6 Scary Games for Spooky Season

What’s going on, everyone? Hard to believe we’re already in October. This year has been flying by. While I may not be dressing up for trick-or-treat runs like I used to, I am spending the season playing horror games with my wife. We’ve picked out a mix of new releases and backlog gems that fit the mood perfectly, and I wanted to share six of them with you.

 Silent Hill f: A New Direction

Confession time: I’ve never played a Silent Hill game. I grew up on Resident Evil while my wife played both series, and hearing her stories made me curious. When Silent Hill f dropped, I decided it was time to finally dive in.

Set in 1960s Japan, the game takes a fresh cultural approach, blending folklore-inspired monsters with psychological horror. You play as Hinako, navigating a rural town plagued by madness and supernatural forces. Combat looks more involved than classic Silent Hill, not quite soulslike but definitely more weighty. This might be the game that finally pulls me into the franchise.

 Cronos: The New Dawn and Time-Bending Terror

Next up is Cronos: The New Dawn from Bloober Team, a survival horror with a heavy Dead Space vibe. You play as the Traveler, a time agent scavenging post-apocalyptic wastelands to harvest “Essence” from the dead. The twist is that you jump back through time to alter events and prevent humanity’s downfall, all while facing grotesque mutants and timeline-spanning puzzles.

The Traveler’s slow, deliberate movement mixed with overwhelming enemies means strategy and resource management will be key. Ammo looks scarce, and the trippy atmosphere has me intrigued. As someone who loved Dead Space (minus 3), I’m excited to see what Bloober is cooking here.

 Silent Hill 2 Remake: A Complete Renovation

Yes, another Silent Hill. But if there’s one Silent Hill to play in October, it’s this one. My wife’s favorite in the series got a full Unreal Engine 5 makeover last year, and the results are stunning.

You play as James Sunderland, who receives a letter from his late wife, drawing him back to the fog-shrouded town where they shared memories. What follows is a descent into psychological horror, full of puzzles, dread, and guilt. With October marking the anniversary of its release, this feels like the perfect time to experience a legendary horror story for the first time.

 Alan Wake 2: A Sequel with Split Personalities

Alan Wake 2 dropped in October 2023, and Remedy took things to a whole new level. The game splits its narrative between FBI agent Saga Anderson, investigating ritualistic murders, and Alan Wake himself, trapped in the surreal Dark Place trying to rewrite reality.

The first game was trippy but a bit clunky in combat. This sequel improves light-based battles against shadowy Taken, adds mind palace puzzle-solving, and layers in folklore with psychological thriller beats. Remedy thrives on weirdness, and I can’t wait to see what nightmares this one holds.

 Bye Sweet Carole: A Sinister Fairy Tale

Set to release this month, Bye Sweet Carole looks like a twisted love letter to old-school Disney animation. You play as Lana Benton, searching for her missing friend Carole Simmons in the haunting Bunny Hall orphanage. The hand-drawn world shifts between reality and a corrupted kingdom of monstrous anthropomorphic animals.

It’s part puzzle-solving, part platforming, with heavy narrative focus. My wife, a big fan of classic Disney, lit up when she saw the art style. When she showed me the gameplay footage, it was an instant addition to our Halloween list.

 Ghostwire Tokyo: Supernatural Ghost Hunting

To round things out, we’re revisiting Ghostwire: Tokyo. Originally released in 2022, it’s a supernatural action-adventure set in a fog-covered Tokyo where most of the population has vanished. You play as Akito, bonded with the spirit KK, wielding ethereal powers to banish Visitors inspired by Japanese folklore.

The neon-lit city streets are both eerie and beautiful, blending urban exploration with supernatural combat. The atmosphere alone makes this a perfect October play.

 Wrap Up

Those are the six horror titles I’m tackling this Halloween season. Some new, some old, but all packed with the right kind of scares. What about you? Are any of these games on your list? Or do you have your own spooky recommendations? Let me know what you’re playing this month.