5 Spooky Non-Combat Games to Get You in the Mood for Halloween
Fact: Halloween is awesome. How could it not be? It is full of candy, crazy costumes and pumpkin guts.
BLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Of course let’s not forget the celebration of all things spooky and creepy. And if you’re anything like me, there’s nothing better to set the mood for Halloween week than pulling out some creeptacular video games and experiencing some classic horror.
But if you’re even more like me, any game involving a gun and a hundred jump scares is somewhat…stressful…
As a result, it’s more than a little difficult to get through a game when every sound either makes you shoot all of your ammo into a wall or dive under a blanket for protection (the best monster protection there is). This results in more than a little death and consequently, never finishing the game and finding out the end to that sweet ghost story.
I will never really know who this is.
Thankfully I am an adventure gamer, and there are plenty of wonderful, spooky games out there that don’t require combat or diving for cover from the insane face eating monster.
5. Scratches
Less of an out and out scary game and more of a slow, moody story, Scratches is about a writer in the 1970’s who rents a spooky Blackwood house for the weekend in the hopes that he can get inspiration for his next novel. But soon, it appears that inspiration is a bit overabundant as he is woken up in the middle of the night by mysterious scratching noises coming from inside the walls.
The solitary, melancholy atmosphere of the house is what really makes this game. There are actually few genuine scares, but the mood, music and setting always make you feel as though you should be looking over your shoulder. There’s always a sense of relief whenever a door is locked. It means you don’t have to see what’s on the other side.
I will say though that the one big scare there is in the game…is so worth it. Again, a bit slow, and probably not the scariest, but still worth a try.
Time for some fun entries. A young woman living in New York finds out that she is a medium and can talk to the dead. She is joined by constant companion Joey, a ghost who has served her family for generations (for…reasons…). They become paranormal detectives who seek to give lost souls peace and help them move on. If that’s not an awesome premise for a supernatural game, I don’t know what is.
While the series was made in the 21st century, it is very much reminiscent of the old Sierra games so if you’re looking for some nostalgic fun this is definitely one to try out. For those of you who need something more than nostalgia value, luckily Blackwell boasts some great writing and atmosphere as well. Moody and witty, Blackwell gives a fresh take on the paranormal detective story.
The story and world only keeps getting more interesting with each game. A few of the cases are even based in New York local legends. I haven’t finished it yet, but I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. It’ll make you want to go out and seek out ghosts for yourself…not that…I want to do that…at all…
3. Gabriel Knight 1, 2 & 3
Time for one of my all time favourites: Gabriel Knight. Created by Jane Jensen for Sierra, the Gabriel Knight games are not just nostalgic point-and-click fun, but also has some great takes on the classic supernatural fables of old.
Gabriel Knight is a struggling crime writer/owner of a rare book store who is researching a series of murders as inspiration for his new book. As with all fictional murders, there’s far more to them than “Stabby stabby” and soon Knight finds himself confronting curses, ghosts, cults and all manner of evil wrongdoings. Not only that, but he discovers that he comes from a long line of supernatural detectives called Schattenjagers.
Gabriel is the charismatic cad who is willing to charm or sneak his way out of any sticky situation. By contrast, his assistant Grace Nakamura is the no-nonsense woman (the only woman who does not buy into Gabriel’s charm) who does all of the researching and puzzle solving that will help Gabriel progress. The two are perfect foils for each other, and naturally you wait for them to finally just make out.
Then there are the mysteries, and what more can be said? There’s voodoo, there’s werewolves, there’s even a search for the Holy Grail. All of these are based in actual historical events, giving them an added dimension and authenticity you’re unlikely to get in many games. Plus there is now a remake of the first one. That is even more reason to play!
Okay, we’ve had a couple of nice creepy games, but it’s time to get our scare back on and just about the best scary adventure game developer is Jonathon Boakes of the Darkling Room. He appears on this list more than once, and with good reason. He scares the crap out of all his players.
You play as Nigel Danvers, an employee of a somewhat…strange corporation who are tracking him down after he steals some confidential documents. While on the run, stumbles upon the small town of Saxton, full of quirky, odd small town folk and old, creepy buildings. He finds out about a local legend of a long lost crown from a Saxon king and naturally, wants to seek it out. Of course you don’t just go searching for an old, haunted crown known without others being against it. Nigel must get past both the living and the dead souls of the town in order to find it.
This is…hands down…one of the scariest games I have played. It’s a testament to Boakes’ talent that you can’t actually die in the game and yet you still start hyperventilating upon spending a night in a dilapidated cottage or wandering a graveyard at night. It’s far from a perfect game. The animation is a bit stiff, the voice acting is sometimes equally so, but it’s still a ton of fun to ghosthunt and discover all of the history the town has to offer. Boakes even went on ghost hunts as research for the game, and it shows in the methods used in the game.
If you like a really good classic scare, this is a game for you to try out. There is also a sequel in the works
1. Dark Fall: The Journal, Dark Fall: Lights Out, Darkfall: Lost Souls
Another Boakes entry, and one of his earlier games. My brother got me this game on a whim for Christmas. I had seen a review of it, seen that it was good, and wanted to try it out. I couldn’t play it alone. I simply couldn’t. Oh, I couldn’t die. There was nothing that would ACTUALLY harm me in the game. But it was just too freaky for me to play alone.
You play as a nameless protagonist who receives a frightened and panicked message from your brother asking you to come to Dowerton Station, an abandoned train station/hotel which was shut down and has some nefarious history. So you go, alone, at night, because why would you bring anyone with you to an abandoned hotel known for ghosts? That would be…ridiculous…
An abandoned hotel is already a treasure chest of scares just waiting to happen, but the game really outdoes itself in the atmosphere. Whispers emerge from every corner, shadows cross your path, voices beckon to you, and there’s a few jump scares just waiting for you to get closer. It was a terrifying experience when I was a teenager, it’s a terrifying experience now, and the same can be said for both of its sequels.
Basically, it’s the perfect Halloween game for those of you who love scares and puzzles, but hate guns. Play it. Play it now.
Honourable Mention: Amnesia: The Dark Descent– Technically Amnesia is an adventure game. Technically it has no combat. But most of you know Amnesia, and most of you know that stealth can be even more stressful than just barreling into a room guns blazing. So it didn’t quite make the list. But it is still terrifying.
Have any favourite spooky games not mentioned here? Let me know in the comments!
