Japan has long been associated with horror, harboring a culture rich with urban legends and mythology, much of which has been traced back to the Edo period. Perhaps most well known in Western media is the figure of the long-haired girl from films such as The Grudge and The Ring. Other popular examples include yokai like the Aka Manto and Kuchisake-onna who, when encountered, offer poor chances of survival.
This intrigue surrounding Japan's supernatural landscape has prevailed within the gaming industry. From stalkers in the backstreets of Tokyo to forests renowned for claiming lives and vengeful spirits, the following games are some of the best horror games set in Japan.
21 Scariest Japanese Games To Never Play Alone, Ranked
With titles like Silent Hill and The Evil Within on the roster, consider grabbing a friend because these Japanese games are too scary to play alone.
10 Yuoni
A Dark Narrative Of Loneliness And Childhood
- Release: August 18, 2021
- Developer: Tricore Inc.
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Top Critic Rating: 56
Yuoni is a first-person hide-and-seek style horror game based on the urban legend of Tsun, a boy who died in hospital while waiting for his friends to visit. The player takes on the role of 10-year-old schoolgirl Ai who, with a group of schoolmates, reluctantly visits the now abandoned hospital to summon Tsun. It is rumored he will grant a wish to whoever plays with him.
The player is required to perform the ritual using a doll while avoiding a myriad of deaf spirits that Ai can run past, and blind ones that she must sneak around. While the gameplay can be repetitive and challenging, Yuoni is a tense experience with a compelling story.
9 Ikai
A Stunning Homage To Japanese Folklore
- Release: September 22, 2021
- Developer: Endflame
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Top Critic Rating: 57
Ikai is a survival horror game set in rural Japan. The game follows Naoko, a priestess left to watch over her uncle's shrine while he visits a village suffering from mass hysteria about the coming of a demon. However, when she accidentally opens the door to the underworld, it falls on Naoko to protect the shrine and close the door.
The game makes great references to established Japanese yokai which, when unable to fight back against, make for some terrifying encounters. Ikai also has some interesting mechanics, like writing seals, alongside a variety of puzzles and a touching unfolding plot.
8 Shadow Corridor
Explore Randomly Generated Authentic Settings
- Release: March 8, 2019
- Developer: Space Onigiri Game LLC
- Platform: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
- Top Critic Average: 67
In Shadow Corridor, the protagonist, feeling adventurous in a moment of nostalgia for their childhood summer days, steps into an alley and is transported into a dark maze of corridors in a Japanese mansion. While trying to escape, the player will also uncover the origin of this hellish other-world.
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While the player cannot defeat the spirits, they can find items to fend them off while also searching for magatama stones which allow them to escape. Each playthrough generates a different environmental layout, and the evil spirits and demons require different strategies to evade, making it a claustrophobic experience.
7 Fatal Frame: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse
An Atmospheric Experience With Unique Mechanics
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
- Released
- March 9, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Tecmo, Nintendo SPD, Grasshopper Manufacture
- Franchise
- Fatal Frame
- Platform(s)
- Wii, Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Set on Rogetsu Isle, south of Honshu, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse follows Ruka, who has returned to the isle after being kidnapped and losing her memories there along with four other girls ten years before. After discovering they have been affected by the contagious memory-altering "Moonlight Syndrome," they must search for the cure among a range of terrifying locations.
The distinguishing feature of this game is the camera obscura, which can be used to fend off spirits by taking photographs. If taken while the ghost is attacking, they can banish it in one shot (hence the title "Fatal Frame"). Points earned from these photos can be exchanged for medicine and used at save points. There are multiple endings to Fatal Frame.
6 Ghostwire: Tokyo
Fighting-Heavy Horror Game With Supernatural Combat
Ghostwire: Tokyo
- Released
- March 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Tango Gameworks
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
In Ghostwire: Tokyo, the player takes on the role of Akito, a boy who has been partially possessed by a spirit called KK after being rendered unconscious in a car accident. They must attempt to stop Hannya, a mysterious occultist who is turning the residents into spirits and stealing their souls, and find Akito's sister.
Ghostwire has an interesting plot development, much of which is pieced together through collectibles. It is a combat-based horror game, with Akito using upgradable supernatural attacks via martial art-like hand gestures. There are a;so some genuinely disturbing antagonists inspired by Japanese urban legends.
5 Yomawari: Midnight Shadows
A Deceptively Cute Horror Game
- Release: August 24, 2017
- Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
- Platform: iOS, Android, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4
- Top Critic Rating: 78
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is the second of three installations in the Yomawari game series. After being separated and lost when a monster emerges 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, sneaking, and exploration with a deceptively cute design. However, the aesthetics do not take away from the spooky atmosphere. Disturbing monsters lurk around every corner and a terrible narrative emerges.
4 World Of Horror
Hand Drawn Turn-Based Cosmic Horror
World of Horror
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 within the fictional Japanese town of Shiokawa to prevent a complete apocalypse.
The art for World of Horror was made entirely in Microsoft Paint, with enemy designs inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, urban legends, and Junji Ito, in a truly horrific fusion. Each Old God that the players encounter has different attacks and effects that keep the turn-based moments of gameplay new and engaging.
3 Spirit Hunter: NG
Visual Novel With Both Mystery And Horror Elements
- Release: September 13, 2018
- Developers: EXPERIENCE, Ghostlight LTD
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4
- Top Critic Rating: 82
The second game in the Spirit Hunter series, NG is a visual novel ghost hunting game. The player must attempt to find the main character's little sister, who has disappeared. The catch is, they have been cursed by the spirit Kakuya and must "play" along with her life or death game to find and destroy (or spare) Tokyo's supernatural inhabitants.
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The ending of Spirit Hunter: NG varies based on the decisions the player makes when making quick time decisions and exploration zones, which gives it a degree of replay value. In addition to the unsettling locations and gory scenes, this game has interesting characters and an engaging mystery element.
2 GOHOME
Sinister Walk Home With Surreal Art Style
- Release: June 16, 2020
- Developer: 市松製化
- Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Steam User Rating: 86%
GOHOME is a third-person survival horror game that takes place in a residential area of Japan. Controlling Mosaiko Suzuki, a young girl who gets separated from her parents, the player must try to find their way home. However, there are grotesque and strange monsters at every turn.
The style of this horror game is surreal, and goes beyond over-the-top humor to be genuinely disturbing. What it lacks in clear plot it makes up for in the constant onslaught of absurdity. The combination of folkloric enemies and body horror makes for a tense experience that will visually engage the player throughout.
1 Parasocial
Paranoia Inducing Commentary On Cyber-Safety
- Release: August 26, 2023
- Developer: Chilla's Art
- Platform: Windows
- Steam User Rating: 94%
One of many games developed and published by Chilla's Art, Parasocial is a simulation horror game. The player takes on the role of Nina , an up-and-coming streamer. When her face is revealed after completing a horror game that one of her viewers asked her to install, things get much more sinister, and she starts receiving creepy texts and notes.
The tension in Parasocial comes from apotentially very real situation, which leaves the player wondering who to trust. It also makes reference to 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. There are two endings to this game.
There are currently 22 games in the Chilla's Art franchise, all of which are set in Japan. Parasocial has the highest rating of them all.
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