Here are some of the most terrifying and dark role-playing games on PC and console
Every year, I never miss my recap spotlighting some of the darkest, bleakest turn-based RPGs to get into the Halloween spirit.
Halloween is almost here, and that means it’s time to get scary! Horror games are fun year-round, but the end of October is always the best time for them; it gets darker earlier, you might see some fog outside your window, and the atmosphere is just perfect.
As for me, I’ll be busy with my girls for a super spooky night of trick-or-treating, but for you, I have some turn-based horror games to frighten this Halloween. Try some of these!
Look Outside
- Developer: Francis Coulombe
- Release Date: 21 March 2025
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
Look Outside is a creepy, otherworldly solo project that’s enjoyed an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam since its release this spring. In this survival RPG, you’re stuck inside your sprawling apartment building, and anyone who looks out the window is transformed into a terrifying monster. Many of your neighbors have already transformed, and things will only get more chaotic as the night goes on.
Look Outside usually sells for $9.99, but it’s 30% off on Steam until 3 November, making it a perfect Halloween selection on a budget. You can also get it bundled with some other horror games, including recent indie breakout No, I’m Not A Human.
Darkest Dungeon 2
- Developer: Red Hook Studios
- Release Date: 8 May 2023
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
- Steam Page
The sequel to smash indie hit Darkest Dungeon is a very different game from its predecessor, and well worth playing on its own merits. DD2‘s slimmed, streamlined adventure offers plenty of challenge and the same dark, unsettling aesthetic that made the original a standout among horror RPGs.
Darkest Dungeon 2 has a few DLCs under its belt now, making it a tempting pick for new or returning players. It’s half off on Steam until 3 November, letting you get it for just $19.99, or you can get it bundled together with all the DLC for $35.55.
Dreamed Away
- Developer: Nicolas Petton
- Release Date: 30 March 2023
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
- Steam Page
With its Earthbound-like appearance and colorful palette, you might not think at first glance that Dreamed Away is a horror title, but as you make your way through its dreamlike world you’ll discover just how dark it can be. When Theo wakes up to find his family has vanished, he searches the deep and hidden places of the world – and his new reality – to find them.
Dreamed Away‘s minigame combat is somewhat evocative of Undertale, so if you’re a fan of that indie classic, this one could be your next favorite. There’s a free demo available, and Dreamed Away is 15% off on Steam until 6 November, down to $16.414 from its usual $18.99.
Dead Season
- Developer: Snail Bite
- Release Date: 8 October 2024
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
Imagine Left 4 Dead as an XCOM-style strategy RPG, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect in Dead Season. In this turn-based tactical challenge, you’ll guide a randomized group of four survivors in their search for safety while the shambling hordes of the dead lurk around every corner. The zombies are attracted by noise, so you’ll have to consider whether it’s worth firing a shot or risking a car alarm.
You can give Dead Season a try with the free demo, and if you think you’ve got what it takes to survive the zombie apocalypse, the full game is 40% off until 3 November. That means you can get this $19.99 title for just $11.99 if you act fast.
Redemption Reapers
- Developer: Adglobe
- Release Date: 22 February 2023
- Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch
- Steam Page
If you’re looking for some dark fantasy aesthetics while you carve a bloody path through the undead, Redemption Reapers offers plenty of SRPG gameplay to see you through Halloween and beyond. You’ll lead a small mercenary band against the unending legions of the Mort, a menace that has toppled kingdoms and brought the world to ruin.
Redemption Reapers isn’t currently on sale, but at just $24.99 it’s pretty reasonably priced for a game that should run you a good 40-50 hours.
The Necromancer’s Tale
- Developer: Psychic Software
- Release Date: 17 July 2025
- Platforms: Windows, Mac
- Steam Page
The Necromancer’s Tale is an immersive, story-driven RPG that puts you in the shoes of an occult practitioner in 18th-century Europe.
There’s intrigue galore between the game’s 180+ NPCs, and that’s before you add in your own schemes. Necromancy grants you power over life and death, but you’ll have to practice your art in secret if you want to survive.
If you’re looking for a dark RPG to really sink your teeth into, The Necromancer’s Tale goes for $24.99 on Steam and is 15% off until 3 November. It’s also available bundled with Colony Ship if you’re looking for potentially hundreds of combined hours of CRPG exploration and gameplay.
