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The Devil's Playground, Vol. 1: 20 Tales of Terror to Keep You Up At Night
Get ready to enter The Devil's Playground, a chilling collection of horror stories that will make your skin crawl and your heart race.In these 20 tales of terror, you will encounter unspeakable creatures from the deep sea and the darkness under the bed. You’ll find serial killers, demonic possessions, and paranormal entities bent on destruction. And you’ll meet characters who are pushed to the brink of sanity as they face their deepest fears and darkest desires.
From the depths of Hell to the dangers of the Dark Web, The Devil's Playground will take you on a journey through the most twisted and macabre corners of the human psyche.
But beware, once you step foot on this playground, there is no turning back. Each story is crafted with expert precision, delivering bone-chilling scares and spine-tingling suspense.
If you're a fan of horror, this collection is not to be missed. But be warned, The Devil's Playground will haunt your dreams long after you've turned the final page.
***These stories were originally aired on the Dr. NoSleep podcast and/or the Dr. NoSleep YouTube channel.***
From the depths of Hell to the dangers of the Dark Web, The Devil's Playground will take you on a journey through the most twisted and macabre corners of the human psyche.
But beware, once you step foot on this playground, there is no turning back. Each story is crafted with expert precision, delivering bone-chilling scares and spine-tingling suspense.
If you're a fan of horror, this collection is not to be missed. But be warned, The Devil's Playground will haunt your dreams long after you've turned the final page.
***These stories were originally aired on the Dr. NoSleep podcast and/or the Dr. NoSleep YouTube channel.***
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2023
264 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Doggett
61 books44 followersMatthew Doggett is an American author and freelance writer. He writes mostly in the horror, thriller, and crime genres.
He pens weekly stories for the Dr. NoSleep horror podcast and the SCP Experience horror podcast.
Chances are, you've read some of his nonfiction ghostwriting work, which covers many topics and appears under many names.
He's currently living on an island off the east coast of Mexico, spending too much time indoors, hard at work on his next novel.
Check him out on Facebook under Matthew Doggett Author!
He pens weekly stories for the Dr. NoSleep horror podcast and the SCP Experience horror podcast.
Chances are, you've read some of his nonfiction ghostwriting work, which covers many topics and appears under many names.
He's currently living on an island off the east coast of Mexico, spending too much time indoors, hard at work on his next novel.
Check him out on Facebook under Matthew Doggett Author!
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 18, 2025
It seems like there are so many anthos out there. Authors doing a collective of shorts. Which I 've been using as palate cleanser. If I finish a book and don't want to start a full book immediately, I'll read a story or two from an antho. It's just that this one was so good that I read the entire book before I even realized it.
Every single story in this one has some sort of mental whiplash or unexpected twisted outcome.
I made a post not too long ago in BOH looking for Ku recs.
I'm so glad this one was posted there and was brought it to my attention.
This is an author I'll be keeping my eyes open for.
Every single story in this one has some sort of mental whiplash or unexpected twisted outcome.
I made a post not too long ago in BOH looking for Ku recs.
I'm so glad this one was posted there and was brought it to my attention.
This is an author I'll be keeping my eyes open for.
June 26, 2025
Great anthology of short stories. I've been reading the volumes out of order. So far my favorite volume is #5. Can't wait to get my hands on another one!
February 21, 2025
4/5
What I loved:
* A good variety of stories, some supernatural, some pure violent, and some straight up creepy
What I didn’t love:
* Everything was 1st person - I don’t mind 1st person, but I wish there was a bit more of a mix
1. The Devil’s Playground - 4.5/5:
* Quick and to the point, a messed up hybrid of Saw, Squid Game, and any Slasher horror film
2. Born Again for Death - 4/5
* Messed up, but well crafted story about how some dude gets involved in a pay per view killcam thing. Straight from a murder-horror film. Disturbing
3. Terrors of the Salton Sea - 5/5
* Well crafted, messed up, and gory. The story of how a man becomes imprisoned by a crazy old man and the only way to escape is through the tunnel where horrifying mutant monsters live.
