10 Spooky Games From 2021 to Play This Halloween
The Best, Most Spooky, New Games to Play This Halloween
It’s Halloween, and that means only one thing: time to play spooky games!
Okay, it means a few things: the opportunity to dress up in ridiculous outfits, go trick-or-treating, watch scary films and celebrate all things macabre with your friends and family. But as video game lovers, we of course take it as an opportunity to delve into some of the best, and most spooky, horror games around.
There have been some excellent horror games released in 2021, and many of them may have flown under your radar. So here we are with a round-up of ten of the best spooky, or horror-themed, games that have released this year. Grab a controller, and a friend if you’re too scared to play alone, and get ready for a spooky good time this Halloween.
Want to support GameSpew? If you decide to buy any of the games on this list, please consider using our affiliate links, included below each entry. It won’t cost you anything extra, but we’ll get a small slice of the purchase. Thank you.
Tormented Souls
- Release date: 7th September
- Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Taking inspiration from classic survival horror games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Tormented Souls looks modern but plays like a blast from the past. Thankfully the tank controls are optional, but you’ll still have to contend with fixed camera angles, limited attack options and a bucketload of fiendish puzzles.
Not everyone will get on with Tormented Souls, then, but those who do will absolutely love it. The puzzles are enjoyable to solve, and the monsters that pursue you through the halls and rooms of the creepy mansion you’ve found yourself in are both menacing and grotesque. Throw in an interesting though perhaps rather predictable story, and you have one of the best survival horror games in years. If it interests you, make sure you play it this Halloween. We just hope it gets a sequel.
Read our review of Tormented Souls
Buy on Amazon
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water
- Release date: 28th October
- Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Originally released on Wii U more than six years ago, the latest entry in the Project Zero (or Fatal Frame depending on where you are in the world) series has been remastered for modern platforms and PC. And thankfully, while Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water may not be the best example of what the series has to offer, it still delivers plenty of scares and some genuinely chilling moments.
The action is focused around a fictional Japanese mountain, though it’s inspired by Aokigahara, otherwise known as the Suicide Forest. Taking control of three characters, you’ll explore the mountain via a number of missions, and when hostile ghosts attack, you’ll have to make use of your camera to combat them. It’s a Camera Obscura, you see, a special camera that appears to have supernatural powers itself. The dark subject matter of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water means some might want to steer clear of it. And clunky controls will occasionally frustrate. But those who aren’t put off by those issues will have a genuinely spooky time with it.
Read our review of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water
House of Ashes
- Release date: 22nd October
- Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
The third game in Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology series might just be the best yet. For many reasons, House of Ashes is one of the most spooky games you can play this Halloween. Maybe it’s the creepy, ancient temple that provides the backdrop for the game. Or maybe it’s the horrifying flesh-hungry creatures that lurk in the darkness. Take your pick. Needless to say, House of Ashes provides the scares by the bucketload.
Like previous Dark Pictures Anthology games, House of Ashes has a branching narrative, with the story’s outcome ultimately down to you and the actions you make. You can play alone or with friends either locally or online. And as you take control of a group of five characters, the choices you make will decide who lives and who dies. No pressure, then.
Read our review of House of Ashes
Inscryption
- Release date: 19th October
- Available on: PC
Inscryption simply oozes spookiness from the moment you start playing. It’s a blend of a few things: a deckbuilding Hearthstone-like card game, an escape room-style puzzle, and a psychological horror. Together, they form something quite unlike anything you’ve played before, but something that’s absolutely perfect for Halloween.
The game’s deckbuilding element is engaging enough by itself, with the spooky atmosphere setting the scene and sending a shiver down your back. Your cards are all based on animals, but to play one, you’ll need to sacrifice another – blood is the order of the day, you see. But one of your cards seems to have a life of its own, giving you hints and prompting you to escape out of the dark, scary cabin you find yourself in. So clearly, not everything is as it seems here. It’s well worth a try if you’re looking for something spooky, and wholly original, to play this Halloween.
In Sound Mind
- Release date: 28th September
- Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Imagine waking up in a basement, not knowing how you got there. Even worse, the building you’re in is seemingly abandoned, aside from some strange creatures that attack you on sight. Throw in a mysterious man who keeps calling phones nearby just to mess with you, and you have the setup for one of 2021’s most interesting games.
