’tis nearly the night of All Hallow’s Eve. People are carving out pumpkins to put on their doorstep. Stores are plundered for tons of candy and kids are picking out their favourite scary costumes. While we wouldn’t judge you for putting on some horror movies for the night, we beg that you consider playing a game instead. After all, nothing is quite as terrifying as living the nightmare yourself and having digital monsters chase you while your heart skips a beat.
Here is a list of games we recommend for the occasion, curated by the LifeIsXbox crew!
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Robby: I rarely get scared by horror games as I’ve got a lifetime of playing them behind me. Whenever I’m dropped in a game with a scary monster chasing me around, the very first thing I do is intentionally run up to it (and probably get killed) so the worst is behind me. But I’ve got a vivid memory of playing Amnesia: The Dark Descent with a friend who was sleeping over after a night of way to many Duvels (strong Belgian beer). He was unfit to drive home, I was too drunk to lie down in bed and we decided to just sober up while playing a scary game.
Let’s just say we jumped off our seats a few times as this monster chased us, especially a scene where we head to tread through knee-high water and open/close doors with our hearts pounding in our chests. I think that physical aspect of the gameplay adds a lot of tension, having to open/close with a “push/pull” action versus simply pressing a single button.
Honourable mention: I recently played through Cronos: The New Dawn (twice!) and it also managed to spook me a few times, especially because it’s a pretty challenging game and death is always lurking around the corner. Check my Review HERE.
Dead Space (Remake)
Benny: The original Dead Space on Xbox 360 was ahead of its time. I’ll never forget playing it alone at night with headphones on, then a Leaper drops from the ceiling, and my heart nearly stops. You play as engineer Isaac Clarke, trapped on the USG Ishimura, fighting deadly Necromorphs unleashed by an alien Marker. The weapons are insane, especially the Plasma Cutter, which lets you slice through limbs with surgical precision, though they don’t always stay down.
If you love intense, heart-pounding horror, Dead Space is an absolute must-play, and now there’s a stunning new Dead Space Remake that brings the terror back to life for a new generation.
Honourable mention: BioShock has always been one of those games that really stuck with me. The eerie beauty of Rapture, the incredible storytelling, and the mix of action, horror, and philosophy all left a lasting impression. It’s a game I’ll always look back on with a lot of fondness and nostalgia.
Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul
Aaron: As Robby mentioned, I too rarely get scared by horror games, which is why I made the transition over to playing a lot more VR games to up the intensity when playing. Because VR puts you right in the room with the creatures, you often find yourself bricking it a lot more often. With that being said, my all time scariest gaming moment had to be when playing Paranormal Activity: Lost Souls.
Being chased through the dark hallways of the family home by a possessed demon is not something to be taken lightly. It results in literal sweat inducing fear. Having them up close and personal is something you can’t quite fathom until you actually experience it for yourself.
Honourable mention goes to Outlast. When that game launched back in 2013, it took me around a year to finish it since I could only handle 20 mins or so at a time. Now though, I’m kind of immune to it.
Until Dawn
Victoria: Supermassive Games have made a bunch of horror-themed games, but my favourite by far has to be Until Dawn. With the original released in 2015, a remake in 2024, and film adaptation in 2025, it’s certainly left its mark. The game involves a group of friends who find themselves surrounded by suspicious figures and actions which leave them fearing and fighting for their lives. With jump scares galore, a brilliant narrative from beginning to end, and plenty of choices which will affect the outcome of your game and who lives or dies, Until Dawn is my top horror game recommendation. I just wish it would come to Xbox!
As for my honourable mention, it would have to be Outlast. I remember the first time I played this game and within around 5 minutes of getting into the Mount Massive Asylum, I turned my Xbox off because I was horrified. It’s a must-play for any horror fan. Or if you just want to be scared sh*tless…
Outlast + Whistleblower DLC
Derek: I remember when I first started Outlast and thought to myself, ‘Oh well, here we go with another generic run-and-hide horror game…’ Oh, how wrong I was. Outlast quickly became one of my favourite horror games of all time, with just the right level of suspense, an amazing story and, of course, some very memorable characters like Chris Walker and the insane Richard Trager.
I frequently found myself hiding in lockers and crawlspaces longer than I should have due to the sheer terror that some of the variants can cause you to feel, and of course, the darkness plays a huge role in setting the mood as well, as your main source of light is a night vision camera, which only adds to the overall aesthetics of the game.
I’d also like to include the DLC Whistleblower in this as one of the only games in existence that silenced me with a single scene which is so unsafe for work I can’t even mention it here. Needless to say, it even made my girlfriend wince in sympathy. If you’re in search of an exceptional horror game that will linger in your mind long after you’ve finished playing, look no further than Outlast and its Whistleblower DLC.
Honourable mention: SOMA, another game with a story that will stick with you long after the credits have rolled.
Resident Evil: Village
Colombo: Opposite of Robby and Aaron, I’m usually a scaredy cat when it comes to horror, which is why most of my favorites are a lot more action-oriented than actual horror. Resident Evil Village has loads of action, and it has its scary moments as well, but it’s a lot more about killing than escaping. I really liked the gameplay, the story, and everything else about it.
Honourable mention: Dying Light, as doing parkour, crafting weapons and killing zombies was a lot of fun.
I hope the suggestions above were inspiring for a night full of frights! Happy Halloween, from the LifeIsXbox crew!
Robby lives and breathes video games. When he’s not playing them, he’s talking about them on social media or convincing other people to pick up a controller themselves. He’s online so often, he could practically list the internet as his legal domicile. Belgian games-industry know-it-all.