Six Spooky Games Who’s Appeal Will Extend Well Past Halloween

The App Store is loaded with Halloween-themed games. In fact, Apple even added this as a featured category, so we decided to share some of our favorite titles. A common problem with seasonal-themed games is that, while they are fun right around a particular Holiday, they quickly lose their allure once the special day has passed. Keeping that in mind, we selected titles that would not only get you in the Halloween Spirit, but that will also offer year-round appeal and entertainment. Our list spans all genres from memory matching, to a top-down racer, to a gorey dual-stick shooter. These games may be filled with creepy-crawlies, monsters and all the things that make Halloween great, but they offer entertaining core-gameplay that will keep you coming back to them all year long.

Flipn’ Monsters! is an entertaining memory card-matching game with phenomenal cartoon 1940s-creature feature style graphics. The game has two gameplay modes, Classic and Arcade. Classic mode is just what it sounds like, the traditional flip 2 cards, memory matching game that you’ve played since you were a kid. Arcade Mode adds a cool twist which makes the game more challenging, Face down cards will slide to fill in empty spaces when matches are made, further taxing your memory skills. Kids will especially love this game, but adults will find it challenging as well. Whichever mode you choose, Flipn’ Monsters! is a blast to play and a joy to look at.
 
 
 

Zombie Pizza’s gross-out toppings and frantic gameplay are sure to challenge any fan of time management games. You are in charge of a pizza kitchen (in desperate need of a visit from Gordon Ramsay) and you must quickly put together pizzas with eyeballs, hearts, bones, bugs, etc., then flick the pies to the zombies impatiently waiting on the other side of the door. Special orders, breakable jars of toppings and up to three active pizzas at a time will thoroughly test your ability to multitask. The game’s gross-out graphics are sure to please (or disgust) boys and ghouls of any age. Zombie Pizza’s already addictive gameplay is about to be enhanced soon with the additional of a Survival game mode. For less than a slice of ordinary pizza, you can pickup a whole Zombie Pizza chock full of creepy fun. A lite version is also now available.
 
 
 

Eyegore’s Eye Blast livens up the match 3 puzzle game genre by adding a new twist…subtle, well-integrated motion controls. Fire various color eyeballs from Eyegore’s cannon at the swinging, spinning mass of eyeball’s hanging in the center of the screen. Match 3 or more eyes of the same color and these eyes disappear. Clear all the eyeballs to move onto the next level. This is where the cool twist comes in, you can tilt your idevice back and forth to swing the hanging eyeballs in order to gain access to the exact location where you want to land your ball. Three difficulty settings for the main game, and 30 additional puzzle stages will offer hours of entertainment. Eye-catching graphics and off-the wall sounds and music add to the game’s spooky ambiance. Full AGON support offers achievements, online leaderboards, friends lists and Facebook and Twitter integration. Eyegore’s Eye Blast is exactly that…a blast to play!
 
 
 

It’s up to you to stop the movie monster onslaught in Origin 8’s madly addicting tower defense game, MonsterKill. Wave after wave of Mummies, Wolfmen, Frankensteins and Draculas will come racing toward, hell-bent on breaking through your protective barrier. Depending on the stage, this can be anything from a chain-link fence to a brick wall. Using a variety of simple finger gestures, you cast spells and banish the Monsters back to the fires of Hell that they came from. Slice them, firebomb them or even electrocute them. Between stages you have the opportunity to reinforce your defenses, increase the power of your existing spells or purchase new spells. MonsterKill has fantastic, fun graphics and sound (who knew that Mummies bleed)! Normal, Endless and Onslaught modes, coupled with OpenFeint integration and captivating, addictive gameplay gives MonsterKill a huge amount of replay value. A lite version is also available, but once you try it, you’ll definitely want the full thing!
 
 
 

Horror Racing is a madly fun top-down racer that combines the gameplay of Super Off Road, the cast of the Munsters, some heavy artillery and just a smidge of Mad Max. Select your creepy driver and his/her/its correspondingly-themed vehicle from a collection of monstrous creatures and contraptions. Race your car around the eerie graveyard like tracks, steering with one thumb, while blasting apart other racers with your arsenal of weapons including machine guns, rocket launchers and mines. As you race along, you can pick up more ammo, health packs and some sweet power-ups. Win races to earn money, and upgrade your vehicles’ power, weapons and armor. Horror Racing’s eerie graphics, prestigious Championship Series and battle-focused Skirmish game modes and off-the wall power-ups offer players lots of variety and replay-ability. Currently on sale for $0.99, you should definitely pick this one up, or at least try the lite version.
 
 
 

Mow down hordes of attacking Zombies with 16 different types of weapons in the blood-soaked dual-joystick shooter Alive 4-ever. This game is definitely not for the feint of heart and is quite possibly the goriest game we’ve played on the platform to date. Select one of four characters, purchase your desired weapons and you are off and running (literally). The ground will quickly turn crimson as you spin and shoot your way through the mobs of brain-hungry zombies. Alive 4-ever’s dual-virtual joysticks work smoothly and flawlessly. The game’s darker-toned graphics and massive amounts of gore definitely mean that this one is not for the kiddies. As you survive wave after wave of zombies, you’ll earn gold, which can be used to purchase weapon upgrades. Currently Alive 4-ever offers both single-player and multiplayer (via bluetooth) action. There are two game modes, Horde and Survival, and a local-wifi multiplayer mode is currently in the works for the game’s next release, which should add even more fun. There is just something really satisfying about taking out a crap ton of zombies!