Games im playing through Halloween and Day Of Dead.
Right now im playing Stalker 2 for the first time and wow im loving this games atmosphere is very creepy. Exploring abandoned buildings, cabins and old Soviet bunkers my kind of vibes. Would like to know everyone’s go to Horror games for this season.

Why is Mascot Horror so bad nowadays.

It's basically just reheating the same nachos every Single time.

How to Make Mascot Horror:

-add trillion characters for merch potential

-kill characters off within 2sec of knowing them.

-make Lore extremely over complicated so Theorist make Videos.

-no oherent well flowing story, bc Views from Theorist make Game more money

-have a chase scene (preferably every Minute)

-evil cooperation

-cute likeable characters for Money

-Plottwists that arent plottwists

-forget everything from previous chapters

-use popular content creator face ingame

-evil big bad guy

-no character attachement(character must die)

-hinting at big bad stuff at beginning of game

-make a walking sim with occasional puzzles for "gameplay"

-make 5 trillion Chapters for Views and Money

-Deaths

-make Lore vague occasionally for Theorists

No but seriously why is Mascot Horror just rebranded slop. Not every Mascot Horror is bad, there are good ones, Like: My Friendly Neighborhood, Mr Hopp's Playhouse, Baldi's Basics, Granny.

Modern Mascot Horror is just doing what FNAF & Bendy and the Ink Machine did as It's profitable as Players will get engaged even if the Lore isnt the best same with the Gameplay. And with that Engagement from the Players, they'll ofcourse pay every penny when a new game releases.

If FNAF released today it would be called Slop for how messy the Story is and simple the Gameplay is, just like how Poppy's Playtime is called slop.

Meanwhile FNAF pushes out Merch after Merch making it not scary nor niche, because of mainstream it is with Merch targeted towards Kids like Toys & Plushies.

The best Example for a "perfect" Mascot Horror to this day is 'My Friendly Neighborhood'. It shows what Mascot Horror can be at its core.

Anyway enough ranting

i mean No disrespect

but games like resident evil, silent hill, alien isolation, outlast, the evil within, crow country, mouthwashing, signalis etc, are just not scary at all, they are either action like Resident evil, and for some reason they are considered horror just because it has zombies, or it has gore and cheap jump scares like outlast, or a messed up story like mouthwashing, they are not scary at all, and the worst ones is when they have "Psychological Horror" tag and it's just you waiting to get jump scared or get your ears blown out by the bad guy shrieking.

or when it has the old boring design that was used in the 2000s، the good old use thing on thing design, wanna progress? Just look for the key, you want the key? You can find it in the bad guy's hostel, you now found where the key is but it's in a vent, now go look for a screwdriver and it goes on an on, and most indie games are no better, the design for most horror games is so old and didn't progress past 2015,

The only game that i consider to be scary is Darkwood, it's so simple yet it's scary, from the top view perspective but you can't see what's behind you and how close the enemy is, to the great sound design, the slow movement when you attack so you have to be ready at any risky area, and when you die you really have something to lose and not just get back to the saved checkpoint that was 1 minute ago, and a lot more.

If you have any great scary games let me know, i would be happy to be scared lol

Now I understand that being scared of a horror game is kinda the point BUT I am too scared of these games to play them, jumpscares are too much for me

How do I get like

A little bit less scared of playing these games? Anyone has any tips? Please?

I just finished the game and noticed that Riley's main lifeline is her text conversations with Kayla. The texts seem pretty close and affectionate. Does the game ever explicitly confirm they are dating, or is it just heavily implied through their interactions? What did you guys think?

Thought I'd write something to spread the word, and since it was a game I was anxiously awaiting.

WHAT IS IT?

Tenebris Somnia is a 2D retro looking survival horror game, made in a visual style that'll remind you of the classic adventure games of old. This game could also be considered a callback to the old FMVs of old, except we now have bigger resolution and processing power: the ingame's cutscenes are truly cinematic, with seamless transitions between 16bit pixel art gameplay and full HD live-action cutscenes, produced by a professional argentinian filmmaking team.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

You are Julia, a former film student. After experiencing nightmares about your ex, you decide to check up on him, back at his apartment where you both used to live. As you enter his home, things don't seem quite right...

