Halloween is here and Steam knows exactly what gamers want. The fourth annual Scream Fest launched on October 27, 2025, bringing massive discounts on horror games, creepy indies, and anything else that captures spooky vibes. The sale runs for exactly one week until November 3 at 10 AM Pacific Time, giving players plenty of time to stock up on nightmares before the holiday passes. With discounts reaching up to 90% off and over 100 titles on sale, there’s never been a better time to fill your backlog with terror.
The Standout Deals
Steam’s top sellers during Scream Fest tell you everything about what’s worth grabbing. Mouthwashing, the devastating psychological horror game that PC Gamer called one of 2024’s best narratives period, is available for just $9.09. This isn’t your typical jump-scare horror. It’s a slow-burn descent into psychological torment that sticks with you long after the credits roll. For anyone who appreciates horror that gets under your skin through storytelling rather than cheap scares, this is essential.
The Outlast Trials, the co-op nightmare from Red Barrels, is slashed 70% down to just $12. This is the game that makes players physically nauseous from stress and fear, which is either the best or worst sales pitch depending on your tolerance for anxiety. Unlike the solo Outlast games, Trials lets you drag friends into the horror with you, which somehow makes the experience both more bearable and more terrifying at the same time.
Absolute Steal Prices
The Walking Dead Telltale Definitive Series is $4.99. Read that again. Five dollars for the complete definitive collection of one of gaming’s most emotionally devastating narrative experiences. This bundle includes all four seasons plus the Michonne mini-series, offering dozens of hours of zombie apocalypse storytelling that will absolutely wreck you emotionally. At this price, not buying it feels criminal.
Alan Wake, the original 2010 psychological thriller that kicked off Remedy’s obsession with moody writers fighting darkness, costs just $1.49. Its spin-off American Nightmare is even cheaper. Considering Alan Wake 2 won numerous Game of the Year awards in 2023 and the franchise is experiencing a renaissance, grabbing the original for less than a cup of coffee is a no-brainer. You’ll want to understand the lore before diving into the sequel anyway.
Classic Horror at Discount Prices
Alien Isolation is on sale, and if you somehow missed this 2014 masterpiece, now’s your chance. This game perfected the stalker horror formula where a single unkillable enemy hunts you through a space station. The xenomorph learns your tactics, adapts to your hiding spots, and creates anxiety like few other games can. Critics and players consistently rank it among the greatest horror games ever made, and it’s aged beautifully thanks to timeless art direction.
The entire Outlast series is discounted heavily. The original Outlast and its DLC Whistleblower remain genuinely terrifying experiences even a decade after release. Running through an abandoned asylum with nothing but a night-vision camera while inmates hunt you never stops being horrifying. These games pioneered the defenseless horror protagonist trend that’s become standard in the genre.
Not Just Horror
Scream Fest isn’t exclusively horror games. Steam includes titles with creepy or unsettling atmospheres that don’t necessarily fit strict horror definitions. Hollow Knight, the gorgeous Metroidvania set in a dying insect kingdom, is 50% off. Don’t Starve, the survival game where everything wants to kill you and madness is a constant threat, is 75% off. V Rising, the vampiric survival game that lets you build castles and terrorize villages, is half-price at $17.49.
The Quarry, Supermassive Games’ spiritual successor to Until Dawn, is marked down 85% until November 3. This interactive horror movie features an all-star cast including David Arquette and Justice Smith, with branching narratives where your choices determine who lives and dies. At this discount, it’s cheaper than watching a horror movie in theaters and lasts significantly longer.
Hidden Gems Worth Discovering
Crow Country is the personal recommendation from PC Gamer’s senior editor, and for good reason. This Resident Evil-inspired adventure game nails the aesthetic of original PlayStation horror while modernizing the gameplay for contemporary audiences. It evokes the simple pleasures of early survival horror, focusing on atmosphere, puzzle-solving, and resource management without overwhelming players with complexity. At $10 during the sale, it’s perfect for anyone nostalgic for PS1-era horror or curious what that style looks like with modern polish.
Inscryption is on sale for $8, and if you haven’t experienced this surreal horror card game, you’re missing one of the most innovative indie releases in years. Part roguelike deckbuilder, part escape room, part existential nightmare, Inscryption constantly subverts expectations and breaks its own rules in ways that feel earned rather than cheap. The less you know going in, the better, so just trust that $8 is a steal for this experience.
The Evil Within Series
Both The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2 are heavily discounted, which matters because many players missed these when they launched in 2014 and 2017 respectively. Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, these games blend survival horror with action in ways that divided critics but earned devoted cult followings. The sequel especially deserves more attention for its open-world approach to horror and surprisingly emotional story about a father searching for his daughter in a nightmare dimension.
Points Shop Halloween Items
As with most seasonal Steam events, the sale includes new Points Shop items for profile customization. Players can swap profile pictures for animated Nosferatu gifs, grab Halloween-themed borders and backgrounds, and deck out their Steam presence with spooky aesthetics. These cosmetics cost Steam Points earned through purchases, so the more you buy during Scream Fest, the more points you accumulate for additional customization options.
The Points Shop additions aren’t just Halloween generic either. Steam partnered with specific horror franchises to offer official animated avatars, profile effects, and chat stickers. If you’re a horror fanatic who wants your Steam profile to reflect that year-round, Scream Fest gives you the tools.