In Sound Mind places you in the shoes of a psychologist, though you’ll quickly begin to wonder about his own mental state. Exploring the strange building he’s woken up in, you’ll find various doors that lead to the homes of his patients, and by collecting the tapes that are inside, he can then play them back at his office. Each tape, however, transports him to what is essentially a nightmare. What really makes In Sound Mind stand out is the variety and creativity found within each of these nightmares. There are some genuine scares too. Be sure to check it out this Halloween if you’re after a game that’s eclectic but all the better for it.
Read our review of In Sound Mind
Shadow Corridor
- Release date: October 26th (the PC version released in 2019)
- Available on: Switch and PC
Do you like mazes, scouring environments for objects and being pursued by freaky… things? If the answer to that questing is yes, you’re going to get on rather swell with Shadow Corridor, a game that has been available on PC for years but has just made its way to Switch.
There’s a story to Shadow Corridor, but you probably won’t care much for it. It doesn’t help that it’s not told in a particularly interesting way. The real draw here is the gameplay, though it’s likely to prove to be a bit like Marmite; you’ll either love it or hate it. Basically, each level throws you into a randomly generated maze, and it’s your job to escape. But to do that you need to find some items first. And did we mention that it’s generally pitch black, and on normal difficulty you don’t have a map? Throw in multiple supernatural entities that hunt you down as you do about your business, and you have a game that’s very tense and sometimes downright terrifying.
Buy on Amazon
Rogue Lords
- Release date: 30th September
- Available on: PC
Rogue Lords isn’t a straight-up horror game, per se. This roguelike battler packs in plenty of creepiness though, thanks to its cast of famous horror characters and its atmospheric settings. It’s the perfect spooky Halloween game for those who don’t like to get too scared.
In Rogue Lords, you’ll take control of a trio of famous horror icons. There’s The Headless Horseman, Lilith, Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula and more, and with them you’ll take down various spooky horrors like ghosts and tortured souls. One really cool thing about Rogue Lords is that if a battle isn’t quite going your way, you can make a deal with the devil in order to turn the tides. Drain an opponent’s entire health bar, maybe, or steal a useful buff from them. Nota a problem when the devil is your friend.
Buy on CD Keys
Resident Evil Village
- Release date: 7th May
- Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Stadia
Okay, so most of Resident Evil Village veers on side of action more than horror, but it does have its moments. Early on in the game, for example, you’ll find yourself exploring an opulent mansion. But you’ll soon find out that it’s inhabited by vampires, and they’re out for your blood. Cue a few encounters that might have you on the edge of your seat.
There’s one section of Resident Evil Village that’s particularly freaky, however, involving a remote house full of dolls. We won’t spoil it for you, but when you reach it you might want to have a spare pair of underpants at the ready, just in case. In any case, Resident Evil Village may be action-packed, but it’s still a horrifying affair overall. If you’re a fan of the series definitely give it a try. And if not, maybe try one of the earlier entries? Resident Evil 7 Biohazard may be a good entry point, and it’s a hell of a lot scarier.
Read our review of Resident Evil Village
Little Nightmares II
- Release date: 11th February
- Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch, Stadia
A platform game where you control a pair of small children? Little Nightmares II might not sound so scary at its most basic, but don’t let that put you off. This is in fact one of the most spooky – and at times simply downright terrifying – games we’ve played this year. A sequel to 2018’s Little Nightmares, it turns everything up to eleven, taking inspiration from horror classics like Silent Hill to create something so tightly packed with dread and atmosphere that you won’t sleep for days.
Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but we’re not kidding when we say that Little Nightmares II is spooky as heck. Playing as Mono and accompanied by Six, you’ll find yourself travelling through a range of fantastically designed but horrifying locations. Numerous times you’ll be pursued by nightmarish creatures, though the star of the show for us is the level that sees you sneaking past mannequins. As soon as the light goes out, RUN!
Read our review of Little Nightmares II
Horror Story: Hallowseed
- Release date: 28th October
- Available on: PC
Horror Story: Hallowseed is your typical ‘a group of friends go camping in the woods and terrible things happen’ story. You take control of one of the three friends – Michael – and with a hazy recollection of what happened the night before, you must seek answers while also trying to save the others.
A low-budget affair, Horror Story: Hallowseed isn’t particularly long – you could complete it in one sitting. Mechanically, it’s also quite basic. You won’t find any combat here – the gameplay is focused on exploration, finding objects, and solving puzzles. It looks great though, and is truly creepy; as you move from one environment to another, the dark, oppressive atmosphere never lets up. It’s just a shame that it’s only available on PC, and there’s no controller support at the moment, so you’ll have to play it at your desk. Still, if you’re after a horror game to play this Halloween, it’s certainly worth considering.