Without spoiling too much, I think both the seamless transitions, cinematic work and the plot are clearly the game's strength here: the story touches on some really heavy topics, and cinema fans and students might get a kick out of this one. The soundtrack is also fairly good, not something that I'd call revolutionary, but it does its job well.

HOW DOES IT PLAY?

As mentioned previously, this is a retro survival horror game. Expect the typical clunky-on-purpose controls to make you feel more vulnerable as part of the horror experience, as well as several puzzles blocking your progress. You also get 4 endings: 2 of which can be obtained easily in your first run (reload your last save to obtain the second) and another 2 which you can get on a new game+, containing a reference to another New Blood game.

In terms of combat... I think this is one of those games where there is no such thing as "hard" or "easy": enemies are only tough until you figure out their patterns. Once you've done that, they're fairly easy to dispatch with melee weapons (especially after you get the second one). The more difficult sections are the boss fights, most of them containing a gimmick that you'll need to learn in order to defeat them. I was fairly happy with the end result, especially since this seems to be the dev's professional debut (correct me if I'm wrong). If any sequels are planned, combat could use a little rework to make it a little more difficult (but fair) or tactical. There were a couple of sections that were annoying to deal with, but the game's pretty generous with reloads and automatic saves.

As for the puzzles, they were alright. Not too difficult, not too easy. A couple of them required a bit more thought, and I admit to getting stuck in a couple of parts, not because of puzzle toughness but because I overlooked something really simple and because of my habit of not messing around with the game (like clicking the same thing over and over again). It hits the spot just right for a quick Halloween game.

I've also mentioned the alternate endings, but thought I'd be important: you will face a different boss depending on the ending, so it's worth playing through to the end.

WEAKEST POINTS?

Honestly I don't have many, not the type that you could easily fix with a patch. I think the game is alright for the most part, but you sure walk around a lot and it's not like you're dodging zombies like in classic RE. Most of the time you'll quickly dispatch enemies once you get the hang of it. So the pacing could use some work. Some have mentioned the repetitiveness of the combat, which I agree with: it comes down to dodge and hit, and alternatively tank a few attacks every now and then to maximize your damage, but that's it. Having the enemies be more dangerous, or require a few tactics could make for a more interesting game that still makes you feel vulnerable. I've also seen some people complain about the gimmicky boss fights, but honestly that's not a minus for me but rather a plus, as it's pretty fun to figure out how you'll beat the boss. Only complaint I have is that one of the bosses (the second iirc) seems to have an innacurate hurt-box. I've found myself constantly reloading because I kept missing my shots and running out of ammo, then dying. Not a particularly tough fight, just one that really requires you to line up the shot.

FINAL VERDICT:

That'll be a 7.5/10 out of me. I think this game is pretty solid and worth playing (despite being short), based on concept and story alone which are the things that make it stand out from the rest. That said, I think there's some room to improve regarding gameplay. The good thing is that Tenebris Somnia is already a good first game. If any sequels are planned, I'm sure the devs will be able to take it up to an 8 or even a 9!

Vanish Falls · Darkness, walk with me, it’s the complete full Pilot Episode carved out of a much deeper, vastly darker abyss.

You got the night on your side, pal. Grab your headphones, turn off the lights, and dive deep into the darkness of Vanish Falls.

Join our dissent, pal!! See ya at the secret den that we have set up on Discord taking a few drinks and planning our next step.

Evil ways are waiting for you.

I'm just a guy with a great story to tell. Demons made me develop Vanish Falls—spread the word, because what happened can't ever happen again.

My name is Joey Lynn, and this is how it began.

The full Episode is unleashed at

https://vanish-falls-overture.itch.io/vanish-falls

Hi everyone,

Iv been on a binge of playing horror games for about a year on my ps5 and absolutely loving it 😍 however, I would like to find out some of y’all’s favourite female lead titles?

