15 Best ‘Goosebumps’ Episodes Ranked (2023 Update)

If there’s something that has always been true in the world of fiction, it’s that the works of RL Stine are some of the best in the horror genre. There is no other person who excels in horror stories meant for kids. The fact that Stine’s books became so popular allowed him to eventually make a TV series based on the different ‘Goosebumps’ books he wrote.

Four seasons of success proved that the ‘Goosebumps’ TV series was a favorite among different fans, and this only allowed it to make its way to different networks that wanted a piece of the ‘Goosebumps’ success. As an anthology series, ‘Goosebumps’ excelled at delivering different stories per episode, and that was what fans loved about it. So, with that said, let’s look at all of the best ‘Goosebumps’ episodes ever.

15. ‘The Cuckoo Clock of Doom’

Because ‘Goosebumps’ was always meant for children (no matter how enjoyable it is for adults as well), the different episodes of this series focused on different themes that were made for kids. In that regard, sibling rivalry was a common theme used in many different ‘Goosebumps’ episodes, and that was the case in ‘The Cuckoo Clock of Doom.’

In this episode, an older brother became tired of how annoying his sister was, and that was when he used an old cuckoo clock for revenge. He messed up with the clock and tried to pin the blame on his sister, but things went awry because he ended up getting stuck in an endless loop wherein he was the only one aging. And the thing that makes this episode crazy is that it teaches an innocent sibling that there are punishments for anything, even if it involves pranking an annoying sister.

14. ‘The Ghost Next Door’

Of course, ghosts will always be a common theme in ‘Goosebumps,’ and one of the best episodes when it comes to ghosts is ‘The Ghost Next Door,’ which involves a unique two-part storyline that focuses on a girl named Hannah, who spends the first half of the story wondering if her neighbor next door was a ghost.

Meanwhile, the second part of the story shows us that she was actually the ghost the entire time as she was struggling with the fact that she was dead. This allows us to see a creepy twist that kids and adults would find incredibly disturbing. And this is the reason why ‘The Ghost Next Door’ is one of the best ‘Goosebumps’ episodes.

13. ‘Revenge Of The Lawn Gnomes’

Another interesting fact about ‘Goosebumps’ is that inanimate objects tend to be the focus of the many different episodes of this series. While there is one inanimate object more famous than almost any other ‘Goosebumps’ character, ‘Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes’ focuses on lawn gnomes that actually end up coming to life.

In this episode, a young boy was accused by his neighbor of destroying his garden overnight, but it turned out that the garden gnomes were the ones responsible for doing so. And the way the episodes were made was brilliant because the effects used to make garden gnomes look real can be very unsettling and disturbing.

12. ‘Scarecrow Walks At Midnight’

‘Scarecrow Walks at Midnight’ is a unique episode in the sense that, unlike most of the other ‘Goosebumps’ episodes, it varies a lot from its source material. Nevertheless, it was able to give its story an identity of its own even though it doesn’t have the same story as the one in the ‘Goosebumps’ book of the same title.

In this episode, a pair of siblings realize that 12 incredibly scary scarecrows surround their grandfather’s field. The worst part is that Grandpa and Grandma were in a state that was as bad as their crops. This leads the siblings to investigate what has been happening on the family farm and what could be living there.

11. ‘Bride Of The Living Dummy’

Out of all of the characters written by RL Stine, Slappy the Living Dummy is likely the most popular out of all of them (more on him later). That is why a lot of the ‘Goosebumps’ stories feature him as a character, and that goes the same for ‘Bride of the Living Dummy, which featured Slappy’s final appearance in the TV series.

In this episode, the dummy named Mary-Ellen was featured heavily as the titular bride of Slappy. This doll was just as frightening or even scarier than Slappy himself. And there is nothing worse than a living ventriloquist dummy than two of them.

10. ‘The Haunted Mask II’

One of the best episodes in the Goosebumps storyline is the very first one (more on that later). But the follow-up storyline to the first ‘Goosebumps’ episode proves to be just as iconic and as great as the first one. This is also a two-part episode that features Carly Beth, who we saw in the first episode.

In this episode, a character named Steve wants a Halloween mask that is as scary as the one that Carly Beth has. The story focuses on a new mask that’s as monstrous and scary as the first one. Of course, the first mask that we saw in the first episode was also featured in this ‘Goosebumps’ story.

9. ‘Stay Out Of The Basement’

Based on the second ‘Goosebumps’ book written by RL Stine, ‘Stay out of the Basement’ follows the story of a brother and sister duo who ended up wondering why their father has been spending a lot of time in the basement of their home. This causes concern to grow within the siblings as they don’t know why their father was obsessed with what was in their basement.

Their father, however, said that he was working on plants. The problem was that the father often returned as a different person from the one who went down the basement. In that regard, the episode features a bizarre and hair-raising storyline that may even be too disturbing for some people.

