Top 15 Non-Scary Games Perfect for the Spooky Season

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - October 7th 2025, 23:55 GMT+2

Cropped Strange Antiquities — Strange Antiquities (2025)

Step into Undermere with *Strange Antiquities* and you’ll feel like you’ve walked into the world’s quirkiest occult gift shop. As the newly appointed apprentice thaumaturge, your day is spent identifying bizarre objects (yes, including that eyeball-in-a-box), dealing with mysterious customers, and quietly wondering what Jupiter (the cat) is plotting. The atmosphere is cozy, candlelit, and delightfully ominous – never full-blown horror but always enough shadows to keep you curious. The puzzles are intelligent but forgiving, letting you savor each revelation rather than panic over missing a clue. And even when you leave the shop for errands, rumors and small mysteries creep in to draw you deeper into the town’s lore. It’s the perfect “spooky season warm blanket” of a game, with charm, intrigue, and a sprinkling of the uncanny. | © Iceberg Interactive

Echo Generation (2024)

You know how a group of kids in a small town accidentally stumbling on supernatural conspiracies is basically a time-tested trope? *Echo Generation* leans into it with gusto. You’ll guide a motley crew across Maple Town, chasing spectral oddities, battling fuzzy monsters with turn-based flair, and recruiting adorable pet sidekicks along the way. The art is voxel-retro, the writing often winks at you (“Yes, I know this feels like *that* show”), and the soundtrack leans into synthy nostalgia. Combat is sprinkled with mini-games so you’re never just mashing buttons, and mysteries unfold steadily so you always feel like you’re peeling one more layer. It’s spooky in the best “just enough darkness to feel thrills” way, not “jump scares in your face.” | © Cococucumber

Beacon Pines (2022)

Imagine reading a fairy-tale book, but you also get to *influence* the narrative – that tugging between reader and protagonist is exactly what *Beacon Pines* gives you. You play Luka, who with friends Rolo and Beck, begins to unspool the strange secrets of his hometown. The twist: you unlock words called “Charms” that let you change critical turning points in the story. Choices matter, but you’ll rarely feel punished for experimentation. The aesthetic is storybook-cute but with a shadow lurking just out of frame: conversations, hidden memories, and minor mysteries murmur in the background. It’s introspective rather than scary, and ideal when you want something that feels seasonal without making you reach for the lights. | © Fellow Traveller

Cult of the Lamb (2022)

Don’t let the adorable art fool you – *Cult of the Lamb* mixes saccharine with sacrificial in the best possible way. You wake up as a lamb resurrected by a mysterious deity, tasked with building and managing your own cult. You’ll venture into roguelike dungeons, vanquish heretics, recruit disciples, and perform rituals (don’t worry – they’re more “cute occult” than “ordeal by torture”). The base-building element gives you room to breathe and scheme, while the combat and exploration push your reflexes. It’s playful, dark-humored, and absolutely magnetic: you’ll spend as much time designing your little cult settlement as you will fighting monsters. It’s spooky season candy – tasty, slightly unsettling, and strangely addictive. | © Devolver Digital

Lost in Random (2021)

Ever wondered what it would be like if a Tim Burton sketchbook came to life and asked you to roll dice for your fate? *Lost in Random* tosses you into the kingdom of Random, where every citizen’s destiny is dictated by a single dice roll. You play as Even, on a mission to rescue her sister Odd (yes, the naming conventions are part of the charm), with your sentient dice companion Dicey at your side. Combat is a creative mash-up of card building, real-time action, and dice rolling – strategic but always a little chaotic, just like the world itself. The art direction is dripping with gothic whimsy, making it feel perfect for fall without ever dipping into genuine horror. It’s spooky seasoning rather than spooky stew, and it’s delicious. | © Electronic Arts

Cozy Grove (2021)

If Animal Crossing wandered into a haunted campground, you’d get something close to *Cozy Grove*. You arrive as a Spirit Scout and quickly discover that your new island neighbors are a collection of friendly but restless ghost bears. By helping them with daily quests – finding keepsakes, decorating spaces, or cooking – you slowly bring color and life back to the island. It’s designed to be played in short sessions, rewarding patience and steady progress rather than binge-hours. The hand-drawn art style is charmingly warm, even when the bears share bittersweet backstories. It’s not about scares at all – it’s about community, care, and the slow magic of mending broken memories. Think of it as a cup of pumpkin spice tea in game form. | © Spry Fox

Penko Park (2020)

When you fire up *Penko Park*, you might think “Wait – is this Pokémon Snap, but haunted?” And that’s kind of the cheeky promise the game delivers. You ride through an abandoned wildlife park on rails, snapping photos of eerily cute critters and unlocking upgrades like the Penko Grappling Hand or GhostCam Mode. The park is full of hidden paths, secrets, and creatures with personality – some shy, some mischievous, all memorable. Even though the playthrough is relatively short (4–6 hours or so), the pacing and reward structure make it feel rich and satisfying, especially if you're a completionist. The visual style teeters between “cute” and “slightly haunted,” maintaining that delicate balance so it never becomes full horror. It’s a perfect pick for nights when you want a gentle chill in your spine, not a full scare. | © Ghostbutter

Pumpkin Jack (2020)

This one wears its Halloween spirit on its sleeve – literally, because you’re a mischievous pumpkin-headed trickster brought back to life. *Pumpkin Jack* feels like a love letter to early-2000s action platformers, complete with cartoony environments, puzzle segments, and cheeky humor. You’ll slash enemies, ride minecarts, solve riddles, and even pop your head off to crawl through small spaces. The levels brim with classic spooky-season aesthetics – graveyards, scarecrows, eerie castles – but it’s all delivered with Saturday-morning energy rather than nightmare fuel. It’s lighthearted, nostalgic, and tailor-made for players who miss the days when games didn’t take themselves too seriously. Perfect October weekend fodder. | © Headup Games

