I returned to Phasmophobia while everyone else was playing Arc Raiders or BF6, and the horror hit has never been better I write about videogames for a living, and even I can't find the time to play half of what I'd like to, doubly so when it comes to the world of live-service. I often have to leave the games I love by the wayside, and despite enjoying the time I spent with Phasmophobia in...

Best turn-based strategy games on PC 2025 What are the best turn-based strategy games? The break afforded by 'turns' allows us to think, ponder, and plan our moves with as much expert precision as we can muster. Witnessing that master plan unfold can be immensely satisfying, and suddenly, you get a taste of becoming a master tactician. This genre is also home to the...

Save $450 on this stunning OLED 4K gaming monitor that just hit its lowest ever price before Black Friday It may not be Black Friday just yet, but there are already plenty of discounts popping up, and this Samsung gaming monitor might be one of the most exciting out there right now. Boasting a QD-OLED display running at a smooth 240Hz refresh rate, this 4K beast is a fairly expensive...

History has often been made between walls, and that can indeed be said of these haunted castles.Many of these fortresses hold violent histories filled with tales of vengeance, mysticism, and even cold-blooded murder. As a result, these gorgeous yet decrepit estates have morphed from their majestic beginnings into some of the most haunted places on Earth or so some might claim.For example, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland is known as one of the most haunted places in the entire country. Its unparalleled paranormal activity involves poltergeists and demonic figures allegedly birthed by the extensive brutality that took place inside its dungeons.Cornell University Library/Wikimedia CommonsEdinburgh Castle is said to be haunted by countless ghosts, from a noblewoman to a medieval soldier.Theres also the famous Castle Frankenstein in Germany, which is alleged to have inspired Mary Shelley as she was writing Frankenstein in the early 19th century. The haunted castle is said to be a place where witches congregate in search of the fabled fountain of youth that is purportedly located on its grounds.But these surreal stories are just the beginning. Take a look at several more of the worlds most haunted castles below.Moosham Castle In Unternberg, AustriaClick here to view slideshowMoosham Castle, or Schloss Moosham, of Austria has a dark history that's entwined with medieval European witch hunts. The fortress was first documented in a deed from 1191, and it received its name from the Moosheim family, who inherited the castle during the 13th century.In the 17th century, the people of Austria were subjected to a series of witch hunts, which culminated in the Salzburg Witch Trials. Hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft many of them men and Moosham Castle played a chilling role in their demise. As the administrative center for the trials, the fortress saw dozens of men, women, and children convicted, imprisoned, and executed. Some victims were even branded with hot iron, had their hands cut off, or were otherwise tortured within Moosham's walls.Moosham Castle has also been connected to other supernatural beings: werewolves. These half-man, half-beast creatures were rumored to roam near the castle, supposedly evidenced by the inexplicable slaughter of deer and cattle on the surrounding property in the early 1800s.With such a wicked history, it's no surprise that Moosham Castle is said to be haunted, likely by the ghosts of the victims who were tortured there.According to the castle's official website, one ghostly legend tells of an evil bailiff known as Schrgen-Toni who lived there in the 18th century. One stormy night, a horse-drawn carriage pulled up outside the fortress, and a stranger emerged and knocked on Schrgen-Toni's door. It was the Devil himself, who told him, "Come now, you, our dear guest, who have long deserved Hell. In dark night, amid death and horror, you shall only behold eternal darkness."Today, visitors and staff who work at the medieval site claim to have experienced inexplicable events while inside the palace. Some report feeling a light touch or breath despite having no one by their side, hearing loud bangs and footsteps at night, and seeing sudden clouds of white mist, adding to the eerie tales surrounding this haunted castle.Haunted Castles: The Romanian Palace Associated With DraculaClick here to view slideshowIn the mountains of Romania stands one of the most foreboding castles in Eastern Europe. Its secluded location in the Transylvanian wilderness is enough to make anyone think twice about knocking on its door. But more than that, Bran Castle has earned a terrifying reputation thanks to its association with history's real-life Dracula.While most historians today agree that Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, never lived at Bran Castle, the fortress has long been associated with the fearsome leader. Vlad ruled the territory of Wallachia in the 15th century and took on the name Vlad Dracula after his father, Vlad Dracul. But his unparalleled reputation for violence was known across Europe particularly his favorite form of torture.Vlad the Impaler may have never lived at Bran Castle, but the palace has an equally fearsome reputation. The ghost of a noblewoman called the White Lady is said to roam its halls, causing the temperature to drop drastically wherever she goes.A monk who was purportedly walled up alive