There is no better time of the year to experience a horror game for the first time than Halloween. With the seasonal energy putting everyone in the mood for scares, playing that new spooky game in the dark dead of night just hits different. Thankfully, this is also the same time of year when we get the most new horror game title drops, for the very same reason. If you’re looking to experience some new horror games, here are some promising new titles releasing this season, including one that horror fans have waited decades to see.
Videos by ComicBook.com
5. Escape From Playtime
Fans of Poppy Playtime will be excited to hear about the release of a brand new entry in the series, and one that breaks the mold of the titles that came before it. The franchise, inspired by the breakout success of the “mascot horror” genre, explores the aftermath of a 90s toy company’s experiments into creating and enslaving sentient toys, and the slaughter that came because of it. The newest title, Escape from Playtime, branches off of the main game and takes on a roguelike co-op twist.
Up to eight players fill in the stuffed paws of “Smiling Critters,” little guys with a perpetual gaping maw forced to endure the horrors of the toy factory. To survive, you’ll have to work together, gathering supplies and attempting to escape both familiar areas from the original Poppy Playtime game as well as procedurally generated new levels. Terrifying new enemies will stalk these halls as well, creating the perfect opportunity for new scares.
Escape from Playtime releases into Early Access on October 21st, meaning you and your friends can help playtest the title just in time for Halloween.
4. Valor Mortis
The creators of Ghostrunner return with perhaps one of the most unique and interesting horror games of the year. Valor Mortis is a brutal action-horror title where players face off against the grotesquely mutated zombies of Napoleon’s undead army. Historical figures such as Napoleon himself make an appearance alongside terrifying monsters, twisted historical weaponry, and explosive magical powers.
Not only does Valor Mortis combine a series of interesting ideas into one cohesive, unique setting, but it also presents a unique take on a beloved video game genre that we haven’t seen before. This zombie-slashing historical fantasy horror is also a first-person souls-like, a potentially revolutionary concept which came with its own challenges and rewards. Your ability to fight back makes the horrors in Valor Mortis no less frightening, however, making it a perfect horror game for Halloween, especially if you’re a fan of history looking for a scare.
Players can delve deep into this historical horror epic when it releases on October 13th.
3. Tenebris Somnia
Fans of horror in both films and games are in for a special treat with this upcoming title, which combines both mediums into a terrifyingly creative endeavor. Tenebris Somnia takes the classic horror survival mechanics of Resident Evil and portrays it in a nostalgically retro 2D pixel style. While this alone would make for a pretty unique horror game, it is only one half of the equation. Paired with the game’s retro gameplay are live-action cutscenes filmed by an award-winning film crew from Argentina. After experiencing the horror in retro 2D, the perspective will shift, showing you everything again in shocking realism.
Tenebris Somnia promises not only to be an exciting and scary narrative horror experience, but also a true work of art, combining mastery of multiple visual mediums to create something that would be hard for players to forget. You can get your hands on Tenebris Somnia when it releases on October 16th.
2. Blue Ridge Hunting
The Appalachian Mountains are considered by many to be one of the most haunted, most cursed, and overall most paranormal places in America. The mountains, some of the oldest in the world, are the origin point for an abnormally high amount of urban legends, and are said to contain horrors so old and elusive that we don’t even have stories about them. Sounds like a great place to go hunting.
Blue Ridge Hunting will give you the opportunity to do just that. This co-op multiplayer title has you teaming up with your friends to explore, document, and hunt down the cryptids and haunts that lurk in this ancient mountain range. Not only is this a great concept for a game, but the horror becomes all the more real when you realize that many of the hunts featured in the game are said to be based on true stories shared by survivors.
Blue Ridge Hunting enters early access on October 20th.
1. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival
Inspired by and a direct continuation of Clive Barker’s legendary horror series, Hellraiser: Revival breaks the franchised horror game mold by being a shockingly violent, unapologetically scary experience with a gripping narrative. The game is so unapologetically gruesome that you can’t even show some footage of it on YouTube, a fact that helps the game stay true to its roots.
Hellraiser: Revival is more than just a surprisingly good horror game and a breath of fresh air for franchised horror games, but it is one that fans have been waiting for a long time, as it is the first ever dedicated Hellraiser video game since the franchise took off in 1987. While there have been several attempts to turn the franchise into a video game since, all were cancelled, making Hellraiser: Revival one of a kind.
Hellraiser: Revival released on October 8tg, meaning that you can pick this incredible horror game up now and enjoy it for the rest of the spooky season and beyond.
More Gaming
-
Image Courtesy of Activision -
Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast -
Courtesy of Konami
