HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN: PODCAKE’S HORROR GALLERY
By PodCake
Halloween continues to creep closer, approaching faster than you can fill up your bowl of candy “for the trick-or-treaters.” In a few short hours all sorts of ghosts and ghouls will be banging down your door, so there’s no better time to get caught up on the plethora of excellent horror podcasts available all around the audio drama community.
Here is a short but sweet list of horror audio dramas that never fail to get me in the mood for the most terrifying time of year. If you’re just wanting to bring some unlife back into your podcast library, or simply in need of a quick fix before we trade out our jack-o-lanterns for pumpkin pie, these might just be perfect for you to sink your teeth into.
Archive 81
A popular entry into the “found-footage” category of podcasts, Archive 81 wraps its listener in a tight, gripping horror story filled with all the disturbing bits and pieces you might be lacking in your horror podcast binge. Learn alongside our hero as they desperately attempt to track down their missing friend, uncovering new and more terrifying details along the way.
If you’re a fan of The Black Tapes series, Archive 81 is sure to deliver the same chills, thrills, and suspense, with some added murky layers of mystery for flavor.
SAYER
Step into an immersive sci-fi setting as the sonorous voice of the A.I. guides you through your new life in Ærolith Dynamics. In the future, your life among the stars couldn’t be better. You are independent, self-sufficient, monitored, killed, tortured, and sometimes sucked into space.
But no need to worry, SAYER will wipe away your Earth-stained existence with one day of work after the next. Travel tower to tower, shift to shift, and cross your fingers to make it out alive before your lunch break.
The Infinite
One man alone in space, searching… Here we have The Infinite, a short but impressive sci-fi show consisting of only five episodes to date. Sometimes less and more and The Infinite provides an eerie and emotional ride for curious drifters.
It’s a pleasant combination of the Wolf 359 framework with a SAYER psychological horror edge for flavour. The Infinite is simple yet sinister, and easy to breeze through with its tense but entertaining storytelling. I assure you, you’ll feel right at home.
Return Home
Make your return to good old quirky horror shows with Return Home. In this mysterious little podcast, we are lulled into the rain-drenched tale of a man’s struggles when he comes face to face with the strange happenings of his hometown.
A weird and wonderful audio drama where horror meets hysterical laughter, Return Home is an equal parts creative and creepy show with a wide variety of supernatural, super creepy, and super weird things to keep you coming back.
The NoSleep Podcast
It’s dark out, it’s far past midnight, and you just can’t convince yourself to sleep. No need to worry, The NoSleep Podcast will ensure that when you do finally convince yourself to shut your eyes and drift into slumber, your dreams will be nightmares.
David Cummings and the rest of the equally talented cast speak smoothly, telling us stories found deep in the horror Reddit archives. Be welcome, but be wary of the tales to tell.
LORE
Something wicked this way comes, and it might just be coming from your closet. Horror has never hit so close to home with this beautifully crafted and thoroughly researched podcast. Join Aaron Mahnke as he guides curious listeners through the darkest recesses of the history books in an ever-so scary educational session.
LORE is an excellent choice for people may not be seeking out traditional horror audio drama, but still, want their fill of spooky trivia. LORE is its own special brand of scary with a reliance on crisp audio editing and episodes detailing a wide assortment of facts about the most popular urban legends and monsters.
The best thing about the audio drama community is that horror podcasts are a year-round activity. There’s always something new coming up in feeds, and the malformed brainchild of an audio drama creator is something to look forward to whether it’s October or not. But keep your eyes peeled, your palates open, and you might find something new to keep you terrified.
My name is Makaila Johnson, better known as PodCake. I specialize in handling reviews and literary criticism articles. Though I take my writing seriously, I do subscribe to an aesthetic of fluffy, dreamland inspired cuteness with an emphasis on pinks, pastels, and deserts.
Discover more about PodCake and the rest of the team over on our About Us page.
