Darkest Dungeon

The gloom of fall is fully setting in, and it’s now October so what better way to celebrate the time than grabbing Darkest Dungeon? Easily the most terrifying and nerve-wracking entry on this list, Darkest Dungeon combines turn-based RPG mechanics with intense dungeon crawls, resource management, and takes ailment statuses and debuffs to the next level. In it, you have to assemble a party of various typical classes—this time cast in roles that adhere more closely to a dark medieval fantasy—and plumb the depths of several dungeons beneath a gothic manor. These dungeons contain the stuff of nightmares, including eldritch horrors, and your party must slaughter them or be slaughtered. It all takes place in gnarly, hand-drawn, turn-based combat where tactical positioning and timing is key, your team needing to endure the terror as best as they can without breaking.

If a party member’s sanity (which can be tracked) cracks in the face of these abominations, their resolve is challenged, prompting them to come back either stronger than ever, or worse off, and the matter is more or less decided by a behind-the-scenes die roll. In the meantime, you can manage the party as best you can by ensuring that they rest properly both in and out of dungeon crawls, are well fed, and crucially, are always in well-lit spaces. Nothing terrifies folks more than the dark, and the creepy crawlies that go stumbling in it. Darkest Dungeon is a wonderful twist on turn-based RPGs and there’s even a full sequel out right now, but why not jump into the first game for just $3.74 or even pick it up along with all of its DLC for just about $10 on Steam?