This list of spooky games has a bit of everything –– from horror, to suspense, to just good spooky fun. These games are also relatively affordable, and I wanted to keep prices down because there are a lot of good games for a steal of a price.
‘Alien Isolation’ – PC, Xbox, PS4
“Alien Isolation” is a game which takes place in the universe of Aliens. The game takes place on a space station the style of a 1980s futuristic movie in which you are trying to understand what happened to your mother, while constantly being chased and hunted down by a single alien. Stealth is something this game revolves around. You will not be able to fight this alien, only outsmart it. I played this game when it first came out in 2014, and it is a must play even if you were not a fan of the original movie. You can find this game for around $20.
‘Dead Island: The Definitive Edition’ – PC, Xbox, PS4
“Dead Island” is a very old game franchise originally made for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. This game came out during the zombie craze of the early 2010s. I loved the original games when they came out. They are very fast paced first-person shooters in which your main goal is to leave the zombie infested island. You choose from a cast of characters each having different strengths and weaknesses. You can find it for as low as $5.
‘Fallout 4’ – PC, Xbox, PS4
Now, the base game itself is not scary in the least, but with the Silent Hill mod it turns the bleak Commonwealth into true horror as fog covers the whole map and ghouls are turned into Horrors. The creator has even included Siren Head as one of the many horrors in the game. This is a very fun mod and, most of all, it’s free as long as you have the game. The base game now runs for around $20.
‘Alan Wake’ – PC, Xbox
“Alan Wake” is a thriller game in which you play as Alan, a writer who suffers from a two-year writer’s block after he goes on vacation, during which his wife goes missing, and a new novel is released in his name that he never wrote. It is your job to figure out what happened to your wife by uncovering the mysteries in the book. This game is an Xbox exclusive but was released way back on the 360. It is a very cheap game now and holds up very well to age. This game is about $5 at its cheapest.
‘Until Dawn’ – PS4
“Until Dawn” is an interactive story-based survival game that plays almost like an interactive movie in which you make big decisions, and each one could mean the difference between life and death. The eight characters you follow decide to go camping. After getting stuck there, strange things start happening as they are hunted. Your goal is to keep them alive, and after playing through it myself, it’s a lot harder than you think. This game goes for about $15 and is a PlayStation exclusive.
‘The Last of Us’ – PS4
This is another PlayStation exclusive, but this is a must have if you have never played it. You play Joel, a smuggler who is tasked with keeping Ellie safe across the U.S. during the zombie apocalypse. You soon find out that Ellie is immune to the fungus that is turning people into zombies, and that she is humanity’s last hope. The game has a great story, and while it isn’t scary, it does fit the spooky vibe of Halloween. You can pick this game up for around $10.
‘The Evil Within 2’ – PC, Xbox, PS4
This game is a third-person horror survival game centered around protagonist Sebastian Castellanos as he is pulled through a world full of some pretty scary locals, and even scarier creatures. What this game lacks in story, it makes up for it in the atmosphere it creates. You will be freaked out from start to finish and it is available for about $10.
‘Resident Evil 4’ - PC, Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch
The Resident Evil franchise is a great series to get into if you are new to it, but the best place to start, in my opinion, is “Resident Evil 4.” This game was originally released for the GameCube but has had many ports to different consoles. This game is one of the original third-person horror shooters and is a slow paced game for modern standards but is a lot of fun. I highly recommend it. You can find it for $15.
‘Outlast’ – PC, Xbox, PS4
“Outlast” is a first-person horror game where you play Myles, a journalist who investigates a psych ward. The game has an unmatched atmosphere. What he soon learns is it’s overrun with old homicidal patients. This game is very cheap, and you can find the definitive edition for just $20. This game is best played with the lights off to really get engrossed in the world, and is a must play if you like jump scares.
‘Phasmophobia’ – PC
This game is a PC exclusive, but the game is not very demanding, and if your computer is less than three to four years old, it should run it. This game is best with friends as you and up to four people are paranormal investigators, and your job is to figure out what kind of ghost you are hunting. It’s a game that listens to your speech and will alter how the ghost reacts. If you are not into scary games, I would still recommend this game. As with the right group of friends –– you will not stop laughing. The best part of this game is it’s only $17.
