As Halloween falls on a Friday this year, many Cougs are gearing up to take on the town.
Horror movies, bar crawls and costume parties are some of the ways to celebrate this season, but if you are anything like me, a cozy night playing spooky games is the perfect ending to October.
Based on personal favorites and recommendations from Pullman residents, here are some games to snack on candy to:
Digital card games have always been a part of my daily routine to keep my mind sharp. However, “Inscryption” is more than just a card game. As the player, you must battle eerie opponents with cards to escape. The game is split into three acts, each changing the rules of the cards and overall atmosphere. This unique story combines psychological horror with strategy, offering a thrilling narrative to the puzzles and amazing replayability.
While also one of my favorites, this game was recommended by WSU sophomore Will Louderback, who says it is perfectly cozy for the season.
“You’re Mae, a college sophomore dropout returning to your nowhere-town in the rustbelt. The game, initially a musing on the collapse of the American small town, turns into a thriller over the course of your stay,” said Louderback. “The entire art direction of the game constantly floods you with cozy fall scenery, and the tinge of creepiness throughout makes it an exceptional Halloween playthrough.”
With the recent release of “Little Nightmares 3”, what better way to prepare than playing through the first two games of this classic series? The animation of this game gives a Coraline-esque feel, excelling at making the player feel small among the creatures of “The Maw”. To help free the protagonist, players must put the creepy crawlies aside and focus on the difficult puzzles that litter the game’s world.
Pullman resident Lilith Harley is a lover of all things spooky. Her Steam Library is filled with indie horror games perfect for binging over the weekend.
“You play as a child who can’t remember anything, and have to convince your mom you are her child through the most unique mechanic. You combine words in your brain to form new ones, similar to games like Doodle God, and uncover more of the story for yourself,” said Harley. “Super fun to piece together, such a cool art style and an almost infinite amount of details to uncover and words to find. Very small dev, could really use the exposure to try to get a full version out.”
WSU junior Puff Kesler gravitates towards narratives that center around the psychological and offer vivid gameplay.
“It takes everything whimsical about the classic Alice in Wonderland and twists it into a dark, psychological, tragic story. It’s an action-adventure-horror game, and I love how personal it feels, with the horror being born from grief and survival,” said Kesler. “You follow Alice Liddell, as she tries to recover from the trauma of the death of her family in a fire. As a result of this trauma, her mind has created this corrupted, haunted version of Wonderland that reflects the pain she feels; it’s like playing through someone’s trauma experience in a horrific, beautiful way.”
Another recommendation from Harley, but with a cozier feel; this occult plant shop sim is best played wearing a witch’s hat.
“So cozy and pleasant to play. You definitely get immersed in the life of researching and discovering new plants, and the story is well written,” said Harley.“Multiple endings and choices definitely matter, making you feel very smart and like you suddenly want to open a plant shop of weird and poisonous plants.”
Before Mariah Carey thaws out for the upcoming winter, make sure you grab a controller and relish in the spooky video game season.
