Virtual Pumpkin Festivals: A Spooktacular Surprise
This Halloween, many of us would have been tempted to shell out £80 for a traditional pumpkin festival experience – a night spent wandering through a spooky park or farm to marvel at ghoulish decorations. But I had other plans with my kids this year. As the pandemic forced cancellation of last year's neighbourhood Pumpkin Festival, game developer Adam Robinson-Yu resurrected it as a virtual event called Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival.
To my surprise, this digital festival was an absolute treat for both me and my six-year-old. For the first time in years, we could experience Halloween thrills without breaking the bank or braving the elements. The micro-world of the festival is filled with handiwork from players like us – spooky pumpkins line every surface, from benches to corridors, while other players float about as adorable ghosts with drawn-on faces.
What struck me most was how immersive and engaging this virtual event truly was. While at first glance it might seem simple, there's a wealth of secrets waiting for those willing to dig in – hidden collectible pin badges and mini-games to discover, like an eerie silent film cinema that plays films for a crowdless audience.
From the delightful jump scares of the tractor ride through barns, to the brain-teasers of a haunted house escape room where our team took hours to figure out, every moment offered something new. The game itself was only accessible behind doors with restricted access – some requiring unlocking keys hidden around the festival grounds, others requiring deciphering codes posted in public areas.
While my kids were initially hesitant to venture into the scariest mini-game due to its intensity, it was clear that this virtual Pumpkin Festival had so much depth and creative freedom behind its Halloween veneer. The best part? You can indulge without fear of financial or physical discomfort – an hour spent wandering through Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival cost me a fraction of what attending a traditional event would.
Until the festival is gone for another year, download it from itch.io on a pay-what-you-want basis and uncover all its delights for yourself.
This Halloween, many of us would have been tempted to shell out £80 for a traditional pumpkin festival experience – a night spent wandering through a spooky park or farm to marvel at ghoulish decorations. But I had other plans with my kids this year. As the pandemic forced cancellation of last year's neighbourhood Pumpkin Festival, game developer Adam Robinson-Yu resurrected it as a virtual event called Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival.
To my surprise, this digital festival was an absolute treat for both me and my six-year-old. For the first time in years, we could experience Halloween thrills without breaking the bank or braving the elements. The micro-world of the festival is filled with handiwork from players like us – spooky pumpkins line every surface, from benches to corridors, while other players float about as adorable ghosts with drawn-on faces.
What struck me most was how immersive and engaging this virtual event truly was. While at first glance it might seem simple, there's a wealth of secrets waiting for those willing to dig in – hidden collectible pin badges and mini-games to discover, like an eerie silent film cinema that plays films for a crowdless audience.
From the delightful jump scares of the tractor ride through barns, to the brain-teasers of a haunted house escape room where our team took hours to figure out, every moment offered something new. The game itself was only accessible behind doors with restricted access – some requiring unlocking keys hidden around the festival grounds, others requiring deciphering codes posted in public areas.
While my kids were initially hesitant to venture into the scariest mini-game due to its intensity, it was clear that this virtual Pumpkin Festival had so much depth and creative freedom behind its Halloween veneer. The best part? You can indulge without fear of financial or physical discomfort – an hour spent wandering through Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival cost me a fraction of what attending a traditional event would.
Until the festival is gone for another year, download it from itch.io on a pay-what-you-want basis and uncover all its delights for yourself.
I've been thinking, with virtual events like this Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival becoming more popular, we're gonna see a shift in how we experience seasonal celebrations. Like, why bother with the hassle of traveling to a crowded event when you can have an immersive online experience that's just as fun? 
It's also super cool to see gamers and developers getting involved, creating these intricate worlds and stories for us to explore. I mean, who needs physical pumpkins when you can collect digital pin badges and play mini-games instead? 
The thing is, though, with the rise of virtual events, are we gonna lose that sense of community that comes with in-person gatherings? I don't know... 
! I mean who needs to shell out £80 for a real-life event when you can have the same thrill at home? The idea that it's made by players like us is wild lol, like we're all just contributing to this crazy cool thing together 
And 100£ an hour is like, a total steal! I've been looking for some spooky fun with my little ones and this sounds perfect 
. i've been meaning to try some of these online games with my little ones and this sounds like a great way to spend an halloween evening together 
. those hidden collectible pin badges and mini-games sound like so much fun! 
. This digital fest is literally the best thing since sliced bread - it's so immersive and engaging, you'll forget it's not real! The attention to detail is insane, from the creepy pumpkins to the mini-games and hidden collectibles. My kid was totally hooked on that haunted house escape room too... I had to help them figure out the code myself 
. And the best part? It's pay-what-you-want, so even if you're on a tight budget, it's still worth giving a try! 
It's like how communities create their own content on platforms like Discord or YouTube Live - now that's community building 
.
. The attention to detail in Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival is insane – I loved how every nook and cranny had something new to discover, from the silly ghosties to the spooky pumpkins 
. It's amazing how a virtual event can still give you that Halloween thrill without breaking the bank or braving the elements 
. Can't wait to see what other devs come up with next! 
. we had such a blast exploring the ghost town and finding those hidden pin badges 
, it was like a treasure hunt! 
. it's also great that it's pay-what-you-want on itch.io, so even if you're on a tight budget like me, you can still join in on the spooky fun 
!
I mean, who needs to spend hours figuring out codes and unlocking doors when you can just go to the park and carve your own pumpkin? 
And £80 is a lot to spend on Halloween, but if it's worth it for the experience and not just about money, then I say go for it! 
! Who needs to shell out £80 when you can have an immersive experience at home with your kiddos? The devs did a sick job of making it feel like a real-life spooky farm... minus the £80 price tag 
. And let's be real, no risk of getting wet or hungry (no pumpkin pie for me 
, offering an engaging alternative to traditional events 
. I must say, Adam Robinson-Yu's Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival is a masterclass in immersive game design 
!
. i loved the scariest mini-game too, but my little ones were all like "no way, we're good" 
. and omg the tractor ride was giving me chills! 
! I mean, who needs to shell out £80 for a traditional festival when you can get the same spooky vibes for pennies? And it's not just about the free entry - it's how immersive and engaging the whole thing was. I loved discovering all those hidden secrets and collectibles, like they were treasure hunts 
️! The game itself was so much fun, especially with my little one... we even solved that creepy escape room together 
. And what if the servers go down or someone hacks into the game? 
That'd be a total bummer 
. I'm gonna keep an eye on this one, but for now, it's just a novelty that might not last 
. And let's not forget about the community aspect, too – it's so cool that players are sharing their own artwork and creations with each other