Deck Of Haunts
- Developer: Mantis
- Release Date: 7 May 2025
- Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
- Steam Page
Deck of Haunts adds a roguelite deckbuilding twist to the classic gameplay of Dungeon Keeper and Evil Genius. Using your available cards of rooms, traps, and creatures, you’ll lure hapless victims into your haunted house, reveling in their screams before finishing them off for good.
Deck of Haunts is 30% off until 3 November, bringing it from $19.99 down to $13.99. If you want to go all-in on haunted houses for Halloween, you can also get it bundled with The Horror At Highrook. Speaking of which…
The Horror At Highrook
- Developer: Nullpointer Games
- Release Date: 1 May, 2025
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
The Horror At Highrook feels like a board game but has a narrative as deep and twisting as any RPG. By planning your moves and crafting your cards to unravel the secrets of the mansion, you’ll be able to protect the family within from the occult terrors that haunt the halls… or not. It’s a very unique game and well worth a look.
You can try the free demo, or get straight to the haunting while The Horror At Highrook is on sale. Normally $19.99, the game is 30% off until 3 November.
Hard West 2
- Developer: Ice Code Games
- Release Date: 4 August 2022
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
Hard West 2 brings undead horrors and occult mysteries to the Wild West, challenging your band of gunslingers and desperadoes to contend not just with outlaws and bandits, but with hungry spirits and the Devil himself.
The game’s high-risk, high-reward tactical gameplay challenges you to pull off trick shots and go for big combos, but you could leave yourself open for a counterattack if things go wrong.
Hard West 2 is a solid Western adventure. It usually goes for $29.99, but it’s 70% off until 3 November, letting you saddle up for just $8.99.
Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken
- Developer: scriptwelder
- Release Date: 21 August 2025
- Platforms: Windows, Switch
- Steam Page
You don’t need to have played previous Deep Sleep games to enjoy the standalone spinoff Labyrinth of the Forsaken, and playing it is a great way to get into the series.
As Amy, you’ll follow the journals of your dead brother Thomas into a dark and surreal world. Unlike many point-and-click adventures, Labyrinth of the Forsaken has a Skill Tree that can influence outcomes, so the ending you get might come down to what you’ve learned just as much as what you’ve discovered.
You can try the demo for free, or get the full game for 15% off its normal price of $19.99 if you buy it before 3 November. Labyrinth of the Forsaken is also available bundled with the Deep Sleep Trilogy or the entire scriptwelder collection, both of which are very reasonably priced as well.
The Thaumaturge
- Developer: Fool’s Theory
- Release Date: 4 March 2024
- Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
- Steam Page
If you missed out on The Thaumaturge when it launched last year, now is a great time to try it out. This story-rich RPG immerses you in Eastern European folklore, pitting you against spirits and demons in a city at the turn of the twentieth century.
Like any good CRPG, it has plenty of choices to test your character’s morality, and its demonic monsters are a perfect fit for Halloween.
Not only is The Thaumaturge currently 50% off on Steam, but its sale is also longer than a lot of the other games on this list. Normally $34.99, you can get it for just $17.49 until 8 November, or pick up the Deluxe Edition for $22.65.
Inkshade
- Developer: Studio Vezelle
- Release Date: 14 August 2025
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
Inkshade feels a bit like if Inscryption was a board game, and we’re here for it. On each run, you’re challenged to a board game with intricate wooden miniatures by a strange creature cloaked in darkness.
By manipulating the board, changing your collection of pieces, and exploring, you’ll unravel the mystery of the game and its strange overseer.
Inkshade is a compelling treat for horror and strategy fans alike, and you can get it for 15% off its normal price of $19.99 if you buy it on Steam before 3 November.
Persona Series
- Developer: ATLUS
- Release Date: 2 February 2024 (Most recent)
- Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2
- Steam Page
The Persona series is one of the most beloved JRPG franchises in the world, and it’s actually a spinoff of the much darker Shin Megami Tensei series. Both involve teenagers summoning demons, and Persona‘s stylish, high-energy style makes it very different from the usual doom-and-gloom fare.
Persona 5 Royal is always a great pick for newcomers to the series, and the recent remake of the third entry, Persona 3 Reload, is a fantastic glow-up for a PS2 classic.
World of Horror
- Developer: panstasz
- Release Date: 19 Oct, 2023
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Android
- Steam Page
Japanese horror is some of the creepiest you’ll ever find, and few games nail the genre’s unsettling aesthetic and tropes like solo project World of Horror.
