Black Friday is more than just the day after Thanksgiving or an unofficial holiday begging for its own 80s style slasher. No, Black Friday is a huge boon for retailers. In fact, the day got it’s name (supposedly) for being when stores would go from profits “in the red” to “in the black”. Over the years, it’s also become a massive cluster-fuck of rabid shoppers and disgruntled teenage employees who’d rather be somewhere downing eggnog. More than a few drops of blood seem to get shed annually as well. See? SLASHER – MOVIE. Sometimes, there are amazing deals to be found on the day, but it’s hard to know where to look. Not every store releases their ad paper in advance. For Black Friday 2018, I’m going to try and ease some that stress for you, fiends. I’ve scoured the internet to try and find the best deals, specials, and must have gifts for any horror obsessive this Pagan holiday season (Google it).

Video Games

Honestly, I’m not much of a gamer. The last console I owned was a Sega Saturn (Nights into Dreams was badass). Nonetheless, I know that gaming is an expensive hobby. Prices for the newest consoles seem to always be on the rise. Games that may only offer a few hours of gameplay cost $50 – $60. So, when a sale comes around, it’s certainly worth taking note of. Below are some excellent deals on horror games from the major retailers as well as a couple indies that caught my eye.

Indie Releases

Home Sweet Home ($16.99 on Steam) –

“Tim’s life has drastically changed since his wife disappeared mysteriously. In one night, after suffering from the sorrow for a long time, he woke up in an unknown place instead of his house. While trying to escape from this place, he was hunted by a rancorous female spirit. Can he survive? Is this place actually his house? Does it relate to the disappearance of his wife? Some dark sinister secret is hidden inside this house, and it won’t be a place of happiness as it used to be any longer.” – Synopsis from Steam

No, this has nothing to do with the NES game Sweet Home that became the impetus for the entire Resident Evil franchise, spawning its own amazingly over the top film of the same name (directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa of Pulse). It also has nothing to do with that Thanksgiving slasher flick starring the “Body by Jake” guy. This Home Sweet Home is a brand new paranormal spookfest from Taiwan that is deeply steeped in the culture’s myths and folklore. Even better? The game offers VR support, and gameplay is varied from stealth, puzzle solving, and outright horrific onslaughts. From quiet atmospheric dread, beautifully rendered environs, zombies, and bizarre creatures – I might actually give this one a try myself.

Hello Neighbor ($29.99 Pre-purchase on Steam/or Pre-order for Xbox One at Target)

“Hello Neighbor is a stealth horror game about sneaking into your neighbor’s house to figure out what horrible secrets he’s hiding in the basement. You play against an advanced AI that learns from your every move. Really enjoying climbing through that backyard window? Expect a bear trap there. Sneaking through the front door? There’ll be cameras there soon. Trying to escape? The Neighbor will find a shortcut and catch you. ” – Synopsis from Steam

From dev Dynamic Pixels comes a game that’s been available in various builds and demos for quite some time. The full game will release on December 8th. In Hello Neighbor, the objective is simple, break into your neighbor’s house and figure out just what exactly he’s up to. The game’s design is reminiscent of a number of Pixar films…only something seems off here. The low-key mysteries of the neighbor have been captivating players for almost two years. Videos litter YouTube of players who’ve combed over miniscule details in an attempt to piece the story’s puzzle together. Just what is hiding in the neighbor’s excessively protected basement? In just a couple short weeks we can finally find out (or just Google the spoilery video of the ending online).

Target

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard ($15) – This one is a doorbuster, so you’re going to need to be there when doors open at 6 PM on Thanksgiving night. For less than twenty bucks, though, this one might be worth it. Target’s ad shows this for sale for PS4, but it’s likely the sale extends across platforms.

The Evil Within 2 ($29.99) – Also a doorbuster and also PS4.

Wal-mart

Mortal Kombat X ($12) – Rip off heads for only $12 on any platform!

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombie Chronicles ($35) – This also a multi-platform deal.

Best Buy

If you have more than a couple names to check off your shopping list, Best Buy is certainly where it’s at. The list of games they have on sale is extensive and below are just a few of the horror centric titles I came across.

Bioshock: The Collection  ($15) – Multi-platform

Doom ($15) – Multi-platform

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus ($25) – Multi-platform

Bloodborne ($15) – PS4 only

The Last of Us: Remastered ($15) – PS4

Until Dawn ($15) – PS4

At the time of this writing GameStop had not yet released their Black Friday deals.