It’s October, which means the big box stores have already rolled out their Christmas displays, which is horrifying in all the wrong ways.
But don’t fret! Here at IGR, we still remember the true meaning of October: the scent of burning leaves in the air, the eerie fog that rolls in as the days get shorter and the nights lengthen, and the return of ghosts walking alongside the living—not to mention the queasy feeling of a candy corn hangover.
That’s right, it’s Halloween, and to help you get into the spirit – pun intended – of the season again, our writers and editorial team present you with a new list of…
Top 10 Indie Games for a Fiendishly Fun Halloween
Cryptmaster
by Paul Hart, Lee Williams, Akupara Games
“Have you ever wished that horror icon Vincent Price was the narrator in your favorite tabletop dungeon crawl? Does the idea of playing Scrabble to battle evil fill you with joy? Do you wish that video games never moved past monochrome computer screens?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these – and let’s be real, the only ones saying “No” to the first one just don’t know who Vincent Price is – Cryptmaster should be your October obsession.
A classically dark dungeon crawl experience mixed with wordplay, genuinely great humor, and lots of fun surprises, Cryptmaster feels like playing one of those old VHS-assisted horror board games where a guy in a cheap cloak berates your every move. The main difference is that this is actually fun to play. Yeah, I said it.” ~TheOvermatt
Read our complete review of Cryptmaster.
Platforms: Sony PS5, Microsoft Xbox, Windows PC, Steam
VonGarland Castle: Sacrilege of the Night
by Ash Jackson
Solo developer Ash Jackson leans hard into the Castlevania end of the Metroidvania spectrum on this one; long-time fans of the Belmont family will enjoy the numerous in-jokes about a similar dynasty of whip-wielding vampire hunters (not to mention the occasional reference to The Simpsons).
But VonGarland Castle: Sacrilege of the Night has a lot more than inside jokes to offer. The platforming is challenging without being frustrating, the character sprites are weird and whimsical, and the whip-cracks are snappy as the dialogue.
Add a series of boss enemies inspired by your favorite classic movie monsters, and you’ve got a perfect side-scrolling platformer for fiendishly fun fall frights.
Read our complete review of VonGarland Castle: Sacrilege of the Night.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
Crow Country
by SFB Games
“Survival horror games come and go, but few are as wonderfully crafted as Crow Country. As you explore an eerie abandoned amusement park, you’ll quickly learn more about its unsettling history.
Besides its frantic but fun gameplay, there’s plenty here that brings the chills: this game is chock full of creepy enemies, unnerving locations, light puzzle-solving, and the looming dread of limited ammo. It’s the perfect experience for the spooky time of the year.” ~FictiveTruism
Read our complete review of Crow Country.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Sony PS4/PS5, Microsoft Xbox, Windows PC, Steam
Withering Rooms
by Moonless Formless
Take the dread-inducing 2D stealth sections and Edward Gorey-inspired art of Neverending Nightmares and add melee combat, stealth, crafting, and a procedurally generated Victorian manor with an ever-changing layout and an endless array of witches, ghosts, undead cholera patients, and less describable horrors, and you begin to get an idea of what makes Withering Rooms so great.
From its waifish and possibly mad protagonist, decadent and dreamlike environments, and menagerie of grotesque antagonists, it’s a haunting study in eerie ambiguity, perfect for full-moon freak-outs and foggy fall nights.
Platforms: Sony PS5, Microsoft Xbox, Windows PC, Steam
An English Haunting
by Postmodern Adventures
Less hallucinatory but similarly British, An English Haunting is an old-school point-and-click adventure set in Edwardian London. As a professor on a Quixotic quest to defend your department’s supernatural investigations from the university’s skeptical board of directors, you’ll be clicking through conversations, combining objects, and luxuriating in the exquisite pixel art environments of foggy London streets, smoky pubs, and ghost-haunted basements.
As a bonus, if you’re looking for Halloween reading recommendations and video game suggestions, this game’s got loads of them as Easter eggs, from James to Le Fanu to Stoker.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
V Rising
by Stunlock Studios
“I firmly believe that just about every kind of game could be improved by making a gothic horror variant. The Castlevania franchise gave us both iconic platformers and an entire genre named after it. Bloodborne took the Dark Souls formula and refined it to a razor’s edge, Amnesia gave the horror genre a much-needed shot in the arm…the list goes on.
V Rising further vindicates my opinion by taking the open-world survival genre and giving it a bloody, streamlined makeover. It gives you the power fantasy of being a supernatural killing machine that builds its own damn castle while also emphasizing just how fragile you are when sunlight and holy water get involved.
