It’s the time of year to dim the lights, eat Halloween candy for your kids, and scare the absolute crap with a good horror game. Sure, watching a scary movie can be fun, but there’s something to be said when you’re actively involved in a movie that is just so much better. Horror video games are pretty much like horror movies, only you are in control and you are the one to put on that brave face as you take on all sorts of nightmarish creatures. You are also the one who makes terrible decisions just like those frustrating horror movie characters who love to yell at you and tell them what to do.
While there is no shortage of great horror games for adults, there are different options for kids depending on their age, so I’ve included some kid-friendly horror games here. Playing video games with your kids can be a great experience, and it’s just too good to watch them jump out of a timely fear to let it slip away.
Kid friendly horror games
Quest 1 & 2 costume
Costume Quest isn’t exactly scary, but it definitely fits the time of year perfectly. During a trick or treating night, your sibling is kidnapped by a monster and it’s up to you to get them back. Battles are turn-based (like older Final Fantasy games) and any character you control can transform into what they are currently disguised as (like a giant robot) when the battle begins. With Costume Quest, Double Fine (Psychonauts, Gang Beasts) has created a surprisingly gripping RPG experience based on the premise of Halloween. If you’re into something a little more lighthearted, both Costume Quest games are definitely worth checking out.
MediEvil
Originally released on PS1 in 1998, MediEvil captured the hearts of many with its tragic and heartwarming story of Sir Daniel Fortesque. The story of Sir Dan’s triumphant victory over the evil wizard Zarok is worthy of a hero. However, what actually happened that day was that literally seconds after the battle began, Sir Dan shot an arrow in the eye and Zarok went into hiding. It wasn’t exactly a heroic story, so the king hushed it up. Fortunately, Sir Dan was brought back to life and given a second chance to redeem himself. On your undead mission to defeat Zarok once and for all, you will come across different types of zombies and critters, but in one way, Tim Burton, everything is bizarre. With lots of levels and lots of secrets to discover, you and your kids will spend hours trying to prove yourself worthy of stepping into the afterlife in the Hall of Heroes in this wonderful remake of a beloved classic.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help wanted
All jump scares, Five Nights at Freddy’s might not get you anywhere, but your kids will definitely be on the safe side. You’ll have to work the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza (or different locations depending on which entry on the series you’re playing), keeping an eye on all of the animatronics. See, Freddy and the gang like to get up after hours and roam the building, so you’ll need to check security cameras and close doors if they get too close. To make matters worse, you have a battery indicator to keep track of things. If you spend too much time looking at the cameras and keeping doors closed, you will run out of power and be game over. Survive the night and you get paid badly! While the Jump Scares will repeat themselves over time, the atmosphere on this series is always top notch.
Luigi’s mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is bursting with charm and ghosts and is arguably the best in the trilogy. The animations of the individual characters are very well done and the gameplay is tight. Mario has been kidnapped once again and it’s up to Luigi to save the day, but this time you’re exploring a haunted hotel. The animations for each of the characters are extremely well done and the gameplay is tight so you’ll have to use your trusty Poltergust to suck up ghosts. Luigi’s Mansion 3 also has some fun multiplayer games for up to eight players when you’re done with the single player story.
Little nightmares 1 & 2
The Little Nightmares games sway so dangerously that they are too scary for kids and just the right amount of scary. It reminds me of something that would come out of those Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark novels. They were considered children’s books, but it always felt like I was reading something I shouldn’t have read … which was great and made me feel like a badass when I was younger (although I was also a light at night stopped). The bulk of any Little Nightmares game consists of you sneaking around trying to solve environmental puzzles to get to the next area. However, what makes these games so great are the enemies. Some of them are pretty terrifying, and the fact that they’re much taller than you and you usually can’t fight back only annoys any encounter even more. All you have to do is run as fast as you can and hope you don’t screw up your escape.
Not that kid-friendly horror games
Until dawn
Ever wanted to play a slasher movie in video game form? Until Dawn was made for you. Aside from the great graphics and production design, the choices you make are the great appeal of Until Dawn that directly impact your story. This style of gameplay, in which you can choose your own adventure, with 8 playable characters, leads to stressful decisions in fractions of a second that can lead your character (or others) to survival or certain doom. Even if you get a game through the screen with one character, it just means that the story will continue with the others. Up to Dawn offers three different endings, but there can be up to 256 different variations in how you get to those endings, so the replay value on this one will go through the roof.
Phasmophobia
Phasmophobia quickly became a hit due to their great online multiplayer experience. You and three other players are tasked with entering a location (from a suburban home to a prison) and finding out what kind of ghost haunts that area. They use different types of equipment to pinpoint exactly what the ghost is while also making sure you don’t die in the process. The ability to communicate with your friends while calling the ghosts at the same time can lead to some pretty funny moments, making this game one of those games that juggles both real thrills and laughter with ease when you’re playing with friends.
Alan Wake
Alan Wake follows the story of bestselling thriller writer Alan Wake, who tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife’s disappearance while on vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls. Each of the events he experiences during the course of the game are events from the plot of his latest novel that he cannot remember having written. It’s an interesting premise played with non-combat scenarios during the day where you ask around and look for clues. However, at night all hell breaks loose. The fight is fast-paced and feels great as you juggle battery power for your flashlight and ammo to take on murderous shadows known as “Taken”. The fight, which is great, shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, given that Alan Wake is from Max Payne and Control developer Remedy Entertainment. With the recently released Alan Wake Remaster, it’s the perfect time to return to Bright Falls if you missed the first time.
Resident Evil 7
When it comes to Resident Evil, all games have a special place in my heart. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but for full blown, panic-inducing terror, Resident Evil 7 delivers. I think that the opening part in RE7 alone is worth the price of admission. It’s really harrowing stuff that I’m not going to spoil here if you haven’t played it, but within the first hour you’ll have sweaty hands and are definitely thinking about going to the basement you just heard bloodthirsty screams from. However, if you get through that first hour, you will be treated to a Resident Evil game that is heavily influenced by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Definitely not for the squeamish.
PT
Which “best of” list of horror games would be complete without the mother of all “playable teasers”. PT is often considered one of the best horror games of all time, and it was literally a demo to announce a new Silent Hill game directed by Hideo Kojima. Unfortunately, the project was canceled before development had even properly started, and Konami would even remove the demo from the Playstation Store. Even so, this little demo spawned legions of games that tried to create the same horror as this demo. It still makes an impact on the industry years after its release. If you’ve been lucky enough to download it before it was removed from the store and still have it on your PS4, be sure to throw it back on this Halloween for a quick scare.
Silent Hill 2
In 2001, Silent Hill 2 perfected the psychological horror gameplay and storytelling that made the first part of the series so unique and compelling. In Silent Hill 2 you play as James Sunderland. You have just received a letter from your wife asking you to meet her in Silent Hill. That might seem nice, but the problem with this is that your wife has been dead for three years (what about missing women and horror games?). It’s a scary setup that only builds up in tension and fear as the game progresses. Everything from the hostile design to the locations to the music is wonderfully creepy and it all culminates in a really terrifying finale. Oh yes, and it also introduced us to the terrifying and iconic ‘Pyramid Head’. If you’ve never played a Silent Hill game, put this at the top of your must-play list.
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