News
Steam Scream Fest 2026 runs from 26 October to 2 November 2026, 10:00 AM Pacific to 10:00 AM Pacific. It is Valve's annual Halloween themed sale, the fifth edition, and it is a horror-only event: participation is limited to games Valve classifies as horror, which is why your wishlist of cozy farming sims will look untouched while your scary-game backlog collapses in price.
Here is what is actually happening, what the discounts will and will not cover, and which indie horror games are worth the money — including several that launched in the past seven days and will be at full price throughout.
Steam Scream Fest 2026 dates
| Event | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Sale starts | 26 October 2026, 10:00 AM Pacific |
| Sale ends | 2 November 2026, 10:00 AM Pacific |
| Developer discount entry deadline | 26 October 2026, 10:00 AM Pacific |
| Duration | 7 days |
Pacific time is UTC−7 during this window, so the sale opens at 17:00 UTC on 26 October and closes at 17:00 UTC on 2 November. Valve publishes these dates in its Steamworks seasonal events schedule; see the Sources block below for where they came from.
What Scream Fest is, and what it is not
Scream Fest is a themed sale event, not a seasonal sale. The distinction matters more than most buyers realise.
It only covers horror
Themed fests are curated by genre. A developer cannot opt a farming sim into Scream Fest, so the event front page is a horror storefront rather than a general discount page. If you are waiting on a non-horror wishlist item, the next broad event is the Autumn and Winter seasonal sales, not this one.
The 30-day discount cooldown still applies
Steam prevents a game being discounted within 30 days of its last discount, and Valve's own themed-sale documentation states that themed sale events adhere to that cooldown with no exceptions possible. Only seasonal sales are exempt. The practical effect: any horror game that was on sale in late September or early October cannot be discounted again for Scream Fest, however well it would have fitted.
Brand-new releases will be full price
A game cannot be discounted for 30 days after a price increase, and launch discounts are capped at 40% and limited to a 7 to 14 day window. Games that came out in the last week — several of the best horror releases of the year among them — will either be at their launch discount or at full price, not at a Scream Fest cut.
The horror that launched too late for the sale
The week of 19–25 October was the strongest horror week on Steam this year, and almost none of it will be discounted. These are the ones worth paying full price for.
| Game | Price | Steam 250 weekly rank | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cucina Stellata | Free | #5 (+2) | 97% of 465 |
| Dementium II | $14.99 | #14 (+2) | 96% of 146 |
| Soul Mates | $12.99 | #13 (+1) | 98% of 119 |
| The Killing Stone | $19.99 | #21 | 95% of 101 |
| Otherside Tapes: Favela | $8.09 | #29 (+13) | 96% of 48 |
| Grease Trap '99 | $4.49 | New at #50 | 100% of 15 |
Cucina Stellata is the obvious first download because it costs nothing: a short psychological horror game about cooking 19th-century Italian recipes, sitting at 97% positive from 465 reviews. Otherside Tapes: Favela made the largest single-week climb on the chart at +13 places, and is the rare found-footage horror game set somewhere the genre never goes.
Where the real discounts will be
Because of the cooldown rule, the best Scream Fest value is in horror that is at least a few months old and has not been on sale recently. On this site that points at games like SILENT BREATH, Liminal Shroud, Welcome to Elderfield, Twisted Tower and Withering Realms. None of these are confirmed participants — Valve does not publish the line-up in advance — but they are the profile of game that typically appears.
What is still unknown
Three honest caveats before you plan a budget around this.
First, the participating game list is not published ahead of time. Developers opt in individually and can opt out until the moment the sale opens, so no outlet can tell you today which games will be discounted. Anyone presenting a confirmed Scream Fest line-up right now is guessing.
Second, discount depth is set per game, anywhere from 10% to 95%. There is no event-wide minimum. A game appearing in Scream Fest is not a promise of a meaningful cut.
Third, these dates come from Valve's published schedule as reported by sale trackers and developer-facing analysis, not from a Valve press release. Valve has been consistent with its seasonal calendar, and the 26 October to 2 November window is reported identically across independent trackers, but if Valve shifts the window the change will show on the Steam store front page first.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Steam Halloween Sale 2026 start?
Steam Scream Fest 2026 starts on 26 October 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific, which is 17:00 UTC.
When does Steam Scream Fest 2026 end?
It ends on 2 November 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific, giving the sale a seven-day run.
Is Steam Scream Fest the same as the Steam Halloween Sale?
Yes. Scream Fest is Valve's name for its annual Halloween themed sale. The 2026 edition is the fifth.
Are all Steam games discounted during Scream Fest?
No. Scream Fest is a themed sale limited to horror games. Non-horror titles are not eligible, and horror games that were discounted within the previous 30 days are blocked by Steam's discount cooldown rule.
Why is a horror game I want not on sale during Scream Fest?
Most likely the 30-day discount cooldown. Steam does not allow a product to be discounted within 30 days of its last discount, and Valve states that themed sale events follow that rule with no exceptions. A game discounted in early October cannot be discounted again for Scream Fest.
How deep are Steam Scream Fest discounts?
There is no fixed figure. Custom Steam discounts range from 10% to 95% and each developer sets their own, so the depth varies game by game.
Can new horror games join Scream Fest?
They can participate in the event, but launch discounts are capped at 40% and must run for 7 to 14 days, and a game cannot be discounted for 30 days after a price increase. Games released in the week before the sale are usually at full price or at their existing launch discount.
Sources and citation
- Steam Scream Fest 2026 dates, discount cooldown rules and developer deadlines
https://www.steampageanalyzer.com/blog/steam-halloween-sale-2026 - Steam sale calendar and Scream Fest countdown
https://steamdb.com/en/tools/steam-sales - Steam Halloween Sale 2026 overview
https://gg.deals/news/steam-halloween-sale/ - Top 50 best Steam games of the past week, used for all chart positions and review figures in this article
https://steam250.com/7day - Prices, release dates and review data verified against the Steam storefront API on 25 October 2026
https://store.steampowered.com/
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