May I participate?

“On a cold, foggy night in the Gelderland moor, Pieter got lost walking through thick bushes, his little lantern flickering as fear took over. He had taken the wrong path and now felt very alone, hearing strange sounds and breaking twigs as if something was following him just out of sight. Suddenly, from the fog came a group of glowing women dressed in white—the Witte Wieven. That night, Pieter found out they were protectors, not just ghosts. The danger Pieter faced was real and terrifying—a restless spirit of a child who had died sadly and now wanted to pull someone like Pieter into the dark forever. Pieter felt the cold breath of the spirit as it tried to grab him from the fog. But the Witte Wieven raised their hands and sent a cold wind twisting around Pieter like a shield made of mist. They sang quietly, filling the darkness with soft light, which scared the spirit away. The Witte Wieven then helped Pieter find a safe way out. When the sun rose, Pieter was standing near an old burial hill where the Witte Wieven disappeared in the morning mist. He was safe and felt lucky to have been helped by these strange but kind spirits”

I'd like:
—The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
—Vampire: The Masquerade
—Creaks
—Rogue Lords
—Grim Dawn
—Death's Door
—Grim Fandango
—Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
—Goetia series

Thank you bjgamer!

Thanks for the giveaway, I'm in. I accept the challenge.

Once upon a time, a boy was playing near an abandoned patch of land when he found a small, curious charm half-buried among the overgrown grass and broken bricks. At first, he didn't think much of it and simply pocketed the strange little object. The following days passed quietly, with only the usual sounds of city life around him. But after a while, small odd things began to happen. He noticed faint noises here and there, like soft tapping or whispering just out of reach. A pencil on his desk broke unexpectedly, and once he thought he heard distant howling on a quiet evening. These little incidents seemed random, harmless even, so he didn't think much about them.

As the weeks went by, the incidents became more frequent and harder to ignore. Glass in the kitchen cracked without explanation, items vanished and reappeared in odd places, and electrical appliances started turning on and off by themselves. The boy's family began to notice the strange happenings too, whispering about bad luck and weird coincidences. Bit by bit, the boy realized these events centered around the charm he had found. Though he kept the charm close at first, uncertainty grew. Eventually, deciding the object might be the cause, he carried it far away and threw it off into a long-forgotten corner of the empty land where it had been found. Gradually the odd noises faded, the broken objects disappeared, and life settled back to normal.

Though the strange events passed once the charm was gone, the boy never spoke of it to anyone. He kept the charm's secret with him and learned to be careful about picking up things that seemed out of place, carrying a quiet memory of those odd days deep inside.

The 13 games I have picked are: Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hollow Knight, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened - Premium Edition, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Grim Dawn, Creaks Collector's Edition, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Death's Door Deluxe Edition, Costume Quest, Haunt the House: Terrortown, Grim Fandango Remastered, DOOM (2016), Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure Deluxe Ed.

The Cauldron bubbles and froths, eagerly accepting many more Spooktober offerings into its brew. Ghostly, ghastly, spooktacular tales and verses from so many lands and histories ... all cast into the Cauldron where they are disseminated into the mist and spread throughout the haunted GOGyard for all of its spectral spectators to enjoy.

From within the tomb writing begins to appear on the back wall. D ... o ... n...' ...t ...

You shake your head, forgetting about the Cauldron and the mysterious angel statues as you ponder this new mysterious message. Don't ... what?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So many more wonderful tales! I'm enjoying them all. Thank you also to so many familiar and returning tellers of these tales, and welcome to new Spooktober participants this year! :)

Everything felt slightly off as Tim tried to rest. His breath was shallow. The familiar shadows in his room deepened, folding into shapes his mind barely recognized. Somewhere in the silence, a soft, steady sound thumped: too rhythmic to be random, too low for comfort. His heart quickened, matching the rhythm, leaving him caught between waking and dreaming.

In his fragmented sleep, whispers of ghost stories and flickering images from Halloween movies blended with the strange noises, sharpening every discomfort into a persistent dread. What was happening? Minutes stretched endlessly, his body tense with unease.

When his eyes finally opened, the room greeted him with ordinary shadows and the night's usual stillness. On the nightstand, a jack-o'-lantern glowed faintly, its crooked smile flickering with the light of a tiny candle, casting jittery shapes that danced across the walls. Tim's eyes darted between the shifting shadows and the silent darkness beyond while cold sweat pooled on his forehead, fear whispering at the edge of consciousness.

