Denton Gaming Digest’s Staff Picks: The Best Games for Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, and with it comes a mix of eerie, atmospheric, and playfully spooky games returning to player’s screens. The staff at Denton Gaming Digest have rounded up their favorite titles that capture the chills, charms and creativity that make October gaming so memorable. 

Juan Carlos Ramirez - Editor 

Luigi’s Mansion franchise

While Nintendo is not known for horror games, the Luigi's Mansion franchise is a perfect series to get into the Halloween mood. All three games in the series have aspects that make them unique and enjoyable, but the goals of each game are very similar. You play as Mario’s younger brother, armed only with a vacuum and tasked with catching ghosts and exploring a mansion.

Luigi's Mansion has the player saving Mario from a haunted mansion. In Dark Moon, the second installment, the focus is shifted towards restoring the shattered Dark Moon to its former state to pacify now-hostile ghosts and end the eerie fog that has enveloped Evershade Valley. You still have to save Mario, but now it is a secondary objective. Finally, the third game has Luigi exploring a hotel and now has to save both Mario and Peach. All three games have King Boo as the main antagonist, taking different forms across each game. 

All three games are not difficult, the mix of puzzles and action gameplay keep the games enjoyable for the amount of time you spend playing them. The game's visuals keep improving towards the later series, with Dark Moon getting an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. 

What makes this series perfect to play as Halloween approaches is the delicate balance between spooky horror and light-hearted fun. This game is meant for those who are not so keen on horror but want ghosts and gags to capture the spirit of the season without the nightmares that come with darker horror titles. 

Identity V 

What do you get when you mix the core game mechanics of Dead by Daylight with a Tim Burton-esque art style? You get the horror game Identity V. 

Identity V is a free-to-play asymmetrical multiplayer survival horror game developed and published by the Chinese company NetEase. The main game modes have five players who are divided into two factions: one player acts as the Hunter while the other four act as Survivors with different roles in the match. 

With the basic game play being very similar to Dead by Daylight, people have compared the games often and call Identity V a ripoff despite there being several differences that make each game stand out.

The first point of comparison is that Identity V has a significantly more detailed story compared to Dead by Daylight. The main story for the game Identity V is told through the perspective of the ex-novelist Detective Orpheus, who has been commissioned to find Mr. Reichenbach's missing daughter. 

However, the mystery deepens as he reads a series of mysterious diaries within Oletus Manor. It soon becomes apparent that a strange game was held within the manor, where people risk their lives in order to obtain a wish or reward of their deepest desire. Following the 2.0 update for the game additional story was added with a new protagonist. 

Every year for Halloween, Identity V holds an in-game event in which players can obtain a free costume for a character with a recurring pattern being that a survivor costume will be themed around a hunter’s design. Additionally, lore is created specifically for Halloween events, acting as their own story not tied to the main story line. 

Wilson Barnett - Former Associate Editor 

Lily’s Well

The world of RPG Maker horror games is vast. Plenty of iconic and underrated games have spawned from the web-based game software, including Mad Father, The Crooked Man, Ann, and Yume Nikki. The graphics and mechanics may be simple but the story always aims to captivate and terrorize. 

Lily’s Well is a free RPG Maker horror game by PureIceBlue from 2022. You play as a little girl named Lily who hears a noise outside of her window. She goes to investigate and finds that the voice is coming from a well near her home. You must venture around the house and property to get rope in order to travel down the well. There are pieces of bad rope and good rope. Depending on what you get and how you construct the rope, you will get one of multiple endings. There are a total of 18 endings that vary wildly not just based on how you construct the rope, but with how you interact with the environment.

There’s a debate on whether games with more or less advanced graphics are scarier. Answers will vary from person to person. In the case of Lily’s Well, the graphic scenes are incredibly impactful, aided by the crude pixelated format. The atmosphere is eerie and the story unravels with each item you collect. Each ending builds up the story, presenting more questions that will unnerve the player.

Though it’s a fairly short game with a style that not everyone will lean towards, it’s an effective psychological and body horror. Lily’s Well is an underrated RPG Maker horror game perfect for an October night. 

The Joy of Creation Franchise  

Considered one of the best Five Nights At Freddy’s fan-game franchises, all four The Joy of Creation games are a perfect series for October. Based directly off of the mascot horror juggernaut, The Joy of Creation contains four different games that each present a unique experience.

The Joy of Creation: Reborn is the first in the franchise. You are given a time limit in order to find a certain amount of items across four levels. Each level contains an “Ignited” version of the original four animatronics; Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. Different levels present a different challenge as each animatronic operates differently from the last, as well as being set in different environments. The Joy of Creation: Halloween Edition is the next installment, being a short game set in Fazbear’s Fright from Five Nights At Freddy’s 3. You’re thrown into the establishment and get a call from a man instructing you to burn the place down. You’re hunted down by the “Ignited” version of the original FNAF game’s villain, Springtrap, as you try to find supplies and break open gas lines to set the attraction ablaze. It’s very short but a fun, intense experience nonetheless.

