Gadgetory

the video game industry is all too good at cranking out violent games just put in a gun some guts some aliens to shoot and call it a day but this Halloween if you want some games that will have you pausing and looking over your shoulder every few minutes you've come to the right place I'm Donnell Bell and in this top five we're counting down these spookiest games of the past year ranked by cnet resident gaming guru Jeff Bakalar starting things off at number five state of decay here's an open-world zombie survival game that feels like a playable episode of the walking dead TV series so I from the inherent spookiness of zombies popping out from behind every corner it's the human touch that draws you in when you're not smashing in the skulls of the undead you're making alliances and fortifying your shelter hoarding medicine or just cruising along in a car enjoying the quiet almost too quiet coming in at number four metro last light five minutes with this game and the idea of mowing down zombies in the state of decay will feel as adorable as feeding rainbows too baby pandas the game is dark those psychologically and literally you're shooting your way through a post-apocalyptic earth where survivors live in underground tunnels you've got the human struggle against famine and disease and Nazis and then there's the oh my god I just crap the couch struggle against monsters that jump out of the shadows if you enjoy a particularly bleak Eastern European quality to your nightmares this game is for you for something a little more scenic you can try number three dead space 3 you get to be terrified in outer space on an ice planet and then seemingly abandoned spaceships you get the geek out and build your own futuristic weapons from spare parts and best of all you get a whole new thing to be scared of Necromorphs part zombie part alien and in the weightlessness of space they can sneak up at you from any direction and while it's true that in space they can't hear you scream your neighbor will probably have to wear earplugs just to block out your high-pitched nerd squeals at number 2 resident evil revelations if space doesn't do it for you or underground tunnels how about a boat apparently that's where the bulk of this mutant monster shoot-'em-up is based a titanic like luxury cruise ship brimming over with ugly infected mutants who just love to pop out from behind those rusty boiler room doors when you least expect it along with the norovirus and motion sickness here's one more reason I will never set foot on a cruise ship all right and now the number-one spookiest game of the past year may surprise you at number one limbo this little black and white artsy indie game is like one sustained childhood nightmare now a lot of you will write this off the moment you see the cute little silhouette of the main character but it's a trick the bond you feel with this little guy makes it so much worse when you see them staked and drowned and decapitated and eviscerated set on fire shot with arrows and pulverize more than anything though this game is a great reminder that guns and gore are really just the cheap way out when it comes down to it with our reptile brains fear most are those hazy mysterious things that go bump in the night limbo taps that nerve so perfectly it will make your hair stand up so there you go five games that fully deliver on the promise of giving you the heebie-jeebies another big thanks to see NASA Jeff Bakalar for getting this list together for more top 5s head over to top 5 cnet com I'm Donald Bell thanks for watching you