It isn’t Spooky Season without a few haunted houses to enjoy. They are a staple in the Spooky Season starter pack! For those who aren’t able to make it to one in real life, we have come up with a list of our favorite haunted house video games. So grab your favorite snacks and settle in with one of these spooky video games!
Don’t Die, Minerva!
Ready to explore a haunted house where the layout changes every time you enter? Then Don’t Die, Minerva! is for you! When 11-year old Minerva discovers a haunted house, she didn’t expect to find its only inhabitants to be ghosts. While some are helpful, like the butler and cook, others aren’t so nice. It seems like whenever Minerva enters a room all of the ghosts just start chasing after her. Luckily for her though, she has her trusty flashlight and backpack friend. The rogue-lite nature of the game makes it so that every time you start a new level the layout of the floor changes. You never know what lies behind the next door. The game is never overly spooky but definitely gets you into the mood to explore a haunted house or two.
Luigi’s Mansion
Friendly advice to all current and future homeowners: if you win a mansion in a contest you didn’t enter, do NOT enter that mansion. This unfortunate scenario is what befalls Luigi and his brother Mario in 2001’s Luigi’s Mansion. Shortly after arriving, the player learns that the mansion is supernatural in origin and only appeared a few nights ago. It’s up to Luigi to capture and contain the ghosts that haunt the sinister mansion.
The level design in Luigi’s Mansion employs a gloomier atmosphere than most Mario games. Rooms only brighten after all the ghosts have been stunned by Luigi’s flashlight and sucked up into the Poltergust 3000. When entering a darkened and haunted room, Luigi’s pleasant whistling changes to nervous humming. Luigi’s Mansion keeps things light and family-friendly with innovative puzzles and Luigi’s cute and humorous voice active. If you prefer your ghost stories to have more fun than fright, then this might be the paranormal adventure for you.
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Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion
One of my favorite video game haunted houses (and one that still scares me to this day) is the haunted Victorian mansion from HER Interactive’s Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion. As Nancy Drew, it’s up to YOU to uncover who or what is causing the calamity inside this Victorian home. Let me tell you, this haunted mansion has it all — ghosts, secret puzzles, a séance, dumbwaiters filled with mysterious clues and more! Additionally, the game features an eerie piano soundtrack that truly elevates the spookiness of the gameplay. You’ll even find yourself looking over your own shoulder while you play through this title! Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion terrified me as a kid and still gives me goosebumps to this day!
Do you have a favorite haunted house video game? Let us know in the comments below and on social media!
Additional Contributors: Emily Rose Jacobson and Tyler Boyce
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