Styled after the old Apple II games of yesteryear, this roguelike will have you investigating the strange goings-on of a seaside Japanese town, banishing ghosts and trying to survive with your health and sanity intact.
Whether you love urban legends and folklore, or are just looking for a good scare, World of Horror is a perfect Halloween playthrough. It’s 25% off on Steam until 3 November, letting you get it for just $14.99. It’s also bundled with No, I’m Not A Human, letting you get some of the biggest indie horror hits from the last few years all in one go.
Frail Hearts: Versicorae Domlion
- Developer: Sezhes
- Release Date: 16 August 2022
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
If you like the black-and-white aesthetic of World of Horror, then Frail Hearts could be a great game to play alongside it.
As a team of four flawed protagonists, you’ll battle the horrifying creatures threatening to tear reality apart. Strategy is key, as you’ll never fight the same monster twice; you can’t rely on memorized tactics, instead figuring out on the fly how each new foe should be taken down.
Frail Hearts is already a very affordable game, normally just $9.99, but as part of the Steam Scream sale it’s a whopping 80% off until 3 November. That means you can get it for just $1.99, a price that’s very hard to beat.
HellSlave
- Developer: Ars Goetia
- Release Date: 26 May 2022
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
In this dark and bloody RPG, it’s all about fighting fire with fire. To save himself and fight back against a demonic invasion, your character makes a pact with the Devil, gaining infernal powers at the cost of his soul. You’ll have to confront challenging turn-based bosses while using your new powers, without fully succumbing to the darkness.
Hellslave isn’t on sale at the moment, but $19.99 is hardly selling your soul for a game like this. Besides, a sequel has been announced for 2026, so now is a great time to brush up on your demon-slaying skills!
Inscryption
- Developer: Daniel Mullins Games
- Release Date: 19 October 2021
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
- Steam Page
This viral hit from 2021 needs no introduction. Chances are, you’ve seen it streamed, reviewed, and recommended, and with good reason. Inscryption is an escape room merged with a deckbuilder; even once you’ve solved the mystery and unearthed the game’s secrets, it’s worth playing again just for the card game.
Inscryption‘s creepy vibes are practically a Halloween gaming staple, and at 60% off its usual price of $19.99, you can get this modern classic on Steam for just $7.99 until 3 November. It’s also available bundled with Daniel Mullins’ other horror titles, Pony Island and The Hex, for the full spine-chilling experience.
Fear & Hunger
- Developer: Miro Haverinen
- Release Date: 11 December 2018
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Steam Page
This solo project blends the psychological horror of games like Silent Hill with the fantasy dungeon-crawling of JRPG classics like Lufia. The dungeons are randomized and the battles are relentless, so only attempt this one if you’re up for a challenge. Fear & Hunger also leans heavily into gore and adult themes, so it’s for mature audiences only.
If you don’t mind the game getting dark – really dark – Fear & Hunger is 40% off on Steam until 3 November. Considering it’s only $7.99 most of the time, that means you can get it for less than $5!
The Last Spell
- Developer: Ishtar Games
- Release Date: 9 March 2023
- Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch
- Steam Page
The Last Spell puts you in a desperate final stand against hundreds of monstrous undead abominations, with only a small squad of heroes to defend your town. With the right moves, you can take down dozens at a time, but it still might not be enough.
This is a game that will knock you down and demand that you come back to try again, all to a soaring metal soundtrack.
The Last Spell is 60% off until 7 November, letting you man the defences for just $9.99. However, you can also get the Dwarves of Runenberg and Elves of Amberwald DLCs as part of the Commander Edition, all bundled together, for $19.99. That’s $5 less than the standard cost of the base game, so it’s a great deal for the completionists out there.
Urban Strife
- Developer: White Pond Games
- Release Date: 10 Dec, 2024 (early access)
- Platforms: Windows
- Steam Page
Urban Strife is a hardcore survival RPG that drops you in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. You’ll have to recruit survivors, build your base, craft necessities, and of course fight the undead hordes in a living, open world. When it’s time to fight, realistic ballistics models determine how bullets fly, rather than die rolls.
It’s still in early access, but Urban Strife is a promising title. If you think you’d survive a zombie outbreak, this is your chance to prove it! Normally $34.99, the game is on sale for $27.99 until 3 November. You can also get it bundled with war story Forgotten But Unbroken for extra tactical turn-based action.