Gradually, the eerie sounds dissolved into the air. The soft creak of the house settling, the rustle of leaves brushing the window, and a faint, persistent rumble from within wove into an unsettling new tension. His mind tangled with vague dreams, each offering quick explanations for what was going on. Seriously.

Only then did a louder, unmistakable grumble remind him the source of his night's terror wasn't otherworldly. It was his own stomach, staging an insistent rebellion after a secret, extreme indulgence in Halloween treats.

My friends. Enjoy the thrills, but don't forget moderation!

" Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
~ The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
~ Grim Dawn
~ Death's Door Deluxe Edition
~ Rogue Lords - Blood Moon Edition
~ Sherlock Holmes The Awakened - Premium Edition
~ DOOM (2016)
~ Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure Deluxe Ed
^ Dracula Origin
^ Keep in Mind: Remastered

Well, I'm not good at inventing english stories, so I tell you the local fairy tale of the "Bahkauv" (which is of course true, even a statue of the demonic beast has been made):

A hellish beast resembling a big calf with sharp teeth and claws, as well as red glowing eyes, has been roaming at night in our region; it lurked near springs, rivulets, or even sewers. Whenever a drunken man on his way home approached, it leaped on his back. It has been found impossible to shake off, and would never have let go of its victims until they reached their home. It is told that people tried to get rid of it by praying, but this made things worse, the beast became heavier with each further step; swearing, however, made it lighter to carry. For unknown reasons, it does never attack children, and curiously no women; while being a horrible nuisance, it won't do real harm to anybody, however.

My "order of preference list":

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Grim Dawn
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Goetia + Goetia 2
Rogue Lords - Blood Moon Edition
Grim Fandango Remastered
Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure Deluxe Ed
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Black Book
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened - Premium Edition
The Cat Lady
In Sound Mind - Deluxe Edition

Thank you bjgamer, I would like to participate.

Long ago, in the dense green forests of the Akan lands, there was a creature called the Sasabonsam. This being was very fearsome and evil. It was said to have pink skin and long red hair that hung down like wild flames in the wind. Its teeth were sharp and made of iron, and its feet were not like those of a man but instead had hooks made of iron that it used to cling to the tallest tree branches. The Sasabonsam was very tall, with legs so long it could sit high above the forest floor, hiding among the leaves and branches. It had wide wings like a bat that could spread as wide as a canoe. The creature lived deep in the forest and cared very much about which people entered its home. It was dreadful and cruel, often attacking anyone who strayed too far from the safety of their village. The Sasabonsam's favorite way to catch its prey was to sit quietly on a high branch, dangling its hooked feet. When a hunter or traveler passed below, the creature would trap them by snagging them with its hooked feet and clawing them with its sharp iron claws. It would suck the blood of its victims, leaving death or sickness behind. The Sasabonsam was feared not just for its strength and fierceness but also because it was known to lurk silently, flying through the night soundlessly, its glowing red eyes searching for those who disrespected the forest.
The people believed the Sasabonsam was more than just a monster. It was a guardian of the forest laws. If anyone disturbed the forest on its sacred days such as Thursday, the creature would punish them harshly. It was both feared and respected as a powerful force of nature and the spirit world.

Among these stories, there was a young man named Kwabena from a small village near the edge of the forest. The village suffered from many losses. People and animals vanished without a trace. One night, Kwabena decided to go into the forest to face the Sasabonsam. He carried a simple spear and wore an amulet for protection. As he entered the deep dark woods, he remembered the elders words to show respect to the forest and its spirits. When Kwabena saw the Sasabonsam perched high above, its long legs dangling and eyes glowing like burning coals, he did not raise his spear to fight. Instead, he bowed his head and whispered prayers to the spirits of the land. He offered a small gift, a handful of crushed leaves and some water, showing the creature that he came with respect, not harm.
The Sasabonsam stared at Kwabena for a long moment, then slowly spread its vast wings and withdrew into the night sky, sparing him and restoring balance. Kwabena returned safely to his village, his heart full of courage and wisdom. His story was told for many years as a lesson. Not all monsters are defeated by force. Some are overcome by respect, understanding, bravery.

I would like any of the following keys:
The Cat Lady.
Goetia + Goetia 2.
Costume Quest.
INSIDE.
LIMBO.

YES! I didn't miss the deadline for this one, yet!
I love bjgamer's annual community events and sadly missed the pirate one
but super glad I managed to catch this one before it was too late!