4. Earn Your Money - 5/5
* Similar vibes to John Wick with some crazy violent and effective hand-to-hand combat caused by a blinding need of vengeance. Well crafted, fast paced, and to the point - an enjoyable story about how a guy is pressed by loan sharks to pay $400k and ends up discovering some crazy drug that turns him into a John Wick-style killing machine
5. Killer Clown Crooks - 4/5
* Fast paced, violent, and to the point. This sprint of a hostage situation and our hero saving the day was a quick and entertaining story
6. I Think my Neighbour is a Serial Killer - 4.5/5
* Eerie and nicely written with an interesting plot twist. Saul suspects his neighbour has kidnapped/murdered a girl in his house, so breaks in to investigate
7. If You’re Going to do a Job, do it Right 3/5
* A kid tormented by bullies is pushed to the limit during one of their pranks and accidentally stabs one of the bullies. Then the kid losses their sh*t and unleashes his pent up anger at his bullies and stabs them to death. The story ends with a comment about how his dad is next in line
8. Have You Seen Yourself? 3/5
* A man sees himself whilst running and believes him to be his would-be murderer. In fact it’s the Grim Reaper who’s dressed up like him. A fairly “meh” story, thankfully it was short
9. Normal Everyday Killers 4/5
* A man kicks off on a flight shortly after takeoff and starts a fight with the flight attendants and then the passengers. The passengers initially subdue the man, but then they suffocate him, as though entranced by a mob/group justice. This feels reminiscent of a plot from CSI. Enjoyable read
10. A Terrifying Secret 4/5
* Two thieves are robbing a house when the owners come home early. The thieves learn that the owners have 2 men locked up in the basement and are torturing them. Therefore, whilst making their escape, the thieves rescue one of them. It later transpires the kidnapped men are registered sex offenders who kidnapped the owners’ daughter a year ago. Relatively predictable, but fun and fast paced
11. The Sinkhole 3.75/5
* A kid comes home from summer camp to find everyone acting weird, as though zombies/robots. A big sinkhole has appeared with a mysterious cave inside it. It’s revealed that the cave contains some mutant alien-like creature that has assimilated the town. Enjoyable story, but I struggled to keep up with what was happening towards the end of the story, so not quite a 4 star read
12. Dead All Day 4/5
* Someone does a sacrificial ritual, which turns all the teachers into murderous, knife wielding zombies, who start killing all the kids at school. Nate and his friend only just escape the chaos. Quick and fun
13. Cheating death 3.5/5
* Two cops are investigating a mysterious pool of blood and stumble upon some magic ritual for how to cheat death - eat some mysterious “stuff” and then slit your wrists to become undead, though more an immortal being than a mindless zombie. A fine story with a bit of mystery, with an ok plot twist at the end, though it felt like a cop-out
14. The Greater Good 4/5
* A kid and his dad board a plane, clearly wanted by the police. The kid has some unearthly demonic power and the dad only wants to protect him. A quick, violent, and fun story
15. Never Take Drinks from a Stranger 5/5
* A case of mistaken identity and a great plot twist. Very short and quite terrifying given how easily the scenario could happen to anyone
16. Escaping the Loop 5/5
* Groundhog Day, but with a twist - this is literally the guy’s personal hell, put there for killing a child from drunk driving, for letting an innocent girl get murdered, and for being a part of Big Oil in the poisoning of the earth, the pollution induced cancer, and the taking of bribes to lie in congress. A good plot twist at the end - an enjoyable rea
17. Suicide Cave 2/5
* A kid goes to a “Suicide Cave” in NY City to shoot himself in the head, instead, he discovers some weird nocturnal zombies living there. An uninteresting read
18. Never Prank Someone Through the Dark Web 5/5
* Some friends are in a prank war and come across a mind control video on the Dark Web which is meant to make the watcher drink toilet water. It all goes wrong and they get a video that send the viewer into a murderous rampage. The sole survivor then tries to escape, but the government track him down and silence the loose end. Enjoyable, fast paced, and an interesting premise
19. The Game Bug 3/5
* A guy gets infected by a bug that feeds off dopamine and so effectively gets addicted to video games with no recognition of the world around him. Creepy, but not scary or anything; an ok read
20. Patricide 4/5
* A kid reached breaking point when his father’s abuse goes too far. Quick and entertaining, with a decent twist at the end
What I loved:
* A good variety of stories, some supernatural, some pure violent, and some straight up creepy
What I didn’t love:
* Everything was 1st person - I don’t mind 1st person, but I wish there was a bit more of a mix
1. The Devil’s Playground - 4.5/5:
* Quick and to the point, a messed up hybrid of Saw, Squid Game, and any Slasher horror film
2. Born Again for Death - 4/5
* Messed up, but well crafted story about how some dude gets involved in a pay per view killcam thing. Straight from a murder-horror film. Disturbing
3. Terrors of the Salton Sea - 5/5
* Well crafted, messed up, and gory. The story of how a man becomes imprisoned by a crazy old man and the only way to escape is through the tunnel where horrifying mutant monsters live.
