Japan has long been associated with horror and has a culture full of urban legends and myths, many of which date back to the Edo period. Perhaps most famous in Western media is the character of the long-haired girl from films such as The curse And The RingOther popular examples are Yokai such as Aka Manto and Kuchisake-onna, which offer little chance of survival in the event of an encounter.
This fascination with Japan’s supernatural landscape has permeated the gaming industry. From stalkers in Tokyo’s back alleys to forests known to claim lives and vengeful ghosts, the following games are some of the best horror games set in Japan.
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10 Yuoni
A dark tale about loneliness and childhood
- Share: 18.08.2021
- Developer: Tricore Inc.
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Top Critics Rating: 56
Yuoni is a first-person style horror game based on the urban legend of Tsun, a boy who died in the hospital while waiting for his friends to visit. The player takes on the role of 10-year-old schoolgirl Ai, who reluctantly visits the now-abandoned hospital with a group of schoolmates to summon Tsun. He is rumored to grant a wish to anyone who plays with him.
The player must perform the ritual using a doll, avoiding countless deaf ghosts that Ai can walk past and blind ones that she must sneak around. The gameplay can be repetitive and challenging, Yuoni is an exciting experience with a captivating story.
9 Ikai
A breathtaking homage to Japanese folklore
- Share: 22 September 2021
- Developer: Final flame
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Top Critics Rating: 57
Ikai is a survival horror game set in rural Japan. The game follows Naoko, a priestess who must watch over her uncle’s house. Shrine while visiting a village suffering from mass hysteria over the arrival of a demon. However, when she accidentally opens the door to the underworld, it falls to Naoko to protect the shrine and close the door.
The game contains numerous references to well-known Japanese yokai, who, when they cannot defend themselves, make for some terrifying encounters. Ikai In addition to a variety of puzzles and a touching storyline, it also has some interesting mechanisms, such as writing seals.
8 Shadow Corridor
Explore randomly generated authentic settings
- Share: 8 March 2019
- Developer: Space Onigiri Game LLC
- Platform: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
- Top Critics Average: 67
In Shadow Corridor, The protagonist, in a moment of nostalgia, remembers the summer days of his childhood and feels like adventure, enters an alley and is transported into the dark labyrinth of corridors of a Japanese mansion. While trying to escape, the player also discovers the origin of this hellish otherworld.
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While the player cannot defeat the ghosts, they can find items to ward them off while also searching for Magatama stones that will allow them to escape. Each playthrough creates a different environment design, and the evil spirits and demons require different strategies to escape, making the whole thing a claustrophobic experience.
7 Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
An atmospheric experience with unique mechanics
On the island of Rogetsu, south of Honshu, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse follows Ruka, who has returned to the island after she was kidnapped ten years ago along with four other girls and lost her memory. After discovering they are afflicted with the contagious, memory-altering “Moonlight Syndrome,” they must search for a cure in a series of terrifying locations.
The special feature of this game is the Camera Obscura, which allows you to fend off ghosts by taking photos. If you take photos while the ghost is attacking, you can drive it away with a single shot (hence the title “Fatal Frame”). The points earned from these photos can be exchanged for medicine and used at save points. There are multiple endings for Deadly frame.
6 Ghostwire: Tokyo
Combat-heavy horror game with supernatural battles
In Ghostwire: Tokyo, The player takes on the role of Akito, a boy who is partially possessed by a spirit named KK after being knocked unconscious in a car accident. They must try to stop Hannya, a mysterious occultist who is turning the residents into ghosts and stealing their souls, and find Akito’s sister.
Ghostwire has an interesting plot development, mostly pieced together through collectibles. It’s a combat-based horror game where Akito performs supernatural attacks using martial arts-like hand gestures that can be upgraded. There are also some truly disturbing antagonists inspired by Japanese urban legends.
5 Yomawari: Midnight Shadow
A deceptively sweet horror game
- Share: 24.08.2017
- Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
- Platform: iOS, Android, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4
- Top Critics Rating: 78
Yomawari: Midnight Shadow is the second of three installations in the Yomawari Game series. After being separated and lost when a monster emerged from the darkness, two girls must find their way home through the unfamiliar woods and town.
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This game is a fantastic combination of puzzles, stealth and exploration with a deceptively cute design. But the aesthetics don’t take away from the spooky atmosphere. Unsettling monsters lurk around every corner and a terrifying story unfolds.
4 World of Horror
Hand-drawn turn-based cosmic horror
World of Horror
- Top Critics Rating:79/100
- Released
- December 8, 2023
- developer
- panstasz
World of Horror is a 1-bit RPG. As one of 14 different playable characters, the player must explore and fight Lovecraftian creatures in various locations in the fictional Japanese city of Shiokawa to prevent a complete apocalypse.
The art for World of Horror was created entirely in Microsoft Paint, with enemy designs inspired by HP Lovecraft, urban legends, and Junji Ito in a truly chilling mix. Each ancient god players encounter has different attacks and effects that keep the game’s turn-based moments fresh and exciting.
3 Ghost Hunters: NG
Visual novel with mystery and horror elements
- Share: 13 September 2018
- Developer: EXPERIENCE, Ghostlight LTD
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4
- Top Critics Rating: 82
The second game in the Ghost Hunters Series, NG is a visual novel ghost hunting game. The player must try to find the main character’s missing little sister. The catch is that he has been cursed by the ghost Kakuya and must “play along” with his life-or-death game to find and destroy (or spare) the supernatural inhabitants of Tokyo.
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The end of Ghost Hunters: NG varies depending on the player’s choices in quick decisions and exploration zones, giving the game a certain replay value. In addition to the disturbing locations and bloody scenes, this game features interesting characters and an intriguing mystery element.
2 GOHOME
Eerie way home in surreal art style
- Share: 16 June 2020
- Developer: 市松製化
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Steam User Rating: 86%
GOHOME is a third-person survival horror game set in a Japanese residential area. The player controls Mosaiko Suzuki, a young girl separated from her parents, who must try to find her way home, but grotesque and strange monsters lurk around every corner.
The style of this horror game is surreal and goes beyond over-the-top humor to be truly disturbing. What it lacks in a clear plot, it makes up for in the constant onslaught of absurdity. The combination of folkloric enemies and body horror makes for a thrilling experience that will keep the player visually captivated throughout.
1 Parasocial
- Share: 26 August 2023
- Developer: Chilla’s Art
- Platform: Windows
- Steam User Rating: 94%
One of the many games developed and published by Chilla’s Art, Parasocial is a simulation horror game. The player takes on the role of Nina, an aspiring streamer. When her face is revealed after completing a horror game that one of her viewers asked her to install, things get a lot more sinister and she starts receiving creepy texts and messages.
The tension in Parasocial is based on a potentially very real situation that makes the player question who they can trust. It also references other locations in the franchise, such as Chilla’s Coffee and the convenience store, which adds to the world-building for fans of the series. This game has two endings.
There are currently 22 games in the Chilla’s Art series, all set in Japan.
Parasocial
has the highest rating of all.
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