The 10 Best Games For The Halloween Season

The 10 Best Games For The Halloween Season

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for the ten best games to enjoy during the spooky, cozy, and whimsical Halloween season. The games here aren’t just a hodge podge of random horror-type games to play during Halloween, but are instead specific games that have a fantastic Halloween/Autumnal vibe, feel, and ambiance that evoke the magical Halloween season.

“Goosebumps: Escape From Horrorland” (1996)

First up, we have an oldie but a goodie, way back from ye olde year of 1996. Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland is an incredibly quirky point-and-click adventure FMV game that feels like a perfect Halloween night. After some supernatural shenanigans happen at the Morris suburban home, Lizzy and her family find themselves thrust into Horrorland. It’s up to Lizzy and her brother Luke (once he’s done being ‘Under Wraps’) to save their parents and put a stop to Madison Storm’s nefarious madcaps. This game really has everything for a perfect Halloween vibe. From a werewolf village to some haunted woods to a mummy-infested Egyptian tomb to Dracula’s castle to a scarecrow come to life via jack-o-lanterns stating seven of the best syllables ever said out loud in all of gaming… you really can’t go wrong with this game. Ya, sure, the puzzles are ridiculously convoluted and obtuse just like other games of this ilk from the 90s, but it’s a game wrapped up in such a whimsical (and often spooky) package that still stands the test of time. Plus, you get awesome appearances from the likes of Isabella Rossellini and Jeff freaking Goldblum as Dracula. What more could you want?

“Spirits & Spells/Castleween” (2002)

For being a kid-centric, family-friendly 3D platformer, Spirits & Spells, also known as Castleween, is a pretty dark and macabre Halloween adventure. Stepping into the tricking or treating shoes of Alicia and Greg, our sibling duo must recover the stolen souls of their friends, who they were trick or treating with, on Halloween night. These unfortunate souls were captured by the evil bogeyman and his mischievous minions. Alicia and Greg must now enter the lands of the dead in order to save their friends. Like I said, Spirits & Spells is pretty dark and spooky, but it’s all wrapped up in a cozy, whimsical autumnal Halloween vibe with a real rogue’s gallery of spooky locales to explore. Now, I’m not going to pretend that the actual 3D platforming, camera, or controls are good in this game, because they are not; however, this is a game that you play for that nostalgic, cozy feeling of Halloween where harmless mischief and spooky adventures were major parts of the season. Getting to hop around and collect macguffins and abilities through creepy forests, haunted cemeteries, derelict catacombs, supernaturally-infested mansions, and more, dressed up as a witch and a devil, provides plenty of fantastic Halloween season goodness, even with the overall gameplay falters..

“Grabbed by the Ghoulies” (2003)

While certainly not as beloved as Rare’s many other games, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is still a delightfully enjoyable spooky storybook romp through Ghoulhaven Hall. Cooper and his girlfriend wandered a bit too close to Ghoulhaven, so Baron Von Ghoul captured Cooper’s girlfriend and now he must save the day by facing his fears and entering this dastardly locale. Grabbed by the Ghoulies features all of the whimsy and charm that other Rare games of the past offered, specifically when it comes to the game’s art direction and music. The sense of cartoony playfulness in this game as you smash and bash your way through Ghoulhaven is top-notch. Aided by the butler Crivens, Cooper can smack, punch, pummel, and drop-kick a wide assortment of Ghoulies, unless he happens to be caught off guard by one of the game’s many silly jump scare quick time event sections. Grabbed by the Ghoulies oozes plenty of family-friendly spooky Halloween vibes that will surely light up those dark and moody October nights.

“The Haunted Mansion” (2003)

A game all about Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, grim grinning ghosts, myriad spooky specters, ghouls, spiders, creepy creative mansion rooms, and more: what could scream Halloween more than those things? Yep, that’s right; 2003’s Haunted Mansion game is a real treat. Taking place at the eponymous mansion, you step into the naive and bumbling shoes of Zeke, a character who winds up at the infamous locale in hopes of becoming the assistant caretaker. Much to his chagrin, he quickly learns from Madame Leota that he must recover the 999 spooky specters roaming the mansion’s many, many rooms. Playing out as a third-person action adventure platformer of sorts, it’s up to you and Zeke to face your fears, capture some ghosts, piece together death certificates, and ultimately, restore peace and harmony to this palatial otherworldly residence. Whether you are a fan of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion ride or the Eddie Murphy movie (and yes, I do love that movie and watch it every October), or the more recent Haunted Mansion movie, or if you just love all things about The Haunted Mansion in general, this game will provide plenty of tricks and treats during the Halloween season.

“Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge” (2004)

I mean come on, it’s a Nightmare Before Christmas game, of course it’s going to be great for the Halloween season (or for the Christmas season for that matter). This 2004 gem of a game pits everyone’s beloved Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, against the dastardly Oogie Boogie and his ghostly goons. Fortunately, Jack has the Soul Robber on his side, a Flubber-like weapon and tool that he hopes to use to bring even more scares, frights, and hideous things to Halloween Town. But Oogie being Oogie throws a wrench into the works and upends Halloween Town to his liking, much to the dismay of Jack, since he now has to contend with a plethora of new monsters. Getting to explore Halloween Town and its surrounding areas is a real treat here, with the game dishing up tons of action-combat, platforming, environmental puzzles, and musically-themed boss fights. I mean ya, hearing Jack say “Soul Robber” over and over again does become grating, but apart from that, Oogie’s Revenge is a wonderful little title to enjoy during the spooky season.

