Photo credits: All images are from each game’s respective steam pages

Although Halloween is long over, it’s obvious that the spooks shouldn’t stop in October! Here’s some of the newest horror game titles that caught my eye, along with some games that are soon to come.

When looking for new horror games to play, remember to check the trigger warnings and content warnings, either in Steam’s tags, or online! Horror should be scary, but it’s important to make sure that it doesn’t freak you out more than it should!

ALREADY RELEASED TITLES:

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water [Remaster]

Released on?: October 28th 2021

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC [Windows], PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S

The Fatal Frame saga has yet another addition with this remaster! Maiden of Black Water was originally made for the WiiU system, but due to how poorly the WiiU ended up selling, was modified to be played on the Switch, along with other consoles.

The Fatal Frame series overall follows a series of characters and protagonists as they use the Camera Obscura, a camera able to see and interact with spirits, to banish spirits out of the mortal realm. In Maiden of Black Water, you follow 3 different protagonists, each of whom travel to the ominous Mount Hikami looking for missing loved ones, the signs of those who came in years past to disappear, and the secrets of the mountain’s spiritual history. 

Coming from someone who has played this game before, it’s genuinely an incredible game. The story is great, and although the gameplay itself is a little slow, if you enjoy a rich story over intense gameplay, this may be your title.

TW/CW: Frequent Violence, Self Harm, Suicide

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1732190/FATAL_FRAME__PROJECT_ZERO_Maiden_of_Black_Water/, https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/fatal-frame-maiden-of-black-water-switch/ 

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Poppy Playtime

Released on?: October 12th 2021

Platforms: PC [Windows]

Although it’s only been a month since its release, you may have seen or at least heard about this game. Poppy Playtime is an indie horror game that burst onto the scene and gained loads of attention for its incredible graphics and one of the most terrifying chase scenes I’ve ever seen. In the words of STEAM user EveElleQueen, “It’s short, very short. But it’s EFFECTIVE. Terrified me so hard.”
As the player, you play the role of an ex-employee of Playtime Toy Co., returning to the factory after receiving a letter saying that the staff [who all disappeared 10 years ago] are still in the factory. With its unique gameplay mechanics and loveable 19-foot tall mascot, this game is sure to grab your attention, keep you coming back for more, and, in the words of Playtime Co, squeeze you until you pop! 🙂 

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1721470/Poppy_Playtime/ 

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Andy’s Apple Farm

Released on?: November 23rd 2021 [On Steam]

Platforms: PC [Windows/Apple]

If you prefer psychological horror, this game might be more up your alley. Andy’s Apple Farm has you play the role of a beta tester for a game of the same name, and your job is to uncover and report any major glitches and bugs in the game. But even from the first boot-up and the introduction to beta testing, things seem… strange. The little misspellings and grammar errors in the dialogue, Andy’s strained and sometimes overly… human voice acting, all of it builds up over time to put the player on edge. As this arcade-game style experience continues on, each glitch and jumpscare gets more disturbing than the last, and the tense and downright awkward atmosphere mentioned before in the main game doesn’t help much either. It’s almost as if the game is trying to tell you a story… but that’s up to you to decide. 

TW/CW: Psychological Horror, Violence/Killing, Scary Imagery, Blood, References to Alcohol
Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1810960/Andys_Apple_Farm/, https://m36games.itch.io/applefarm 

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Subway Midnight

Released on?: October 28th 2021

Platforms: PC [Windows/Apple]

Another psychological horror title, this time with puzzles! Subway Midnight is what’s known as a “spookycute” game, something that borders in between super cute and downright frightening. And, from the content I’ve seen from it so far, this definitely fits the bill. 

With it’s cute papercraft characters mixed into a 3D world that changes from somber to vibrant in the blink of an eye, and a slow yet awe-inspiring storyline, fighting ghosts [or becoming them] has never been so much fun!
And, of course, as STEAM user Basil so eloquently puts it, “10/10 it has trains”.

TW/CW: Psychological Horror, Photosensitivity Warning

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1750570/Subway_Midnight/ 

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SOON TO BE RELEASED TITLES:

SCP: Pandemic

Release date?: January 2022

Platforms: PC [Windows]

Another addition to this brilliant series! Based on the infamous SCP Foundation and it’s 5000+ anomalies, SCP: Pandemic promises to be a fun first person shooter [fps] game for both singleplayer and multiplayer enjoyment. You or your team play as Foundation personnel, fighting against hordes of zombified scientists and anomalies as you fight to decontaminate and shut down Area 12.
And no. It has nothing to do with the real life pandemic. Just a zombie one 😀

TW/CW: Frequent Violence/Gore, Blood

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/872670/SCP_Pandemic_Closed_Beta/ 

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Once Upon a Tale in Roswell

Release date?: Q4 [October – December] 2021

Platforms: PC [Windows], Xbox One, Playstation 4

Another psychological horror title, this time with a bit of mystery and detective work. This game promises beautiful graphics, incredible environments, and a story that you’ll want to explore again and again and again. Even from the trailer it’s easy to see how much attention to detail has really been put into this game. The character models, the changes in the scenery as you walk through and explore, everything here just begs to be uncovered and played. 

