With Halloween falling on a Friday this year, it’s a prime opportunity to extend the spooky season just that little bit longer throughout the weekend. What better way to do it than by dimming the lights and playing some good old fashioned video games that fit the occasion?
There are countless examples that are prime for Halloween gaming; Resident Evil and Silent Hill are always going to be easy picks.
Why not try something a little different this year, though, by incorporating a Welsh theme into your spooky gaming sessions?
Wales in Games highlights a few video games featuring Welsh content that are ideal for the Halloween weekend.
Vampire Survivors
Developer Poncle has created something of a marvel with this Castlevania-inspired “reverse bullet hell” roguelike.
From a top-down perspective, moving around a huge map as enemies constantly swarm in on your chosen character, there is a huge sense of satisfaction to be had as players get stronger at a rapid pace. For every minute that passes, more foes appear, with the heart rate increasing as the attempt to survive beyond the 20-minute time limit draws closer.
Vampire Survivors‘ randomised element to proceedings in which it isn’t known which weapon upgrades players will be rewarded with upon level-up mean no single playthrough is ever the same, and with how quick a stage plays out, there is always a feeling of “just one more go”.
There are dozens of characters to unlock, with unique statistics and weapons that each starts out with, and Castlevania-themed downloadable content that perfectly suits the style of the game only adds to the Halloween vibes.
It isn’t just vampires and witches, though; all kinds of mythical foes appear in Vampire Survivors. One of those is Maronna, based on the Welsh folk creature Mari Lwyd. Maronna’s horse skull and white cloak are unmistakable trademarks of Mari Lwyd’s design, where the creature was crafted and traditionally taken around houses in Wales around the Christmas and New Year period, as groups of people sang songs and wished good luck.
In Vampire Survivors, its name is an Italian pun referencing the Virgin Mary, and goes back to the uncertainty of whether Mari Lwyd’s name means “Grey Mare” or refers to Jesus’ mother.
A variation of the creature, Maronna Meea, shows up in the game elsewhere, again pulling from a popular Italian phrase.
With Vampire Survivors being widely available across multiple platforms at an extremely tempting low price, it is the perfect time to give it a go if you haven’t done so already.
Withering Rooms
Moonless Formless, the solo developer studio comprising of American Troy West, gained an appreciation for the country of Wales and its culture to such an extent that he decided to set his very first video game there.
Set in the late 19th century, the horror role-playing game Withering Rooms sees young Nightingale attempting to survive her nightmares in Mostyn Manor, a mansion in Monmouthshire featuring a layout that changes each night. Survival plays a major part in the gameplay, with a vulnerable Nightingale needing to sneak by all manner of deformed enemies, some of which are zombie-like villagers that speak Welsh.
Keen observers will spot numerous Welsh references throughout the manor, including posters written in Cymraeg, Welsh language location names, an older version of the flag of Wales, characters with Welsh names, and various other nods to Welsh culture and traditions.
Played in a side-scrolling perspective, Nightingale can get extremely creative in overcoming the monsters of the night, utilising not just swords, guns and other kinds of weapons, but learning magic that can set traps and bring dolls to life to help fight alongside her. Players must manage Nightingale’s spell casting, though, as she will become cursed if she uses too much, drastically altering the world around her.
Survival horror games presented in this side-on style are rare, and ones set in Wales are even more so. With a sequel coming next year that also takes place in Wales, there may be no better time to jump into Nightingale’s very messed up dreams.
For even more insight into the Welsh background of Withering Rooms and its upcoming sequel Withering Realms, check out my interview with Moonless Formless’ Troy West here.
Koudelka
Without an easily accessible way to play Koudelka today outside of owning a copy of the original PlayStation game, this one may be more difficult to experience for most people. That said, if you do happen to have a PS1, PS2 or PS3 console in the attic, it may be worth looking into getting a hold of this overlooked role-playing game. Koudelka is a bit of a rare gem now, often going for high prices on auction sites like eBay, and is certainly one that collectors are on the hunt for.
One of the huge appeals to Koudelka is the fixed camera perspective and pre-rendered backgrounds that were commonplace in other big-name PlayStation titles, such as Resident Evil and Final Fantasy. Koudelka merges characteristics from these two franchises together, taking not just the visual styles, but the horror elements of Capcom’s series and the turn-based battles of Square’s games, producing a unique concoction that sets it apart from other games of its time.
