Horror Video Games: Best Ones from Japan!

Horror video games are perfect for the Halloween season! Whether you’re jonesing for spooky ghosts and monsters or gross-out body horror, there’s a game out there just for you. But with so many different games to play, it can be downright frightening to figure out which ones are worth your time.

Fear not! This Halloween, we’re here to help you dive into the spookiest, scariest, and most fun horror games possible. Here are a handful of horror games that will send some shivers down your spine this Halloween season!

(Editor’s Note: These horror games deal with sensitive topics and have intense action and imagery; please refer to IMDb for content warnings if necessary.)

Yomawari: Night Alone

One day, a young girl takes her pet dog for a walk. Unfortunately, disaster strikes and the young girl loses her dog, returning home with nothing more than its leash. Deciding that she needs to find her dog no matter what, the young girl goes into town on her own. Unfortunately, she finds that everything has changed – for the worse. 

Yomawari: Night Alone is an isometric survival horror title in which players guide a young girl through her monster-filled town. As bigger and scarier ghouls and spirits attack her, the odds of her finding her pet dog are slim. But with gorgeous visuals and a fantastic atmosphere, Yomawari is a great game for those who enjoy spookiness without bloody bits.

Paranormasight

There’s a rumor that a special ritual can bring the dead back to life. As a group of people perform the bizarre ritual, a horrible curse claims its victims. Paranormasight is a mystery adventure visual novel set within the Sumida Ward in Tokyo. 

Players also must make key choices throughout the game as they guide various characters through the terrible events plaguing the city. As the story is in the player’s hands, there are also multiple endings to discover! Each of them are based on how players perform throughout the story. Wonderfully creepy art and jump scares aplenty will ensure fans will talk about this game for a long time to come.

Corpse Party

There’s a terrible secret at the heart of Heavenly Host Elementary School. Some say that a young girl met a cruel and untimely end. Her spirit haunts the school and if a group of people perform a certain ritual they’ll get transported to her realm. When a group of high schoolers do just that, they find themselves in a nightmarish hellscape. 

As each student races to uncover the truth behind Sachiko Shinozaki‘s death, they must survive a relentless array of ghosts, ghouls, and Sachiko herself. Despite its simple 16-bit RPG visuals, Corpse Party is certainly not for the faint-hearted. There’s even an anime adaptation for those who want to take their trip to Heavenly Host Elementary even farther!

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Fatal Frame

When Miku Hanasaki’s brother, Mafuyu, disappears while investigating the abandoned Himuro Mansion, she decides to search for him. Upon entering the dilapidated mansion, Miku finds herself trapped inside. She is armed only with a flashlight and an old camera. Almost immediately, Miku realizes she is not alone. Restless spirits within the mansion gravitate towards her beating heart.

Fatal Frame is one of the scariest games of all time, with absolutely zero hyperbole. Excellent use of light and shadow, camera angles, and genuinely unnerving audio and sound design result in a gameplay experience steeped in dread and anxiety. As Miku combats the specters of Himuro Mansion with the Camera Obscura, a dangerous ritual reveals itself, with a powerful ghost at the center of it all. Seriously, you might want to play this game with the lights on.

Silent Hill 2

When Team Silent made a direct sequel to Silent Hill, already one of the greatest horror games ever released, they outdid themselves with its sequel. Protagonist James Sunderland receives a letter from his deceased wife asking him to meet her in the mysterious resort town Silent Hill, he steps into a world of fog, silence, rust, and decay. However, what makes Silent Hill 2 arguably the greatest horror game of all time is its expert design.

Surreal and nightmarish visuals come to a horrifying life courtesy of Akira Yamaoka’s dissonant and oppressive soundtrack. But the true darkness in the heart of Silent Hill 2 is the truth of James’ summons to the titular town, which also reveals terrifying revelations for every element in the game. Overall, Silent Hill 2 is a horror game for the ages and must be played in total darkness with zero distractions.

Why should I check out these horror video games?

You should check out these horror video games because they are an incredible variety of spooky fun you can have this Halloween. Some are just atmospheric, while others are gruesome to behold. But these are also the best games for anyone hounding for a frightfully fun evening alone or with friends. Horror fan-tested, gamer-approved!

What’s your favorite horror game? Did we include it on this list? Why do you love it so much? Please let us know in the comments below! We would love to hear about your favorite horror video games!