OK, we admit -- these moments are only some of the most frightening, and not necessarily the only ones that should qualify. We presented the question to our staff in honor or Halloween, "Pick the scariest moment you can remember when playing a game." This is what we came up with. This list proves one thing -- scary is certainly subjective. We hope you enjoy them, listed in no particular order.

1. Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines -- The Ocean House Hotel; Troika Games; PC; 2004

The scene that stands out most to me was in Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines from the now defunct Troika Game Studio released on the PC in 2004.

In the game you play a vampire from one of the various clans; the game was based on the White Wolf role-playing game set in the World of Darkness, a setting with which I am very familiar. There is a section in the game when you have to enter the now abandoned, run down, and haunted Ocean Hotel.

It's really a sub plot ripped right out of The Shining -- axe murderer, dead children, etc. But the hotel was dark, completely empty, and Troika set the mood better than any set piece I can remember before or since. You'd see just flashes of a ghost carrying an axe -- literally a millisecond and not long enough to really even know if you saw it or not. Was that a ghost or is my video card acting up? That was my first reaction. Then I started walking up the spiral staircase and I thought I saw it again. But I still wasn't sure. I was playing late at night in complete darkness, which certainly added to my anxiety level.

Inside the Ocean House Hotel.

You'd find clues inside certain rooms that told you the grisly story of what happened in the hotel, all the while waiting -- continually waiting for something to happen. Walking down a long corridor you'd swear you saw or heard something -- but it was faint. Heading down to the boiler room the axe wielding ghost would appear in your peripheral vision - and you'd wheel around to see ...nothing. Just noise from water dripping in the boiler room.