Also set in the late 19th century, Koudelka takes place in Nemeton Monastery in Aberystwyth. After the Japanese developers at Sacnoth took a research trip to Pembrokeshire, they were inspired by the Welsh scenery and gothic-like designs of St David’s Cathedral, leading to the setting seen in the game.
Titular character Koudelka Iasant was given a Welsh background, mentioned to have been born in the town of Abergynolwyn, and the game’s narrative derived aspects from the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion. Specifically, the premise of using a cauldron to revive a character’s wife draws parallels to the Cauldron of Rebirth from the story Branwen ferch Llŷr.
A mish-mash of ideas in Koudelka, including giving the characters American accents, buries the connections a bit, but there is no denying that Welsh theme. As far as classic horror RPGs go, Koudelka is one of a kind, and fits the seasonal occasion perfectly.
Maid of Sker
For a horror game steeped in Welshness, you can’t go wrong with Maid of Sker from Welsh developer Wales Interactive. As the title suggests, its entire premise is inspired by the Welsh folklore tale Y Ferch o’r Sger and the real-life Sker House near Porthcawl, itself made famous by novel The Maid of Sker by R.D. Blackmore.
Another game set in the late 19th century (there’s more than just Welsh themes going on here!), players take the role of Thomas Evans, called to the fictional Sker Island by his lover Elisabeth. Getting caught up in a fight for survival in the abandoned hotel Elisabeth finds herself trapped in, Thomas must sneak his way around blind enemies known as “The Quiet Ones” in a first-person viewpoint. They may not be able to see, but they can certainly hear, placing an emphasis on the hiding and stealthy mechanics that require wits and careful navigation, even to the point of Thomas needing to hold his breath when foes are near.
Convenient for a game set in the “Land of Song”, Welsh music plays a significant role in the game, with reimaginings of famous Welsh hymns featuring aplenty, including Calon Lân, Suo-Gân, and Ar Hyd Y Nos, performed by Welsh singer Tia-Rhian Kalmaru.
Players will no doubt spot other Welsh references in Maid of Sker, including Welsh flags and uses of the Welsh language, with optional Welsh subtitles even included for in-game dialogue.
Ideal for a weekend playthrough, if you end up enjoying this game, you might be interested in its multiplayer survival follow-up, Sker Ritual. It takes a different approach to Maid of Sker‘s single-player adventure, but is worth checking out if only for the Welsh content.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
All right, it’s not exactly a spooky game, but with the dress-up nature of Halloween, how can you disregard a pirate-themed adventure? Especially one that is heaped in Welsh goodness!
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has explored a plethora of periods and characters of different origins over its many titles, but the decision to place players in the shoes of a Welshman for an entry set during the Golden Age of Piracy was not only one that made complete sense given the abundance of Welsh pirates during this time, but gave Welsh fans a lot to cheer about.
It isn’t often that the biggest franchises in the medium feature Welsh characters, let alone a Welsh protagonist, so there is huge appeal to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for many a Welsh native.
Played by Welsh actor Matt Ryan, main character Edward Kenway is a proud Welshman that hails from Swansea, wishing to break free from the control of the British state, and does what many of the time did: becomes a pirate and sails the seven seas in search of fortune and independence. Partly based on real events and sprinkled with the usual fiction the series is known for, Kenway gets swept up not just along the shores of the Caribbean, but in an Assassins versus Templars overarching storyline that spans hundreds of years.
Outside of the glorious seafaring freedom presented through the sailing of Kenway’s ship, the Jackdaw, so named by the Welshman for a common bird found across Wales, there is enjoyment to be found in the other Welsh references that show up in the form of characters like the infamous Bartholomew Roberts, better known as Black Bart (Barti Ddu). Welsh pirate Howell Davis makes a minor appearance, while the clothing and weapons of privateer Captain Henry Morgan can be obtained by Kenway later in the game.
If you fancy playing dress-up this Halloween, then stick your breeches on, get your cutlasses at the ready, and set out on this Welsh pirate adventure.
Happy Halloween from Wales in Games!