8. ‘A Night In Terror Tower’

‘A Night in Terror Tower’ is another ‘Goosebumps’ book that was adapted into an episode. Of course, like many different ‘Goosebumps’ episodes, this one is also a two-parter featuring two star characters. In this episode, we follow the stories of Sue and Eddie, who are siblings who went to London with their parents for a short business trip. However, while they were there, they ended up traveling back to the Middle Ages when a man in black chased them.

Of course, like the many different ‘Goosebumps’ episodes we have on this list, this one features a twist ending that stays close to the source material. It is a fun yet disturbing episode with its fair share of unique yet terrifying moments.

7. ‘Welcome To Dead House’

Arguably one of the most famous ‘Goosebumps’ books of all time because it was the very first ‘Goosebumps’ novel released by RL Stine, ‘Welcome to Dead House’ is a popular title that was featured in season 2 of the series and stood as one of the best episodes. It is also worth mentioning that this title earned itself a movie and even an entire series.

In this episode, a family moved to Dark Falls, a place inhabited by the undead due to an event that happened in the past. Of course, the episode still features zombie-like creatures that have a taste for human flesh, but it is unique on its own because it has novel elements that you don’t often see in shows and movies that feature the undead.

6. ‘Night Of The Living Dummy II’

‘Night of the Living Dummy II’ is the sequel to the episode that allowed us to meet Slappy the Living Dummy, who is one of the most popular characters ever written by RL Stine. It is a one-part episode that follows a similar storyline as the first movie but features new characters who meet the same menacing doll we met in the first part.

In this episode, the father of a young girl encounters the same menacing doll we met in the first episode. However, this time, Slappy is a lot scarier because he is acting with a vengeance. He didn’t have that in the first episode featuring the Living Dummy. Due to Slappy’s actions, strange things happen to the family as the doll starts playing pranks on the family, all while the young girl tries her best to convince her family that the doll is responsible for what is happening.

5. ‘The House Of No Return’

While most of the episodes on this list were based on ‘Goosebumps’ books, ‘The House of No Return’ is unique in the sense that it isn’t based on any of the books written by Stine. Instead, it is based on one of the short stories that he wrote. As such, it features a story that’s shorter than most of the episodes on this list.

In this episode, a group of kids calling themselves Danger Incorporated locked a new kind inside a haunted house to test if he is brave enough to become one of them. The kid experiences a lot of different supernatural events inside the house, and this includes ghosts. In that regard, this is one of the ‘Goosebumps’ episodes that can literally give you goosebumps due to how terrifying it is.

4. ‘Night Of The Living Dummy III’

Of course, we see another episode featuring Slappy the Living Dummy as ‘Night of the Living Dummy III’ sees the return of the same doll that terrified many fans in the first two titles featuring this iconic RL Stine character. Many ‘Goosebumps’ also say that this is the best episode featuring Slappy as the central figure. And this time, the Living Dummy isn’t alone.

In this episode, Slappy is looking to antagonize people with the help of several puppets living in the attic. The episode’s stars think that the dummies are cool because their father used to work as a ventriloquist. However, it became clear that these dummies were anything but cool. As a bonus, Hayden Christensen, who is best known for his role as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the actors featured in this episode.

3. ‘The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp’

‘The Werewolf of Fever Swamp’ is one of the episodes many ‘Goosebumps’ fans can easily recognize due to the popularity of the book. It is, of course, a two-part episode that has a very compelling and interesting storyline that fans would easily love. And it also stands as one of the creepiest ‘Goosebumps’ episodes.

The episode features the Tucker family, which moved to the swamps of Florida, where they ended up experiencing a lot of creepy things, including an old hermit and even a werewolf. The best part is that RL Stone opened up the episode with an introduction, as it was clear that this was a special episode with many creepy elements in it.

2. ‘One Day At Horrorland’

Another two-part episode on this list is ‘One Day at Horrorland, which follows the Morris family as it discovers an amusement park called Horrorland. Of course, things didn’t turn out the way they thought because the different creatures they found in the park turned out to be actual monsters instead of actors. As such, things went south quickly for the family.

But the thing about this episode is that it was both fun and scary because it featured a game show-like setting that was quite disturbing and exciting in its own right. There was also a twist at the end, as this has always been one of the signature endings in Stine’s works. And the thing about this episode is that it is one of the few ‘Goosebumps’ episodes that is actually better than the book.

1. ‘The Haunted Mask’

The very first ‘Goosebumps’ episode is also often considered to be the best out of all of them, as this is also often called the best book adaptation out of all of the different ‘Goosebumps’ episodes in the entire series. And because of how popular this episode is, the storyline of ‘The Haunted Mask’ has been featured in many different forms of ‘Goosebumps’ media.

In this episode, Carly Beth acquired a scary mask from a shopkeeper as she wanted to incorporate this mask into her Halloween costume. However, even though the shopkeeper warned her about the cursed nature of the mask, Carly still decides to put it on but ends up struggling to remove it. And she ended up becoming an entirely different person while wearing the mask.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!