“Halloween Forever” (2016)

So, how about a fun-sized 2D platformer where you spit candy corn as your main attack? Yep, that’s the very brief elevator pitch for Halloween Forever. This lovely little retro-inspired platformer thrusts you into the denim overalls of Pumpkin Man, a goofy gourd who just wants to figure out what happened to his pumpkin patch. By the power of some occult forces, he is brought to life in order to discover the source of creepiness. Halloween Forever really is a special game that needs more time in the spotlight, especially during the Halloween season. The game has it all for those with a penchant for the spooky October month: pumpkin candy pail 1-ups, skeletons, chainsaw maniacs, grim reapers, cemeteries, haunted mansions, monster bosses, and, once again, it needs to be reiterated, lots and lots of candy corn. Plus, the retro tunes in this game… sugar-laden chef’s kiss indeed!

“Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights” (2002)
Of all the great Scooby-Doo games out there to play during the Halloween season, it’s Night of 100 Frights that truly takes the pumpkin-spiced cake. The lovable Scooby Gang is back at it, this time heading to Mystic Manor in order to uncover the haunting, supernatural goings-on via the beckon call of Daphne’s pal, Holly Graham. It’s here at Mystic Manor where the spooky fun begins for Scooby since he now needs to rescue his Mystery Inc. pals. Night of 100 Frights blends traditional 3D platforming elements with a well-laid out interconnected metroidvania-style map where you need to collect new abilities and plentiful Scooby Snacks to progress and open new areas. The gameplay here is spot-on and it feels like you are playing through an episode of the cartoon. Like I’ve said with many games on this list so far, it’s about the Halloween vibes and feelings, and Night of 100 Frights has this in spades. Running and jumping around the haunted manor, festering fisheries, creepy cemeteries, derelict docks, and ghostly gardens; the game just has a great sense of cartoony, whimsical horror that will appease younger gamers and the young at heart who grew up with Scooby-Doo and want some Halloween-fueled nostalgia. As soon as that Mystic Manor music kicks in, it means the spooky season is ready to truly begin.

“Night in the Woods” (2017)

The town of Possum Springs may be down on its luck but there’s one thing it definitely has going for it: its pitch perfect fall ambiance. This cozy small town is dripping with autumnal goodness, especially as the town gets closer to celebrating the Harfest. Our protagonist, Mae, finds herself back in Possum Springs, the place where she grew up and calls home. However, upon coming back, it’s clear to her that things just don’t feel the same as they used to, both in terms of physical locations and various relationships with the townsfolk. Night in the Woods’ narrative adventure gameplay really thrives here, in a large part, because of the sense of place that’s been lovingly crafted. Whether you are strolling through town just enjoying the yellow, orange, and red leaves falling from the trees, chatting with townsfolk at a forest bonfire, or exploring the areas beyond Possum Springs, one thing is certain: Night in the Woods will wrap you up in its mysterious, cozy, and sometimes spooky fall vibes.

“Pumpkin Jack” (2020)

This game is so, so good, especially if you are a fan of the Medievil games. Pumpkin Jack is dripping and oozing with Halloween style, creatively designed stages, super fun action platforming, and some great characters, all wrapped up in some of the best in-game lighting, art direction, music, and spooky October season vibes. If you didn’t guess from the title of the game, you, of course, play as Pumpkin Jack, a snarky pumpkin-headed denizen who is tasked by the devil to wreak havoc all over the kingdom of Arc En Ciel, along with your crow pal. Set in and around various, diverse Halloween-esque stages (and even a spooky winter/Christmas stage), you will jump around, whack devious goons with your myriad weapons, battle unique bosses, collect crow skulls, unlock outfits, and even dance and groove along to some music at hidden gramophones. While the gameplay can be a bit floaty at times, the sense of Halloween goodness in this game is incredibly hard to match and will ensure you come back year after year to dive into Pumpkin Jack’s whimsical, magical, and spooky 3D adventure that is brimming with autumnal enjoyment.

“Costume Quest” (2010)

It’s an unequivocal hard fact that Costume Quest is the definitive, must play game for the Halloween season. Created by Double Fine Productions, Costume Quest is a turn-based RPG-lite adventure that perfectly encapsulates everything that’s great about the spooky Halloween season. This trick-or-treating-centric game is all about siblings Wren and Reynold and their madcap adventures in and around their cozy, autumnal neighborhood of Auburn Pines. You really do get it all here: trick-or-treating (of course!), bucketloads of candy, plentiful costumes to collect and equip, monsters (known as Grubbins) to battle, multiple cozy locations all dressed up for the Halloween season, whimsical music, Halloween-enthused friends to add to your party, and heck, even some good old bobbing for apples. The first time you guide Wren and Reynold around their lovingly decorated neighborhood will surely put a massive smile on your face, as you reminisce about the scary fun you had as a kid during this magical season. Double Fine created the perfect Halloween game that will hook you with its October vibes and style, immerse you with its characters and quirky story, and will keep you coming back for more with the turn-based battles, candy, costumes, battle stamps, and creepy treat cards galore.


So, do you agree with our picks for this list? There are tons of great games to play that help evoke the spooky Halloween season. Share some of your favorites with us down in the comments. And yes, it needs to be stated here that candy corn is indeed very yummy! Don’t let the naysayers fool you! It’s a true Halloween treat!

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