*Ave Maria Plays*: The Horror Game Awards Halloween Showcase 2025 Impressions
Echograph by Pappy’s Pipe Dream
For Tactical Reload regulars (we need to think of a fandom name for you guys), I’m choosing to handle the coverage of yesterday’s event just a little bit differently. I’ll still dedicate a brief paragraph or two about the “big stuff,” but stay tuned until the end for a more quick and superficial glance at a dozen other projects. This is a side effect of an absolutely massive 2.5 hour presentation featuring 100+ titles (most of which look fantastic). I care about this stuff, the slices of weird made by a single dev, and I’m hoping you will too. They deserve the added word count.
With that out of the way, here is what I’m most excited about from the Horror Game Awards Halloween Showcase 2025.
Echograph
After the preshow, the organizers chose to start the event with a bang. I can’t freaking wait to play Echograph. Think Fatal Frame if it had haunted the original PlayStation. It pairs an isometric perspective (admittedly, not my favorite, but I actually think it gives the world a charming diorama quality) with first person ghost photography.
This trailer had me sprinting to Keymailer to see if I could manifest a review copy.
The Dark Delivers
The Dark Delivers appears to be a FNAF-like–perform a mundane job until dawn while managing your stress.
And let me tell ya, it’s super effective! Because this footage of playing red light, green light with whatever is in the shadows while working through the package checklist wore me out (in a good way).
Vampire Huntress - Lament of the Sun
Vampire Huntress is an action horror title ripped from the PS2 era with genuinely lovely character design and 3D models. The whole project bleeds sex and gothic atmosphere. The shadows that the lantern throws are a really nice touch.
If by any chance the solo dev of this game is reading this, I’d love to interview you (obviously, that invitation applies to the devs of all the projects I’m covering in this article–you’re making cool stuff and I want to know about it)! I’ve literally been meaning to reach out for months…
Liminal Point
I was impressed by Liminal Point when I discovered it during the “E3” maelstrom. These clips dive into the narrative a bit more. I’m ready to see if it plays as good as it looks.
BioCrisis: Return 2 the Lab
Flashing lights warning!
Light gun/rail shooters feel almost extinct at this point (VR excluded). There’s something enchanting about seeing one here–even more enchanting that it seems to be inspired by House of the Dead (or, if the name is any indication, Time Crisis and Biohazard). Video games are awesome.
I’m hoping, if we choose to play with a mouse instead of a light gun, we have the option to turn the strobes down.
Death in Abyss
Imagine Star Fox in the uncharted ocean–battling horrors so deep below the surface no hope or light can penetrate the black void that surrounds you. Part of me feels like I’ll be very bad at this–but I still want to give it a shot. There’s just something about that ticker telling me to kill kill kill at the bottom of the screen.
There is a demo available now.
Shark Dentist
I’ve been steadily getting Shark Dentist ads on Twitter since its reveal and initial buzz. It doesn’t feel like a real project and the lack of gameplay here didn’t do much to convince me otherwise.
BUT
The concept is original enough that my overactive imagination quiets my cynicism. I also have a difficult time saying no to anything with sharks or dinosaurs–more on this in a little bit.
Maybe throw some eye protection on before grinding those polyps off? Just a thought.
Forbidden Solitaire
I feel like the title says it all…
…but just in case you need a little more convincing, Forbidden Solitaire seems to be the perfect cocktail of Balatro, Inscryption, and 90s CD ROM FMV.
Do you love the cutscenes from early Tekken and Blood Omen? Then cut the deck, this is for you.
Fear Fa 98
I’ve been following Fear Fa since the beginning of the year and this trailer has the most footage I’ve seen from it, so far. What exactly is going on here–beyond the whole playing soccer with decapitated heads thing, of course. I can’t wait to see how it all fits together.
When it drops, will it have the best soundtrack of 2025–a year that has been packed with amazing soundtracks? I wouldn’t count it out (even if it doesn’t win the Game Award for it–I feel like Clair Obscur has that race locked up–but the real sickos will know).
Ground Zero
Another project molded in the image of PlayStation survival horror.
Another project I’ll talk about every time I get the chance.
AND it has a Next Fest demo coming soon!
Athanasia
Athanasia is a Greek word that means “immortality.”
System Shock with dinosaurs–need I say more?
Flesh Made Fear
I’m not sure how I feel about using the same clip more than once in a short trailer, but the combat coupled with the sheer amount of zombies on display here is pretty enticing.
Flesh Made Fear will be available on Halloween.
And, as I teased above, here are some honorable mentions that have either already been released or I’ve written about recently (or repeatedly).
-Tormented Souls 2, a modern take on the classic survival horror formula and sequel to the excellent original, will release on October 23rd.
-If it’s not obvious at this point in the article, I’ll go to (vampire) bat for basically anything that employs an old school Resident Evil/Silent Hill vibe and Phase Zero continues to look like one of the best additions to this subgenre. The camera angle of the protagonist shimmying past the window only to have it coated with blood and buckshot fills me with joy every time I see it.
-Eclipsium, the hand game, is out now and is closing in on 1000 Steam reviews (it currently sits at Very Positive).
-Swery and Suda’s Hotel Barcelona is out now.
-We Harvest Shadows is a melancholic allegory about building up a farm and contemplating how to spend the time you have left. I feel like I’ve seen this exact trailer before, but something about watching it yesterday spoke to me.
-Drowned Lake (or maybe Our Lady of the Drowned Lake?) is coming next year. I’ve always had a thing for taking a boat to different locations to embark on miniature adventures since I played Wind Waker; and while I don’t think THIS is THAT, it still feels like a pretty unique mechanic in the indie horror landscape. Worth noting that its Steam description lists it as a “fishing survival horror game”--and that makes me want it even more.
-Lurks Within Walls is a dungeon crawling, turn-based RPG with creature designs by Trevor “Siren Head” Henderson. The atmosphere already looks insane.
-Top Hat Studios recently had their own event during Tokyo Game Show, but all their newest trailers and announcements were here, as well. Rapid fire! Labyrinth of the Demon King is getting a NG+ update on October 27th. Rogue Mansion is also getting an update in October–they’re adding a German Shepherd to their demo. Rounding out their October trilogy, Silly Polly Beast will finally be out this month (though no specific date was given). Becrowned, another classic survival horror homage with heavy Silent Hill overtones, still looks incredible. Last but not least, The Backworld is an Earthbound inspired RPG packed to the brim with disturbing creatures and alternate dimensions.
There’s another horror themed showcase scheduled for October 23rd (presented by the MIX and DreadXP). It’ll be interesting to see how much crossover there is between that event and this one. Not that I would mind seeing new footage of all these games, I’m obviously enamored with this genre.
Thanks for reading! For now, I have a review to work on, emails to send, and a game jam to participate in.