If you've spent the past few days living under a rock, much like I have, you may have missed the fact that both Steam and GOG have begun their massive Halloween sales. There's plenty of spooky (and not-so-spooky) games at a rather steep discount, so if you're looking to stock up until the big Christmas sale, now would be the best time to do so!
Since I'm a couple of days late with this news, allow me to make it up to you by pointing you towards the best (and cheapest) games currently available. Not all of them will scare the ever-living daylight out of you, but they are all well worth playing! And with that said, here's the brief list:
• Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Steam / GOG) - when it comes to atmospheric horror games there are very few that can match Amnesia. There are almost no jump-scares or obvious horror cliches as the real terror resides in the human mind, and Amnesia exploits that for all its worth. So turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and try and survive for more than an hour without getting stressed out of your mind.
• Don't Starve (Steam) - Don't starve is not a horror game, not by any stretch, but it will still drive you to the brink of madness as you try to survive in an extremely hostile land. Food is scarce and starvation is a real issue, monsters and other abominations roam the lands, and if that wasn't terrifying enough there are also shadowy forces working in the background - all intent on feasting on your delicious fleshy bits. If you're interested in an exceptional survival/crafting game, Don't Starve is well worth the couple of dollars/euros.
• Dead Space (Steam* / GOG) - In theory Dead Space is a horror game, but given the fact that you run around slicing monsters with high-powered mining equipment I would say that the horror aspects are mostly pointless. This doesn't mean Dead Space is a bad game, however, as it features an excellent assortment of weaponry and a whole bunch of monsters you can use it against. It might not be scary, but tearing through Necromorphs one limb at a time is an immensely satisfying experience, and one that is well worth the rather low asking price.
• The Walking Dead: Season 1 (Steam) - While the TV show features some extremely stupid characters and plot developments, Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season 1 is an emotional journey that will leave you in tears... unless you're a heartless monster! If you're interested in a well written and voice acted story, one that's filled with unique and intriguing characters, then TWD: Season 1 is well worth the 5-6 hours it will take you to beat. I'm keeping my recommendation on this one intentionally ambiguous because I truly believe its best experienced with as little knowledge as possible, so trust me on this one and go find out why it has a 97% approval rating on Steam even after 27,000 reviews!
*Its cheaper on Steam
Naturally, there are other games to choose from as well, many of which are quite frankly outstanding, so make sure to head out there and see what tickles your fancy. Have fun!