Cropped Medi Evil 2019 — MediEvil (2019)

Sir Daniel Fortesque isn’t your typical knight – mostly because he’s dead, missing an eye, and comically clumsy with a sword. *MediEvil’s* PS4 remake resurrects the cult classic with shiny new visuals while keeping its wobbly, tongue-in-cheek soul intact. You wander through haunted graveyards, cursed villages, and skeletal battlefields, hacking away at zombies and demons while solving light puzzles. The humor is delightfully British, and the gothic art direction feels like a Halloween costume trunk tipped over and spilled across the screen. It’s silly, spooky, and surprisingly heartfelt, reminding us that not all undead heroes have to be grim and gritty. Sometimes, bumbling charm is more fun. | © Sony Interactive Entertainment

Luigis Mansion 3 — Luigi’s Mansion 3 (2019)

If you’ve ever been the “scaredy-cat sibling,” Luigi is your guy – and *Luigi’s Mansion* 3 turns that into a lovable superpower. Luigi, armed with his trusty Poltergust vacuum, must rescue his friends from the Last Resort Hotel, which just so happens to be infested with ghouls and mischievous ghosts. The hotel is a delight to explore, each floor themed differently – think movie studios, magic theaters, Egyptian tombs – all packed with puzzles and secrets. Gooigi, Luigi’s goo-based doppelgänger, adds clever co-op opportunities (and plenty of slapstick comedy). The ghosts are more pranksters than terrors, making the game ideal spooky-season material for all ages. It’s playful fright, never real fright, wrapped up in Nintendo polish. | © Nintendo

Monster Prom 4 Monster Con — Monster Prom 1 - 4 (2018-)

High school is terrifying enough, but imagine trying to land a date to prom when your classmates are literal monsters. *Monster Prom* turns that nightmare into a delightful dating sim packed with sharp humor, pop-culture gags, and branching dialogue trees that beg to be replayed. You choose from a cast of quirky love interests – a flirty demon, a dramatic ghost, a social media-obsessed vampire – and navigate absurd situations with a mix of wit and charm. The multiplayer option is especially fun, as you and your friends compete (or sabotage each other) to win your crush’s heart. The art style is bold and colorful, keeping the mood campy rather than creepy. It’s snarky, chaotic, and hilarious – the kind of game where failure is just as fun as success. | © Beautiful Glitch

Flipping Death (2018)

When Penny dies under mysterious circumstances, she suddenly finds herself filling in for the Grim Reaper – and that’s the wonderfully odd premise of *Flipping Death*. Half puzzle-platformer, half possession-comedy, the game has you hopping between the world of the living and the dead, borrowing bodies to solve wacky problems. The dialogue is packed with tongue-in-cheek writing, leaning more toward Saturday morning cartoon humor than macabre horror. Its quirky art direction, reminiscent of papercraft cutouts, makes the whole adventure feel like a handmade stop-motion special. Every solved puzzle brings a grin rather than a chill, making it one of the most approachable “spooky-but-silly” games out there. It’s the afterlife, but fun-sized. | © Zoink Games

Night in the Woods (2017)

There’s something undeniably haunting about coming back to your hometown and realizing it’s not quite the place you left behind. *Night in the Woods* captures that feeling beautifully, blending small-town mystery with heartfelt character drama. You play Mae, a college dropout who returns to Possum Springs and reunites with her old friends, only to find the town hiding secrets that stretch beyond the mundane. The writing is sharp, funny, and sometimes heavy, balancing quirky humor with poignant themes of change, identity, and mental health. The autumnal setting, complete with fall leaves and sleepy streets, makes it feel tailor-made for October evenings. It’s not a horror game – it’s a bittersweet ghost story without the ghosts. | © Infinite Fall

Costume Quest 2 (2014)

Few games lean into Halloween as wholeheartedly as *Costume Quest 2*. You play as trick-or-treating siblings who must once again save the world using the magical powers of – you guessed it – costumes. Each outfit transforms you into a larger-than-life battle form: a pharaoh, a wizard, even a giant candy corn. The turn-based combat is silly fun, and the neighborhoods you explore are packed with playful Halloween spirit. There’s also a sly streak of humor running through it, poking fun at both suburban traditions and RPG tropes. It’s light, festive, and the perfect way to channel the childlike joy of the season without a hint of terror. | © Double Fine Productions

Haunt the House Terrortown — Haunt the House: Terrortown (2014)

Sometimes, it’s fun to flip the script and be the ghost. In *Haunt the House: Terrortown*, you slip into the role of a mischievous specter who spooks townsfolk by possessing objects – picture a rocking chair suddenly creaking, or a chandelier swinging wildly. Your goal isn’t to terrify players, but to spread playful panic and watch the goofy reactions unfold. The side-scrolling art style is colorful and cartoonish, keeping things lighthearted even as townspeople shriek and scatter. Each area – from a theater to a cruise ship – offers new props and creative ways to haunt. It’s more mischievous trickster than terrifying phantom, and it nails that balance perfectly. | © SFB Games

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Not everyone wants jump scares, creepy monsters, or heart-pounding horror during Halloween. Sometimes the best way to enjoy spooky season is with games that embrace the atmosphere – pumpkins, ghosts, autumn vibes – without the sleepless nights. From cozy adventures in haunted towns to whimsical mysteries with a supernatural twist, there are plenty of options that feel festive without being frightening. This list rounds up 15 non-scary games that are perfect for October gaming nights, whether you’re in the mood for something charming, funny, or just a little eerie. So light a candle, grab your favorite fall snack, and let’s dive into some seasonal fun without the nightmare fuel.