The holidays are upon us, and what better way to prepare for the most beautiful holiday of the year than to delve into the best stories of the horror genre?
I’ve got you covered if you’re looking for the best horror movies or horror TV to watch on Netflix (or the best horror movies in general). But what about video games? 2023 was a terrible year for horror games only, from modern remakes of classics, like Resident Evil 4 and Dead space to new titles as The judgments last, Dredge, Amnesia: Bunkerand more.
We’ve pulled together some of the best short horror video games with only a few days left before Halloween. Whether you’re looking for a chilling psychological horror experience or a frenetic one-core nightmare, these are some of the best games to play this season.
Helltown
Developer: WildArts Studio
Average time to play: 1h 30m
Where to buy; Steam, itch.io
If you like ordinary horror movies Wicker and Enys MenYou will love it Helltown. Developed by Nicolas Lamarche and Gabriel Bolduc Dufour, Helltown follows the story of a courier assigned to deliver packages to a secret rural neighborhood called Little Vale. After his first day on the job, things quickly take a sinister turn as disturbing visions unfold into a plot involving demon worshipers and nefarious horrors. An open world horror exploration game; Helltown offers multiple endings and collectibles and is a perfect game for those who are diving into the unknown.
No one lives under the lighthouse
Developer: Marevo Collective
Average time to play: 2 hours
Where to buy; Steam
Fans of slow-paced horror with a heavy atmosphere burn and a strong emphasis on sound design should definitely check it out. No one lives under the lighthouse. Much like Robert Eggers’ LighthouseStarring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, this game puts players in the role of a Pharisee watchman who takes over the stewardship of a small island off the coast of the United States of America after the former watchman abandons his station. Unlike that aforementioned movie, you are all alone; no one else to take care of you to light the tower and conduct the duties around the island. or you
That gave Chase
Developer: Aslak Karlsen Hauglid
Average time to play: 1h*
Where to buy; Steam, itch.io
In this experimental first-person horror game, players take on the role of a beleaguered dog musher hired by a mysterious scientist to safely guide him across the frozen arctic plains to a remote research facility. Along the way, the pair encounter more and more new and disturbing events that call into question the motives of the scientists, if not the entire expedition. Can a scientist be trusted, and what with all these new visions?
Mother – Role-playing Horror Game
Developer: Enigma Studio
Average time to play: 2 hours
Where to buy; Steam, itch.io
In this role-playing horror game (see the title?), you are Liana, a little girl recovering from a life-saving operation. Returning home, he wakes up one morning expecting to meet his mother, only to be greeted rather than look like her mother. What is going on here? As the weeks pass, Liana will have to unravel the mystery behind her peculiar condition before the season ends.
The second game from Jamie Gavin, a Galway-based game developer who works under the pseudonym “Enigma Studio” alongside composer Karl Barnes. Mothered the middle entry in the loose trilogy of games set to conclude this year with November’s Echostasis. If you enjoyed this one, you should definitely check it out Mother: House – “The sequel DLC” is also available to play for free via the Uada PS1 “Spectral Mall” Demo Disc.
Stay out of the house
Developer: Puppa Combo
Average time to play: 4h 30m
Where to buy; Steam
Benedetto “Ben” Cocuzza is a game developer known for unique low poly survival horror games inspired by ’80s VHS aesthetics and classic horror movies. Enticing underground claws from * Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hills of Eyes, Stay out of the house It’s a stealth game in which players assume the role of a kidnapped girl while on a road trip with her boyfriend across the Oklahoma border. In order to escape, the players must sneak through the slippery interior of the dilapidated house of the masked madman without alerting either himself or his family to the madman.