We horror movie fanatics are a strange sort. When we’re not watching horror movies, we’re often thinking about them.
Walking along a dark street at night, we can’t help but see Michael Myers in the shadow of a street lamp, or peer a little deeper into a nearby drain just to check there aren’t a pair of yellow eyes staring back at us.
We’re like those people who put Tabasco on everything. Sure, a plate of meatloaf and broccoli is great by itself, but they just have to give it that extra spice.
The truth is, life is a little dull without a sprinkling of horror put on top of it. Even if it gives us the shivers and keeps us up at night, finding a way to instil horror movie-esque scenarios into our everyday life can help to spice up our routines and make everything just that little bit more interesting.
Playing Around With Horror
One of the reasons we like to imagine Michael Myers hiding near streetlamps or Pennywise the Clown lurking in drains is because we like to feel invigorated – we like the feeling that horror movies give us and we want to feel it more. And there’s no better way to feel invigorated than imagining yourself in the action.
Perhaps that’s why horror games are such a good concept. Once again, instead of choosing more mainstream games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or God of War, we horror movie fans can’t help but opt for horror-themed games – games like Alien: Isolation and Resident Evil that put the player inside the horror movie and urge them to fight their way out of it.
But while this is true for most horror movie nuts, it’s interesting to note that – according to a recent survey – only 8% of console gamers in the US play horror-genre games. If box office numbers are anything to go by, horror fans make up far more than just 8% of the US population, so where are all the others in this survey?
The iGaming Horror Revelation
In our opinion, these fans are out there, only they’re not playing console games. Over the last few years, the iGaming industry has cranked up a few notches, with the best online casinos offering a wide variety of casino games that cover a range of genres – including horror. According to another survey, around 10% of the US population plays online casinos, and of course, the more horror-inclined gamers are playing the horror-themed ones!
Some of the most popular online horror games include Halloween Horrors Megaways, Halloween Horrors, and Horror Hotel, each of which has hundreds of thousands of players enjoying the terrifying themes and the nerve-inducing gameplay every day.
While console games like Alien: Isolation have their own merits, it’s these slots where – we think – so many horror fans are getting their fix in 2024, as more and more gamers switch to mobiles over consoles and casino horror games over for console horror titles. And there’s another reason too – the games are actually great!
Halloween Horrors Megaways
Unlike other horror slots, Halloween Horrors Megaways takes the concept of horror and just goes all in. While playing the game, you can expect to see everything from mummies, witches, werewolves, the creature from Frankenstein – no, the monster isn’t called Frankenstein! – and multiple gravestones thrown in for good measure.
The graphics are great, and heavily gamified, which means it doesn’t feel too spooky, and because it’s a traditional slot machine running on a Megaways mechanic, the gameplay is simple. All you have to do is spin the reel and try to land matching symbols from left to right – the more matching symbols you land, the higher your payout is going to be. The specific reel setup ensures a varied number of playlines and around 117,649 ways to win.
Halloween Horrors
Halloween Horrors – at least in our opinion – is a little more of a creep-fest. Taking place in a dark, eerie graveyard, the player has to avoid treading on pumpkins and getting bitten by flying bats, while trying to make winning combinations to achieve the best payout. The gameplay is rather simple, with 5 reels and 25 payline slots, but there are still plenty of ways to win and attain free spins.
The game is also perfect for those looking for a quick dip into horror without getting too terrified. The ambient music is chilling and the threat of landing on the wrong kind of monster certainly adds tension, but it’s all in good taste and never goes overboard with its horror theme.
Horror Hotel
Have you ever booked into a hotel and thought it was a little too like the hotel from The Shining? Well, you’ll definitely feel that if you do some online horror gaming with Horror Hotel. Played on a 6×6 grid, Horror Hotel takes the basic slot formula and updates it with something a little more modern – and terrifying. To win, you need to match 5 of the same symbols, with the highest payout symbol being Count Dracula, who will provide 5,000x a stake.
Complete with free spins, wild symbols, mystery symbols, and different settings – you play both outside and inside the hotel – Horror Hotel goes the extra mile with innovative features that keep the game invigorating long after that first play. It also has an RTP of 96.17% and a maximum win of 20,000x your bet, so it’s fair to say it has the whole package.
Comparison and Analysis
With RTPs ranging around 91% to 96%, all three of these games have proved popular for horror fans across the US and the world. Each one of them also offers something a little different. While Halloween Horror Megaways is simple and colourful, Halloween Horrors is a little more dark and creepy, while Horror Hotel offers gameplay that’s more intricate and unique.
In the same way that you wouldn’t say The Shining and The Exorcist are similar movies, there’s nothing identical about these slots – they each have their own flavour and their own challenge, which is just what you want if you’re hoping to stay invested when flicking between games.
As a basic USP, however, these are games for all the horror lovers out there. As we mentioned before, it’s always better when you can find a way to spice up the every day with horror, and these slots ensure that your casino experience is extraordinary instead of just ordinary!
Conclusion
With new horror movies coming out every year – and some actually good ones released recently! – the horror genre is clearly in no way near dying out. In 2024, there are likely to be more horror fans than ever before, and so many ways for them to scratch that itch outside of the movie theatre.
When it comes to games, of course, the titles mentioned above are not the only horror-themed slots out there. If you want to play more horror games online rather than on your console, then explore the featured slots we’ve talked about here and broaden your horizons to others. The beauty of the current iGaming scene is that there’s variety, which means there will be at least one horror-themed slot that ticks all the boxes for you. All you have to do is find them!