While it’s a quiet life to be a horror fan, we just go a bit crazy near Halloween. We like scary games, and are not ashamed to cry onto our keyboards and wake up from our beds in the middle of the night under the lights of candles flickering dimly in the cold dark room playing on your primal fears.

Let’s take a look at all the games that have us turn off the light and put those surround headphones on only to dilate your pupils and increase your heartbeat.

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Retail Games

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

Developer: The Chinese Room
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
Released 10 Sep 2013
Price:  $19.99

This world is a Machine. A Machine for Pigs. Fit only for the slaughtering of Pigs.

Like the previous games from The Chinese Room this one can also be filed as an exploration game with a well written story. There is not much more you do in the game. There are a few puzzles and a lot of dark dysphoric moments. The game comes from the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Dear Esther.

+ Appalling creepiness in the environments and dispiriting music, focus on exploration
– Short, Uneven pacing

Read our full review here.

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Outlast

Developer: Red Barrels
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
Released: 4 Sep 2013
Price: $19.99

A first-person survival horror game that has you investigating Mount Massive Asylum while trying to survive long enough to discover its terrible secret. This game takes about six hours but it has all the right components to validate the entrance fee and offers a great experience. Simple controls and gameplay mechanics with surprisingly high production value, impressive environments and camera effects.

+ Atmospheric, great sound design, Gritty gore and violent, visual camera effect
–  Short, Little Replay value, linear storyline, lack of voice acting

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1953 – KGB Unleashed

Developer: Red Barrels
Genre: Adventure, Indie
Released: 20 Sept 2013
Price: $9.99

OK, this one is technically not a horror game but considering that it is a point and click adventure and due to the limitation of the genre I decided to include this one in the list as this one focuses on providing a thrilling atmosphere through its narrow corridors and creepy setting. The protagonist finds himself in a bunker beneath the city with no idea how he got there, and must now try to get out by solving complex puzzles and reading a lot of documents to discover the events that happened here, with a sci-fi element and strange experiments hinting at paranormal activities. Gameplay can last from 6 to 9 hours depending on how good a workout you give your brain.

+ Complex puzzles, interesting storyline.
–  Disappointing end, Heavy on text.

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Doorways: Chapter 1 & 2

Developer: Saibot Studios
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
Released: 20 Sept 2013
Price: $9.99

Doorways: Chapter 1 & 2 hits all of the checkboxes on how to make a good horror game. With exploration, interesting plot premises, puzzles, dark corridors and human mutilation however it’s still not a good game. The gameplay is lacking, the environmental design is dull and lacks tension, and the art assets are poor. The most important factor of any good horror game, i.e. the sound fails at creating any sort of build-up to the event in the game and feels like a back fill. You may find bits of enjoyment in the dark rooms and torture devices with more of the story yet to come in future chapters.

+ interesting premise, good voice acting,
– Unrewarding exploration, really short, lack of enemies

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Steam Early Access

Games listed here are available on Steam through their early access program, but do keep in mind the products listed here are not finished and may contain game breaking bugs.[divider]

Sir, You Are Being Hunted

Genre: Action, Early Access, Indie
Publisher: Big Robot Ltd
Released: 19 Aug 2013
$19.99 USD

Official description: Sir, You Are Being Hunted is a procedurally-generated British horror in which tweed-wearing robots hunt you for sport. Roam the landscape, scavenge for food, hide breathlessly in the undergrowth, flee in terror, and even fight back with stolen weapons.

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Paranormal

Genre: Action, Adventure, Early Access, Indie, Simulation
Publisher: Matthew C Cohen
Release Date: 19 Oct 2012
$9.99 USD

Official description: Experience the horrors of a haunting that’s never the same twice. Paranormal is a 3D fully dynamic haunting experience. The player takes the role of Mattel Clark, an artist who has a haunted house. Mattel decides to film the hauntings with his camera, which is the viewpoint of the game. The player controls the camera as the hauntings slowly but surely escalate into something far worse and more horrific. With multiple endings, a different experience every time, top-notch graphics and sound, Paranormal is a constantly evolving indie horror game.

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Damned

Genre: Adventure, Early Access
Release Date: 27 Sept 2013

Official description: Damned is a randomized online horror game for up to 5 players (4 survivors and 1 monster). You’ll be able to play as one of four people trapped in different haunted places (hotels, hospitals, etc.). As a survivor your main objective will be finding your way out, as well as helping your friends get out too. You’ll often find yourself on the edge, hearing and seeing ghostly things, trying to find keys and items to help in your escape. And sometimes you’ll find yourself running desperately from a monster, who’s there only to find and kill you and your friends. You’ll also be able to play as the monster. The game will feature different monsters, each one unique in its gameplay and hunting style.

You know what horror games were lacking? Multiplayer, well the guys over at 9heads thought so and made dammed. Four survivors work together to escape from the randomized haunted hotel before the powerful monster roams through the corridors in search of you.

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Huntsman: The Orphanage

Developer: ShadowShifters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
Release Date: 13 Sept 2013
Price: $14.99

Official description: Our non-linear Black Friday Edition lets you explore Grimhaven Orphanage and discover the characters who once lived there. The horror game with no graphic violence, blood or guns, instead focusing on rich dialogue, complex characters and atmospheric setting. As the player, you have no defense… However, you must show empathy to save the twelve missing orphans. A game for people who like to explore, listen, think and solve. Listen to the nineteen personal short stories to piece together the mysterious events of that fateful night in 1898, when twelve orphans simply… Disappeared!

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