4. Earn Your Money - 5/5
* Similar vibes to John Wick with some crazy violent and effective hand-to-hand combat caused by a blinding need of vengeance. Well crafted, fast paced, and to the point - an enjoyable story about how a guy is pressed by loan sharks to pay $400k and ends up discovering some crazy drug that turns him into a John Wick-style killing machine
5. Killer Clown Crooks - 4/5
* Fast paced, violent, and to the point. This sprint of a hostage situation and our hero saving the day was a quick and entertaining story
6. I Think my Neighbour is a Serial Killer - 4.5/5
* Eerie and nicely written with an interesting plot twist. Saul suspects his neighbour has kidnapped/murdered a girl in his house, so breaks in to investigate
7. If You’re Going to do a Job, do it Right 3/5
* A kid tormented by bullies is pushed to the limit during one of their pranks and accidentally stabs one of the bullies. Then the kid losses their sh*t and unleashes his pent up anger at his bullies and stabs them to death. The story ends with a comment about how his dad is next in line
8. Have You Seen Yourself? 3/5
* A man sees himself whilst running and believes him to be his would-be murderer. In fact it’s the Grim Reaper who’s dressed up like him. A fairly “meh” story, thankfully it was short
9. Normal Everyday Killers 4/5
* A man kicks off on a flight shortly after takeoff and starts a fight with the flight attendants and then the passengers. The passengers initially subdue the man, but then they suffocate him, as though entranced by a mob/group justice. This feels reminiscent of a plot from CSI. Enjoyable read
10. A Terrifying Secret 4/5
* Two thieves are robbing a house when the owners come home early. The thieves learn that the owners have 2 men locked up in the basement and are torturing them. Therefore, whilst making their escape, the thieves rescue one of them. It later transpires the kidnapped men are registered sex offenders who kidnapped the owners’ daughter a year ago. Relatively predictable, but fun and fast paced
11. The Sinkhole 3.75/5
* A kid comes home from summer camp to find everyone acting weird, as though zombies/robots. A big sinkhole has appeared with a mysterious cave inside it. It’s revealed that the cave contains some mutant alien-like creature that has assimilated the town. Enjoyable story, but I struggled to keep up with what was happening towards the end of the story, so not quite a 4 star read
12. Dead All Day 4/5
* Someone does a sacrificial ritual, which turns all the teachers into murderous, knife wielding zombies, who start killing all the kids at school. Nate and his friend only just escape the chaos. Quick and fun
13. Cheating death 3.5/5
* Two cops are investigating a mysterious pool of blood and stumble upon some magic ritual for how to cheat death - eat some mysterious “stuff” and then slit your wrists to become undead, though more an immortal being than a mindless zombie. A fine story with a bit of mystery, with an ok plot twist at the end, though it felt like a cop-out
14. The Greater Good 4/5
* A kid and his dad board a plane, clearly wanted by the police. The kid has some unearthly demonic power and the dad only wants to protect him. A quick, violent, and fun story
15. Never Take Drinks from a Stranger 5/5
* A case of mistaken identity and a great plot twist. Very short and quite terrifying given how easily the scenario could happen to anyone
16. Escaping the Loop 5/5
* Groundhog Day, but with a twist - this is literally the guy’s personal hell, put there for killing a child from drunk driving, for letting an innocent girl get murdered, and for being a part of Big Oil in the poisoning of the earth, the pollution induced cancer, and the taking of bribes to lie in congress. A good plot twist at the end - an enjoyable rea
17. Suicide Cave 2/5
* A kid goes to a “Suicide Cave” in NY City to shoot himself in the head, instead, he discovers some weird nocturnal zombies living there. An uninteresting read
18. Never Prank Someone Through the Dark Web 5/5
* Some friends are in a prank war and come across a mind control video on the Dark Web which is meant to make the watcher drink toilet water. It all goes wrong and they get a video that send the viewer into a murderous rampage. The sole survivor then tries to escape, but the government track him down and silence the loose end. Enjoyable, fast paced, and an interesting premise
19. The Game Bug 3/5
* A guy gets infected by a bug that feeds off dopamine and so effectively gets addicted to video games with no recognition of the world around him. Creepy, but not scary or anything; an ok read
20. Patricide 4/5
* A kid reached breaking point when his father’s abuse goes too far. Quick and entertaining, with a decent twist at the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2025
All right, all right. I had to give a review of the full bright 5 stars for this excellent book!
Never before have I read a collection that did not have a single story that I did not like. When we read an anthology, it is common sense that we like some stories and dislike others. However, this was the very first book that I liked all those 20 tales of terror, some much more than others. And I already more than 300 books.
