Ghost Master (GOG)

Gravenville turns ghost stories into a mischievous strategy puzzle, putting an entire supernatural crew under your control rather than leaving you to survive their attacks. Ghost Master casts you as the unseen director of hauntings across a cartoonishly macabre town full of students, soldiers, patients, police, and paranormal skeptics. Its tone lands somewhere between classic horror cinema and a dark comedy, with banshees, poltergeists, demons, and gremlins causing panic while you watch mortals unravel. Beneath the humor sits a surprisingly structured campaign about uncovering mysteries, recruiting new spirits, and proving your command over the afterlife.

Each scenario begins by placing ghosts at objects they can haunt, from mirrors and furniture to electrical equipment and graveyards. Spirits consume and generate ectoplasm, so success depends on choosing the right powers, building fear gradually, and exploiting each human’s personality, phobias, relationships, and routines. A nervous character may flee at the sight of an apparition, while a stubborn skeptic needs escalating tricks, possession, or a carefully staged chain of terrifying events before they break. Missions are less about reflexes than observation and planning, with objectives ranging from driving everyone away to rescuing trapped ghosts or steering specific people toward a particular outcome.

The standout idea is its Sims-like human simulation viewed from the opposite side: people wander, socialize, investigate noises, and react dynamically while your spectral cast sabotages their plans. Multiple routes through missions, a roster of distinct ghosts with specialized abilities, and the ability to watch through human or spirit perspectives give the campaign welcome replay value. Its early-2000s visuals and interface show their age, but the stylized character work, horror-film locations, and playful writing retain real charm. Fans of Dungeon Keeper, The Sims, or puzzle-heavy management games will find a clever cult classic here, especially if they prefer orchestrating chaos over direct combat.