inside the castle is also said to terrorize visitors, whispering in their ears and brushing his cold hand against them. Guests have also reported hearing children's laughter and seeing flickering lights and mysterious orbs.While Dracula both the historical figure and Bram Stoker's vampire has no actual association with this haunted castle, the fortress continues to draw tourists from all over who want to experience the terror of the legendary Bran Castle for themselves.The post 9 Haunted Castles With Bloody Histories, From Frankensteins Fortress To Castello Di Montebello appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Before these institutions became the derelict ruins of ghost hunters dreams, they were either the pinnacle of health in their era or a torture chamber thinly disguised as a hospital. Indeed, some of these abandoned hospitals are a stark reminder of the terrors they once hosted.From the abandoned hospital in Pripyat, Ukraine that fell victim to the most catastrophic nuclear disaster of the 20th century to the Nazi hospital that tended to Adolf Hitlers soldiers, the historical appeal of these crumbling medical centers is matched only by their fear factor.Some abandoned hospitals have been turned into tourist attractions, while others have become protected sites. Yet others have simply remained abandoned, sparking rumors that evil forces are found within their walls.Step inside nine of the creepiest abandoned hospitals below.Chernobyls Abandoned Hospital In PripyatClick here to view slideshowOn April 26, 1986, engineers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Ukraine made an irreversible mistake while performing a seemingly standard test on reactor number 4. The reactor exploded and led to a meltdown, resulting in the worst nuclear accident of the 20th century.In the days following the Chernobyl disaster, 134 servicemen involved with the clean-up in and around Pripyat were hospitalized. Then, 28 responders died of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in a matter of weeks, and 14 died of radiation-induced cancer within the next 10 years. Chillingly, the complete effects that the disaster had on the health of the public in Pripyat and the surrounding area is still not totally known.Pripyat is located in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an area that remains contaminated with radiation and is mostly uninhabited by humans today. But the former Soviet city once housed 50,000 citizens and was becoming a respectable symbol of modern progress before the disaster.The Chernobyl GalleryIn 1986, Pripyat Hospital was inundated with firefighters and other first responders who were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.There was a cultural center in town, several schools, public sporting grounds and a large hospital that's now abandoned. Pripyat Hospital consisted of an inpatient building, a lab, and three separate clinics. With a total capacity of 410 patients, it was a professional healthcare facility that was put to the ultimate test that fateful spring day back in 1986.Located on Druzhby Narodov, or "Friendship of the People" Street, the hospital was flooded with casualties in the early hours of April 26th. Over 100 firefighters and plant workers who were irradiated during their efforts to quell the inferno and evacuate the area were among the first to be treated.When it was all over, 237 Pripyat locals suffered from acute radiation sickness. Those who managed to survive were safely removed from the disaster site and transported to safer medical centers in Moscow.Decades later, the basement in Pripyat's abandoned hospital remains an area of fascination. Clothes and other items frantically left behind by first responders are still sitting there, emitting high levels of radiation.The post Explore 9 Of The Worlds Scariest Abandoned Hospitals, From A Haunted Asylum To A Radioactive Clinic appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Bettmann/Getty ImagesCharles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugates 1958 murder spree across Nebraska and Wyoming left 10 people dead but theyre nowhere near the most prolific serial killer couple.As well as being illegal and morally repugnant, committing murder is risky. The chance of getting caught is high enough when only one person is in on the plot; adding a second perpetrator only heightens the potential for error, and thus the likelihood of imprisonment, as these serial killer couples found out the hard way.Some of the couples below, like teenagers Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, had just started dating when they set out on their grisly crime sprees. Others, like Ray and Faye Copeland, had been married for decades before they turned to murder.Their victims varied, too. Most of the disturbing duos targeted teens and young women, but the Copelands exclusively killed their farmhands and some of the couples simply murdered anyone who got in their way.Go inside the stories of these notorious serial killer couples and the depraved crimes they carried out.The Ken And Barbie Killers Paul Bernardo And Karla HomolkaKingston Penitentiary/Wikimedia CommonsPaul Bernardo in a November 1985 mugshot.A gruesome pair even among serial killer couples, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka met in Toronto in 1987. Bernardo, who was 23 at the time, had already committed multiple rapes. Homolka was 17, but despite her young age, she was disturbingly sadistic. The story goes that the two were drawn to each other almost immediately, but there was apparently a problem: Homolka