Phobies' Dead or Alive event to welcome the spooky season with seven new characters and eight maps

• Phobies' 2024 Halloween event, Dead or Alive, kicks off on October 2nd
• It introduces seven new Phobies, including a flaming cactus called Billy
• There are also eight maps to do battle on

October is almost upon us, which means the start of the spooky season, something Phobies takes very seriously. Although, I suppose it has to, given that it's a game about battling fears against other fears. Anyway, the month-long Dead or Alive event is due to start on October 2nd, introducing seven new Phobies and eight spooky environments.

We'll start with the new Phobies because, let's face it, new characters are always more interesting than maps. While we don't have details on all seven, we know what to expect from a few. The Undertaker, for example, can bring any dead Phobie back to life, perfect for any character that's frustrating to deal with in the first place.

Then there's a Billy, a flaming cactus who can perform three actions per turn, which could prove incredibly powerful if used correctly. Beyond that, there's Sulky, who grows in power with each kill, and Butcher, who apparently leaves carnage in its wake. What that translates to in Phobies, I'm not sure yet, and I don't know if I want to find out. Okay, I kind of do.

As for the maps, again, we don't have all the details, but we can share a few with you. Showdown is a smaller battlefield littered with obstacles that conceal Panic Points. On the opposite side of the scale spectrum, Lonesome Town is much larger, but it's also covered in poisoned ground. I don't think I'll visit anytime soon. And lastly, there's Dark Manor, a narrow map with a lot of tile variety that promises edge-of-your-seat matches.

If you haven't played Phobies yet, I recommend you give it a shot, particularly if you enjoy turn-based tactical battling. You can do it all asynchronously, so there's no pressure to stick around to complete a match in one sitting. I only stopped playing because everyone else got better than me, but the flaming cactus makes me want to dive back in.

Phobies is available now on the App Store and Google Play as a free-to-play game with in-app purchases. You can download it for your preferred platform using the links below.

However, if creepy tactics aren't for you, check out these mobile strategy games for Android instead.