October is the best time of year to binge horror movies, get lost in spooky books, or be absorbed by some excellent horror games. When it comes to the latter, 2024 has gifted us with plenty of skin-crawling stories, from the chilling and oppressive world of the Silent Hill 2 remake to Supermassive Games' latest fright fest, The Casting of Frank Stone.
It's not just the big titles that are worth your attention, though. Just as in the world of movies, it's the indie scene where the most fascinating and unique games appear, and several 2024 releases have captured the spotlight. So, in celebration of spooky season, I wanted to share some of my favorite indie horror games from this year that are perfect for playing around Halloween. They each offer a variety of scares and are all short enough that you can cruise through the entire thing on Halloween night, if you wish. Regardless of what kind of terrifying tale you're searching for, there's a little something for everyone to enjoy during the spooky season.
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Fear the Spotlight
If the thrill of the Silent Hill 2 remake has you looking for more games inspired by the classic PS1-era survival horror, Fear the Spotlight is just what you need, offering retro aesthetics with a more modern feel. Developed by husband-and-wife duo Cozy Game Pals, it is the debut release from Blumhouse Games and a fantastic pick to play on Halloween night, thanks to a story involving a spooky séance, haunted happenings around a school, and a creepy monster roaming the classrooms late at night.
Fear the Spotlight delivers a classic survival horror experience akin to the older Resident Evil or Silent Hill games but without the full-bore terror. It's much more of a teen horror experience in the mold of Goosebumps, making it a perfect fit for those looking for a less intense scare on Halloween night. Stepping into the shoes of Vivian, you'll be transported into a nightmarish version of Sunnyside High School as you attempt to track down her friend Amy after she disappears following a séance gone wrong.
With no combat and only occasional run-ins with the aforementioned monster, progress through Fear the Spotlight's compelling story is made via the solving of satisfying puzzles that offer a fun new spin on the challenges featured in classic PS1-era horror games. These puzzles make Fear the Spotlight absolutely worth jumping into, especially on October 31st, since it'll only take you around three hours or so to complete. What's more, there's even an exciting surprise waiting for you once you finish that'll keep you busy the day after, too. It's available on PS4 and PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Mac and Linux via Steam.
Hollowbody
Silent Hill has definitely been in the air this year, as Hollowbody is another indie game released this year inspired by the classic survival horror. Developer Headware Games finds a unique spin by combining Silent Hill with a dash of Blade Runner to craft a thrilling (and sometimes terrifying) tech-noir tale. It's one that'll only take you about five hours or so to complete, but it makes the most of every minute.
Hollowbody offers up a chilling story, plenty of engaging puzzles, and a plethora of aggressive monsters to keep you on your toes. Armed with a variety of weapons and limited resources to get you through, your character, Mica, battles her way through a dilapidated city to track down her missing partner, Sasha. It's one of those games where it's well worth reading every newspaper clipping and piece of paper you come across, too, as their fractured stories help you piece together exactly what happened in this ruined city.
For a bit of classic, fixed-camera action with an eerie story to boot, Hollowbody is definitely worth your time this spooky season. If you've got a PC, you can pick it up on either Steam or GOG.
Fears to Fathom
If you're looking for multiple bite-sized stories to work through, it doesn't get better than Fears to Fathom. From developer Rayll Studios, Fears to Fathom is an episodic psychological horror with five terrifying chapters to choose from: Home Alone, Norwood Hitchhike, Carson House, Ironbark Lookout, and this year's Woodbury Getaway. Each one can be completed in a couple of hours or less, so you can set yourself up for a full night of scares with this collection.
What makes Fears to Fathom's individual episodes so interesting is that each one is based on a real story submitted by a member of the fan community or found on Reddit. While all of the anthology is built around narrative ‘walking simulator' style mechanics, each story provides a new spin on that gameplay. As a result, each is a unique experience that's terrifying in its own way. Perhaps Fears to Fathom's most fun idea, though, is how it utilizes your microphone – any sound you make in real life can be detected at certain points in the game, adding an extra thrill as you desperately try to stay hidden. It makes for a much more immersive fright fest.
Fears to Fathom's spooky short stories are perfect for a night in on Halloween; just make sure to keep the noise down… You can get started playing them on PC via Steam or on iOS.
Rayll also revealed on X/Twitter that you can catch the Ironbark Lookout episode on PS5!
Mouthwashing
MOUTHWASHING Looking for a little psychological horror to fill your night with dread? Mouthwashing is here to provide as you step into the shoes of a crewmember of The Tulpar, a ship stranded in space after a crash. What happens to this group as time passes with no sign of rescue? Buckle up, because this non-linear story is ready to take you on quite a disturbing journey.
From developer Wrong Organ, Mouthwashing is a narrative-focused game that'll stick with you long after you've rolled credits, thanks to its compelling story told through a variety of eerie visuals. It's a game that doesn't hold back as it unfolds the story of The Tulpar both pre- and post-crash, examining the personalities, motivations, and flaws of its crew. There is limited combat and not many jump scares here, but it makes for a memorable play as you learn more disturbing facts about the crew, yourself, and how you ended up here.
Coming in at about three hours or so, Mouthwashing is a perfect quick play for Halloween night, but its revelations may keep you up well into the early hours of November. You can jump into the adventure on Steam for PC.
Still Wakes the Deep
Still Wakes the Deep pays homage to The Thing in an eerie descent into madness on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland, and it'll only take you about five hours or so to get through. From Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs developer The Chinese Room, you play as Caz McLeary, an electrician aboard the rig who must navigate the cosmic horrors that slither their way onto the structure following a faulty drilling attempt that awakens something beneath the sea floor.
Alongside a spooky atmosphere, Still Wakes the Deep boasts incredible voice acting and phenomenal sound design that places you right in the creaky, crumbling rig. You'll need to sneak from deck to deck to avoid the terrifying nightmares that were once your crewmates. By combining stretches of story-heavy interactive cinema with horrifying encounters, The Chinese Room has made a walking sim where stealth feels the most important element: sneaking is your best (and often only) chance at survival when navigating around each mutated monster, using every crawl space you can to make your way from point A to B.
It's a truly terrifying experience with some very memorable characters, making it an excellent Halloween night play to strap in for. You can get started with it right now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and on PC.
If you're looking to plan out a whole week of Halloween plays instead of just one night, we have even more suggestions. Check out the games from 2023 that captured our attention last October, and they're still absolutely worth checking out as well.
