Editorials
Six of This Year’s Indie Horror Games That Are Perfect for Spooky Halloween Playtime
From pumpkin-spice beverages to decorative skeleton shopping, there are plenty of seasonal traditions to get you in the right mood for the Halloween season. One of my personal favorite Autumn rituals is to break up nightly scary movie marathons with some spooky gaming of the indie variety. After all, if you take into account the limitations enforced by profit-hungry studios, you’re more likely to find unique scares in a title developed by a small group of passionate genre fans rather than a gigantic corporation.
And with the indie horror scene growing exponentially as these games become viral hits, we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six indie titles that are perfect for the Halloween season. I mean, there are only so many days until October 31st, so we might as well help each other celebrate by sharing our favorites.
As usual, these recommendations are based on personal opinion, but we’ll be limiting them to 2023 releases in an effort to keep things current. With that out of the way, don’t forget to comment below with your own indie horror recommendations if you think we missed a particularly spooky one.
Now, onto the list…
6. My Friendly Neighborhood
Popularized by the massive success of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, I think it’s safe to say that mascot horror is overdone at this point. From Poppy Playtime to Bendy and the Ink Machine, we’ve seen nearly every possible variation of the cute-characters-are-secretly-evil trope, which is why I think John and Evan Szymanski’s My Friendly Neighborhood is a master class in subverting expectations.
Inspired by classics like Resident Evil and Bioshock, this survival horror shooter places you in the shoes of a troubled handyman who finds himself trapped in an abandoned TV studio overrun by maniacal puppets. However, the game takes an unexpected turn by encouraging you to solve situations non-violently in what can only be described as the most wholesome horror game of the year.
It may not be the scariest title on this list, but it’s certainly one of the best.
5. Toilet Chronicles
Horror comedies rely on a very delicate tonal balance, with too heavy of a focus on one element usually sabotaging the other. When it comes to gaming, this means that you also have to take into account the unpredictable chaos of another living person interacting with your story – which is probably why most games tend to avoid mixing genres entirely.
Fortunately, Madi Abdykarimov’s Toilet Chronicles takes the road less traveled by incorporating elements of genuine terror into an incredibly silly premise, with the title trapping players in a cursed toilet stall and unleashing utter insanity. While the game definitely skews more towards comedy, genre fans are likely to appreciate the plethora of horror references and clever scares that pepper one of the most absurd gaming experiences of the year.
4. Blasphemous 2
Religious horror is one of the hardest sub-genres to translate to an action-oriented medium, but leave it to the folks at The Game Kitchen to base an entire metroidvania franchise on the idea that traditional Catholic imagery can be creepy. And with Blasphemous 2, I’d argue that the developers have perfected their take on a Spanish-Gothic-inspired alternate universe where angels and miracles mean something completely different.
While the title doesn’t boast jump-scares or classically frightening gameplay elements, this is still the most hauntingly atmospheric experience on this list, with the game featuring memorable monster designs, eerie hellscapes and a chilling soundtrack that will likely inform your own pixelated nightmares for years to come.
3. Night Security
Run by a duo of Japanese brothers, Chilla’s Art is one of the most underrated indie gaming developers currently working in the scene. Weaving disturbing yet relatable horror stories from simple graphics and minimalist gameplay, these guys have a respectable catalogue of lo-fi frights that are likely to make your Halloween season that much spookier.
In fact, their most recent title serves as a smorgasbord of all their favorite horror tropes, with Night Security having players take on the role of a security guard tasked with patrolling an increasingly disturbing building in an odd mix of survival horror and job simulator. While you can finish the title in about an hour or so, I guarantee that the scares will last you much longer than that.
2. Night at the Gates of Hell
After decades of familiar zombie shooters, it’s hard to wow genre fans with an original undead experience these days. Hard isn’t the same thing as impossible, however, as proven by the Fulci-inspired survival horror title Night at the Gates of Hell. Developed by the creator of Bloodwash, this retro spook-fest is sure to entice fans of classic Resident Evil and Italian horror cinema alike.
Requiring precise headshots to confirm kills and featuring absurd amounts of lo-fi gore, Night at the Gates of Hell may not be the most polished zombie-killing experience out there, but it’s certainly one of the most memorable – and that’s not even mentioning the appropriately funky 70s-inspired disco soundtrack.
1. Stay Out of the House
It’s no surprise that Puppet Combo has proven to be the king of retro horror gaming, putting out deeply entertaining low-poly horror titles as if they grew on trees. The latest of these is this year’s Stay Out of the House, an innovative immersive sim that tasks players with escaping the clutches of a cannibalistic serial killer as you explore his macabre home.
Boasting multiple different endings and a surprisingly complex simulation of the titular house, this is a must-play for slasher fans and those craving a more intricate take on the thrilling chase sequences of the long-dormant Clock Tower franchise. Just be ready for some expertly crafted jump-scares along the way…
The 30th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival commences this week in Montreal, running from July 16 through August 2. It’s set to unleash 125 features and 200+ shorts, from new premieres to festival favorites.
