No tricks, all treats: Yubo’s recipe for a perfect Halloween

When asked about their favourite holiday, a sizable part of the population would pick Halloween. What’s not to love? Trick or treating and dressing up never gets old even as we get older, and our team here at Yubo always looks forward to a good old Halloween party. This year, we made five short lists of our favourite Halloween things! So if you are short on recommendations, be it a scary film, a spooky song, or a festive game or activity, we've got some interesting suggestions for you!

Scary films

The horror genre has amassed an insatiable fan-base since its nascent days in the 60's when it was a marginal form an entertainment. Today horror films are everywhere, with one or two movies showing in most cinemas on any given night.

Coltan Scrivner, a fear researcher, claims that people drawn to horror often fit into one of three groups: those who enjoy the thrill, those who like to test their limits, and those who use horror as a gateway to work through some deep-seated emotions. For all of these groups, however, the horror genre offers a safe, controlled environment for experimentation. Horror also anticipates resolution and release for the tension built throughout the viewing experience: no matter what happens to the protagonist, you – the viewer – will be out of your seat and on your merry way back home, safe and mostly unharmed.

Aside from personal fears, the horror genre is also a mirror that reflects our collective fears as a society. Many directors employ horror elements to comment on issues of racism, sexism, poverty and oppression.

1. Our favourite suspenseful classic: The Shining by Stanley Kubrick
   Every list must include a classic for those who love to revisit movies over and over again. The Shining is one such movie, beloved by first-time watchers and veterans alike. Based on Stephen King’s novel and directed by Stanley Kubrick, this movie is known for its tense and sinister atmosphere. It will make a perfect watch for those who aren’t impressed by the horror genre’s staple of jump scares, and who instead enjoy a good psychological horror, delving into themes of insanity and dehumanisation. Jack Nicholson’s eerie embodiment of a writer, recovering from his alcohol addiction, has been haunting viewers since the day this movie came out. His performance also played a large role in the film’s acclaim and status as a classic.
2. Our favourite satire horror: Scream by Wes Craven
   Mainly known as a slasher movie – which it undeniably is – Scream was also one of the first scary movies to reflect upon horror tropes ironically, and insert these reflections back into its plot. Openly laughing at the staple rules of horror film-making – such as to never drink or say “I’ll be back” when leaving a room – the film does a great job of bending those rules, but also, sometimes, unexpectedly adheres to them in new, self-aware ways. Scream has been a fan favourite since the first movie came out in 1996, with its star cast of David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, and it will undeniably remain a Halloween staple for years to come. The newest instalment of the franchise was released in 2023, and Scream 7 is planned for 2026.
3. Our favourite psychological horror: Get Out by Jordan Peele
   Horror is often used as a gateway to explore the ugly side of society, focusing on the psychological and emotional states of its protagonists and antagonists. Jordan Peele is a master of social commentary in the psychological horror genre. He brilliantly explores race, privilege and identity through classic tropes of the horror genre. In this movie, a young black man visits his white girlfriend’s parents for the weekend, which gradually becomes ever more eerie and uneasy as it progresses. Surprisingly, Get Out is also incredibly funny, taking the viewers on a rollercoaster ride of laughter, tears and genuine terror. The final scenes won’t leave you unmoved, so if you enjoy plot twists and rising tension, this might be a movie for you to watch this Halloween.
4. Our favourite folk horror: Midsommar by Ari Aster
   Folk horror is a popular horror genre, exploring cultural fears or beliefs. Films of this genre often choose isolated rural communities and pagan rituals as their setting. Ari Aster made a brave aesthetic decision to make Midsommar an incredibly vibrant horror film. For the most part, the scenes are bright and well-lit, with the lush greenery of rural summer-time Sweden. Somehow, the abundance of light creates as strong a sense of tension as complete darkness does! The plot is quite simple: a group of friends travels to Sweden to participate in a Scandinavian summer festival. However, as they are invited to participate in festivities, a dark and sinister side begins to emerge. Grief and death are a recurring motif, exploring the ways in which people respond and cope with those feelings. It’s a deep exploration of emotional trauma, making horrifying Scandinavian summer festivities relatable to everyday life.
5. Our favourite body horror: Raw by Julia Ducournau
   It might seem pretty odd to combine a coming-of-age story of self-discovery with body horror, but this is precisely what Julia Ducournau did in her 2016 movie,  Raw. Exploring the animalistic side of humans and our suppressed desires, the film follows Justine, a young vegetarian girl attending veterinary school who discovers her troubling taste for raw meat. Deeply unsettling imagery employed by Ducournau is contrasted by a clean, almost clinical shooting style and aesthetic scenes and colours. This film will be of interest to people grappling with ideas of self-transformation and reckoning with the darker parts of our society and selves.

Creepy songs

Music, just like film, can help us regulate our moods and provide the means to escape reality for a little while. It is also linked to the feeling of nostalgia – that’s why listening to a song related to a significant life event can feel like travelling back in time. So, if you want to feel like a kid on your first-ever Halloween, consider setting the mood by playing some classic Halloween tunes!

1. The Addams Family Theme by Vic Mizzy
   This instantly recognisable tune won’t fail to get you to feel “creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky”. It’s instantly recognisable and easy to sing along!
2. Thriller by Michael Jackson
   This one is for those people who feel the need to bust a move as soon as a high-energy song comes on! Pop on the music video and dance along to Michael Jackson’s classic choreography.
3. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
   This is yet another song which is impossible not to dance to! Upbeat, fun and catchy, it’ll have you jumping up and down, screaming “Ghostbusters!” in no time.
4. Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show
   Featured in a relatively marginal Halloween film with a large cult following, Time Warp won’t leave you indifferent! Learn the lyrics, master the moves, and soon you’ll be itching to do the Time Warp again.
5. This Is Halloween by The Citizens of Halloween
   Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to hear something strange?.. If you don’t know and love this song yet, you’re seriously missing out. And if you feel like rewatching The Nightmare Before Christmas immediately… Well, it’s not our fault!