wasnt a virgin. To solve this issue, Homolka decided to gift Bernardo the virginity of her 15-year-old sister, Tammy Homolka, for Christmas. On the night of Dec. 23, 1990, Homolka drugged Tammys eggnog, and when Tammy passed out, Bernardo and Homolka brutally raped her for hours and filmed the entire crime.Somehow, the end result was even worse than what the pair had planned. After abusing Tammy, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka left her tied up and unable to move. Sometime during the night, Tammy choked on her own vomit and died. However, a subsequent inquest found no evidence of foul play, and her death was initially ruled accidental.Bernardo and Homolka went on to repeat this grotesque act at least twice more, filming themselves sexually abusing and killing 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in June 1991 and 15-year-old Kristen French in April 1992. Bernardo also continued to rape other women, which is how his DNA wound up in investigators hands. Dick Loek/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesKarla Homolka and Paul Bernardo got married on June 29, 1991 the same day the body of their second victim, Leslie Mahaffy, was discovered.Then, in late 1992, Bernardo made the mistake of beating Homolka. Around the same time, detectives connected him to multiple rape cases. At that point, Homolka revealed to her aunt and uncle that she and Bernardo were behind the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. Homolka struck a deal with the authorities and started testifying against Bernardo, leading the police to the videotapes of the crimes.Bernardo is currently serving a life sentence, while Homolka who claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse and was forced to help Bernardo in his murderous schemes spent 12 years behind bars, from 1993 to 2005.The post 9 Infamous Serial Killer Couples And The Depraved Crimes They Carried Out Together appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsA 1764 rendering of the Beast of Gvaudan called Picture of the Monster that is devastating Gvaudan.Between 1764 and 1767, something evil stalked the quiet hills of Gvaudan, France. The so-called Bte du Gvaudan, or Beast of Gvaudan, attacked hundreds of people in this period, often tearing out their throats. No one knew what it was or how to stop it. For three years, the beast terrified villagers of this southern French region. And for three years, hunters came from far and wide to try and track it down. Even King Louis XV got involved. But although something was killed by the end of the 1760s that put an end to the attacks attacks that killed more than 100 people the mystery of the Bte du Gvaudan endures. Was it a mythical beast? A lion on the loose? Or simply a product of mass hysteria? History Uncovered Podcast Episode 32: The Beast Of Gvaudans Reign Of Terror In 18th-Century France Between 1764 and 1767, something evil stalked the hills of Gvaudan, France. The so-calledBte du Gvaudan, or Beast of Gvaudan, attacked hundreds of people, often tearing out their throats. No one knew what it was or how to stop it.The First Attacks By The Beast Of GvaudanUntil 1764, Gvaudan was a quiet region, safely secluded in the mountains of Margeride in the south of France and largely cut off from the outside world. Life there was peaceful until a spring day that year. Public DomainA depiction of the beast published in November 1764. It reads, A picture of the fierce and extraordinary beast that eats girls.As Jay Smith wrote in Monsters of the Gvaudan, a young woman watching a herd of cattle on a spring day in 1764 claimed that something had tried to attack her. She described the beast as like a wolf, yet not a wolf and said she had only escaped with her life because her herd had defended her.Two months later, a young shepherdess was not as lucky. On June 30, something attacked and killed 14-year-old Jeanne Boulet while she was watching over her familys livestock. The villagers might have uneasily dismissed these incidents as par for the course sheepherding could be dangerous work and attract predators. But on Aug. 8, another girl was killed. With her last breath, she described the animal that had killed her as a horrible beast.Public DomainA 1764 artists interpretation of the monsters attacks.From there, the attacks kept coming. At the end of August, a young boy watching sheep disappeared, only to be found partially eaten. Come September, four more people would fall victim to the beast.One of these attacks claimed the life of the first adult victim as well, a 36-year-old woman in Arzenc parish who met her grisly end just a few steps from the safety of her door. Now, the residents of Gvaudan were convinced that an evil creature lurked in their midst. The Beast of Gvaudan was picking off locals one by one. They knew they had to do something. Hunting The Mysterious MonsterThreatened by a terrifying monster, the people of Gvaudan prepared a massive response. Jean-Baptiste Duhamel, the captain of the local infantry, and tienne Lafont, a regional government delegate, were joined by 30,000 volunteers to hunt the Beast of Gvaudan down.Public DomainAn illustration of Jeanne Jouve, whose attempt to save her child from the Beast of Gvaudan made her a national hero, 1839.Everyone is on guard, Lafont wrote. As fear continued to grip Gvaudan, Lafont was tasked with coordinating the official response to the crisis. He had hoped to establish in each parish a permanent hunt with anywhere between eight and 10 people on constant patrol but unfortunately, he found that many of the villagers