Never thought WordPress could be spooky enough to merit a Halloween reference? BOO. We found the spookiest, scariest, creepiest WordPress themes you’ll come across. Just kidding. But we did find some of the most unusual (read: extremely niche) options out there, for your viewing pleasure.
Case
Case is a one-page parallax WordPress theme with a layout that can only be described as completely slanted to one side—with a diagonal scrolling effect.
Given its unusual slanted layout, Case gives off a high-end visual that demands attention from all who view it. If you’re interested in using your website as an attention grabber, Case is a weird WordPress theme that visitors will enjoy and find amusing.
Some useful features of Case include:
- Fully responsive layout
- Ecommerce functionality
- Two page builders included
- 2D / 3D layer slider
- Top speed loading
- 1200 premium icons
- SEO optimized
DEMO | Regular license $59
Empire II
The Empire II WordPress theme has a very unique style in that the navigation menu is vertically positioned in the middle of the page as a default. The implications of this allow you to be creative with your background and create an interactive split-screen effect.
Some might find the navigation at the center of the screen to be annoying, but there’s also an option that allows you to move the navigation to the left or right of the page.
Some useful features of Empire II include:
- Fully responsive and retina ready
- WPML, full Ajax engine
- Theme-specific widgets and shortcodes are available
- Slider revolution included
DEMO | Regular license $49
Time Travel
The Time Travel theme is a weird WordPress theme that can be voice activated using built-in and intuitive voice controls, allowing site visitors to interact with the theme. There are 14 different voice commands available, in addition to the ability for users to interact with the theme based on their preferred language.
Some useful features of Time Travel include:
- Voice control with 14 voice commands
- Custom background for every post
- CSS3 and JQuery powered effects
- Drag & drop page builder
DEMO | Regular license $49
Basil Recipes
Here’s where it starts to get a bit more niche. Basil Recipes is a weird WordPress theme designed for displaying food recipes. It is highly flexible and customizable, making it easy to drag and drop recipes wherever you want them displayed. The functionality of the theme also allows users to submit their own recipes.
Some useful features of Basil Recipes include:
- WooCommerce support
- Boxy Page Builder included
- Front-end recipe submission functionality
- Responsive design
- Custom login and registration forms where users can create profiles
DEMO | Regular license $39
Garage
The Garage WordPress theme is not inherently weird—just completely niche. It’s a great choice for someone developing any car-related website. Use cases might include an automobile blog, car repair workshops, or websites for car services.
Some useful features of Garage include:
- WooCommerce support
- Two slider plugins
- Multiple color options
- One page functionality
- SEO optimized
- Responsive design
- Add animations to your content
DEMO | Regular license $59
The Novelist
The Novelist is a weird WordPress theme that was built for serious writers who want to show off their work and talents in a uniquely “writer” fashion. The layout is designed as a book-like spread. It is especially useful as a portfolio for authors and/or copy writers.
Some useful features of The Novelist include:
- Fully responsive
- Translation ready
- Ajax pagination
- Advanced jQuery animations and effects
DEMO | Regular license $59
BrainGuys
BrainGuys is a minimalist weird WordPress theme that takes a modern approach when it comes to corporate/business sites. What makes it unique is its homepage that features a horizontal carousel with display boxes that look like stand up cardboard cutouts.
You can customize the images in the display boxes to feature your products, or even your employees, to make them look like life-size cutouts.
Some useful features of BrainGuys include:
- Fully responsive
- Easy social media integration
- Soundcloud/Vimeo/Youtube ready
- Contact page with Google Maps integration
- Unlimited styling options
DEMO | Regular license $49
Milli
Horizontal and vertical theme layouts are not new, but what’s truly unique about Milli is the ability to create an unlimited number of gallery displays, making it more unique and flexible than most other themes of its type on the market.
Milli is ideally used as a photo gallery theme for WordPress. It gives you total control over your photo galleries, plus true bulk gallery management and layout control.
Some useful features of Milli include:
- WooCommerce support
- Responsive layout
- Gallery images can be easily linked to a lightbox
- Custom URL on a picture by picture basis
- Full social media integration
- Bulk image upload with frontend gallery management
Regular license $39
Pokemgo
Pokemgo is a great example an extremely niched, weird WordPress theme. This theme is exclusively designed for Pokemon Go learning, guides, tutorials, tips and tricks, and reviews.
Pokemgo is responsive, clean, and an overall easy to use blog and magazine type theme. The theme is specifically designed for Pokemon Go trainers/gamers, and users will enjoy the “Pokemon experience” while browsing a site utilizing this theme.
Some useful features of Pokemgo include:
- Responsive design
- Predefined demo homepage
- Built-in translator
- Advanced rating and review system
- Versatile header options
- Quality code and SEO optimization
DEMO | Regular license $49
SociallyViral
SociallyViral is a WordPress theme that claims to be helpful in boosting content and helping said content go viral. In addition to being optimized for social shares, the theme is also optimized for SEO.
Some useful features of SociallyViral include:
- Shows trending posts
- Adsense optimized
- Fully responsive
- Fast loading
DEMO | Regular license $59
Couponize
Websites that offer coupons and promotional deals are becoming a popular niche on the web, and Couponize is the best weird WordPress theme to use for this type of website. The theme’s functionality allows users to post deals, coupons, promo codes, and discounts from different online shops and brands. Use Couponize to become the RetailMeNot for your niche.
Some useful features of Couponize include:
- Cross browser compatible
- Fully responsive
- Custom filtering options
DEMO | Regular license $49
ForumEngine
Forums are very popular across different niches, and administering a forum site is very high maintenance and can be a real pain. If you want to build your own forum, ForumEngine is the perfect WordPress theme for you.
To get your forum up and running, just install the theme and most of the forum functionality is already taken care of. It’s up to you to then customize it according to your unique needs and the desires of your community.
Some useful features of ForumEngine include:
- All screen size support
- Optimized for discussion
- Simple and modern design and interface
DEMO | Regular license $54
Podcaster
Podcasting is becoming more and more popular each year, and Podcaster is a WordPress theme that was designed to help optimize websites for podcast shows. This theme offers audio and video playlist functionality, in addition to a simple and straightforward layout for featuring new episodes.
Some useful features of Podcaster include:
- Fully responsive
- Retina-ready for sharp icons on mobile devices
- Parallax scrolling
- Podcasting plugin support
DEMO | Regular license $54
NewsPaper
NewsPaper is a WordPress theme for newspaper and magazine sites, with a newspaper style design—not unlike the traditional news prints that get delivered to your doorstep.
Some useful features of NewsPaper include:
- Fully responsive
- Responsive Ad Blocks
- Ready for translation
DEMO | Regular license $54
Weird WordPress Themes
If you develop themes, it’s important to understand the needs of the audience you service—general or niche.
There are many weird WordPress themes available online:
- Some you might find strange, or those that are overly niche
- Some that deliver pure aesthetics and elegance
- Some that fit perfectly for the type of website you have
Do you know of a weird WordPress theme we missed? Tweet at @Pagely, and we’ll share the most interesting finds.