The best horror video games for Halloween

It's Halloween season, and no doubt you’re on the hunt for something spooky, scary and downright terrifying to enjoy.

Games have always been an excellent source of high-stakes survival and horror, getting our heart rates rising and us jumping out of our seats – literally.

With zombies, vampires, ghosts and nightmares in mind, here are a mix of some of the best, latest and altogether classic titles that will put you in that Halloween spirit.

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Back 4 Blood (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PC)

If new game Back 4 Blood is to be believed, the apocalypse is going to have zombies – lots, and lots of them. And surviving their onslaught and reclaiming the world will be as terrifying as it is fun, energetic and downright chaotic.

This game throws everything and the kitchen sink at you, in levels where even the smallest noise can trigger an avalanche of undead beasts hungry for your blood.

You play as a Cleaner tasked with eliminating these 'Ridden' creatures by any means necessary. You’ll instinctively shoot everything that moves, and then once more just to be sure because this game punishes you if you let anything survive for too long.

Luckily for me in my early playthrough friendly-fire was turned off, as I sprayed my three allies with as many bullets as I did the zombies.

In the opening scenes of the campaign, a character is already mauled and the building you’re in is surrounded by a cacophony of growls. You’ll fear the worst. And you’d be right to.

Missions will see you tackle a variety of survival staples, from drawing zombie attention to rescue civilians, to blowing up infrastructure to stop their movements – to just surviving for as long as possible. Everything is high stakes, high tension, and high gore.

And just as you rest on your laurels and relax in the crevice of a building, a flock of birds or car alarm triggers nearby and summons the entire level to your feet. Most likely this will happen when you have zero bullets left, and zero escape options...

When all this becomes too much, switch to PVP mode and take control of either a team of Ridden or Cleaners and do battle once more.

Back 4 Blood is a clever, addictive and often frightening cooperative shooter. Whilst you can play solo and reclaim the world on your own terms, teaming up with your friends and strategizing all the while comes highly recommended – just don’t trigger car alarms near your buddies!

Until Dawn (PlayStation 4)

Until Dawn is a game where every decision, every action, and every inaction could have dire consequences for your cast of characters.

You play as a group of friends meeting for a ski trip. But unfortunately for them, murder and outright panic are on the itinerary.

Gameplay sees you make narrative choices to progress the story, deciding what characters should say or do at specific points. These decisions may directly impact events much later on, including saving a character from death, or outright killing them off.

As if the game wasn't tense enough, you’ll be hit with quick-time events at the most inconvenient of times, asking you to button bash or hold your controller deadly still. One wrong move and a character may reach an unfortunate end.

The end goal? Survive until dawn with all 8 characters left intact – which I promise you is an incredible challenge. With multiple endings, multiple storylines, and multiple ways of dying, Until Dawn is a game that continues to fright and delight gamers with every playthrough.

Dead By Daylight (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, iOs & Android)

The rules of Dead by Daylight are simple – kill or be killed. It's an asymmetrical horror game jam-packed with fun, fright and everything in-between, which relies heavily on teamwork and perseverance.

You have two choices on how to play. As a survivor, your goal is simple – try and stay alive for as long as possible. Repair generators to open the exit gates, bring flashlights and med-kits to prolong the hunt, or hide in a locker and hope you’re undiscovered until you’ve formulated a plan.

Playing as the killer completely flips the rulebooks, where you’re indestructible and challenged to inflict as much harm and chaos to the other players as possible.

The game boasts a wide cast of murderers, including a vengeful spirit, teleporting nurse, and homicidal K-pop star. And with licensed killers from iconic horror series such as Ghostface and Michael Myers thrown into the mix, there are ample opportunities to revisit some of the most iconic horror franchises and see if you could kill any better than the masters.

Phasmophobia (PC)

Fancy being absolutely terrified with your mates from the comfort of your own home? Then Phasmophobia is a psychological horror made for you.

Reserved for only the bravest of gamers, Phasmophobia has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to scare you. After a while, most of what you fear will be just your imagination and paranoia at play as to what the game might throw at you.

Enter haunted locations choke filled with paranormal activity, and try to hold your nerve all the while to uncover what ghost is running amok. As a 4-player co-op, you'll use your ghost hunting equipment to record and uncover clues.

Thankfully there are a variety of playstyles you can adopt, depending on how courageous you’re feeling. Stay in the (relative) safety of your truck and examine CCTV and monitors to relay back to your friends, or simply walk headfirst in and face whatever is thrown your way. But come in contact with the ghost and you’ll be in direct danger of death - here’s hoping you all survive!

Resident Evil Village (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PC, Stadia)

Set some 3 years after RE7, Village is a harrowing tale with all the horror, gore and suspense we've come to expect from the Resident Evil franchise.

Set in a terrifying Transylvanian world, you play as Ethan Winters who must face off against four local lords and the enigmatic Mother Miranda, to find his missing daughter.

One minute you’re fending off against mutant werewolves on a deserted farm, the next you’re being chased around a gothic castle by a 9ft 6" vampire countess – this game has it all. And whilst it always keeps you on your toes, your eyes will be firmly on your remaining ammo and exit route.

Village has a signature campy horror feel to it, which will have you chuckling one minute and then dreading going around a corner the next. You’ll try to compose yourself, but nothing will prepare you for several jump scares this game has in store.

Little Nightmares II (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Stadia)

The truth is in the name – Little Nightmares is a suspense-adventure full of dark secrets to discover and be terrified by. You play as a young boy named Mono, trapped in a distorted world filled with dark secrets. It doesn't help that the residents are all terrible, and will threaten you at every terrifying step.

With harrowing environments and gameplay which punishes even the slightest hesitancy, Little Nightmares II could be just the fright you need this Halloween night.

Carrion (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Nintendo Switch)

If you've ever wanted to play the role of the killer, Carron is a reverse horror game that has all the staples of a cult classic.

You play as a ravenous creature, whose simple task is to stalk and consume those who imprisoned it. All the while, you’ll spread terror and panic across the facility, as you swoop, slither and massacre everything in sight. And as your abilities grow, so too does your path of destruction and devastation.

The Last of Us (PlayStation 4)

With infectious zombies aplenty, and a criminal lack of ammo throughout, The Last of Us is a staple in survival horror that still has enough frights in its arsenal to captivate you this Halloween.

Set in a world ravaged by a fungal disease that turns people into 'infected' zombies, humanity is at the brink of destruction. Nothing prepares you for tip-toeing through darkened rooms, where even the smallest misstep can send a horde of ravenous zombies your way.

Just when you think you’re at your safest, the game has other ideas. You’ll always be scavenging for bullets, looking for health packs, or trying to craft anything offensive out of scissors, bolts and tape.

And with two additional games, Left Behind and Last of Us 2, and a HBO adaptation on the horizon, the Last of Us universe is only getting bigger. Now is the perfect time to see how this all began, and if you have what it takes to survive the apocalypse

The best horror video games for Halloween

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