A hearty thank you to bjgamer!

My grandfather told me how one Christmas Eve he tried to contact the other world using a mirror. He placed a candle next to the mirror and stared into it for a long time. Afterward, scary demons appeared. My grandfather got scared and ran away.
Just recently, I read a scientific article that says everyone will see something scary in a mirror if they stare at it for long enough. This is supposedly due to the peculiarities of peripheral vision.
But who knows? I'm afraid to test it.

I'm in for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Thanks!

The spooky story I prepared:

I once used to drive a particular stretch of highway late at night. It was a lonely, long road that cut through quiet countryside and dense woods, places where the darkness felt thick and almost alive. At that time, I was going through a tough patch in my life: work was hectic, my relationships were strained, and like many back then, I found myself caught up in stories about the paranormal and UFO sightings, which were all the rage. Driving that road wasn't just a job, it was a strange mix of escape and unease.

On those night drives, I began noticing odd things that I couldn't quite explain. Sometimes, when the road stretched thin and silent, I heard soft taps or footsteps outside my truck, but when I looked, there was nothing but empty blackness. There were evenings when distant howls broke the stillness, not quite animal but eerie enough to send chills down my spine. My dashboard lights would flicker without reason. At times, lights would flash in the woods, strange glows that no other driver seemed to notice.

I felt watched, like unseen eyes trailed me through the darkness, and weirdly enough, other vehicles on that stretch sometimes behaved oddly: cars appearing from nowhere or vanishing as if swallowed by the night. The strangest part was how time seemed to warp on those drives. Moments of lost memory would come and go, almost like brief lapses, and the longer nights felt both endless and strangely short.

Looking back, I realize those odd events mirrored the chaos in my own life. That highway became more than a route from point A to B: it was a corridor to my own shadows, where my worries, the era's fascination with the unknown, and the night's mysteries all tangled together.

My picks:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Grim Dawn
Goetia + Goetia 2
The Cat Lady
Frostpunk
The Beast Inside

Thank you bjgamer!

A truly moving story... :)

nded here. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm not alone here. It's lively here. "Was". Not "is". There were noisy them here just a bit ago. They came here all to get her. But they didn't. They couldn't. She is not here. Anymore. I didn't a2lsbCBoZXI=. She didn't, too. There was no accident either.
SSBsaWVkLg==
But at what exact moment?
Does it matter?
...
Let's compare answers. The correct 0ne is, NO.
What doe~ indeed matter is, they didn't. They couldn't. And they won't.
I still h3ar their voi(es ring thr0ugh the deafening ~ilence drawing watercolor patt3rns upon its surfa(e.
= % _
Enj?yment. It fills this cGxhY2Uncw== ~trobe ZGFya25lc3M=. E**oym3n7 and expectation. A hu gr? 3xpecta**0n. Th?t ev3 y7hing d2lsbA== REPEAT.
&& %{ +
So I w?it nd wh l3 we r? at t pl**se tell bWU= a ~t0




THEY REFUSED
\\\\w ; '

%

Glad to hear that!
However, I didn't see any valid entry from you yet if you're willing to participate in this one :)
The end is near......

Part 2 of my story, full of spelling and grammar errors by a dyslexic who failed English at school and incredibly a second language English test that I took in error at university.

19th of June 1713,

Dearest Felix, I hope your purrs are happy for this day, I have some unfortunate news for you. I recently secured passage for my goods to Port Royal, I had hoped that it would be a smooth sail for the crew and myself, but it’s not to be. I found my produce being tampered with the other night when I was at the docks. It was the most depressing sight, I saw my games being tampered with, by people that I thought I trusted. I was fooled, I just want to make people happy, and I thought too highly of others. These people that I had entrusted are not interested in happiness, I have come to see that. But this tale gets stranger my dearest Felix, let me start from the beginning my little purrmobile.

The dock that I was anchored at was unfortunately not of reputable standing, the manger of said port was a devious fellow. A one, Mr. Percy Shelly. I had entrusted him for safe passage to Port Royal, he approached me the other day and told of a great deal. A deal that was almost too good to be true, “I’ll give you passage for half of what it’s worth” said he. I was suspicious at first, but Alf assured me that it was legit. Well, it turns out that if it’s too good to be true then in probably is. And this was one of those cases. What the deal was, is that I sell the docks my good and then buy the back after they had been locked onto the ship. This way, on paper at least I was carrying no cargo and would pay less for the anchor at port. But unfortunately, what I learnt to my horror later is that while the port has control over my goods they can do whatever they wanted with them. I thought to myself “what will anyone want with some games”. But alas, my games were tampered with. At first when I saw this, I thought I had just been double crossed, and that my games had been pre-sold to the merchants at Port Royal.

