Best Nintendo Switch Halloween games 2023

(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / iMore)

Far before the first leaf falls each autumn, I'm already counting down the days to Halloween. When the haunting day arrives, I love nothing more than to curl up on the couch clutching my controller and eating candy. Whether you're looking for something to play by yourself or for a spooky game to play with friends, here are the best Nintendo Switch games to celebrate All Hallows Eve this year. We've listed them from kid-friendly to terrifying.

Luigi's Mansion 3

For lighthearted spooks, you really can't go wrong with Luigi's Mansion 3. It stars our favorite cowardly plumber and his gooey doppelganger as they capture ghosts in a haunted hotel. Mario, Peach, and some Toads have all gotten captured, and it's up to Luigi to save his lost friends.

Each floor has its own haunted theme, like spooky castle or pirates to shake up gameplay. Plus, this game even has multiplayer games for up to eight players. Once you unlock Gooigi, you and a friend can play through the main story in 2-player co-op mode. It's a great fit for players of all ages and skill levels. If you're hosting a spooky party, this is not only one of the best Halloween Switch games to have but one of the best Nintendo Switch games to have.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

It might seem strange to have Animal Crossing on this list, but the game highlights real-world holidays and brings them to your virtual island. During October, you can collect spooky furniture and decorate your island.

Then on Halloween, you can go trick or treating and can even meet a pumpkin-headed ghost named Jack. Since the game allows you to visit other people's islands or invite people to yours, it can really be a party whether your friends are close by or far away.

Hello Neighbor

Nothing's creepier than suburbia, especially when your neighbor is out to get you. This family-friendly game has you working to outwit an AI who learns tactics and evolves his strategies based on your actions. You'll employ stealth and interact with your environment to get away safely.

Hello Neighbor Hide and Seek

This prequel to the original title has you trying to complete goals while playing hide and seek with your in-game brother. You'll need to move stealthily and collect items, all the while being hunted down. If you get caught, you'll lose everything you've acquired and have to start all over again. It's a fun stealth horror game for teens.

Pumpkin Jack

Take on the role of the mythical Pumpkin Jack as you platform your way through various levels to annihilate Good and perform the devil's work. Along the way, you'll solve puzzles, explore new locations, fight enemies, and find animal companions to battle at your side. This spooky game is rated Teen due to some language and fantasy violence.

Night in the Woods

This isn't a horror game, per se, but you'll find plenty of dark elements throughout the story. An essential part of the plot even takes place on Halloween, so that ties it in nicely. Don't let those cute animal designs fool you; this game is oddly realistic, hilarious, sarcastic, and more relatable than most other games out there.

Mae is a college dropout with a dark past. She returns home to her depressing hometown to rekindle the friendships she left behind. During the process, she'll make choices while hanging out with her friends that will impact the story's outcome. See where your decisions lead you.

Inside

You play as a little boy who's just escaped capture and is being hunted by the thing that you escaped from. To get away, you'll need to solve puzzles and dive deeper into the story. With its minimalist design, dark imagery, and ominous music, this game is a great single-player for Halloween.

Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition

You play as a little boy trying to figure out what's happened to your mother. Your only companion is your stuffed teddy bear as you wander around your dark house or the forest outside. This game has a lot of symbolic references and employs psychological tactics to try and scare you.

Little Nightmares: Complete Edition

What could be creepier than being stuck in an oversized dollhouse? Oh, I know, being forced to find your way out before any of the monstrous residents can get a hold of you. This is a delightfully chilling puzzle platformer that will put you in scenarios that you could only find in your worse dreams. It's perfect for Halloween.

Little Nightmares 2

Little Nightmares 2 is a direct sequel to the previous game and follows a young boy named Mono and the girl in the raincoat named Six as they investigate a strange hum coming from a tower. Several creepy enemies are lurking in the dark, along with references to classic horror movies. See if you can solve the puzzles, beat the bosses, and unravel the mystery.

LIMBO

This creepy masterpiece employs ominous music and simple silhouettes to invoke fear and uncertainty. You play as a little boy who's chosen to enter LIMBO to find out what happened to his sister. You'll solve puzzles and escape evil creatures on your journey. It's not the scariest game out there, but it does a great job making you feel uneasy as you play.

Layers of Fear

A painter has succumbed to madness, and it's up to you to investigate and figure out his past. You'll encounter supernatural entities, psychedelic sequences, and psychological symbolism. As you navigate, your environment can change simply by shifting the camera. You never know what you might find in the room with you.