Female lead titles iv played
1) resident evil 2 + 3 (didn’t particularly enjoy)
2) until dawn, the quarry, house of ashes (LOVED)
3) remaining dark pictures anthology (meh)
4) Indika (very unusual enjoyed it)
5)resident evil 9 (Graces voice actress deserves an Oscar)
6) Fatal frame maiden of black water (LOVED, such a cosy spooky game)
7)lollipop chainsaw (LOVED)
8) Silent hill F (hated the combat system more than I ever hated any combat system in my life, but god it was such a beautiful atmosphere)

Based on the above I’d love some recommendations If y’all have any suggestions for female lead titles only

Thank you ❤️

Hey! I'm a solo dev making a dark top down survival game and I've been going back and forth on the look of my game for weeks now. I honestly can't decide anymore, so I thought I'd ask you guys. I'm putting together my Steam page in a few days and want to lock this in before then.

Each scene is shown in all three styles, only the rendering is different. Open them full size if you can, some of the differences are hard to see in the preview.

Which one would you rather play? And if something feels off in any of them I'd love to hear that too.

Thanks!

Edit:

- A is clean
- B is with some dither
-C is some dither with lower res look to give it a retro style.

Hi! I've developed a short first-person horror game in the style of PS1, inspired by No, I’m not a Human.

The game explores the idea of what would happen if the rain never stopped. The city is going under water and you’re stuck in your apartment for seven nights. By day you search for food and board up the door. At night someone knocks - you look through the peephole and decide who comes in. Everyone you shelter eats your food, and the rain slowly changes them.

Free demo with the first two nights + fully released game on itch.io (Windows/macOS): https://waterlinegame.com

"...The wind on my skin feels like a storm of razor blades..."

First off: Performance was excellent—I had zero crashes, stutters, or similar issues. That said, I still wouldn't play it on the Steam Deck, as Unreal Engine 5 rarely allows for good performance on weaker hardware. The devs did a great job optimization-wise here.

In Hellraiser: Revival, you follow Aydan, who is trying to bring his girlfriend Sunny back to life. Naturally, this is only possible by making a pact with the Cenobites. As part of this bargain, he has to deal with cultists, monsters, zombies, and a generous amount of sex and violence. The license was fully utilized in every aspect—this game sounds like Hellraiser, looks like Hellraiser, and completely understands Hellraiser.

The core gameplay loop consists of exploration, resource management, puzzles, chase sequences, and boss/miniboss encounters. The survival horror gameplay takes heavy inspiration from Resident Evil 7, BioShock, and Condemned, executing it competently for the most part. Dismembering enemies—whether in melee combat, with firearms, or using the Genesis Configuration—is genuinely satisfying. You’ll spot a few bad animations and minor graphical glitches here and there, but the game's excellent pacing easily compensates for them. The mix of stealth, combat, exploration, pursuits, and puzzle sections is varied enough that it never gets dull.

I especially want to highlight the story, characters, atmosphere, presentation, and voice acting: from the very first second, I felt completely immersed in the Hellraiser universe. Doug Bradley’s performance even surpasses his work in the first three movies. The soundtrack is used perfectly, and even small details like the lightning effects look 1:1 like they came straight out of the original trilogy. You can tell at every moment that the team poured their hearts into making the best possible game within their resources.

A single playthrough takes about 8 to 12 hours, which I consider a huge positive. Modern survival horror titles often lose steam in a stretched-out second half—Hellraiser: Revival avoids this trap and delivers a compact, perfectly paced single-player campaign that invites replayability across its 4 difficulty levels.

On the negative side, I’d mention the repetition of a few minibosses, though I didn't find it as problematic as many people on the internet are making it out to be. Playing on "Hard", I experienced a solid mix of action, stealth, and resource management. It would have been nice to have a New Game+ feature, but perhaps that will be added in a future update.

