Are you afraid of the dark? Honestly, I am a scaredy cat on the best of days, but Halloween makes me want to confront my fears every year and try to do something that scares me. This year, instead of confronting chain saw maniacs, entering into creepy woods in skimpy clothes, or pelting small children with hard candies....well, I will still do that, I want to have an all night scare gaming session with some of my personal favorites.

With that being said, dear gamers, cover your heads, turn off the lights, and grab your controllers. Also, don't worry about the scratchy, creepy noises you hear. This is simply your mind going insane. Read after the break to see my personal list of creepy crawly video games in no particular order.

Resident Evil - Yes, this is an old game, but this game terrified me when I first played it. The zombie dogs still terrify me when I'm not paying too much attention. For the three peopole that haven't played this game, you are a member of an the Special Tactics and Rescue Service and you have to investigate a series of murders. Through this you end up being chased into an abandoned mansion crawling with creatures infected with the T-virus. Yes, the game has horror clichés. Howeve, it is a classic and I love it even though it scares me witless.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Imagine you are alone in the dark, you can barely remember who you are, something evil is chasing you, and the only way to protect yourself is to run away. That is what Amnesia: The Dark Descent is like. However, there is a major hang up in the gameplay: prolonged exposure to the dark drives you insane and turns you into a sniveling child that waits to die on the floor by the creature chasing you...fun times. I also love the fact that you can't defend yourself with a weapon; you just have to duck and run all the while trying to keep your sanity. This game left me crying and rocking back and forth...

Left 4 Dead 2 - I had to include this for no other reason than this game is your ideal zombie shooter. The reason why I am including this is the gore factor and the OMGZOMBIERIGHTTHERE factor. While I am terrified of the impeding zombie apocalypse, I feel playing this game somewht prepares me. You see zombies coming from all angles and you ahve to thing quickly in Left 4 Dead 2 or die. I also love the co-op in this game. Hopefully, I can convince someone else to joing me in my crazy all night games of horror.

System Shock 2 - Imagine Portal with an even more insane Glados and space zombies. This is the TL;DR version of System Shock 2.  However, it is a lot scarier than this description. When I played this game, I alternated between jumping out of my sking and gluing myself to the TV because the story is so intriguing. I particularly recommend this to the science fiction fan who also likes horror.

Silent Hill 2 - For thosee that know me well, I am terrifed of the Silent Hill nurses. Particularly, the Bubble headed nurses found in this game. This is the first time we see the over sexualized version of the nurses that haunt my dreams. There are so many aspects of ths game that are creepy and mess with you head. The music, the setting, and all the scary characters for the Halloween all nighter.

Fatal Frame - Again this is another game where you have no real weapons while you are trapped in an abandon place crawling iwth spirits. Well, technically your "weapon" is your camera that drains spirits, but I would rather have a ghostbuster with me than a camera. I love this game for its scrazy ambience and gameplay. The music is creepy, the cut scenes are also very creepy, and the ghosts popping in and out of places are truly terrifying.

Univited - Ok, not going to lie about this game. This a poing and click puzzle game, not a horror survival game. It is a very interesting game to me and I happen to love and break it out occassional. My only justification is that Uninvited is very appropriate for the season. You, as the protagonist, in a a haunted house searching for your lost sister after you myseriously black out. Again I had to add it because it's fun scary and a nice break from all the usual gore, insanity, and all-consuming fear.

F.E.A.R. - It starts out as a shooter and turns into OMGWTFBBQ. Alma, the main hostly horror, is the reason for hallucinations and other paranormal activities that affect you as a main character. There is something about creepy little girls with no faces that really frighten me. When there is a monster that is huge and scary, I may be terrified, but i feel like I could possibly beat him. I never feel that way with a little girl who can freaking destroy entire squads. I always feel like she has more power in her little pinky than most monsters do in their entire bodies.

Condemned: Criminal Origins - This game is another psychological one that gets underneath your skin. Condemned throws you into the life of a forensics cop who is framed for a double cop murder. You are then trapped in a condemned part of the city where street thugs and killers are going crazy and trying to cave your skull in. On top of all of the wanted criminals that seem to find you, you have deal with your own insanity. I am creeped out by this game becaus it is dark and has so many murders...ugh, it just plays on my fears of being tortured. Oh, and the monsters don't help matters.

Dead Space - This game also basically to me means zombies in space, but that doesn't do the game any justice. First, mass hysteria from an ancient alien relic causes people to kill each other. Then, other organisms infect the corpses to make them living undead. It's all downhill from there. Hallucinantions, Necromorphs, and a stranger marker that causes pain and destruction are all in this game. The way that I screamed during this game, I am sure what I could be heard in space...especially when I was dragged into a bit by tentacles.

Honestly, I know that I am missing so many other spooky games that would make this Halloween gaming session more awesome. Frankly, I only have so much time to play these games before the sunlight comes up. But, as alwasy, if I am missing some that are awesome or obscure, like the games in arcades like The House of Blood, Indigo Prophecy, or Alone in the Dark, let me know so we can prep for next year's gaming session. Now, excuse me, I need to turn on all my lights in my house and find a sturdy pipe before I head bunker down for the night.