October is here, and what better time than now to play scary games with friends. Just in time for the peak of the season, we've put together a list of fun, spooky, and competitive games to get in the holiday spirit.
They run the gamut from kinda spooky (Luigi's Mansion 3), to fast-paced mayhem (Left 4 Dead 2), all the way to knowledge (Trivia Murder Party).
Grab yourself a seasonal October beer (or three) and enjoy.
Doom Eternal
There's long been talk of whether Doom fits the category for a "horror" game, but how can it not? Demons infiltrating earth? Hell Priests commanding armies of darkness? The extinction of humanity? It has it all. Just because Doom Guy aka The Slayer is so badass doesn't mean that the game can't seep into your subconscious and keep you awake at night.
The multiplayer is really fun and different. Battle Mode multiplayer features a 2 v 1 style fight, with two players controlling demons and one player as a slayer. Demons have different abilities, making for unique bouts based on the players' preferred playstyle. Another mode, called Invasion, where players can join campaigns and hunt down The Slayer, will release soon.
The game is currently available for PS4, Stadia, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Trivia Murder Party
Trivia Murder Party is a fun game for 1-8 players. It has a Saw vibe. Every round features one question. Get it wrong and be forced to participate in a deadly mini-game.
Losers of the game become "ghosts," but can still participate. The last player alive must progress through spaces to reach the exit in the finale, while the ghosts attempt to answer enough questions correctly to catch up, "possess" the player, and steal the win. It's a great time all around and has the potential to ruin friendships just like Mario Party.
It's available on The Jackbox Party Pack 3 for PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Luigi's Mansion 3
Everybody's second favorite Mario sibling shines super bright in the third installment of his own franchise, but within the sheath of a pretty great game is a really fun multiplayer mode to play with some buds.
In multiplayer mode, up to eight people can play through the ScareScraper, or on teams in the ScreamPark. In ScareScraper, you clear out ghosts hiding ghosts. In ScreamPark, players are split into two teams of Luigis and Gooigis. Compete in a variety of competitive modes like Ghost Hunt, Cannon Barrage, and Coin Floating.
The game is available for the Nintendo Switch.
Left 4 Dead 2
Released in 2009, this game is a bonafide classic. The game centers around the aftermath of a world-ending pandemic, and four "survivors" have to fight through waves of infected zombies to get to safety.
There is a healthy variety of modes and weapons to keep things interesting, and it leans heavily on co-op gameplay. It's fast-paced, frantic, and a whole lot of fun. Step into Versus mode to ramp up the difficulty against human-controlled Special Infected. Play smart and strategically to survive.
The game is available on PC, Mac, and the Xbox 360.
Dead By Daylight
Dead by Daylight is one of the more innovative concepts to come out of the competitive horror genre. It's a five-player game that pits one player-controlled killer against four regular players. If you're the killer, your job is pretty self-explanatory. If you're not, then you need to accomplish objectives and survive.
The game plays out like an actual horror movie, complete with the misty dark-forest atmosphere, chilling music, and abandoned-buildings. It includes downloadable characters from famous horror franchises like Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Left 4 Dead, and even Stranger Things.
It's available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and there are plans to bring it to next-gen consoles.
Call of Duty: Zombies
Zombies originated in Call of Duty: World at War. The mode, where the player fights off hordes of the undead, has made appearances in multiple games since.
The latest in the franchise, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, has a zombie mode that includes dinosaurs. It's always engaging to take turns going head to head against friends in order to see who can rack up the most rounds/kills before they are inevitably overrun.
Mortal Kombat
Few games will ever match the pure competitive joy of a Mortal Kombat game. While it may not be a traditional "horror" game, it has enough blood, guts, and gore to make the list.
Any gamer knows the pure happiness that comes from annihilating a friend and then driving that point home with a vicious fatality. The more violent the better. The latest iteration, Mortal Kombat 11, features characters like The Terminator, Spawn, The Joker, and RoboCop. All solid choices for Halloween costumes.
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