This is the art of writing short stories. Some stories were really short but the ideas and implications were sufficient and simply excellent. Some stories could be developed into novellas and the writing was consistently compelling and tight. In other words, I saw no rush, no forced details, no nonsensical or redundant information thrown out there to fill up the space. Everything was excellent!
For the topics, the stories ran from daily life to supernatural, sometimes a hint of religion and never dull. In fact, it was my surprise that the author did cover nearly all walks of life, from humans to ghosts, from mortals to demons, from innocent children to murderous parents, etc. To try to summarise any story is a futile act: readers can read all of them and enjoy!
The writing reminded me of the talented Calvin Demmer. For Matthew Doggett, what I loved most was how the stories encompassed the gory details in a fluid way. That was, the goriness was not repulsive and there were many novel and interesting twists in many stories. Briefly, I could not have enough words to portray how good the book is, and of course I am going to read Vol 2, Vol 3, and the free Vol 0 very soon.
I saw in his Goodreads profile that Matthew was influenced by Robert R. McCammon, the latter was another author I "worship" for his literary and exceptional writing (e.g., Boy's Life, Swan Song, etc. I "devoured" them all). So, I strongly believe and sincerely hope that Matthew Doggeet will soon become one of the extraordinary authors in the contemporary short-story genre.
Best wishes to Matthew. I truly hope you will rise to a great height!
Never before have I read a collection that did not have a single story that I did not like. When we read an anthology, it is common sense that we like some stories and dislike others. However, this was the very first book that I liked all those 20 tales of terror, some much more than others. And I already more than 300 books.
This is the art of writing short stories. Some stories were really short but the ideas and implications were sufficient and simply excellent. Some stories could be developed into novellas and the writing was consistently compelling and tight. In other words, I saw no rush, no forced details, no nonsensical or redundant information thrown out there to fill up the space. Everything was excellent!
For the topics, the stories ran from daily life to supernatural, sometimes a hint of religion and never dull. In fact, it was my surprise that the author did cover nearly all walks of life, from humans to ghosts, from mortals to demons, from innocent children to murderous parents, etc. To try to summarise any story is a futile act: readers can read all of them and enjoy!
The writing reminded me of the talented Calvin Demmer. For Matthew Doggett, what I loved most was how the stories encompassed the gory details in a fluid way. That was, the goriness was not repulsive and there were many novel and interesting twists in many stories. Briefly, I could not have enough words to portray how good the book is, and of course I am going to read Vol 2, Vol 3, and the free Vol 0 very soon.
I saw in his Goodreads profile that Matthew was influenced by Robert R. McCammon, the latter was another author I "worship" for his literary and exceptional writing (e.g., Boy's Life, Swan Song, etc. I "devoured" them all). So, I strongly believe and sincerely hope that Matthew Doggeet will soon become one of the extraordinary authors in the contemporary short-story genre.
Best wishes to Matthew. I truly hope you will rise to a great height!
November 13, 2025
Last year in October in honor of Halloween, I did a little challenge where I’d read as many spooky and scary books as possible throughout the month in search for one that really scared me.
This turned out to be a bust as the stories I ended up picking up were… Not very good. There were a few that were fun times, but even then the month ended and I ended up feeling like I had wasted my time.
I picked up one random spooky book to read this Halloween, that book being: ‘The Devil’s Playground. 20 tales to keep you up at night.’ That sounded promising to me, so I went for it!
This small connection of stories was actually really really good, much to my surprise! Some of the stories were cliche and had twist endings that were painfully obvious, but that was only a very small few of them! Each story was very well written, and I have to say this is probably the best scary book I’ve read in a while. I’m actually kind of excited to read the next entry in this series!
Happy belated Halloween!
This turned out to be a bust as the stories I ended up picking up were… Not very good. There were a few that were fun times, but even then the month ended and I ended up feeling like I had wasted my time.
I picked up one random spooky book to read this Halloween, that book being: ‘The Devil’s Playground. 20 tales to keep you up at night.’ That sounded promising to me, so I went for it!
This small connection of stories was actually really really good, much to my surprise! Some of the stories were cliche and had twist endings that were painfully obvious, but that was only a very small few of them! Each story was very well written, and I have to say this is probably the best scary book I’ve read in a while. I’m actually kind of excited to read the next entry in this series!
Happy belated Halloween!
November 11, 2024
The Devil’s Playground, Volume 1, by Matthew Doggett, is an amazing collection of stories, not to mention my first introduction to this author’s work. Filled with 20 stories of horror, containing ghosts, heinous crimes, things paranormal and supernatural, and gore. Lots and lots of gore. It’s a book sure to delight anyone who is a fan of horror, and involving such a variety of all things horror.
