
2. The Outbound Ghost
The Outbound Ghost is a story of regret and rediscovery of an adorable yet spooky ensemble cast of ghosts from the town of Outbound. It starts as a murder mystery about the townspeople, now ghosts, of Outbound and eventually turns into an exploration of you and your fellow ghosts’ stories and emotions.
The first three characters that meet and help you are the siblings Michael and Mary, and their lovable dog Cori. Michael aims to discover the Outbound killer’s identity, Mary aims to help his brother, and Cori provides well-needed companionship for everyone in the town. More characters will try to help you, but some will do the opposite.
If all you need for the Halloween season is casual light-hearted fun, then The Outbound Ghost is for you. More information about the development progress is on the developer’s YouTube channel. You'd be surprised to learn he took inspiration from games such as Pokemon, Undertale, and Octopath Traveler.
3. Little Ghost
The creators of Little Ghost described it as a surreal 2D Metroidvania platformer. It is one of the most unique-looking games on the list and Steam store right now. Much like The Outbound Ghost, it is a paper-themed game whose main character is a ghost pencil drawing running through levels made from collages of paper clippings.
Much of the gameplay is simple sidescrolling and platforming with additional entertainment from podcasts and music in your character’s MP3 Player. Little Ghost is a great game to pass time without a care in the world. The songs featured are from a variety of genres like post-rock, alternative rock, jazz, and even classical music. Podcasts are surprisingly in-depth with topics covering philosophy, technology, life, and many more.
Little Ghost is another one on the list that should provide you with a “not-so-casual yet chill” gaming experience.
4. Costume Quest
Costume Quest is a role-playing video game released in 2010 that follows you, a trick-or-treating kid, on a Halloween adventure with your twin. However, not everything goes to plan as your quest to gather candies gets interrupted by creatures from outer space. We won’t spoil too much, but the game takes on a light-hearted journey across the neighborhood as you battle both aliens and humans.
The game features turn-based combat with skills that depend on your equipped costume. One of the first costumes you will use is the Robot outfit that lets you become a giant robot and shoot missiles at your enemies. This also lets you slide around when free-roaming, speeding up your exploration in the neighborhood.
The first game has downloadable content and a 2014 sequel. While this game may be older than others on the list, the franchise faithfully takes on the Halloween childhood experience for kids to enjoy and adults to reminisce.
5. Yomawari: Night Alone
Yomawari: Night Alone is a game that deceives you into thinking you will have a playful spooky adventure. In the first few minutes of the game, an intense and sinister curveball is thrown at you. No spoilers though! All you should know is that this game is not for the fainthearted and is more suitable for avid horror fans. Once you start your game, brace yourself for jumpscares, plot twists, and looming tension in the air.
You will be in control of a girl named Kotomo who lives in a haunted town with her sister, Tomoko, and dog, Poro. The supernatural incidents and the creeping monsters in the dark are introduced to you slowly. Even when they try to kill you, most monsters still look adorable. The game references tons of Japanese Yokai lore, so you can look out for that as well.
Two sequels were made a few years after its release, so there are more for you to play if Yomawari: Night Alone leaves you with a sense of incompletion.
6. Yume Nikki
Yume Nikki is a Psychological Horror game created by Kikiyama using the RPG Maker 2003. It was released in 2004 and re-released in 2018 with a remake. However, the remake disappointed most fans of the original game as it failed to capture most of what was good in the 2004 version.
In this game, you control a girl named Madotsuki as she explores her dream world. Your dream lets you explore different dimensions that should explain your character more. The game is vague and surreal to the point that one can say it was experimental, even for this time. This, however, is not a bad thing.
The art direction and level design accurately convey the unnerving feeling of nightmares. To help us resonate with Madotsuki’s thoughts and feelings, Yume Nikki’s gameplay and visuals are extremely abstract. All these combined, the real story and its ending should leave a mark on many players. As proof, tons of RPG Maker developers reference Yume Nikki as an inspiration for their work.
7. Omori
Last on the list is the cult-classic game Omori which gained popularity through its unique art style and intense themes of trauma, depression, and recovery. Lots of gamers found representation and appreciation for this as it explored undiscussed problems of the real world.
Omri explores the story of its titular character as he journeys through the surreal colorful world and recovers forgotten pieces of his past. There are only a handful of jumpscares in the game, so be more concerned about moments that may trigger intense emotions. This game takes time to finish, but most gamers should stay hooked with its compelling story and charming visuals.
That's pretty much it. With these games, October and November ought to be exciting for you. Yet if you’re looking for more, here are five special mentions that you can consider checking out:
- Corpse Party - A group of high school students try to escape the haunted curse of their school’s festival.
- Cult of the Lamb - Avoiding certain death through the grace of a forgotten God, you take revenge on your old idols by creating and empowering your cult.
- Darkest Dungeon II - Lovecraftian horrors have taken over great lands in the world, your goal is to find out the truth behind these terrors and put an end to them.
- Have A Nice Death - You will play as the Grim Reaper, or Death, as you try to regain control of Death Inc. and put your once loyal minions in line.
- The Mortuary Assistant - Occultic demons haunt your Mortuary apprenticeship, and you try to break free from these horrific creatures.
