Five terrifying horror video games to play this Halloween

Staying in this Halloween could be the scariest thing you do - especially if you play some of the games we've listed below.

We've picked out some of the most terrifying offerings to freak you out, and yet still have you coming back for more.

So, turn down the lights, grab some popcorn and invite some friends over. You definitely won't want to be alone...

1) The Walking Dead: Season 1 (2012)

Platform: PC / Xbox One / PS4 / iOS / Android / Xbox 360 / PS3

Scare factor: Medium / High

The Walking Dead: Season 1 is an absolute classic - and you can currently pick it up FREE on Xbox One's Games with Gold.

Season 1 sees you play as Lee Everett, a convicted killer who stumbles across a little girl called Clementine during a zombie apocalypse. Together, they set out to find her parents who have gone missing. You'll visit farms, run-down pharmacies, abandoned motels... the sheer variety of locations keeps everything feeling incredibly fresh and, crucially, stops you from getting used to your environment.

As a result, the shock factor is pretty high, but it's the choices you have to make that are most haunting. Few games forge such a strong connection between the characters and the player. You'll be thrown back in your seat one minute, and shedding tears the next. Third-person adventure gaming at its best.

2) Alien: Isolation (2014)

Platform: PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Xbox 360 / PS3

Scare factor: High

In space no one can hear you scream... But in your living room it's very different. After the shooting gallery that was Aliens: Colonial Marines, fans yearned for an Alien game that captured the sense of complete terror and vulnerability that made the original film a cult classic.

Isolation delivers exactly that - pulse-pounding moments that stay with you long after the closing credits roll. You play as Amanda Ripley, Ellen Ripley's daughter, who is sent to investigate the Sevastopol space station - only to find the crew torn to shreds and an Alien running around the corridors.

The best thing about the game is that there's not much shooting. Fire a pistol and it will cause the monster to come after you. As a result, you'll spend a majority of the game hiding in cupboards, under tables and in the shadows. The Alien is arguably not as scary as a host of demonic androids called Working Joes - who will chase after you menacingly if you're spotted.

Incredibly scary stuff, best played with the lights off.

3) Until Dawn (2015)

Platform: PS4

Scare factor: High

One of the most terrifying games of 2015, Until Dawn harks back to the now infamous teen-slasher movies of the Nineties. You play as various members of a group of friends who travel to a creepy house up a snow-covered Blackwood mountain. But it's not long before they start getting taken out by a mysterious force and a pair of masked weirdos.

Gameplay is minimal and is a mixture of quick-time events and clicking items of interest. And, just like in The Walking Dead, you have to make tough choices that impact the fate of your characters.

The shock factor is incredibly high - thanks to some brilliant misdirection and inspired camera work. There are slight issues with the framerate - with the FPS dropping to sub 25FPS when there are multiple characters on screen. This can pull away from the experience, and raises the issue about why developer Supermassive Games didn't opt for a framerate lock.

Nonetheless, it's built on the acclaimed Killzone: Shadowfall engine, so remains somewhat of a technical marvel.

4) The Evil Within (2014)

Platform: PC / PS4 / Xbox One / Xbox 360 / PS3

Scare factor: Medium / High

The latest from horror mastermind and Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami, is a work of art. This third-person horror adventure sees you play as Sebastian Castellanos, sent to investigate an old mental asylum only to be greeted by a host of nightmarish beings.