Many of you know me as the Community Manager for Gen Con. And I am back once again to share a few of my favorite spooky season pop culture recommendations.
From games and books to movies and TV shows, there’s something for everyone on the list to activate chills and thrills! Please check trigger warnings for these suggestions (mainly books, movies, and TV shows).
Board Games
The Night Cage, I have not played many games where I actually got a little freaked out. If you’re a fan of The Backrooms or any sort of lost maze-like content, this is the game for you! In The Night Cage, you wake up in a dark room with only a candle and your fear. Working together, you’ll explore the maze, but your candle only lights up the area right next to you. And be careful! Because there are Wax Eaters waiting in the dark. Will your candle run out before you escape?
Bonus points if you play The Night Cage in the dark with minimal lighting.
Horrified is a lighter co-op game for monster lovers. In Horrified, you play as townspeople who are working to rid the town of classic monsters. In the original Horrified, you battle against Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Each monster is unique and requires different strategies to beat. Will you save the town!?
Books
Spooky season is my favorite time to catch up on any creepy books I haven’t read or that are new! These three books are some of my favorites that I’ve read so far this season.
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin is a classic. I’ve seen the movie many times, but haven’t set down to actually read the book. And I can’t believe it took me this long to do so! The book is so incredible. It mixes the spooky incidents with the underlying commentary about women’s healthcare. The book has also made the movie even more fun to watch.
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer was a book that made me have to take breaks between reading. Major trigger warning for this one if you suffer from any sort of OCD. Imagine getting a job: house-sitting in the middle of the woods for three days, with the one rule being to “follow the rites”. You have to make sure the lights are on or off during certain times. You’re told not to open the doors to strangers at night. And you can’t go off the path in the woods. If you fail any of these tasks, you might bring an end to humanity as we know it. Or maybe it’s all in your head?
This book made staying home alone a little spooky. If you’ve read The Cabin at the End of the World or watched The Watchers, this book is right up your alley!
Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman, this book is having a moment right now! For those not in the know, this is the book that the new movie Other Mommy is based on (don’t get me started on this movie). I will say it takes a moment to get used to the way this book is written. But once you’re in, I enjoyed it. And there were even moments where I audibly said “EW GROSS!” to the point that my partner came running into the other room.
Written from the perspective of an eight-year-old. You learn all about this creepy figure called “Other Mommy,” who has been asking the eight-year-old if she can go inside her heart. Talk about creepy! What’s really interesting is the kid’s perspective, while the adults around her either don’t believe her or think she’s playing a game (until they finally do). I would skip the movie and read the book for this one!
TV Shows
I am a sucker for spooky TV shows, especially around Halloween. Make sure to check trigger warnings before diving into either of these shows!
As an avid Stephen King fan and collector, I’m surprised that this will be my first point to discuss his work in both of these blogs! And both of these shows are great for different reasons.
IT scared the pants off of me. I read the book and watched the original movie way too early in my developmental process. It definitely contributes to my fear of clowns/masks. With the absence of Stranger Things in my life, I turned to Welcome to Derry (available on HBO). I love that these prequel shows are becoming more of a thing. Now, if you don’t like IT at all, don’t watch this. There’s no “happy family moves to Derry” vibe here; we start swinging from the opening scene. And there’s a second season coming.
Not only is Carrie (available on Amazon Prime) a new adaptation of Stephen King’s book. But it’s also directed by the great Mike Flanagan! That’s right, I’m a Flanahead (someone tell me what our name is). If you loved the book and the original movie. Then I want you to go into this new miniseries with an open mind and heart. It’s been updated to the current times, and it feels just a little different. But the bones of Carrie are there! Though I have a few minor gripes with the miniseries, I think it was a great watch overall. I love Mike Flanagan’s casting and the introduction of a few other Stephen King book characters or societies. Now go give it a watch!
Movies
Finally, movies! I could go on and on about horror movies. But I picked two you can stream that really leave you sitting in your feelings.
The Long Walk (available on HBO) is an adaptation of a Richard Bachman, aka Stephen King. This movie came out in 2025, and I feel like it didn’t get the hype it deserved. Is it a hard watch? Absolutely. I went from being completely grossed out to crying within the same time frame. The Long Walk is set in a dystopian 1970s where 50 boys must compete in a televised walking competition. The catch is that you can’t stop walking, and you can’t dip below 3 mph. It feels like a grittier version of Hunger Games.
Uh oh! She’s here to talk about another Mike Flanagan flick. That’s right! Last but certainly not least on this list is Oculus. This was my first introduction to Mike Flanagan, and for that I am so grateful. Oculus follows siblings as they confront an antique mirror they believe caused their family’s destruction. Talk about a movie where you’re not sure what to believe. This also feels like a commentary on leaving a toxic family. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a lighter scary movie. And a fun fact, the Lasser Glass (the name of the mirror) shows up in many of the other Flanagan flicks.
What is your go-to Halloween activity? Share your Halloween plans on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
Cover art illustration by Tinnel Lovitt.