by Jayce Ham

Halloween is my favorite time of year. I have always loved creating and wearing the best costume, marathoning Halloween TV episodes, and enjoying the chilly fall weather with a nice cup of coffee in a Halloween-themed mug. So, in honor of the Halloween season, we are taking a pause from the news and instead are discussing my favorite horror games that have been released in the last few years.

Resident Evil is my favorite horror video game series of all time. And this year, finally, after years of remakes, we got an original Resident Evil game: Resident Evil Village. While not quite as scary as the previous Resident Evil game, Village still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat with fear and dread. Lady Dimitrescu, a nine-foot tall attractive vampire lady, took the internet by storm when she first showed up in the trailers for the game. And I will admit, she was the best part of the game; the hype they gave her character was well deserved. The game just got more horrifying from there. The playable character, Ethan, is insufferable, but the amazing survival horror aspects and atmosphere makes up for it. If you’re looking for a great survival experience, I highly recommend Resident Evil Village.

House of Ashes, the most recent game in the Dark Pictures Anthology series, was released October 22, and it was by far the best game in the anthology series. The past two have had disappointing endings, but this one just kept getting better and better as the hours went by. I was scared, on the edge of my seat, and entertained thoroughly from start to finish. While I did not feel particularly attached to any of the characters, that did not matter because trying to keep them alive through all of the horrors was a lot of fun.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, an extended version of the Doki Doki Literature Club, was released on consoles and PC in June. I never played the original game, just watched let’s plays, but I was excited to give it a try myself, finally. I was not disappointed. The game starts off as a cute dating sim but quickly turns horrifying. The game scares you in the most subtle and creepy ways and then hits you with a lot of horrifying and gruesome surprises along the way. The wild ride the game takes you on is unforgettable.

This last year, while a little slow in regards to game releases, has featured several horror games that will forever live in my memory.

Jayce Ham is 28 years old and an ongoing contributor. With a love of all things nerdy, he is right at home covering entertainment.