were too timid for this task. Those willing to help with the hunt, however, would be paid up to 20 sous per day. Lafont also convinced his superiors that professional soldiers were needed to hunt the beast. And before October came to an end, all officers of the local police were ordered to provide aid to Captain Duhamel. They scoured the countryside, laid traps with poisoned bait, and even had some volunteers dress like women in hopes of attracting the Bte du Gvaudan. The men were highly motivated. In addition to wanting to stop the beast, they also hungered after the reward money. According to Smithsonian Magazine, it was equal to a years salary. Public DomainAn 18th-century depiction of the monster attacking a woman. But although a group of these hunters purportedly stumbled upon the beast, they failed to shoot it. They reported that the beast was too cunning and too powerful to be subdued. Hunters who are in pursuit have neither been able to stop it, because it is more agile than they, a local French paper wrote at the end of 1764. Nor lure it into their traps, because it surpasses them in cunning, nor engage in combat when it presents itself to them, because its terrifying appearance weakens their courage, disturbs their vision, sets their hands shaking, and neutralizes their skill.Public DomainAn illustration by Thomas Borup of the hunt for the Beast of Gvaudan.Duhamel described the beast as having a chest as wide as a horse, a body as long as a leopards, and red fur with a black stripe. Another witness claimed that it could walk on its hind legs. Perhaps hoping to excuse the hunters failure, the witness also said that the beasts skin could withstand and even repel bullets. Even hunters who came from afar had no luck. A father-son team from Normandy who claimed to have killed more than 1,000 wolves came to Gvaudan to help. But even they couldnt manage to kill the beast. The People Of Gvaudan Fight BackAs awareness of the Beast of Gvaudan spread, locals fought back. In January 1675, a group of children led by 10-year-old Jacques Portefaix were said to have driven off the beast with sticks, earning a reward from the king. In addition, Portefaix was given an education paid by the crown. Later that year, a young woman named Marie-Jeanne Valet was crossing the River Desges with her sister when the beast attacked. During the encounter, Valet struck the beast with a bayonet, impaling it in the chest. Though the beast fled, Valet became known as the Amazon and the Maid of Gvaudan.Public Domain18th-century print of Jacques Portefaix and his companions fighting the beast.But as the attacks continued, the French king, Louis XV, became personally involved. Convinced that the Beast of Gvaudan was too much for the locals to handle, he sent his personal bodyguard, the 71-year-old gunbearer Franois Antoine, to the region in September 1765.At first, Antoine seemed to be the right call. He and his men shot and killed a giant wolf, stuffed it, and collected their reward. But a few months later, the attacks started up again. This time, the beast seemed fiercer and more fearless. It attacked and killed scores of people, stirring up panic. The Beast of Gvaudans reign of terror didnt end until June 19, 1767, when a local farmer whom Antoine had earlier thrown in prison for leading him into a bog shot and killed another huge wolf. Wikimedia CommonsAn 18th-century print of Franois Antoine shooting a wolf. When residents cut the wolf open, they found human remains inside. Thus, the Beast of Gvaudan seemed to have been killed at last. The attacks stopped. But the mystery surrounding this eerie story has endured. Was the Beast of Gvaudan a wolf or something else entirely? What Was The Beast Of Gvaudan?To this day, no one is entirely sure what terrorized the people of Gvaudan in the 1760s. But several theories have emerged. The most prominent theory is that the beast was merely a wolf. Or, more likely, the Beast of Gvaudan was a particularly aggressive pack of wolves. The animals are native to the region, and thousands of wolf attacks were recorded in France between the 17th and 19th centuries. But those who saw the Beast of Gvaudan often claimed that it only resembled a wolf. Public DomainA 1765 engraving showing the many attacks of the Beast of Gvaudan, with Marie-Jeanne Valets piercing attack in the center.Other theories have suggested that the beast was an escaped exotic animal, like a hyena or a lion. Most people in France would have never seen animals like this, so they would appear like mythical monsters. Duhamel even mused that the Beast of Gvaudan was some kind of new, hybrid animal, writing: You will undoubtedly think, like I do, that this is a monster, the father of which is a lion. What its mother was remains to be seen.Then again, another theory suggests that the beast was actually the most terrifying creature on the planet a human. Is it possible that a serial killer terrorized Gvaudan? Could a human have stalked through the region, searching for unaccompanied young children or women? Well never know for sure. Maybe the the hunters of Gvaudan killed the aggressive wolves who were behind the attacks. But perhaps the Beast of Gvaudan simply slipped back into the mountains.After reading about the Beast of Gvaudan, learn about the Mothman, who terrorized West Virginia in the 60s. Then, discover the story of the Jersey Devil, which purportedly stalks the northeastern United States.The post The Beast Of Gvaudan, The Mysterious Monster That Stalked And Killed Villagers In 18th-Century France appeared first on All That's Interesting.