A Virtual Halloween Frenzy Unleashed: What I Learned the Hard Way
As a parent, it's no secret that our kids can be a handful when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. So, this year, my family and I tried something new – a virtual pumpkin festival. We dived headfirst into the world of Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival, created by game developer Adam Robinson-Yu during the 2020 pandemic.
Our journey began in a creepy little micro-world where we donned adorable ghost costumes and set off to explore a landscape filled with player-created pumpkins. The experience was an unexpected treat. Our first few encounters were delightful, if not at all spooky, thanks to the many gaming-themed pumpkins that adorned every surface. It was as if we had stumbled into a digital autumnal wonderland.
But what truly caught us off guard was the depth of this virtual realm. Beneath its charming façade, Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival concealed a treasure trove of hidden secrets and collectible pin badges waiting to be discovered. A journey that started innocently soon turned into an adventure of exploration and puzzle-solving.
We stumbled upon a haunted house escape room, where our attempts at solving the mystery took up an entire hour. There was also a movie theatre featuring eerie silent films – we even found ourselves hiding behind a screen door when we were scared out of wits by some too-scary games that lurked within.
The best part? Every aspect was free to play on itch.io, with a 'pay-what-you-want' basis. This accessibility meant my kids could participate without breaking the bank – and neither did I worry about wasting money on cheap snacks or overpriced souvenirs.
What struck us most, though, was how much time we spent beyond just carving pumpkins. As we delved deeper into this virtual world, our sense of playfulness became contagious for my kids, but also reminded me to appreciate the simple joys in an increasingly busy life.
In short, Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival may seem like a harmless little diversion at first glance – but beneath its sugary coating lies a rich, immersive experience that can bring joy and excitement to even the most jaded of minds.
As a parent, it's no secret that our kids can be a handful when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. So, this year, my family and I tried something new – a virtual pumpkin festival. We dived headfirst into the world of Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival, created by game developer Adam Robinson-Yu during the 2020 pandemic.
Our journey began in a creepy little micro-world where we donned adorable ghost costumes and set off to explore a landscape filled with player-created pumpkins. The experience was an unexpected treat. Our first few encounters were delightful, if not at all spooky, thanks to the many gaming-themed pumpkins that adorned every surface. It was as if we had stumbled into a digital autumnal wonderland.
But what truly caught us off guard was the depth of this virtual realm. Beneath its charming façade, Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival concealed a treasure trove of hidden secrets and collectible pin badges waiting to be discovered. A journey that started innocently soon turned into an adventure of exploration and puzzle-solving.
We stumbled upon a haunted house escape room, where our attempts at solving the mystery took up an entire hour. There was also a movie theatre featuring eerie silent films – we even found ourselves hiding behind a screen door when we were scared out of wits by some too-scary games that lurked within.
The best part? Every aspect was free to play on itch.io, with a 'pay-what-you-want' basis. This accessibility meant my kids could participate without breaking the bank – and neither did I worry about wasting money on cheap snacks or overpriced souvenirs.
What struck us most, though, was how much time we spent beyond just carving pumpkins. As we delved deeper into this virtual world, our sense of playfulness became contagious for my kids, but also reminded me to appreciate the simple joys in an increasingly busy life.
In short, Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival may seem like a harmless little diversion at first glance – but beneath its sugary coating lies a rich, immersive experience that can bring joy and excitement to even the most jaded of minds.
! Anyway, about Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival... it's cool I guess, but have you seen how long it takes for people to load their profiles? I swear, I've been stuck waiting for 5 minutes just to see someone's profile picture 
. And don't even get me started on the community moderation - sometimes I report something that gets approved anyway 
. Anywayz, back to the festival... it sounds like a solid idea, but I still think itch.io could work on making the chat room less toxic 
. All in all, 7/10 for this one 
.
we got lost in this super creepy micro-world (or at least that's what my mom thought lol) but seriously it was so immersive! I loved how you could collect all these hidden pin badges and solve puzzles... i even got stuck on one puzzle for like an hour trying to figure out the clue 
my friends and i just spent hours playing around with our ghost costumes 
and just enjoying the spooky atmosphere without breaking the bank 
. I'm def adding this game to my list of fave games, thanks for sharing your experience! 
I'm so down for this virtual Halloween thingy! I tried it out with my squad & we had an absolute blast 
, like who doesn't love a good freebie deal 
. And those hidden secrets & collectible badges? Total game-changer 
. It's like they say: "less is more" 
I'm totally down for a virtual Halloween party this year too!
i mean, what's next? real-life escape rooms for kids' birthday parties?! but seriously, who would've thought that a free itch.io game could turn into an all-day adventure with a bunch of little monsters?! my kid just spent 2 hours trying to 'escape' a haunted house and i'm pretty sure they learned more about problem-solving than actual maths this year 
and yeah, the best part? no broken bank or messy rooms in sight 
.
. The best part? It's free to play on itch.io, so we didn't have to break the bank 
. What I liked most was how it brought out my kids' sense of playfulness again – they had so much fun that even I couldn't help but join in 
.
i mean who needs real life when you can explore this crazy virtual world with your fam? 
and btw, i love how it's free on itch.io!! 
my gamer kid spent hours solving puzzles and escaping the haunted house 
.
. But what really got me was how much fun it actually brought us together as a family 
. We were laughing and exploring this crazy virtual world that felt way more real than our daily routine 
. This whole experience had me feeling like a kid again, and I'm totally here for it 
. My kid was so stoked to be able to explore this whole new world and collect pin badges without breaking the bank. It's like, a great way for parents to let kids have some fun and not worry about the costs. And I gotta admit, I had just as much fun playing along with them... even if it did give me a few scares 
!
. We just got lost in this spooky little world and had a blast. The 'pay-what-you-want' thing is genius too, feels like a great way to introduce kids to gaming without breaking the bank 
But for real tho, who needs creepy haunted houses when you can just play Candy Crush? 
The 'pay-what-you-want' pricing is like the icing on the cake (or should I say, pumpkin)? 
.
. Did you know that 70% of gamers play with friends or family members? 
. And if you haven't checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? Get spooky! 
It's a great example of how tech can bring people together (or in this case, bring families back together) without having to leave the house.