In this Halloween mini-episode, your hosts—Jo, Karen, and Claire—lean into spooky season with a chat that blends horror loves, gaming scares, costume dreams, spoonie-friendly celebrating, and a dash of real-life business “nightmares.” It’s cozy, candid, and very October.
Below is a quick overview and the key moments you won’t want to miss.
Episode snapshot
- Theme: Halloween special—how we enjoy horror, games, and costumes… with limited spoons
- Vibes: Fun, nostalgic, a bit gory, very relatable
- Big topics: Horror preferences, favorite games, party stories, practical effects vs CGI, when hype ruins a scare, and business horror stories
Horror we love (and what we don’t)
- Psychological over cheap jump scares: Jo loves horror that makes you think; jump scares can feel overused unless they’re done cleverly.
- Gore can be great: Claire and Jo enjoy a good, gory flick—but please, don’t hurt the animals.
- Vampires and werewolves: Yes to gothic vibes, no to sparkles. Interview With the Vampire got a special nod.
- Practical effects > CGI: Practical makeup and not over-showing the monster often holds up better and feels scarier.
- Hype fatigue: Movies marketed as “the scariest ever” often disappoint. Bad advertising can wreck a good story (looking at you, Colossal).
Claire’s recommendation: the Terrifier films for throwback, practical-effect gore fans. Lights off. All three.
Games that gave us chills
- Silent Hill 2: Karen’s all-time favorite—atmosphere, story, and psychological depth.
- Dead Space: Claire’s high-anxiety playthroughs, complete with frequent pauses and jumps. Bonus: the “spooky door” effect that ramps tension.
- Mansions of Madness (board game): Puzzle-solving, Lovecraftian stakes, and a balanced endgame that keeps players on edge.
- Eldritch Horror: Save the world—if you can.
- Rush of Blood (VR): Jump-inducing even for seasoned horror fans.
Sweet scares and funny fails
- Trick-or-treat perfection: The tiny wolf-masked kid who howled “trick or treat—awoooo!” melted Jo’s heart (and yes, the child got all the sweets).
- The Crow bathroom incident: Karen escaped a stuck bathroom via a tiny window pre-party—only to be reported as a prowler. Iconic.
- Scary clown birthday: Claire’s Halloween birthday party vibes included scary clown makeup. Fewer crying children than hoped, but still a success.
If we had the spoons: Costume ideas
- Karen: Eric Draven from The Crow, steampunk outfits, or an anthropomorphic cat (fangs permitting).
- Claire: Something Victorian with full-on gore makeup—lots of velvet, lots of drama.
- Jo: Classic vampire aesthetic with a gothic, classy twist.
Reality check: We love parties in theory—but noise, heat, pain, and spoon management mean we mostly celebrate at home with games and films. And honestly? Perfect.
Year-round spooky
Claire’s house carries horror-themed decor all year. Halloween isn’t a season—it’s a lifestyle.
Business horror stories (and what we learned)
- Health setbacks and client loss: Jo shared how health challenges cascaded into business impacts—but there are always options and routes back.
- The iron incident: Claire left an iron plugged in, tipped onto the carpet, and discovered a triangular scorch mark hours later. Current plan: turn it into a Halloween “feature,” then fix it.
- Organizational chaos: Karen reflected on a past workplace with shocking miscommunication and dysfunction. Lessons learned? Boundaries, clarity, and knowing when to step away.
Key takeaway: Even when business gets scary, there’s always a way through—plans, pivots, and support matter.
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