That includes screenings of upcoming theatrical releases Buddy, Colony, Her Private Hell, Hot Spot, and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, as well as retrospective screenings of Pontypool and Gozu. But so much of the fun of Fantasia is the new film discoveries and surprises, and this year’s fest comes packed with potential.
Here are eight horror movies to keep an eye out for at this year’s fest.
Big Break
New York’s cult comedy darlings Simple Town are carving their way into horror with this comedic feature. In Big Break, Will (Will Niedmann), Caroline (Caro Yost), and Felipe (Felipe Di Poi Tamargo, Blood Barn) reunite with their estranged ex-collaborator Sam (Samuel Lanier) years after their sketch group disbanded, hoping to get in his good graces to appear in the sequel of his hit film. But dark secrets are exposed during their weekend getaway, forcing these washed-up comedians to learn what it really means to kill to get their big break. Art imitating life in a witty horror-comedy sounds like a blast.
Corpus
An invite to a secluded party with his longtime crush and rising film star instead unfurls a strange nightmare of sensual and supernatural proportions. Corrin Evans’ feature debut is set in the summer of 1998, capturing a stylish, transgressive web of seduction and terror. The film stars Jeff Wahlberg (“Euphoria”), Brodie Townsend (“Heartbreak High”), Michael Vlamis (“Pools”), Lily Cowles (Antebellum), Nuha Jes Izman (“Yellowjackets”) and Ching Valdes-Aran (The Equalizer).
Freaks Part II
Final Destination Bloodlines filmmakers Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein return to their mutant roots with their follow-up to 2018’s Freaks. Picking up several years later, Mary (Amanda Crew, Freaks) and her daughter Chloe (Lorelei Olivia Mote, Riddle of Fire) are on the run from authorities, masking their superpowered abilities and identities. But revenge will complicate matters in a sequel that teases a severe escalation in bloodshed. The Conjuring‘s Lili Taylor also stars.
Junction Row
Canadian horror icon Katharine Isabelle stars as Juno, a recovering addict who leaves a fringe housing compound for a better life, leaving her beloved Ruby behind. When she learns Ruby has gone missing, she discovers Junction Row has been overrun with criminals and something far more horrifying. The creature feature marks the feature debut of director Ashlea Wessel, who co-writes Junction Row with Clown in a Cornfield author Adam Cesare and Matt Serafini.
The Last Temptation of Becky
Becky Hooper (Lulu Wilson) escalates her ultra-violent annihilation of Neo-Nazis with a new CIA mission that sends her to Poland to infiltrate a family of innkeepers who are running a tourist venture at The Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s WWII bunker. To prevent the Fourth Reich, Becky takes matters into her own bloody hands. Jenn Wexler (The Sacrifice Game, The Ranger) directs this trilogy capper from a script she co-wrote with Matt Angel (The Wrath of Becky), from a story by Angel andSuzanne Coote (The Wrath of Becky). Neil Patrick Harris also stars.
Los Vampires
Lost actor Henry Ian Cusick and Spectre actor Thomas Kretschmann lead as uncanny surrogates for Carlos Villarías and Bela Lugosi in this fantastical fictionalized account of the making of George Melford’s classic horror film, one that was shot overnight on the same sets as Tod Browning’s Dracula. The period horror movie is written and directed by Craig Mitchell (Komodo). Daniela Couso (Serial Beauty), Jefferson Mays (Inherent Vice), Oscar Nuñez (“The Office”), and Jorge Diaz (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones) round out the cast. Watch the intriguing teaser here.
Rubberhead: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson
The wild life and incredible career of SFX wizard Steve Johnson (Fright Night, Poltergeist II, An American Werewolf in London, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) gets the documentary spotlight from director Nick Taylor. Those familiar with Johnson’s two-book saga Rubberhead: Sex, Drugs and Special FX, which serves as the basis for the documentary, will already know that the artist is a candid raconteur as open about his failures as his successes. Linnea Quigley, John Landis, Tom Holland, and Oscar-winner Bill Corso also contribute as talking heads in this illuminating doc.
Unholy Night
Grandma is back from the dead and ready to commit murder in this holiday horror comedy from writer/director Michael Gabriele. The chaos of an Italian Christmas Eve gets dialed up to a zany, violent degree in the first teaser. Marc Bendavid (“Dark Matter”), Shailene Garnett (“Shadowhunters”), Al Sapienza (“The Sopranos”), Ron Lea (“Orphan Black”), Toni Ellwand (“Hannibal”), Cristina Rosato (Mother!), Jacqueline Robbins (“A Series of Unfortunate Events”), and Joe Pingue (Antiviral) star.
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