What Makes Scream Fest Work
This is the fourth annual Scream Fest after Steam rebranded its Halloween sales in 2022. The name change reflects how the event evolved beyond just discounting horror games. Now it celebrates the entire spooky season aesthetic, including dark fantasy, gothic adventures, and anything else that fits the Halloween mood. This broader approach means there’s something for everyone, even players who don’t typically enjoy pure horror.
The timing is perfect too. Launching October 27 gives players several days to browse deals before Halloween itself, then extends through the weekend after for anyone who spent the holiday doing other things. The one-week duration creates urgency without feeling rushed. You have time to research games, read reviews, and make informed purchasing decisions rather than panic-buying because a flash sale ends in two hours.
Compared to Other Sales
Steam runs multiple major sales throughout the year including the Summer Sale, Autumn Sale, and Winter Sale. Scream Fest is smaller in scope but more focused. Instead of discounting everything in Steam’s catalog, it curates a specific selection of horror and horror-adjacent titles. This focus makes browsing more manageable and helps lesser-known indie horror games get visibility they’d lose in a massive sale with thousands of discounted titles.
The discounts during Scream Fest often match or beat what the same games receive during larger sales. Walking Dead Telltale series for $5 and Alan Wake for $1.49 are historical low prices. Publishers know Halloween is when players actively seek horror games, so they’re motivated to offer aggressive discounts that might not appear during less thematically appropriate sales.
What’s Coming After Scream Fest
Once Scream Fest ends on November 3, Steam has more themed events scheduled before the year concludes. Animal Fest hits in November, focusing on games featuring animals or nature themes. Sports Fest arrives in December for sports simulation fans. Then the massive Steam Winter Sale 2025 launches, offering discounts across the entire catalog and marking the year’s final major sale event.
Valve has already published its complete sales schedule through May 2026, letting players plan purchases around specific events. This transparency helps gamers make informed decisions about when to buy versus when to wishlist and wait for better timing.
How to Maximize Your Scream Fest
Start by checking your wishlist. Steam highlights which wishlisted games are on sale during Scream Fest, making it easy to spot titles you’ve been tracking. The discount percentages appear directly on your wishlist, so you can immediately see which games hit your target price.
Browse by discount percentage if you’re bargain hunting. Steam lets you filter Scream Fest deals by percentage off, with options for 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% discounts. The deepest discounts often include older titles that still hold up wonderfully but might get overlooked because they’re not recent releases.
Read user reviews before purchasing. Steam’s review system is invaluable for filtering quality. Sort reviews by recent to see if games had problematic launches that were later fixed, or check overall reviews to gauge long-term player satisfaction. Don’t just look at the thumbs up percentage either. Read actual reviews to understand what players liked and didn’t like.
Take advantage of Steam’s refund policy. If you buy something during Scream Fest and realize it’s not for you, Steam offers full refunds on games played less than two hours and owned less than 14 days. This removes most of the risk from impulse purchases, though don’t abuse the system by buying games just to try them with plans to refund.
FAQs
When does Steam Scream Fest 2025 end?
The sale ends on November 3, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific Time, which is 1 PM Eastern Time, 6 PM Central European Time, and 10:30 PM India Standard Time. Make sure to complete purchases before the deadline.
Are these the best prices of the year?
Many Scream Fest discounts match historical lows, especially on horror games. However, some titles may receive similar or better discounts during the Steam Winter Sale in December. If something on your wishlist is deeply discounted now, it’s worth grabbing rather than gambling on future sales.
Do I need Steam Points to participate?
No, Steam Points are only required for cosmetic items in the Points Shop. All game discounts during Scream Fest are standard price reductions available to everyone. You earn points automatically by purchasing games during the sale.
Can I refund games bought during Scream Fest?
Yes, Steam’s standard refund policy applies. You can request refunds on games played less than two hours and owned less than 14 days, no questions asked. This policy remains active for Scream Fest purchases.
Are there demos available?
Yes, many horror games participating in Scream Fest offer free demos. Check individual store pages for the download demo button. Demos let you try games risk-free before committing to a purchase.
Will these games go on sale again soon?
Horror games may not see significant discounts again until Halloween 2026. If you’re interested in horror titles specifically, Scream Fest is your best opportunity until next year. Some games will appear in Winter Sale, but horror-specific curation won’t return until the next Scream Fest.
Do discounts stack with other promotions?
Generally no, Steam sale prices are the final price. However, if you have Steam Wallet funds from selling trading cards or items on the community market, those can be applied to sale purchases for additional savings.
What happened to the previous Scream Fests?
This is the fourth annual Scream Fest. The event started in 2022 as a rebrand of Steam’s generic Halloween sales, offering more focused curation and thematic presentation. Each year has seen the event grow in scope and participating titles.
Conclusion
Steam Scream Fest 4 delivers exactly what Halloween gaming should be – a curated selection of horror excellence at prices that make impulse buying dangerously tempting. Whether you’re hunting for modern psychological horror like Mouthwashing, classic survival experiences like Alien Isolation, or hidden gems like Crow Country, the sale offers something for every flavor of fear. The Walking Dead Telltale series at $5 alone justifies opening Steam, and that’s before you even consider the dozens of other discounted titles worth your attention. With one week to browse, research, and purchase, there’s plenty of time to build a horror backlog that’ll last well beyond Halloween. Just remember that November 3 deadline. Once Scream Fest ends, these deals vanish, and you’ll be kicking yourself for missing Alan Wake at $1.49 or The Outlast Trials at $12. Fire up Steam, check your wishlist, and prepare to spend Halloween season genuinely terrified in the best possible way. Your backlog might never recover, but your nightmares will thank you.