As for the story itself, as far as we’ve shown, the player works as a detective in 1947s California, hunting around the city of Roswell to uncover the mystery of a family’s disappearance, and seems to end up finding a rather… otherworldly explanation for it all.

TW/CW: Psychological Horror, Frequent Gore/Violence, General Mature Themes

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/907500/Once_Upon_A_Time_In_Roswell/ 

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Five Nights at Freddys: Security Breach

Release date?: December 16th 2021

Platforms: PC [Windows], PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

*Note : At the time of this article being written, this game had not yet been released. At the time of publishing, however, this game has been released and is available to play on the previously mentioned platforms.

Yet another addition to everyone’s favorite childhood animatronic series! The trailers for Security Breach promise players loads of fun new additions that have never been seen before in the FNaF series, such as actual free roam abilities! This free roam also comes with brand new gameplay mechanics, and a brand new animatronic cast complete with their own enemies, abilities, and even an ally through all the chaos. Along with the hints of Vanny, an easter egg character from the VR title Help Wanted, finally having a chance to make a proper appearance, this game is sure to please all kinds of players, from the veteran FNaF 1 players to the brand new fans

TW/CW: Jumpscares, Photosensitivity Warning

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/747660/Five_Nights_at_Freddys_Security_Breach/ ,https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10001137 

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Martha is Dead

Release date?:  February 22nd, 2021

Platforms: PC [Windows], Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox Series S, X and One.

Coming from the developers of “The Town of Light”, Martha is Dead promises to be a gut-wrenchingly emotional story, complete with many psychological horror twists. It also is the first indie game to launch using Italian as the default setting rather than English, a setting which helps to bring the player deeper into the story than ever before. 

The game takes place in 1944s Italy, in between tense and heavy conflict between Allied and German forces. A woman named Martha is found drowned in the middle of all the fighting. She leaves behind her twin sister Giulia to deal with the grief of her death and of the war in its entirety. As Giulia hunts through her grief, she uncovers the stories of war, folklore, and old memories that have brought her, her family, and now the player, to this very point.

TW/CW: Psychological Horror, Blood/Gore [Dismemberment], Self Harm, Minor Nudity
Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/515960/Martha_Is_Dead/ 

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RELEASE DATE TBA:

Atomic Heart

Platforms: PC [Windows], PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S

More secret facilities and faulty secret projects, sounds like an ongoing trend! 

Coming from the Russian developer Mundfish, the official description spins a tale of a facility where robotic and organic creations alike have come to life and fought back against their creators. You play as the Soviet Major P-3, tasked with infiltrating the base, destroying the consequences of this uprising, and keeping these secrets from the world for just a little longer.

With it’s gorgeous graphics, creature design, and eye-opening peek into the story, despite how little we know about this game so far, it’s sure to be a fan-favorite in a heartbeat.

TW/CW: General Mature Content, Frequent Violence/Gore

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/668580/Atomic_Heart/

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The Outlast Trials

Platforms: PC [Windows]

Another amazing production coming from Red Barrels and the Outlast series! The Outlast trials acts as a prequel to all of the previous Outlast games, this time as a multiplayer adventure. You and other players play as the human experiments of the Murkoff company, attempting to escape your fate while your morals, endurance, and sanity are all strained and put to the test. Working together, you have to avoid and fight against various other creatures and experiments the Murkoff company created, and hopefully make it out of the company’s twisted therapy “wonderland” alive. As the trailer says, we’re all in this together. 🙂

TW/CW: Frequent Violence/Gore/Blood, General Mature Content

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1304930/The_Outlast_Trials/ 

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KINGDOM of the DEAD

Platforms: PC [Windows]

Although it’s yet another fps horror game, this title is sure to impress. With it’s unique pen-and-ink art style, this game gives a creepy black and white picture of a twisted world that’s closer to home than expected.
You play as a professor turned Army General named Agent Chamberlin, a man who’s working with the government in order to defeat Death himself and his army of atrocities. You fight against countless old-school style bosses, creatures and explore remote locations along our very own US East Coast as you work to shut down the 8 gates of hell.
This game overall definitely seems like it’ll be an adventure to be had, and with 22+ bosses waiting for you to come and take them down, this game seems like it’ll become a LetsPlayer’s dream.

TW/CW: Violence against Non-Human Characters, Partial Dismemberment/Blood

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1547380/KINGDOM_of_the_DEAD/ 

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Deathground

Platforms: PC [Windows]

Jurassic Park enjoyers rejoice! Everyone loves dinosaurs, so who wouldn’t love running for your life from them too? 

Deathground promises to be a fun multi and single player title, with loads of stealth-heavy gameplay, weapons and items [which can be made through crafting], and reactive AI dinosaurs, programmed to actually hunt down the player with unpredictable movements rather than a set system of attacks. 

In multiplayer mode, you and your team are practically forced to work as a tight knit team to survive various attacks and challenges. In solo challenges, you work and fight alone against these monstrous beasts and hope for the best.

Judging by the trailer so far and the images that have been released, the graphics and gameplay for this game are going to be phenomenal. Maybe even a fun go-to game for streamers to play with fans and friends!

TW/CW: Frequent Violence/Gore, General Mature Content

Check it out here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1200770/Deathground/