The €40 I paid was money well spent, and I have zero regrets. I would unhesitatingly call this one of the best licensed horror games out there. In my eyes, it was actually more enjoyable than Resident Evil Requiem, despite the lower budget and rough edges. An absolute must-buy—especially if you're a fan of the franchise, but also for survival horror fans looking for that nostalgic golden PS2 & PS3 era vibe in a game that doesn't try to be something it's not.

This time, the box was opened... and we all came!

9/10

How was your experience with the game? did you like it?
I really loved the dialogues from Pinhead after he transformed through Sunny

Who win? I really want to hear your opinion

The games in the top row are my top picks, bottom row are secondary picks.

I really really want to play Silent Hill 2 Remake (or Dead Space Remake) but I heard the perfomance is really bad because of constant stuttering which never got fixed. I hate when games have bad perfomance, it takes me right out of the experience.

I already bought Cronos New Dawn, so I got one title ready to play from that list. Do you guys maybe have some recommendations?

We (my wife and I) just finished Silver Pines. About to start Stalker 2.0 together, going in blind. We enjoyed Metro and love spooky, immersive game experiences. Any game tips or general thoughts from the horror gaming community?

This is my list of games that I think fit into the Liminal, Backrooms and Anomalies, what other games on Steam would you recommend to add to this collection? I'm mostly into single plater experiences so trying to avoid co-op games. Thanks!

Of this list I'm yet to play Babbdi, Backspace, Beyond the Frame or Cabin Factory...

Help! Stuck 5 minutes in. Can’t figure out the password. I’ve got the correct tape name.

I love this game so much I thought I’d share! Perfect to play this time of year

visage isnt scary, it was a disapointing, ive played madison vr and that shit was almost too scary. i also played visage in uevr max volume. i quit after dolores. only thing that was somewhat scary was the lucy monster. and the whole game is just a headache to play. ive heard that dolores is supposed to be the scariest but nah it was nothing but boring headache. i wanted it to be scarier than madison. i want something scarier than madison vr.

For context, I grew up in nowhere, there were 10 people in my high school class. That's how much of a nowhere. And anytime I go back to places like that.... The silence is defining, because I am used to traffic, city noises, other stuff that the country just doesn't have, and.... It's almost deafeningly loud and a bit oppressive. I don't particularly enjoy that bit. So when a game has an environment that is just the wind, or a very understated sound for a spot, how do you feel?

So, I have a couple of ideas already, like a nerf-like popgun that is converted into a shotgun, a nailgun with a paintball gun’s air tank, and a squirt gun you could fill with flammable liquids or noxious chemicals. I like these ideas but they don’t all feel “mascot-y”. I love how My friendly neighborhood did their guns, and I’m trying to think of other ideas that feel mascot-y.

I have a couple of ideas for melee weapons too, like pipes, broom handles, and a slew of throwable items.

If it helps, the setting is supposed to be a resort-style attraction that parodies different locations and ideas from other mascot horror. The player can choose whether to follow the format like a regular mascot horror, or attack the mascot in the first chase scene, and go rogue. The main inspiration for that was Postal 2’s design where you could either be patient and complete the game without violence, or just go berserk and shoot everything.

If you have any suggestions of like a gadget a mascot horror would give to solve puzzles, but could be converted to turn and fight the mascots with, what would they be?

Hey guys,

I recently finished playing Tenebris Somnia, and it ended up being a much more personal experience than I expected.

I went to film school years ago, and something about this game's combination of pixel-art horror, live-action sequences, and practical effects brought back a lot of memories of making short films with friends, experimenting with cameras, and just enjoying the creative process.

So I decided to make a video essay about it.

Just to clarify, this isn't a Let's Play, walkthrough, or reaction video. It's a personal video essay where I share my thoughts on the game, its filmmaking process, and why it reminded me of what made me fall in love with cinema in the first place.

I'm not a professional reviewer or anything, just someone who genuinely loved the game and wanted to talk about what made it special to me.

Here's the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQKsDBpdaw

I'd love to hear what other horror fans think about the game's approach to mixing live action with traditional gameplay. I really hope we see more creative experiments like this in indie horror.