October has arrived yet again, bringing a month where avid horror fans and Halloween enthusiasts can revel in the delightful chaos of everything spooky, strange, and downright unsettling! Some may choose to stock up on candy or go all out coming up with the perfect costume, but my Halloween traditions involve diving head-first into some of my favorite horror films and games.

Sure, I have a deep love for the horror genre, and an even bigger love for gaming, but don’t get me wrong… this interest is a double-edged sword – I thrive on the tension and visual aesthetics of a dark and twisted horror tale, but when it comes to jumpscares? Let’s just say I’m a mere ticking time bomb of disaster with each and every horror game playthrough.

Just imagine me all cozied up in my gaming chair, complete with snacks at the ready as I prepare to immerse myself in one of the numerous video game titles fit for a spooktacular occasion. Whether it’s a solo adventure such as the Amnesia series, or a group adventure such as hunting for some ghosts in Phasmophobia or trying to escape the clutch of a creepy Dead By Daylight killer, I’m all in for the fun and horror.

But then as I’m playing these games, one little thing such as a sudden crash, a lurking killer, or flickering of lights as a malevolent spirit hunts for prey has me scrambling across the room like a startled cat and sending my headphones flying off my head. My snacks scatter across the floor, and my microphone goes tumbling across my desk with a crash, spilling my drink before I’ve even had a chance to enjoy a single sip. That’s right, each and every time it’s a whole ridiculous scene that you’d find in a cheesy comedy production.

Despite how much love I have for the horror game genre, I have a knack for turning every single minor jump scare into a mini-disaster. One minute, I’m on a mission to get the next generator repaired, and the next I’m a cartoon-like mess of flailing limbs and feral screeching as I turn around to find a Michael Myers silently stalking my every move.

I’m fully aware that it’s just a game — heck, Dead By Daylight isn’t even all that scary! But still, I have the same reaction every darn time, which is usually followed by a string of oddly specific and extremely corny insults thrown towards whatever was responsible for spooking me.

Truthfully, I think I just get so locked in focusing on whatever task I’m currently working on — whether it be exploring dark forests, searching for evidence of paranormal activity, or trying to find an escape from a dangerous killer who lurks nearby. When I play video games I love to get lost in the story and atmosphere, turning my headphones volume up loud enough to zone out from everything else. So when I get so zoned in on one singular task, such as trying to time a perfect input, I get extremely caught off guard by anything that throws me off. And while I may cause the casualty of the odd snack or two with my disastrous antics, there’s something about it all that just makes it so much more fun and hilarious — and therefore more enjoyable.

It may sound surprising to some that the idea of scaring oneself could be considered a fun way to spend their free time, but really it truly is all part of the fun when it comes to this genre. The horror community thrives on the thrill of each encounter, bonding over shared reactions to ghoulish entities and terrifying beings. After all, some of the most fun that can be had in video games involves gathering your buddies and experiencing moments of terror through unsettling adventures and high-stakes hunts. Fellow horror enthusiasts will understand sometimes, that jumping at said digital ghosts and shadows just adds to the appeal.

When it comes to the idea of how many times can one person send their mouse scattering across the desk in reaction to a jumpscare, I’m afraid to confirm that when it comes to me, the limit does not exist. I always act on impulsive thoughts and actions in video games, and the horror genre is no different, which as you can imagine, doesn’t do me any favors.

Honestly, if there was one true culprit to blame for my love of the genre, I’d have to point my finger at Slender: The Eight Pages. I was barely a teen when that one was released back in 2012, but boy oh boy was I addicted to giving myself the spooks with that gem of an adventure. To this day, I can still hear that static noise that plays when ‘Ol Slendy has gotcha!

Each time I decide to load up a horror title and search for escape through haunted halls with a flickering flashlight, wander through eerie territories in search of answers, or take on creepy cryptids, malevolent spirits, and deranged killers in a fight for survival — I know well by now that I’m walking across a very thin sheet of ice upon the frozen lake that is utter chaos.

I’ve tried everything, from the simple solution of lowering my volume so the noise reduces the fright, to the more humorous experience of embarking on a haunted jail investigation in Phasmophobia while blasting Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. You’d surely think that the ghosts would have no chance with that jam, but sadly after a sassy confrontation through the spirit box, the entity embarked on a violent hunt and I was as much of a goner as my poor headphones, microphone, and snacks.

Am I as jumpy when watching horror films? Not in the slightest, nowhere near as disastrous as I am when it comes to video games! There’s just something about actually controlling a character or object, and moving the camera around to search and explore creepy areas at your own pace that makes the fear so much more engaging than simply sitting back and watching the story of a horror film play out on screen. And after all this time, what else would there be to do other than embrace my chaotic nature and let it enhance the experience, at this point, anyway?

Whether I’m cry-laughing with friends over us watching one another get the fright of our lives, or grumbling to myself as I pick my mic up off the floor, I’ll never get sick of any of it. The tense atmosphere and feeling of unease are what makes the horror genre so special, and the games their own unique work of art. As the spooky season approaches the final stretch, I’ll continue to celebrate the horror genre in all of my reactive glory and emotionally duke it out with the culprits of my jumpscares on behalf of every other individual who shares the antics of a spooked cat.

Here’s to all of the controllers that have been dropped, mice thrown across desks, headphones sent flying, and any other minor inconveniences that may have been brought on by our ridiculous reactions!