Well, folks, it’s that time of the year again. Halloween approacheth and, as is tradition around these parts, I like to fire up a couple of old-school video games to get myself into the right spiderweb-infested mindset. Put on your nostalgia goggles, lock all entrances into the house, grab a dozen or so chocolate bars and candles, and settle in for another collection of titles ranging from unintentional comedy gold, to mildly creepy, to delightfully disturbing nightmare fuel. Where possible, I’ve also mentioned what storefronts sell the game being discussed – so you, too, can pick up a copy (usually reasonably priced, as well) and try it out.



5. Clock Tower (1995/Super Famicom)



Heavily influenced by Italian filmmaker Dario Argento’s Phenomena (1985), Clock Tower tells the story of orphan Jennifer Simpson as she is adopted and whisked away to the intimidating Barrows family mansion – alongside three of her friends (who also happen to be orphans). Obviously, things go horribly wrong fairly quickly once the group arrives at their new residence, and its up to Jennifer to find an escape route and unearth the secrets of the building’s past, while avoiding death at the hands of the world’s most aptly named killer – Scissorman (weapon of choice: cartoonishly oversized pair of scissors).

Originally developed and published by Human Entertainment in 1995 for the Super Famicom before making the leap to PlayStation and PC two years later, this notable early entry in the field of survival horror gaming has never been officially released outside of Japan – with the only real way of experiencing the title in English being via fan-made translations. If you’re a fan of point-and-click games or looking for an old-school experience with exceptional atmosphere, multiple endings, and genuinely anxiety-inducing music, check this one out if you can. Or pick up the enhanced Rewind release, featuring optional bonus content, original gameplay mode, and updated visuals (also, not exclusive to Japan!).

4. D (1995/3DO)



From the mind of Kenji Eno, D is one of those games you don’t easily forget after experiencing it for the first time - and it arrived on its launch platform, the 3DO, as the system found itself inching closer and closer to the end of its lifespan (around the tail-end of 1996). Richter Harris, director of a hospital in Los Angeles, has apparently lost his mind and murdered several people in the facility. After locking himself away somewhere within the building, his daughter (and playable protagonist) Laura, sets out to get to the bottom of what triggered this horrific event.

This is easier said than done, of course, as the hospital seemingly transforms into a castle upon her arrival. Alternating between cinematic camera movements and a first-person viewpoint, as seen through Laura’s eyes, D basks in all its mid-90s FMV glory – dripping with great B-movie horror ambience, fully rendered in 3D instead of using real-life actors on digital backdrops, and packed with fantastically stiff animations (great for its time, though) that only adds to the constant sense of unease present throughout the title. Modern audiences might struggle to get through this one, unfortunately, considering its more on-rails approach to gameplay, slow pacing, and dated visuals – if the total absence of any save functionality or a two-hour time limit weren’t enough of a potential deterrent. If these quirks aren’t total deal-breakers for you, however, a copy can be easily obtained from GOG or Steam for next to nothing. Highly recommended.

3. Night Trap (1992/Sega CD)



Oh look, another FMV game from the ‘90s! If you’ve come across any title on this list before, there’s a good chance it was Night Trap. So full of late ‘80s cheese (which was when the footage was actually recorded) it hurts, and subject of incredible amounts of controversy around the time of its release, Night Trap was a much bigger deal than you might imagine.

A 1993 United States Senate hearing on violence in gaming shone a negative spotlight on the title (alongside Mortal Kombat, which is not even in the same league when it comes to violent content), ultimately resulting in the creation of the American ratings body still in use to this day – the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB. Who knew watching a slumber party through surveillance cameras and activating over-the-top traps to ward off the world’s least threatening vampires was so scandalous? Absolutely impossible to take seriously, Night Trap is always a good time if you’re looking for a laugh and a reminder of how much the gaming industry has changed over time. A copy is extremely easy to get your hands on, as well, thanks to the 2017 Screaming Villains 25th Anniversary release across almost every available system.

2. Dark Seed (1992/MS-DOS/Amiga)



Waking up with a gigantic headache is no joke. Just ask Dark Seed’s main character, Mike Dawson, and he’ll tell you all about it – including the nightmares he experienced leading up to said migraine, wherein an alien device seemingly impregnated his head with an organism of some sort. Unfortunately for Mr. Dawson, this fantasy turns out to be far from fiction - and the second his little brain baby hatches, all life as we know it comes to an end.

Jumping back and forth between our reality and the “dark world” (comprised of artwork by H.R. Giger) inhabited by the aliens (known as the Ancients), conveniently accessed via a large mirror in his living room, Dawson must locate and destroy the Ancients’ energy source before time runs out (three hours in real time). If you’re looking to save yourself a heaping helping of confusion and frustration, I highly advise playing through this one with a guide of some sort, mostly due to how easy it is to end up in softlock country. If you can get your hands on a copy, go for the Amiga CD32 version. The added voice acting is too hilarious to miss out on.

1. GARAGE: Bad Dream Adventure (1999/Mac OS/PC)



Kinotrope’s GARAGE: Bad Dream Adventure is an experience that’ll either hook you in right from the start, or you’ll absolutely loathe and shut off after ten minutes of playtime. For those out there who’ve already discovered this relatively obscure gem and taken the plunge, you know exactly what I’m talking about here. Packed with unnerving character designs incorporating both organic and mechanical elements, disturbing imagery, and an overall bizarre approach to art direction, this point-and-click descent into madness takes place within the universe inside the titular “Garage” device.

Our protagonist, Yan, must find a way to reconnect with his “shadow” (likely a representation of some aspect of the self) and escape – all the while keeping an eye on his two vital resources - Fuel and Ego. I’d love to go into more detail here concerning the story of GARAGE, but this is definitely a game that needs to be seen first-hand to fully grasp. Thankfully, a digital copy is easy to grab these days, with a remastered release featuring additional content making its way to Android and iOS devices at the end of 2021, followed up by a Steam port the next year. Like Clock Tower, a fan-made English patch was the only way to really enjoy this title for non-Japanese audiences prior to these releases.

Bonus tip: for a first-time playthrough, I suggest dragging a friend along for the ride – providing them with as little context or background info as possible beforehand. Oh, the conversations you’ll have. The things you’ll never be able to unsee.