Summary
With the start of fall right around the corner, that means All Hallow’s Eve isn’t far behind. While it has become an annual tradition for some gamers to fish out horror games in time for spooky season, there’s no harm in taking things a step further with games set either on or around Halloween night. There are a wide variety of games—some unexpected—that use Halloween as a backdrop for a larger, more elaborate plot.
Halloween is, of course, associated with all things macabre and supernatural, which offers up an ideal setting for creative and engaging storylines. Some games set around Halloween aren’t necessarily scary, but incorporate the celebration in a more lighthearted way. The gaming community has collectively produced a number of Halloween-centric games that range from child-friendly to suitable for mature audiences.In light of Halloween’s imminent arrival, here are some of the best games set during Halloween.
Despite being over a decade old,Costume Questremains a go-to for Halloween-themed games.On Halloween night, fraternal twins Wren and Reynold are instructed by their mother to go trick-or-treatingand make friends with the neighborhood kids. Depending on which twin the player selects, the other gets kidnapped by a monster. Wren or Reynold is then forced to assemble a party tofight the monster hordeand rescue their sibling.
Costume Questutilizes turn-based combat in which the children are transformed into whatever they are dressed as; for example, a robot or a knight.The events take place on Halloween night, as Wren or Reynold must rescue their twin before curfew. As the player explores key locations in the town (their neighborhood, the mall, and the town square itself), they will complete trick-or-treating quests to earn candy (the in-game currency), costume parts, and hints as to their sibling’s whereabouts. Wren or Reynold can also befriend up to four neighborhood kids, who can assist with certain quests and even play a part in the final boss fight.
While theBatman: Arkhamfranchise isn’t automatically affiliated with Halloween,the last of the four main games —Batman: Arkham Knight— takes place on Halloween night. The events ofBatman: Arkham Knightoccur nine months after the death of the Joker duringBatman: Arkham City. WhileBatman struggles with the existential dreadof knowing that he and the Joker may have shared a deeper connection than either could admit, Scarecrow emerges to threaten Ghotham City with a new strand of fear toxin, which will plunge Gotham into eternal madness and therefore subjugation. Meanwhile, Batman’s enemies — Harley Quinn, Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler — join forces with a common goal: defeating Batman.
Batman: Arkham Knightallows players to roam around Gotham City as Batman, who can interact with certain main story missions and side quests (known as “Most Wanted”) at will. It also introduces the Batmobile as a drivable vehicle, which can alternate between Pursuit and Battle mode. Batman can either drive the Batmobile to pursue enemies, or operate it like a tank to flush out the Arkham Knight’s militia. In addition, Harley Quinn, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Catwoman are all playable characters via DLC.
Night in the Woodsbrings rural Western Pennsylvania to life in the fictional town of Possum Springs, where a 20-year-old anthropomorphic cat named Mae returns after dropping out of college.The plot spans October to November, and one day of reference is the small-town Halloween festival.When Mae returns to her hometown, she meets up with her childhood friend Bea, a hyperactive ‘bad boy’ named Gregg, and Greg’s shy boyfriend Angus. During the town’s Halloween celebration, known as “Harfest,” Mae witnesses the kidnapping of a young child and investigates, coming face-to-face with a sinister group of cloaked cultists.
In her time back at Possum Springs, Mae hopes to cure her dissociation and solve the disappearance of her long-time friend, Casey, who mysteriously vanished prior to the events of the game.Night in the Woodstakes a narrative-focused approach, exploring themes of mental illness, depravity, the segregation of lower-class families, and the steady decline of small-town America. Full credit forNight in the Woods' breathtaking scenery goes to Infinite Fall’s art department, who bring the spirit of Halloween to life.