The Joy of Creation: Story Mode is often the most well regarded across the series. You play from the perspective of different family members tormented by the aforementioned “Ignited” animatronics, as well as new enemies. There are five levels; the bedroom, living room, office, basement, and attic. As the levels go on, they become increasingly difficult, implementing new mechanics and enemies. This game also features the “Fallen,” a Weeping Angel kind of enemy in the later levels. This game is also more story driven, telling a narrative that directly names Scott Cawthon, the creator of Five Nights At Freddy’s. It’s full of scares that still hold up incredibly well nearly 10 years later.

Finally, The Joy of Creation Remake Demo is the most recent installment as a part of the Five Nights At Freddy’s ten year anniversary celebration from 2024. The full game is still in production but the demo, which serves as a successor to the office level from Story Mode, is a worthy standalone. It takes the elements of the original office level and cranks up the intensity. The updated graphics and mechanics are beautiful, giving hope that the remake will be just as phenomenal.

Whichever one you pick, The Joy of Creation is a horror experience for whatever itch you have. If you’re ever going down the rabbit hole of Five Nights At Freddy’s fan-games, your journey won’t be complete without this series. 

Jake Wilkinson - Staff writer 

Resident Evil 4

Capcom has always been at the top of its game when it came to survival, and no other title has been more revered than Resident Evil 4, the classic 2005 action survival horror game on the Nintendo GameCube. Capcom then went on to remake Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Resident Evil 4 was next on their list, and it, like the original, is masterful in its execution. While the original may have set the standard for over-the-shoulder third-person combat, Resident Evil 4 (2023) shows just how influential the original was and improves upon perfection.

Playing as secret agent Leon S. Kennedy (Nick Apostolides) after the Racoon City Incident in 1998, he is tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham (Genevieve Buechner), from the Spanish cult known as Los Illuminados- set in rural Spain, Kennedy must shoot, spin kick and parry his way through the infected villagers of this once peaceful community. With newly added additions like modernized controls, the aforementioned knife parry, and a more compelling story centered around trauma, Resident Evil 4 set out to remake and innovate on the third-person shooter and is widely considered one of the best action games of the modern era.

Resident Evil 4 was released in 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S consoles, as well as PC. It went on to be one of the year's most celebrated titles at the time, and is heralded as one of the best video game remakes released to date. 

Ruben Plascencia - Staff writer 

Bag of milk series

Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk is a quaint visual novel developed by 

Nikita Kryukov. The 2020 title follows a female protagonist’s trip to the store to buy milk. The player does not directly control her or the flow of the game, instead serving as an inner voice to lead her.

Players will quickly realize the protagonist’s fragile mental state and are tasked with helping her navigate otherwise simple tasks. It begins with the walk to the store and worsens with having to help the main character through two social interactions before heading home.

Milk 1’s simple music and abstract, monochrome pixelated style makes for an uneasy experience throughout. Despite this, players may find a bittersweet attachment to the main character, who reveals more about her past trauma and current living conditions toward the end of the game.

In early 2021, Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk released as a direct sequel to the first game. “Milk 2” picks up right after the events of “Milk 1” in a similar visual novel style. However, the girl is now a visible character. The monochrome, abstract style is replaced with a more detailed and vibrant one and the sequel expands with more characters and story development including five distinct endings. 

The Bag of milk series tackles sensitive topics in its discussion of familial trauma and major plot element of the protagonist’s unsettling, and implied abusive, mother. Still, the original game does a spectacular job of setting an eerie tone while building a connection between player and protagonist. That helps build interest in its sequel, where players can learn more and make more of an impact on her life. 

Slay the Princess

In its first two games, indie studio Black Tabby Games has shown an expertise for horror-based visual novels with an exceptional degree of player choices. Its second title, Slay the Princess, released in October 2023 and quickly grew in popularity. The visual novel is rooted in horror but focuses on the relationship between player and princess.

The player is dropped onto a path in the woods. The Narrator, an inner voice which tries to influence decisions throughout the game, tasks you with slaying The Princess. Stakes are supposedly high, as the alternative to slaying her is the end of the world.

With a wide variety of choices, the player has significant influence on the game depending on their interactions with The Princess. Chapter 1 always culminates in a player death but The Princess’ appearance and behavior will change based on previous interactions upon reaching Chapter 2. Additionally, the player will unlock a new voice in their head depending on which Princess variant they reach. 

There is a web of over 20 Princess variants for players to interact with, including numerous third chapters and respective changes in each Princess’ room. The game loops after reaching the end of a sequence with a Princess variant. Players will see five variants before confronting The Narrator and The Princess in the ending sequence, giving Slay the Princess heavy replayability.

In 2024, a free expansion upgraded the visual novel to Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut and added three new chapters while expanding on three existing chapters. The new content, including chapters like “The Princess and the Dragon” or “Happily Ever After” offer some of the most emotional moments in the entire game. 

Slay the Princess offers great freedom for players to interact with The Princess. Combined with a unique hand-drawn art style, rich body horror scenes, and two versatile voice actors narrating through the entire game, each run is a lasting experience that reaches the heart with horror, romance, comedy, or all three at once.