Here Are All The New Horror Games You Can Play For Halloween Season

Horror titles and October. They harmonize so perfectly, don’t they? Last year, I prepared a list of all the horror titles launching in October, and the audience appeared to truly appreciate it. Since it proved advantageous to our audience and was enjoyable to create, I’m back with a new edition for another year. If you’ve come across my articles on GameSpot, you might already be aware that I’m quite the horror enthusiast. If you share my passion, this lineup of fresh horror titles should fill your calendar since you’ve likely already taken the time to enjoy the top horror games for 2025. Perhaps a few of these will soon make it to that list.

One distinction between last year’s compilation and this year’s is that I’m broadening it to encompass some of this year’s standout horror games that were released earlier, meaning there’ll be an eclectic blend of recent sensations and lesser-known treasures listed before diving into what’s truly launching this October. I’m also showcasing some new horror demos, should you wish for something to add to your wishlist outside of October. With that in mind, here’s the full list of new horror games to explore in October 2025.

To begin, if you’re attempting to catch up on what you’ve overlooked thus far this year, there’s plenty.

Significant horror launches were sparse for much of the year, but in recent weeks, a few have surged into the spotlight generating buzz. First up was Cronos: The New Dawn, the first title following the Silent Hill 2 remake from Bloober Team. You can check out our Cronos: The New Dawn review to understand why it’s positioned Bloober Team as a reputable name in horror.

Next, Dying Light: The Beast was released and became, in my view, the finest Dying Light installment yet, as it’s the most terrifying and relentless. You can read more in our Dying Light: The Beast review.

Perhaps the most significant of all is Silent Hill f, which transitioned the series from the US to 1960s Japan, crafting a narrative that feels like a classic within the franchise but also innovates in various ways, as you can see in our Silent Hill f review.

Just at the end of September, we received a new Alien game, too—well, sort of. Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition adapts the previously VR-exclusive title for regular displays. I had reservations about the VR edition on Meta Quest earlier this year—mainly its visual quality downgrade and an AI that left me wanting—but both aspects have been enhanced for this new edition, making me much more confident in recommending it now.

If you’re someone who follows the most significant horror games and seeks something a bit more obscure, here’s a list of some preferred indie horror titles I have enjoyed this year. They kicked off before the spooky season, but if you haven’t experienced them yet, they’ll still serve as excellent choices for when night falls.

Luto finally launched and arguably out-Kojima-ed his own comparable project, P.T., providing players a bizarre haunted house narrative that explores unexpected avenues.

Pigface is a grimy horror-action fusion reminiscent of Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade that will leave you feeling uneasy yet bizarrely satisfied.

No, I’m Not a Human envisions a scenario akin to Papers, Please within a realm of eerie creatures masquerading as humans, and it’s up to you to prevent the impostors from gaining access. As if a knock on my door wasn’t unsettling enough as is.

Heartworm serves as a homage to PS1-era horror titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. While many retro-inspired horror games seek inspiration from the PS2 age, Heartworm delves even further back and constructs an incredible soundtrack to keep you engaged.

White Knuckle is a game I previewed earlier this year. Similar to Pigface, it’s far from a conventional horror title. Instead, it primarily functions as a climbing simulator, except you’re caught in a dystopian facility that seems intent on your demise.

Into The Dead: Our Darkest Days effectively serves as a 2.5D version of State of Decay. For some who share my sentiments, that’s sufficient said. This is a challenging and engrossing zombie simulation that anticipates your downfall.

The Night Shift is an isolating horror narrative that places you inside a department store alone during a storm, faced with entities that only move when you’re not observing them. It taps into one of horror gaming’s most potent sensations: that someone, or something, is perpetually behind you.

Dead Take is a partially live-action horror narrative centered on the experience of being an actor, and if that doesn’t appear relatable, it effectively immerses you into the psyche of its main character, thanks to excellent performances and a gripping narrative.

Eclipsium is a cosmic horror offering with a vintage appeal that kept me pondering.

on what it all signified. It unfolds like a feverish vision, and while it isn’t frightening in the conventional manner, the brief yet surreal experience is striking and dreamlike.

Naturally, we couldn’t overlook the numerous remarkable Lethal Company-inspired titles that emerged in 2025. This year has introduced a plethora of cooperative horror games that invite you to venture into eerie locations together, all originating from the late-2024 surge of Lethal Company. Your favorite may hinge on your desired ambiance, artistic aesthetic, or perhaps just where your friends lean towards. Darkwater immerses you and your companions in operating and fixing a submarine; R.E.P.O. plunges you into haunted dwellings to gather scrap for resale; The Headliners features you as a photojournalist amid a Cloverfield-esque alien invasion.

Each of these is immensely entertaining, and you truly can’t go amiss in playing any of them. In my opinion, R.E.P.O. stands out as the finest, but they all satisfy slightly varying cravings, and I find myself revisiting all of them (and Lethal Company) at various intervals.

Even though we are about to discuss the new launches arriving in October 2025, there are additional games we wanted to bring attention to. These titles won’t be prepared for a full launch this Halloween, but you can experience a segment of each through their free demos available on Steam.

Sleep Awake is a surreal horror narrative set in a dystopian metropolis where individuals who drift off tend to vanish. This project emerges from the collaboration between Cory Davis, known for Spec Ops: The Line, and Nine Inch Nails’ Robin Finck.

Beneath reminds me of F.E.A.R., with its blend of creatures and first-person shooting mechanics. The game is rumored to adopt a military simulation-level commitment to its combat strategies, creating an engaging horror concept.

Dead Format is a notion I genuinely cherish. You’ll dive into a collection of VHS tapes within a spooky apartment abandoned by your sibling. Each tape transports you through a distinct period of horror film history, guiding you across time.

Shift at Midnight is a cooperative title where you manage a convenience store and must fend off monsters disguised as humans. It might not reflect well on our societal dialogues that so many of our games now revolve around discerning humans from monsters, but at least this one is both exceptionally unsettling and enjoyable.

Crisol: Theater of Idols is a first-person shooter infused with Spanish symbolism. It feels somewhat like the midpoint between Resident Evil 4 and BioShock, which might be an amalgamation of games you didn’t realize you needed.

• Release Date: October 9
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch

Bye Sweet Carole has been on our radar for some time. The stunning art style recalls classic Disney animations, but the underlying horror narrative makes it feel more akin to a chapter from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. This title is finally scheduled for launch in the initial half of the month after years of anticipation.

• Release Date: October 9
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, Xbox One

It has been four years since Little Nightmares 2, but we are finally receiving the next installment in the eerily enchanting series, and this one introduces co-op gameplay so a friend can tremble alongside you. Little Nightmares 3 will be the first not created by Tarsier Studios, but fortunately Supermassive is taking over, ensuring the series continues to thrive.

• Release Date: October 9
• Platforms: PC

Another one of those particularly disturbing horror titles that DreadXP enjoys publishing, The Lacerator confines you in a type of dungeon with a murderer, then regularly dismembers you in one form or another upon your escape. Good luck!

• Release Date: October 21
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One

An RPG long anticipated, this title is more “horror-adjacent” than strictly a horror game, but I find that frequently suffices. Bloodlines 2 has traversed development struggles to reach this point, but it’s been guided to completion by veterans from Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, The Chinese Room. Set in the atmospheric backdrop of Seattle, the game is described as part vampire action-RPG and part neo-noir murder mystery.

• Release Date: October 22
• Platforms:

PC

Days Without Incident provides a unique perspective on a video game’s creation process. It serves as a prototype for In Sound Mind, a horror title released in 2021, yet it functions so distinctively and narrates its own tale that it deserves its own gameplay experience. Ahead of the launch of Nightmare House, the forthcoming project from developer We Make Stuff, one can witness the studio’s original beginnings.

• Release Date: October 23
• Platforms: PC

There exists an abundance of Backrooms titles on Steam, but Escape the Backrooms is arguably the most favored and is set to have its 1.0 debut just in time for Halloween. This co-op horror adventure transports players to numerous iconic sites from liminal horror and Backrooms-specific subgenres, which holds significant importance for many horror enthusiasts nowadays.

• Release Date: October 23
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S

Tormented Souls drew heavy inspiration from classic Resident Evil titles, and its sequel, Tormented Souls 2, aims to provide much more of those particular experiences and moments, featuring fixed camera perspectives, combat driven by urgency, and ammunition management. The initial game cultivated a devoted following, so it will be insightful to observe the series’ direction as it strives to solidify its place in the survival-horror chronicles.

• Release Date: October 27
• Platforms: PC

This investigative game is positioned within a sinister hotel where every individual is a suspect. Its unique artistic style resembles a classic cartoon or comic, brimming with elements of the paranormal, occult, and grotesque. The Seance of Black Manor also progresses under time constraints, meaning you’ll perceive some clues for which you’re present while risking the chance to overlook other events occurring elsewhere in the estate.

• Release Date: October 28
• Platforms: PC

Ire: A Prologue is likely to attract players who enjoy titles such as Alien: Isolation or Amnesia: The Bunker. You’re confined on a vessel with a wandering creature that will respond to your actions. It’s a perilous game of hide-and-seek meant to establish a broader narrative universe, so anticipate more revelations in the coming years.

• Release Date: October 31
• Platforms: PC, PS5 (exclusive physical edition)

Typically, there’s something new launching on Halloween itself, right? This year, it’s Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic. While this edition is already accessible digitally, you’ll have the opportunity to acquire this on disc for PS5 on the final day of the month. Unlike the original FNAF titles, this is among the few entries in the franchise that changes perspectives to become a first-person horror experience.