4Ghoul School
Spike Steps Up To Save The School
The side-scrolling action-adventure gameGhoul Schoolfollows high-school senior Spike O’Hara, who discovers an ominous, glowing skull after taking a detour on his way home from school.He pockets the skull, hoping to show his anatomy teacher on Halloween Eve. Unbeknownst to Spike, the skull (in trueEvil Deadfashion) acted as a direct link to the dead, who had been summoned by Spike’s discovery.When Spike returns to Cool School High, the building is overrun with ghosts and demons. He takes it upon himself to rescue the head cheerleader, Samantha Pompom.
Ghoul Schoolis an early entry in the Metroidvania sub-genre, which focuses on non-linear exploration. Players control Spike as he traverses Cool School High’s corridors and stairwells, fighting monsters. Inside classrooms and offices, Spike can encounter different enemies, such as bats and a gruesome green monster that attacks by throwing its own head. He can acquire weapons such as a rolled-up towel and a Deweytron, which shoots a white blob that deals damage.
5Jack Bros.
Three Brothers Try To Find Their Way Home
Jack Bros.serves as a spin-offof Atlus’Megami Tenseivideo game series, which sees high-school students combat the forces of Lucifer. The player controls one of three ‘Jack’ brothers — Jack Frost, Jack Lantern, or Jack Skelton — who find themselves transported to the human world on Halloween night and must find the portal back to their home world before it closes for good.Jack Bros.features six distinct areas, each consisting of several floors, and players must defeat enemies and collect keys to advance to the next floor. In addition to the three Jacks, a fairy named Pixie can also be unlocked as a playable character.
To find keys, players can use a radar that pinpoints their location. Keys allow the Jack Bros. to drop to a lower level, but reaching the first floor will trigger a boss fight. Each character has a unique ability: Jack Frost throws snowballs, Jack Lantern can shoot fireballs, and Jack Skelton uses a knife. Their special attacks, respectively, involve freezing all enemies for a short period; dealing significant damage to all enemies; and defeating all enemies visible at that given moment.The Jack Bros. must find the portal before the clock strikes midnight on Halloween night.
6Pumpkin Jack
Jack Answers The Devil’s Call
Pumpkin Jackis a 3D platformer with a fun and quirky Halloween vibe, in which players assume control of a regenerated spirit that takes the form of a gifted swordsman with a pumpkin for a head.On Halloween night, the Devil himself inflicts the kingdom of Arc En Ciel with the Curse of Eternal Night, which plunges the surroundings into suffocating darkness and unleashes hordes of monsters. In retaliation, the villagers seek the help of an all-powerful Wizard, but the Devil makes a pact with Pumpkin Jack to forgive his transgressions in exchange for his services in defeating the Wizard. Pumpkin Jack sets out to find and destroy the Wizard, befriending an owl and a crow along the way.
Pumpkin Jackfeatures a cartoonish environmentwith a vibrant color palette and impressive, atmospheric lighting. Jack can inflict combo moves, which involve dodging and countering real-time attacks. Jack’s removable head allows players to set fire to books, carve new paths, and even whack down moles.
7Haunted: Halloween ’85
Young Donny Kicks Demon Butt
Retrotaintment Games re-released this classic NES title in 2016 for PC, yet still preserved the 8-bit, retro appeal of the original.The plot centers on Donny, a young boy whose hometown of Possum Hollow has been overrun by flesh-eating zombies on Halloween night.Armed with only his wits and fists, Donny undertakes the responsibility of fending off the zombies to save his friends and Possum Hollow.Haunted: Halloween ‘85features six levels, commanded by six unique bosses.
Donny returns in a sequel,Haunted Halloween ‘86: The Curse Of Possum Hollow, a year after the events of'85, joined by fellow butt-kicker Tami. This time around, Donny and Tami are dared to explore a haunted farmhouse in exchange for half of their friend’s Halloween candy. Donny’s (and later Tami’s) escapades all take place over one night, when the barrier between the realms of the living and the dead weakens. WhileHaunted: Halloween ‘85can still be an entertaining experience on PC, anyone with a NES console is encouraged to play Retrotaintment Games’ action-packed beat ‘em up game as it was intended to be played.
