PlayStation published a curated list of nine independent games to try this Halloween, covering cooperative paranormal investigations, psychological horror, puzzle-based building, and lighter spooky adventures.
Selection spans multiplayer scares and gentler spooky experiences
The list includes survival horror, investigation-focused titles, puzzle games and cooperative experiences. Selections range from tense multiplayer sessions to more relaxed, atmospheric journeys suitable for players seeking different levels of fright.
Featured games
1. CloverPit
In CloverPit, the player is trapped in a rusted room facing a slot machine and must collect coins to pay an escalating debt. The game blends roguelite mechanics, strategy and psychological horror, with talismans that alter success probabilities.
2. Escape the Backrooms
Inspired by the Backrooms legend, Escape the Backrooms places players in labyrinthine environments where they must solve puzzles and evade creatures. The experience supports solo play or cooperative sessions for up to four players.
A proximity voice chat mechanic adds tension: monsters in the game can also hear the players.
3. Fangtopia
Fangtopia offers a lighter Halloween option focused on construction and puzzles. Players build a realm inhabited by creatures such as werewolves, arranging hexagonal tiles to shape landscapes and habitats.
4. Graveyard Keeper 2
The sequel emphasizes resource management and dark fantasy elements. Players rebuild a medieval town, manage a cemetery, craft items and even employ undead workers to assist with tasks. Despite its macabre settings, the tone is more playful than terrifying.
5. Hunter’s Moon
Drawing on British folklore, Hunter’s Moon prioritizes atmospheric terror and exploration of rural communities. Gameplay combines investigation, interactions with villagers and stealth sections, with tension generated by the mysteries of the setting.
6. Phasmophobia
A well-known name in cooperative horror, Phasmophobia puts up to four players in the roles of paranormal investigators. Equipped with cameras, thermometers and other ghost-detection tools, teams must identify the type of haunting while surviving supernatural events.
7. Reanimal
Reanimal follows two orphaned siblings who must cross a terrifying island to locate missing friends. The game mixes exploration, stealth, puzzles and chase sequences, emphasizing cooperation between the protagonists.
8. Silver Pines
Silver Pines merges survival horror with metroidvania-style design. Players control detective Red Walker as he investigates the disappearance of a musician, exploring side-scrolling environments like abandoned hotels and flooded tunnels, engaging in combat and discovery.
9. The Midnight Walk
The Midnight Walk has players traverse a dark fantasy world accompanied by Potboy, a small creature whose flame lights the way. The title stands out for its artistic direction: characters and environments were sculpted in clay and digitized in 3D, producing a stop-motion-like aesthetic.
Different flavors of Halloween horror
The recommendations demonstrate that Halloween gaming need not rely solely on jump scares. Titles such as Phasmophobia and Escape the Backrooms focus on multiplayer tension, while Fangtopia and Graveyard Keeper 2 provide more relaxed, creative experiences.
Other selections — including Reanimal, Silver Pines and The Midnight Walk — show varied approaches to building ominous atmospheres through exploration, stealth and distinctive art direction. PlayStation presented the list as a set of recommendations for the Halloween season.