It’s difficult to pick favorite stories from this book, as they were all so good, but I can honestly say that I look forward to reading the other three volumes of The Devil’s Playground, for sure. This book easily gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
It’s difficult to pick favorite stories from this book, as they were all so good, but I can honestly say that I look forward to reading the other three volumes of The Devil’s Playground, for sure. This book easily gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
December 6, 2024
A collection of short stories inviting you into the darkest corners of mankind's fears.
Like any short story collection, there are stand-out stories and there are ones that didn't quite hit the mark. What I really enjoyed in this batch is the wide variety of works that were included. They rotated from different perspectives, different plots, and different 'monsters'. It was pleasant to read. Each story was short and quick, which was great for quick reads before bed, but it did make some of the tales feel too short and not fleshed out enough.
I would recommend this book for a time killer and would read more of the writer's work.
Like any short story collection, there are stand-out stories and there are ones that didn't quite hit the mark. What I really enjoyed in this batch is the wide variety of works that were included. They rotated from different perspectives, different plots, and different 'monsters'. It was pleasant to read. Each story was short and quick, which was great for quick reads before bed, but it did make some of the tales feel too short and not fleshed out enough.
I would recommend this book for a time killer and would read more of the writer's work.
November 27, 2024
I was going to give this book 4 stars, because I’m generally not a fan of gross horror stories and many of these short stories fit into that category but on reflection, I realised that even the stories that I found really disgusting/disturbing and didn’t want to read, I simply could not tear myself away from and needed to know how they ended so I’m giving a well deserved 5 stars to this volume of truly horrifying tales. And I’ve lined the next one up ready to read in the not too distant future. If you are a true horror fan give these ones a try.
December 15, 2024
This is a really great book with some interesting and engaging stories. Some were predictable but no less enjoyable because of this. Some were stories with a unique idea and others were a nice twist on ideas done before (escaping the loop is great example of this).
Matthew has an easy writing style that draws you in and keeps you reading. At no point did I find a story boring or just meh which isn't a common thing with anthologies. Well worth a read.
Matthew has an easy writing style that draws you in and keeps you reading. At no point did I find a story boring or just meh which isn't a common thing with anthologies. Well worth a read.
October 27, 2024
Most excellent
This was just a plain old fashion book of short horror stories. It's also not the same old crap. I was highly entertained. There is a number two in this series and I WILL be reading it.
This was just a plain old fashion book of short horror stories. It's also not the same old crap. I was highly entertained. There is a number two in this series and I WILL be reading it.
May 9, 2025
gory but great
Here’s my honest review, I couldn’t put this book down. Such interesting and some very thought-provoking stories.
Gore, there is in almost, if not every story - detailed explanations of gore. So be warned.
Here’s my honest review, I couldn’t put this book down. Such interesting and some very thought-provoking stories.
Gore, there is in almost, if not every story - detailed explanations of gore. So be warned.
September 23, 2025
Man, these were creepy! These stories had me double checking I locked my windows and wide awake to any small noise I heard. These would be great spooky campfire stories although I was glad I read them in the comfort of my bed.
August 21, 2023
Excellent
I loved all the different stories. They were creepy, scary and disturbing. I'm left wanting more stories. Now on to book 2
I loved all the different stories. They were creepy, scary and disturbing. I'm left wanting more stories. Now on to book 2
March 30, 2024
The Devil's Playground
I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection and look forward to checking out the other volumes.
💀💀💀💀
I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection and look forward to checking out the other volumes.
💀💀💀💀
September 22, 2024
very good.
Really enjoyed this book of short stories. Every one of them different and everyone really good!
Read the book in a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down! 👏👏👏
Really enjoyed this book of short stories. Every one of them different and everyone really good!
Read the book in a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down! 👏👏👏
October 19, 2024
Loved it, loved it, loved it
Not one story let me down! I will say that they left the best for last but it is as it should be, of course that is the one I wanted more of!
Not one story let me down! I will say that they left the best for last but it is as it should be, of course that is the one I wanted more of!
November 27, 2024
A book of horror stories, some good and some not so. Did not keep me up.
July 1, 2025
3.25 out of 5 ⭐️
July 3, 2025
Amazing!
Short stories that kept me engaged! I didn't want to stop reading! Horror at it's best! Truly a great horror book!
Short stories that kept me engaged! I didn't want to stop reading! Horror at it's best! Truly a great horror book!
February 2, 2026
Palate cleanser short book, ok scary but if you are use to horror horror, it is kinda of tame. Kinda of wanted to give it 2 1/2 for me because for me it wasn't scary just basic
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews