15 best scary games to play on Steam during Halloween 2023

October is the favorite time of the year for horror enthusiasts. Even though Halloween is on October 31st, fans of all things creepy like to play scary PC games and celebrate the spooky season all month long. No need to wait for the big day itself; the lead-up can be just as exciting. That's why we've put together a list of the best games to play on Halloween 2023. Get those Jack-o'-lanterns ready, set your RGB lights to orange, and prepare for some frights!

Scaring players can be done in many ways. Some panic at jump scares, while others get creeped out by prolonged moments of eerie quiet. Game developers know this and use various tricks to keep you spooked. As a result, there's a wide selection of chilling experiences for gamers to enjoy. Here are some of the standouts.

Top survival horror games worth playing on Halloween 2023

Survival horror games have been especially trendy in the past years. The primary goal here is to make you feel uneasy by limiting resources and putting the focus on not dying rather than monster slaying. Some of the biggest gaming hits can be put into this category. Here are just some of them, but feel free to explore the genre even further by checking out our list of 20 best survival horror games on PC.

Resident Evil 2

When it comes to discussing scary PC games where your primary goal is survival and resource management, there's no better starting point than the Resident Evil series. Over the years, this franchise has seen numerous successful entries, and one of its standout titles is unquestionably Resident Evil 2.

As a remake of a beloved zombie game, RE2 had huge expectations to meet. Thankfully, the Capcom team succeeded in creating a version that surpassed the 1998 original in sales. If you're eager to explore the iconic Raccoon City Police station and encounter the infamous Mr. X, it's the best way to go about it. Brace yourself for encounters with the undead around every corner!

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

The RE series consists of many installments, but it shifted towards action rather than horror after the original trilogy. While some later releases were well-received, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard marked a return to the franchise's horror roots and stands out as one of the best Halloween PC games.

However, the developers didn't simply rehash the formula of the older titles. With RE7, they took a bold step by introducing a first-person perspective to the series. Surprisingly, the classic zombies that defined the franchise are absent in this installment. You assume the role of Ethan Winters, who is on a quest to find his long-lost wife. His journey leads him to an abandoned southern farmhouse inhabited by a psychotic family, alongside other enigmatic creatures. Escaping this nightmarish scenario is no easy feat.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

In a world devastated by a zombie apocalypse, you take on the role of Aiden, a courier on a journey to find his long-lost sister, Mia. His search leads him to the city of Villedor, where he gets involved with various warring factions. Naturally, no one wants to help in his mission for free, and Aiden is forced to do some jobs for all the metropolis leaders if he has any hope of locating his sibling.

Dying Light 2 is a different flavor of zombie game. It's focused on the exploration of the open world using parkour. Most of the undead roam the streets, so leaping from rooftop to rooftop becomes a primary mode of travel. When combat becomes unavoidable, you'll be forced to fight your enemies hand-to-hand. However, as night falls and you find yourself under attack, your best bet is to run, as the zombies become significantly more formidable in the dark.

Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is not only one of the best survival horror games to play on PC but also an excellent title based on a movie franchise. Its portrayal of the iconic Xenomorph is remarkable. It really feels like you're being stalked by an intelligent and lethal creature.

Presented from a first-person perspective, the game pays homage to the visual aesthetics of the original 1979 film directed by Ridley Scott. It flawlessly captures the retro-futuristic style that fans will quickly recognize. While playing, you take control of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of the film's protagonist. You find yourself on the Sevastopol space station right in the middle of a Xenomorph outbreak. Your only chance to survive is to use stealth and your trusty motion detector.

Dead Space (2023)

While the original Dead Space was a standout in the realm of sci-fi scares, the remake manages to surpass it in every aspect. You once again step into the shoes of Isaac Clarke, an engineer assigned to investigate the spaceship Ishimura. As is typical in such scenarios, things take a dark turn, and the crew falls victim to deadly Necromorphs. Isaac has to navigate the infested vessel and make the necessary repairs for an escape.

The remake not only offers visual upgrades but also includes gameplay enhancements. With new side missions, a voiced protagonist, and more, it's a must-try experience for both returning fans and newcomers.

Best jump scare horror games are not for the faint of heart

Some gamers think it's a very cheap way of evoking fear, but we must admit that jump scare horror games can be very effective. Unsurprisingly, developers can't stop themselves from throwing a sudden scary image at players, often accompanying it with a loud sound. The following titles are proof that people actually find it fun!

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach

Five Nights at Freddy's is a cultural phenomenon. This one-man project became an Internet sensation in the summer of 2014 and was the beginning of a franchise with worldwide popularity. The restaurant's animatronic mascots roaming roaming around and killing were the talk of the town. While the peak of the hype is way behind us, the series isn't stagnating, so it's too early to disregard those creepy dolls.

Just take a look at the latest installment Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach. This time, you're not confined to an office with security cameras. Players are free to wander around humongous Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex and use all assets at hand. But bear in mind that each come with their limitations, which makes the task of avoiding eneimies pretty tough. Should you fail to recognise the danger, the playthrough will end with a jump scare of one of the robots attacking you.

FATAL FRAME / PROJECT ZERO: Maiden of Black Water

Originally released exclusively on the Nintendo Wii U in 2014, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water debuted on the PC right before Halloween 2021. It tells the story of three heroes investigating Hikami Mountain, a once revered spiritual place now inhabited by dangerous ghosts. The only way of fighting them is by using your Camera Obscura, a device that can repel the deadly apparitions and prevent them from using their powers.

Fans of Japanese horror stories should feel right at home here. The atmosphere, the setting of Hikami Mountain, and the history of the place make this Fatal Frame installment one of the best Halloween PC games to try this year. You are bound to experience many tense moments and jump in your seat repeatedly.

Outlast

The best scary PC games rely on an immersive setting. And what can be more frightening than an old psychiatric hospital filled with murderous patients? The one depicted in Outlast is a huge factor in making this one of the best jump scare horror games available on PC. In this title, you become Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist trying to write a story on the remote Mount Massive Asylum, where he suspects inhumane experiments are being conducted. Once you get there, your theories are proven true, and you must escape.

The player has no means of fighting the homicidal patients, so gameplay is based on sneaking and hiding. To help navigate the dark corners of the asylum, the developers gave the character a camcorder that can be used to view the world in night vision mode. Naturally, when making your way to freedom, you'll encounter many sudden scares, so be prepared to run for your life. 

Best interactive horror games worth checking out on Halloween 2023

Not all gamers want their scares to come from fighting monsters. During tense moments, it can be easy to forget which button on your keyboard is responsible for which action. Interactive horror games are ideal for players who enjoy a good spooky story but don't want the added pressure of a complicated control scheme. It's basically like watching a movie, but you get to control the decisions and some of the actions the characters perform.

The Quarry

The Quarry represents a modern take on a classic horror trope. A group of teenage friends who work as camp counselors decide to throw a party on the last day of summer. Left alone with the campsite empty, they expect an unforgettable time. They have no idea that the surrounding woods are filled with supernatural creatures and violent locals.

Being the spiritual successor to the highly rated Until Dawn, the games share many similarities. Player choices can significantly impact the story, especially the relations between characters and who actually survives. All nine teenagers can live or die depending on your decisions. The multiple endings encourage many playthroughs, thus making it not only one of the best PC games to play on Halloween 2023 but one of the best interactive stories to play on PC.

The Dark Pictures Anthology

The developer Supermassive Games has become the leader in creating interactive horror games in recent years. Apart from The Quarry and Until Dawn, they are constantly working on new installments to their The Dark Pictures Anthology series. Each entry is standalone and has the same gameplay style as the studio's other scary titles.

The first part of the series, Man of Medan, tells the tale of four college students and the captain of the boat Duke of Milan, who set out on a diving expedition. Their trip is unfortunately cut short by pirates, who kidnap them. As if things weren't bad enough, they are taken to an old ship haunted by strange creatures.

The second chapter is set in a town called Little Hope. After surviving a bus crash, a group of students accompanied by one of their professors realizes they are trapped in the town by some kind of strange fog. Eventually, the characters discover that the surrounding area is deserted, and dangerous demons stalk them.

House of Ashes takes place during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The five playable protagonists are on the opposite side of the conflict. After they find themselves trapped in an underground temple, they must learn to work together, find an exit, and fight off vampire-like monsters.

In The Devil in Me, you follow a team of documentary filmmakers invited to the replica of an infamous serial killer's lair. Unfortunately, everything goes wrong, and their lives are on the line.

Best reverse horror games where you can be the monster

Being scared can be fun, but making others afraid is even funnier! That's why some developers give you a chance to become the nightmarish monster rather than fight one. If you think you might find pleasure in playing some reverse horror games, one of the following titles might be perfect for you.

CARRION

The scenario in which a dangerous creature breaks free in a research facility only to cause mayhem and slaughter all humans on its path is not an original idea. However, how often do you get a chance to play as the monster? CARRION lets you do exactly that! You take control of an amorphous being with tentacles and try to escape from the laboratory.

During the campaign, you will help the monstrosity grow in mass and evolve into stronger forms. Each evolution stage will grant you new abilities to access previously closed-off areas. In your search for the exit, you will have to find pieces of your own DNA to help you remember your own origin. If you don't like to be afraid but want to celebrate the spooky holiday, CARRION is an excellent choice among Halloween PC games.

Dead by Daylight (Included with PC Game Pass)

Regarding reverse horror games, it's impossible not to mention the widely popular Dead by Daylight. This asymmetric multiplayer title has you take control of the Killer on a mission to catch and sacrifice four survivors, also controlled by other players. Their task is to fix five generators that will let them open a gate and escape your murderous rampage.

Despite initial reviews being average, DBD managed to come back from the dead and gain a massive fanbase, thanks to the hard work of the developers. The constant updates and a vast number of DLCs helped achieve tremendous success, to the point of being able to license characters from such iconic franchises as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Stranger Things, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and more! This alone makes Dead by Daylight an excellent choice for horror fans.

If you want to try this entry from our scary PC games list, you'll be happy to hear that it's available in Microsoft's PC Game Pass subscription. You can download and play it if you're already a subscriber.

If you're not a user yet, you can see the best offers for a 1-month membership below. Apart from many big hits in Microsoft's catalog, you can expect many more titles to come to PC Game Pass in 2023 and beyond.

Top psychological horror games that will mess with your brain

If you're not easily scared and simple zombie games make you yawn, you might be interested in something more disturbing. Psychological horror games are meant to evoke unsettling feelings and play with the gamer's mental and emotional state rather than throw an army of monsters your way. Take a look at the following releases if you think this type of entertainment might be up your alley. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can find even more thrilling titles in our article dedicated to the best psychological horror games to play on PC & Steam in 2023.

SOMA (Included with PC Game Pass)

In SOMA, you find yourself in an underwater research facility PATHOS-II. As you might suspect, some strange event left the laboratories in disarray. Contact with the outside world is lost, rations are about to run out, and the machines occupying the station seem to have developed intelligence and think they are humans. Your job is to make sense of the entire situation and uncover the history behind the mess.

The gameplay revolves around exploring, solving puzzles, and searching for clues. All the notes and audio tapes left behind by other characters contribute to the already eerie atmosphere. On your way, you will encounter strange creatures you must avoid if you don't want to end up as one of the many corpses. There is no combat here. The restless mood on its own makes SOMA a fantastic psychological horror game.

Observer

If you're looking for a more cerebral experience, you will surely appreciate Observer. The game stars the late Rutger Hauer, of Blade Runner fame, in the role of Daniel Lazarski, a detective in the police Observers unit. During your adventure, you will hack the unstable minds of deranged criminals and their victims. Their biggest fears will often overwhelm you, but you can't allow yourself to get lost in them. What you see will often make you question reality and your own sanity.

The gameplay also consists of looking for clues, which can be aided by your electromagnetic and bio-vision modes, as well as talking to NPCs. In this dystopian cyberpunk world, many of the people you meet are junkies high on drugs and holograms. It's up to you to sift through all the filth.

Visage

Visage is undoubtedly one of the best psychological horror games available to PC players. The constant anxiety that the story, sound design, and graphics exhibit is like nothing else on our list. You are Dwayne Anderson, and you've just committed suicide after killing your wife and children. You wake up in a bloody room and realize you're trapped in a house haunted by supernatural entities.

The title's primary focus is careful exploration, which causes the tension to rise slowly, but consistently. The story is told through surreal visions and minute details found in the environment. To escape, you will need to be wary of your sanity level, which can quickly drop if you stay in the dark for too long or see too many paranormal phenomena. Visage will mess with your brain as it can be challenging in very atypical ways.

That's it for our list of the best Halloween PC games worth playing right now. We hope you've found something for yourself, whether you're a fan of zombie games or prefer heart-pounding psychological horror games. Tell about your favorite spooky titles in the comments section below. You can also talk to other GG.deals users and us on our official Discord.