And of course, there’s the excellent multiplayer, because Halloween is often best enjoyed with friends.” ~TheOvermatt
Platforms: Sony PS5, Windows PC, Steam
Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open
by Cellar Vault Games
At first glance, Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open has little in common with our typical Halloween picks. Set in Malaysia, you’ll be visiting the Ice Cream Uncle and his cart to get your fix of sweet treats instead of donning masks and knocking on doors.
But the central theme of young children (including one with psychic vision) contending with the spirits of the dead – think The Sixth Sense crossed with Stranger Things by way of Southeast Asia – is perfect for the time of year when the veil is thin, and the unusual “paper theater” art evokes both childlike whimsy and childhood fears.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
Children of the Sun
by René Rother
“Children of the Sun‘s ‘guide a single bullet through multiple targets’ gameplay would be the stuff of Devolver goodness no matter the theme. However, the secret sauce that makes it special – and perfect for this time of year – is its aesthetic.
Casting you as a nameless girl avenging her family’s deaths at the hands of a shiny golden cult, the game’s premise and aesthetics are rooted firmly in the dark, grimy, viscerally awesome neon of the grindhouse. It goes all in on the theme of embodying someone who has become a monster to battle monsters, and it makes you relish the opportunity for a moonlit hunt.” ~TheOvermatt
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
The Witch’s Cauldron
by Harvey Games
Tail of rat and wing of bat! Those are just two ingredients in this enticing brew of casual and comedic cauldron-stirring. Experiment with ingredients and please your customers. Or curse them! (Try giving a love potion instead of a healing elixir to a farmer with sick livestock, just to see what happens!)
The Witch’s Cauldron is brimming – pun intended – with Halloween imagery, from smoke-enveloped jack-o-lanterns to jagged-winged bats to the titular witch herself, not to mention a tasty stew of spookiness and humor enhanced by lighthearted illustrations and a jauntily devilish musical score.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
Terror at Oakheart
by Tainted Pact
It’s not as historic as some autumnal traditions, but October and slasher films go together like chocolate and peanut butter, thanks in large part to the confluence of Halloween (the holiday) and Halloween (the John Carpenter film).
Terror at Oakheart throws a bunch of horror film elements into a bloody blender, from clown costumes to saw-wielding serial killers to bloodthirsty basement-dwelling monsters, all packaged in an evocative 16-bit side-scrolling adventure game reminiscent of such past favorites as Lone Survivor.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
Extra Treats: Free Games
The only thing better than a candy bar dropping into that trick-or-treat bag is two candy bars, and an unlucky 13 list is a far cry spookier than a top 10 list, so here’s a little something extra: three bonus games that cost nothing to download. In other words, free, frightening, fiendish fun!
Nightmare Kart
by LWMedia
“Originating as an unlikely cross between Mario Kart and Bloodborne, this game is chaotic and overwhelming with its blend of claustrophobic tracks and enemies shooting things at you.
It’s a love letter and throwback that feels like a lost PS1 game, and we’ve rarely seen combat cart racers in this style, let alone for free! Nightmare Kart is gothic, dreary, but still somehow lighthearted and a little goofy, which is what makes it such a perfect Halloween game.” ~FictiveTruism
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
Game Boy Camera Gallery: Mystery Show
by Scratching Post Studio
As an aspiring journalist for an art publication, visit a haunted mansion for a photography show themed around “mystery.” The whimsical animal characters, ghostly pixel art, and atmospheric setting make this a perfect bite-sized treat for long autumn evenings.
An homage to – and art gallery exhibition for – the Game Boy Camera, this offering from solo developer Cat Graffam can even be purchased as a Game Boy cartridge, but you can also play for free right in your browser on Scratching Post Studio‘s Itch.io page.
Platforms: Nintendo Gameboy, Itch.io
Okashi Towers
by Blekoh
A clever combination of tower defense and RTS that involves tower placement for both defense and for creating a path for units through the fog of war, Okashi Towers combines a bit of Miyazaki forest whimsy with a whole lot of Halloween imagery, from pumpkin towers to a color palette that’s almost exclusively black and orange.
Even the economy for tower and unit creation – cauldrons full of candy – is thematically on the nose! Add multiplayer for up to eight people, and you’ve got yourself a Halloween party!
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam
What are your favorite indie game tricks and treats to get into the right mood for spooky season? Let us know in the comments!
