Yume Nikki is a critically acclaimed psychological horror game released in 2004, focused around exploring the dreams of a little girl named Madotsuki, who you play as. This is a game heavily based on exploration and atmosphere, building a surreal and nightmarish dreamscape as you wander through the corridors of Madotsuki's mind, encountering off-putting creatures and landscapes. It is not a traditional horror game filled with jump-scares but instead one that envelops the player into the unsettling inner workings of the main character. With little guide on how to collect any of the 24 'effects' and no way to get a 'game over', you are left traversing the abyss of a young, traumatised mind. This is one game that will certainly leave a dreary yet incomprehensible impression on you, befitting the spooky season ahead.
The first Devil May Cry game is a near one-of-a-kind in the action horror genre, and compared to the extreme combat and ridiculous stories of the latest entries, DMC’s initial inception was a surprisingly scary one. Originally developed to be Resident Evil 4, DMC was considered too different to the survival horror roots of the RE series, and a new franchise was born. The ancient castles and mazes of Mallet Island fill players with a pervading sense of discomfort as they explore the vast chambers and church-like architecture. Its corridors are crawling with demons, from the Marionettes that drop down from the ceiling to the Sin Scissors, whose eldritch shrieks echo across the halls. And compared to the electronic rock sounds that the series is inspired by these days, Devil May Cry’s soundtrack is incredibly eerie, dominated by organs and strings that only add further to the unearthly vibes.
Despite its many flaws, and there is most definitely a lot of them, Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer staple when discussing horror games. However, I give credit where credit is due, and appreciate when the developers give the game its annual Halloween makeover. If the different decorations on the maps and character customisation options aren't enough to get you in the in the mood for Halloween, then maybe it's time to self-reflect. Some of the playable killers are genuinely terrifying to look at, and getting jumpscared is inevitable when the killer is using a perk to reduce their terror radius. Unfortunately, this game quickly frustrates me to the point where I can only play for short intervals at a time, especially when I am versing a Tombstone Myers, but until then this game will get me hyped for Halloween like no other.
The credits rolled as I finished my first "proper" game and I just felt an eerie sense of horror, guilt, elements of shame. I was left with the names of the team who created this game and my virtual disposable camera. The pictures were taken during the game to pass time, but now as I sat watching my screen, truly saw the horrific elements behind each photo. The moments I was stalked, the destroyed evidence, the story of it all. Firewatch is not, as far as I'm aware, advertised as a horror game. But I will tell you there were parts of this game that I genuinely had to shut off before going to bed with fear of being unable to fall asleep. You open the game on the first day of your summer job as a fire lookout in Wyoming forest. The days skip initially in sequence but as the game becomes more and more intense, the days begin skipping from 5 to 20 days on. The lack of sequence knocks on that part of your mind that builds this creepier narrative. Being drawn in and out of routine with storylines and discovering the forest feels disordered. I would describe this game as an Edgar Allen Poe poem. Everything is there, but it is in the corner of your eye, and that is why you're left wondering what happens next and if you want to go any further.