Nightmarish games

While watching horror movies and listening to spooky music are some great ways to get yourself in the mood, video games offer another, immersive option for doing so. Below, we compiled a list of great scary games to play alone or with friends!

1. Resident Evil by Capcom
   No horror video game list could ever exist without this fan favourite. Resident Evil – the highest-grossing multi-game horror franchise – is almost synonymous with scary games in the gaming world. Designed in the genre of survival horror, it drops the player in hostile worlds inhabited by zombies, bioengineered creatures and other villains. Gameplay-wise, starting with Resident Evil 4, the game employs third-person shooting, while the later games bring back the first-person perspective. Filled with twisted storylines and gripping tense moments, Resident Evil is the perfect Halloween game to play together with friends or alone, for extra spookiness.
2. Until Dawn by Supermassive Games
   If you’re a fan of video games that tell great stories, Until Dawn might be the game for you. Interactive at its core, this game lets you play out your own Halloween slasher movie, full of tension-filled moments and jump scares. Great for playing collectively, Until Dawn allows for the “pass-the-controller” play style, where each player can control one or more characters, ensuring they stay alive. You can even start a little competition with your friends to see who’s the best at yanking their controlled character out of harm’s way. Mechanically, though, the game is pretty simple – it consists of exploration, dialogue and some quick-time events. So, if this sounds like your cup of tea, get some friends and spend Halloween night exploring the mysteries of Until Dawn.
3. Dead by Daylight by Behaviour Interactive
   Of course, we couldn’t forgo a multiplayer game! Dead by Daylight is an online survival horror game for five players, where one takes on the role of a Killer, tasked with murdering the Survivors to appease the Entity. The Survivors have to work together to repair the generators powering the exit gates and escape the Killer. Playing this game during the Halloween season makes for great fun as you can take on roles of the Survivors or the Killer one by one. This high-stakes and high-tension game can make a great addition to the Halloween plans you’ve already devised with your friends.
4. Alan Wake by Remedy Entertainment
   Released in 2010, this action-adventure game is set in the small fictional town of Bright Falls and follows the story of Alan Wake, a novelist battling his writer’s block, who arrives in town with his wife for a short vacation. Facing mysterious forces, Alan has to fight his way out and investigate mysterious shadows that are possessing the townsfolk. Taking inspiration from the early 1990s cult TV show Twin Peaks, Alan Wake is a great choice for all psychological horror fans out there. It is known for its great pacing and tension-building as well as combat mechanics that keep the player attentive and alert.
5. Oxenfree by Night School Studio
   For those of you who don’t particularly like the experience of constant unrelenting tension, Oxenfree could be a great game to explore. It follows Alex, a teenage girl, who is visiting a local island with a group of friends. The beach party has to be cut short after Alex’s radio starts floating unexpectedly, creating a dimensional rift. The gameplay features the “walk-and-talk” mechanic, allowing the player to build connections with other characters as well as explore the island’s eerie forces. It famously has almost no cut scenes, allowing the player to move through the space as their played character communicates with other characters. If not for the gameplay, we recommend you play Oxenfree for its wonderful watercolour art style, combining a dark spooky palette with cute scenery and animations.

Ghoulish activities

Finally, if you’re craving some interesting activities to get up to for Halloween, here’s a list of things you can try to make your day extra spooky!

1. Bake some scary goodies
   If you’re one of those people who doesn’t really enjoy being scared, but still appreciates the spirit of the holiday, some festive baking could be for you! Make some monster-shaped cookies or use food colouring creatively to achieve the look and texture of blood or mould. Yum!
2. Carve some pumpkins
   Pumpkin carving is an oldie, but goodie! Get a pumpkin and get as creative as you like. Don’t forget to stock up on candles to light your pumpkin up from the inside when the design is ready, and make sure to keep your safety in mind when working with sharp tools.
3. Visit a haunted house or attend a ghost tour
   Look up some haunted houses in your area to visit with some friends, or better yet, get some spider webs, flickering lights, and devious traps and set one up yourself to entertain your friends and neighbours!
4. Participate in a séance
   This one is not for the faint of heart! Bust out that Ouija board, talk with the mirror in a dark bathroom, or just hold hands with your friends in a circle of candles. Be careful, though – you never know who or what might be lurking in the darkness.
5. Tell spooky stories
   Finally, if you’d like something simple, but effective, you can always gather around with your IRL or Yubo friends and tell some scary stories. Take turns adding to the plot, or participate in a dramatic retelling of a scary film or book you’ve previously seen. Dim the lights and create a tense atmosphere by using an old flickering flashlight or some candles for extra fun. What's more – you can do this live, right on Yubo!

If you’re craving some more ideas for the exciting shenanigans you can get up to this Halloween, check out our last year’s Halloween horoscope for more activities. Every star sign gets a special thing you can enjoy on the spookiest evening of the year without ever having to leave Yubo!

So, having armed you with tips and recommendations, we wish you an awesome Halloween this year. Enjoy some spooky time with your IRL friends, or – alternatively – jump on Yubo, add some relevant Halloween tags to your profile, and make new connections to celebrate with!