Halloween may be over but that doesn't mean the scares have to stop.
If you're not ready to pack up the pumpkins and call it a season, these five horror games will keep your adrenaline pumping …
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Halloween may be over but that doesn't mean the scares have to stop.
If you're not ready to pack up the pumpkins and call it a season, these five horror games will keep your adrenaline pumping through November and beyond. From ghost hunting with friends to diving into the darkest corners of your mind or the ocean, this lineup will keep the lights on and your nerves shot.
The name of this game translates to "fear of ghosts." If you love a good 'whodunit' but wish it came with a side of heart-pounding terror, "Phasmophobia" is the game for you. This paranormal investigation horror game from Kinetic Games lets you and up to three friends play ghost hunters in a variety of haunted locations from cozy suburban homes to sprawling asylums.
I like games where I have to put the puzzle together by investigating clues, remembering each ghost's unique mechanics and evidence, and "Phasmophobia" delivers that thrill perfectly every time I play. It's like an escape room — once the ghost starts hunting you, you're locked in and have to rely on your instincts and the facts to survive.
Armed with EMF readers, spirit boxes, video cameras and a healthy dose of denial, your job is to figure out which of the 24 types of ghosts is haunting the location. Each ghost comes with unique mechanics that make every hunt different and sometimes horrifyingly unpredictable. A Revenant moves painfully slow until it sees you, then turns into a blur of murderous intent. A Demon can hunt instantly without warning. A Yurei quietly drains your sanity and the Deogen? It always knows where you are. You can't hide.
Players can communicate through voice chat, which makes things more immersive and terrifying because the ghosts can hear you. Shout your friend's name at the wrong time and you might just provoke something that doesn't like being talked to.
There's a full set of ghost-hunting gear and cursed objects to experiment with and every completed investigation earns cash and experience to unlock new tools and maps. With constant updates and new maps on the way including the upcoming Nell's Diner in November, "Phasmophobia" keeps evolving and keeps players screaming.
All the "Silent Hill" games are worth playing but "Silent Hill 2" remains the crown jewel of the series and one of the most psychologically disturbing horror stories ever made.
It follows James Sunderland, a widower who receives a letter from his dead wife calling him to the eerie town of Silent Hill. What follows is a descent into guilt, grief and torment that never gives you clear answers — just more questions. That's part of what makes it so haunting.
The sound design alone is nightmare fuel. The fog-choked streets, the relentless whisper of static, the heavy footsteps of something you'd rather not see — it all builds dread in a way few games ever have. Then there's Pyramid Head, one of gaming's most iconic monsters, representing punishment in its most brutal form.
"Silent Hill 2" is one of my top choices because it doesn't give easy answers, leaving me questioning what really happened and who the real villain is. I love the psychological depth, the exploration of guilt and humanity at breaking points, and how the sound design and atmosphere create a constant, creeping sense of dread. While "Silent Hill 3" actually has my fears as phobias for teh protagonist such as fear of mirrors, mannequins, etc., and "Silent Hill 4" still gives me nightmares, "Silent Hill 2" is just a masterpiece.
If you can't get your hands on the 2001 original, the 2024 remake by Bloober Team is a solid choice. The updated graphics and gameplay give it new life even if it's missing the classic "Dead Men" riddle poem. Still, the soul of "Silent Hill 2" remains intact and it's just as haunting two decades later.
Take every over-the-top horror movie cliché then make it scarier, smarter and completely interactive. That's "Until Dawn," a 2015 survival horror game by Supermassive Games that lets you control eight young adults stuck on Blackwood Mountain for a night of terror.
What makes this game so much fun is that it knows exactly what it is. It pokes fun at slasher tropes — the jock, the cheerleader, the nerd — but then it turns around and terrifies you anyway. The characters are also... not always likeable and at the same time, you don't want anything to happen to them.
The story constantly shifts based on the player's choices. Every decision matters. Choose wrong and a character dies. Choose right and you might just keep everyone alive — maybe. The "butterfly effect" system and auto-save ensures no two playthroughs are the same and the anxiety of knowing one bad move can end a life keeps you on edge the entire time.
"Until Dawn" is an iconic horror game for me because it lets me control the story and see the consequences of every choice, making the tension and fear feel personal. The totems which you can find that give a taste of potential futures for the different characters are also a unique mechanic that is both help and hindrance if you become too obsessed. I also love how the game mixes humor, horror and classic slasher tropes while keeping me invested in the characters' fates.
While a remake was released Oct. 4 last year, the original is still preferred. There is one slight change to the endings in the remaster that I appreciate, but overall, the 2015 version remains top-notch. It's part movie, part nightmare and all heart-pounding tension. Think of it as your chance to yell at the characters in a horror film and actually make them listen.
Don't let the bubblegum colors and anime style fool you — "Danganronpa" is twisted. Created by Kazutaka Kodaka and developed by Spike Chunsoft, this Japanese series starts with an adorable black-and-white bear named Monokuma forcing high school students to murder each other. And it only gets darker from there.
Each mainline game — "Trigger Happy Havoc," "Goodbye Despair" and "V3: Killing Harmony" — follows a similar setup: investigate murders, find clues and face your classmates in high-stakes "Class Trials." These courtroom battles are intense, fast-paced debates where you must shoot down lies using "Truth Bullets" of evidence.
The fun comes not just from solving murders but also from the relationships you build with your classmates and inevitably lose. Every chapter pulls the rug out from under you emotionally and morally. It's equal parts mystery, satire and psychological warfare.
And for those who love lore, there's more than enough to dive into. The series has expanded into manga, anime and novels and rumors of a "Goodbye Despair" remake have fans buzzing. Just remember: in "Danganronpa," no one is safe.
"Danganronpa" is a fun choice because I play it co-op style with my household and we voice act the characters we pick, which adds so much fun, immersion and even sentimentality when they inevitably die. Games that make me think, use common sense and follow clues to solve mysteries are the ones I love, and "Danganronpa" does all of that with its mix of deduction, observation and high-stakes courtroom drama.
It might not seem like a horror game at first glance but "Subnautica" is pure nightmare fuel for anyone afraid of what is lurking deep in the ocean — which, let's be honest, is most of us.
Developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, this 2018 survival game strands you on an alien water planet after your ship, The Aurora, crashes. You play as Ryley Robinson, the lone survivor trying to gather resources, build a base and find a way home. The catch? The ocean is alive and not in a friendly way.
Imagine landing on a planet that's nothing but endless water. Then imagine realizing you're not alone.
As you explore biomes like the eerie Blood Kelp Zone, the bone-littered Lost River and the bioluminescent Jellyshroom Caves, you'll encounter creatures with names like Crabsquid, Warper and Reaper Leviathan. The deeper you go, the darker it gets and the more your pulse races.
Despite the fear, "Subnautica's" beauty and mystery are what keep players coming back. The sound design, the slow build of tension and the reward of uncovering hidden lore make it a hauntingly serene nightmare. A sequel, "Subnautica 2," is expected next year and I am cautiously optimistic after "Below Zero" failed to live up the expectations I had for it.
From ghost hunts and guilt trips to courtroom showdowns and deep-sea terror, these five games prove horror doesn't need Halloween to thrive. Whether you prefer psychological dread, jump scares or the quiet panic of being alone underwater, there's a game here to make your heart race.
The question is — do you dare keep playing after the lights go out?
