by Glenn Snowden
What is it about horror that we find so compelling? According to psychologists, people enjoy the thrill and adrenaline rush from watching scary movies, while all the time knowing that it is not real and so therefore still safe. The popularity of horror themes has moved well beyond the big screen, as witnessed by every Halloween celebration and the many horror-based video games on the market.
Unsurprisingly, the online casino industry has been quick to cash in on our love of horror. Slots, the runaway favourite casino game worldwide, come in a huge number of themes. This website gives an indication of the range of motifs to be found in slot games. Among these, there are some very impressive and varied horror-inspired slots, so let’s take a look at the best out there.
Lost Vegas (Microgaming)
Zombies are still enjoying a real moment, having eclipsed vampires as the undead monster du jour. Lost Vegas slot is an expertly animated living dead game with a twist. Players can choose to take the role of a brain-eating zombie or of a plucky survivor in this dual-mode slot. The animations tread the line between creepy and comical, with a zombie Elvis impersonator (or is it the real Elvis?) a particular highlight.
The game itself is heavy on the special features, including the Blackout Bonus and the Zombie Fist of Cash that are randomly triggered during play. In base mode, landing three scatters or more activates a free spins round. Microgaming are a well-respected production studio, and they have outdone themselves here.
For a slightly scarier slot on the same theme, try Zombies from NetEnt. Although it was released in 2012, the chilling graphics still hold up today and the abandoned shopping mall setting is suitably unsettling.
Circus of Horror (GameArt)
From one of the lesser-known gaming studios comes this blood-chilling slot game that puts killer clowns front and centre. If you enjoyed the recent adaptation of Stephen King’s It, then this game is sure to be right up your street. As well as clowns, Circus of Horror has a whole cast of other nightmare-inducing characters including crazed killers, demons and mummies.
This is a high-volatility slot, with some neat special features that follow the gruesome theme. Electrocute some body parts in the Electric Chair bonus game, or unlock a free spins round with a 3x multiplier on every win. The graphics on this game are truly grotesque, so this is not one for the faint-hearted.
Yggdrasil’s Wicked Circus may sound similar, but it doesn’t score as high on the horror scale. Part of the Jokerizer series, the only really creepy icon is the cartoon demonic clown. A decent slot game overall, it doesn’t have the scare factor that many horror fans seek.
Dracula (NetEnt)
Choosing just one vampire slot is more or less impossible, because there are so many great ones available. This offering from NetEnt is inspired by the classic Universal Pictures movie from 1931, and forms part of their Universal Monster series that also includes Frankenstein and The Invisible Man.
Dracula is a brooding presence on this animation-heavy slot, who occasionally explodes into a swarm of bats that fly across the reels and make winning combinations. NetEnt added an extra row for this instalment, in order to make way for the stacked symbols.
This is not NetEnt’s only vampirical slot, having also produced the popular Bloodsuckers and Bloodsuckers II. Also getting in on the exsanguination action are Microgaming with the iconic Immortal Romance – a nod to the reinvention of the vampire as the romantic anti-hero. Play’n GO, meanwhile, have the Wild Blood series along the same lines.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (Random Logic)
For those looking for a nostalgia kick, this slot game conjures the spectre of the most loved and feared horror-movie character of the 1980s – Freddie Krueger. The game has clips from the original movies that deliver a few real jump scares while playing. You may want to keep the lights on for this one.
It is also a game that is absolutely stuffed with special features and symbols, many of which will be very familiar to classic horror fans. The Never Sleep Again bonus game is a particular treat, and there are not one but two progressive jackpots to be won.
Of course, this is not the only slot machine that is inspired by 1970s and 1980s horror movies. Microgaming have a Halloween slot based on John Carpenter’s original, and NetEnt have also released one inspired by the ground-breaking horror/sci-fi movie Alien.
Day of the Dead (IGT)
Let’s finish with a slightly more light-hearted take on the horror theme. This slot is not based on the 1985 George A. Romero zombie movie, but rather by the colourful festival that takes place annually in Mexico and other countries – also known by the Spanish name Día de los Muertos. The skeletons and skulls that feature in the celebrations are more pretty than scary, and this is reflected in the theme of the slot.
Another slot that takes a less scary approach is Lucky Count from Aristocrat. This may be another vampire slot, but it has a cartoony theme and is not really out to spook anyone.