Dark Souls: Remastered

Dark Souls Switch — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Looking for a single-player game to meet your horror needs? Dark Souls is an RPG that has you wandering around a cursed fantasy world, exploring dungeons, fighting menacing foes, and discovering hidden passageways. If you do want to play with others, you can play with up to six people online.

Vampyr

This action RPG has you playing as Jonathan E. Reid, a doctor from 1918 who just got turned into a vampire. Your insatiable need for blood forces you to stalk and kill innocent victims around London. You'll engage in combat and have the opportunity to improve your abilities in the skill tree.

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Death Mark - a girl with a monstrous face — (Image credit: Experience Inc.)

This is a visual novel where you play as a young man cursed by an evil spirit. The deranged being will eat your memories and kill you unless you can solve its puzzles and pacify its thirst for revenge. There's a mystery to solve, dreadful curses to come across, and alternate endings depending on your choices.

Remothered: Broken Porcelain

Jen is sent to work as a maid at Ashmann Inn after getting expelled from the Flemington Girls' Institute. Shortly after arriving, she discovers something isn't quite right here. You'll spend the majority of the game stealthily evading a creepy figure who wants to do you harm and searching rooms for useful items.

Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight lets up to five players play together in the ultimate multiplayer horror game. One takes the role of the killer while the rest works together to survive. Or, you can depend on your skills to pull through the night. It's one of the best Halloween Switch games, especially if you're hosting a party.

Friday the 13th: The Game Ultimate Slasher Edition

Play with up to seven others as one of you takes on the role of Jason Voorhees and attempts to take the rest of you all out. This special edition includes all previously released DLC. As you play, you'll unlock additional playable characters or versions of the infamous killer. See if you can survive the night.

Deadly Premonition Origins

A young woman has been murdered by the Raincoat Killer in a rural American town, and it's up to FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan to investigate. You'll spend your time encountering supernatural enemies, gathering evidence, chasing down perpetrators, and escaping murderers in this open-world horror game.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise

If you loved the first game's experience, then you really ought to check out this sequel/prequel. Agent York is back, this time tracking down details of a brand new murder in New Orleans. You'll again need to survive encounters with supernatural entities as you deduce what happened to the victim.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

Hikami Mountain has long been a supernatural place where people die and a supernatural force presides. You play as three different protagonists who go to this creepy place in order to investigate the hostile specters that haunt it. To defeat these ghosts, you'll use your Camera Obscura to pacify them and lay them to rest. Get ready for jump scares and horrifying moments.

Resident Evil Triple Pack

There are several Resident Evil games on Switch, but this collection is a bargain as it comes with Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6. The first of which, is considered one of the best games in the series. You can even play local or online multiplayer with Resident Evil 5 and 6. Each has you fighting creepy foes and blasting your way to safety, making it one of the best Halloween Switch games of the season.

The best Halloween Switch games

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Halloween is the best time of year—there's candy, you get to dress up, and there are no obligations to see family. There's no better way to get into the Halloween spirit than by playing your favorite video games. We've gathered up a range of spookers, from child-friendly games to terrifying horrors. That way, you can find the right amount of scariness for you or your loved one.

The game I recommend most is Luigi's Mansion 3. This is a great game for all ages as it has you running around a haunted hotel that pays homage to several different spooky themes. You can play on your own or pass a Joy-Con to a friend for two-player co-op. If you have more people coming over, choose from one of the many multiplayer party games. Eight people can play together, either locally or online.

Looking for something a little more creepy? You should consider playing Little Nightmares: Complete Edition. You play as a child named Six who has been sucked into the Maw, a horrifying vessel controlled by evil creatures. To escape, you need to solve puzzles and avoid getting caught. It's like something out of a Grimm brothers' nightmare.

If you want something downright horrifying, you'll want to get your hands on Resident Evil Triple Pack. It's not only a collection of classics but the best bang for your buck as it gives you three Resident Evil games to play through.

Updated October 2022: Added Fatal Frame and updated page to new format.

Gaming aficionado Rebecca Spear is iMore's dedicated gaming editor with a focus on Nintendo Switch and iOS gaming. You’ll never catch her without her Switch or her iPad Air handy. If you’ve got a question about Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, or just about any other Nintendo series check out her guides to help you out. Rebecca has written thousands of articles in the last six years including hundreds of extensive gaming guides, previews, and reviews for both Switch and Apple Arcade. She also loves checking out new gaming accessories like iPhone controllers and has her ear to the ground when it comes to covering the next big trend.