But this tale gets stranger, my dearest mouser. A few days later whilst on the way across the Atlantic, I took the opportunity to check over my games. I needed to know what they had done, I was ashamed of what my produce had become. Controlled products, I wanted my products to be free. When I took a closer look, I noticed runes on the board and on the dice, and these strange symbols everywhere. They gave off an eerie aura, it was unsettling. As luck would have it when I was anchored at Portsmouth, I took the chance to visit an old bookstore, in the north of the town. I found the most interesting books on the arcane, they were ancient, they were mysterious, they were evil… they were magnificent.

Over the next few days, I studied these books and the alterations made back at port. As it turns out Sir Ritetide is quite read on the matter. We had long discussions on the matter, but the thing that bothered he was why, why did the merchants tamper with my goods. At first, I thought they were just simply trying to make more profit, but how? I asked myself. Anyone that purchased these games could just remove the alterations, so what is the point. But unfortunately, the point soon became abundantly clear.

The people, I call them people, from the docks were quite malevolent. It was incredible what I found, the evil of it all. And to think I was a part of it. To my shock I found out that the games had been cursed, they still functioned as expected and people would be non the wiser if they had bought them. But cursed they were, from my reading I found that they had been infused with an ancient evil called Metaios. This evil cursed anyone that uses the products, it infects them, it turns them into a demon. Fortunately, there is a cure to this, and you’ll never guess who was selling this “cure”, it was non other than the dock workers themselves.

Evil, pure evil it is, they illegitimately sell produce at cut prices but for it only to be cursed and then for them to sell the cure. Well, it’s good that we got to it first, my dearest meowball. With the help of the literature, we have managed to banish this evil. We have managed to create the third way that we wanted.

My dearest Felix, all isn’t bad, but I have had to deal with the arcane, but I am pleased I have saved my customers from possession.

Lots of meows and purrs,
Galfridus Walpole

Games that I managed to exorcise:
The Witcher III of Wild Hunt
The Knight that is unfull
The Care Lady of my dearest Felix
The Knight that is unfull part II


Meow

There is a story about a doll named Okiku that is known for growing real human hair. The doll belonged to a little girl who sadly died very young. People believe that the girl's spirit live inside the doll, which is why it hair keeps growing longer every day.

Normally, dolls have hair that does not grow because it is glued in place. But Okiku's hair grew from its short, neat cut all the way down past its knees. The family who owned the doll noticed this strange change and thought it was the spirit of their daughter.

The hair grows so much that the caretakers at the Mannenji temple where the doll is kept have to trim it regularly. They started trimming the hair because the family and temple priests began having bad nightmares about the doll. Some even felt the doll was moving by itself or causing strange events. This made them believe the doll was haunted and needed to be cared for carefully.

Visitors to the temple have sometimes seen the doll's mouth slowly open, showing what looks like human teeth, which adds to the eerie feeling. Tests have shown the hair is real human hair, but no one know how it keeps growing. This doll remains a spooky, mysterious symbol of a lost child's spirit living on in a strange way.

My preferred list in case of good fortune:
~ The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
~ Creaks Collector's Edition
~ Rogue Lords - Blood Moon Edition
^ Keep in Mind: Remastered
~ Goetia + Goetia 2
~ Tormented Souls
~ Black Book

Thank you bjgamer and donors!~

It's been a fantastic lineup of stories so far. Thanks for letting me participate

Full moon autumn nights were special for the lonely Emma. She would wake in her city flat as soft sounds drifted through the walls. Sometimes there were whispers, laughter, distant talks, the hum of a crowd softly mumbling, or even her name called quietly but clearly. The noises were never scary, but they felt strange and familiar, like memories floating in the air. They could even follow her into her dreams.

At first, her best friend didn't believe Emma when she told him about the sounds. Then she started recording the noises during the night and shared the recordings with William, who finally confirmed he could hear them too. The whispers weren't just inside Emma's head but were coming from somewhere deep in the city, locked in time: a mystery waiting to be uncovered.

Grim Dawn
Creaks Collector's Edition
Goetia + Goetia 2
Grim Fandango Remastered
Costume Quest
LIMBO