Summary

Visage draws inspiration from P.T. and J-horror, offering intense and punchy scares.

The Mortuary Assistant delivers powerful scares through J-horror-based workplace supernatural encounters.

The Medium stands out in modern horror games, blending reality and a hellish world in a unique way.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Japanese horror media exploded in popularity around the world, becoming its own distinct subgenre known as “J-Horror.” It was known for its incredibly punchy scares, eerie atmosphere, focus on an increasingly digital world, and truly cursed atmospheres. It’s no surprise, then, that many Western games have since decided to use J-horror as an inspiration. Whether it’s games that explore the new digital frontier of horror-making, or straightforward homages to J-horror foundations, there are plenty of games that celebrate the great subgenre. This list is ranked both by the quality of the games, and how much they were influenced by J-horror.

Related

8 Best Horror Games About Mental Health, Ranked

These video games tackle the serious subject of mental health to offer psychological horror experiences well worth your time.

8

Visage

The P.T. Successor

Visage

Released

October 30, 2020

ESRB

m

Developer(s)

SadSquare Studio

Publisher(s)

SadSquare Studio

Engine

Unreal Engine 4

It’s hard to undersell the immense impact of P.T., released in 2014 as a playable demo, which took a simple concept of a domestic ghost invasion and made it possibly one of the scariest games ever made. It’s simple, but effective, and its cancellation and disappearance from stores made gamers hungry for more. That’s where Visage comes from. Clearly inspired by P.T. and P.T.’s J-horror influences (particularly the onryo yokai visual influences), Visage delivers on the promise of what could have been. It’s a punchy horror game full of unsettling details that’s heavy on the scares, making it a great time for any J-horror fan.
7

The Mortuary Assistant

Bad Day On The Job

The Mortuary Assistant

Systems

Released

August 2, 2022

ESRB

m

Developer(s)

DarkStone Digital

Publisher(s)

DreadXP

Sometimes, breaking out of the indie game zone and into the mainstream isn’t just a matter of catching attention, but catching attention through the sheer power of the game. In The Mortuary’s Assistant, the sheer self-evident power of the scares is apparent from the moment players boot up the game. In the game, perfect for horror beginners, players take on the role of a morgue assistant who has a couple of run-ins with some very not nice demons while she’s trying to do her job. The game plays on J-horror tropes of the supernatural in a workplace environment, and the scares are just as powerful as anything in a Ju-On film.
6

The Medium

Spiritfarer

The Medium

Systems

8/10

Released

January 28, 2021

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Bloober Team, though controversial among some fan communities, is undoubtedly on the vanguard of modern horror games. They not only remade the indomitable Silent Hill 2, but are constantly pushing out new horror games that always deliver on the scare factor. J-horror is frequently concerned with the overlap between the worlds of the dead and the living. The Medium makes that overlap extremely apparent, with sections of the game taking place simultaneously in a hellish world and reality. It’s a novel gameplay concept backed by a great story that makes The Medium stand out from its competitors.
5

Darkwood

What Lurks In The Dark

Darkwood

7/10

Released

August 18, 2017

ESRB

m

Developer(s)

Acid Wizard Studio

Publisher(s)

Crunching Koalas

First-person, and to a lesser degree, third-person games, are tailor-made for horror, putting the player in the shoes of the protagonist to make the scares extra impactful. So, it would seem that a top-down perspective would do the opposite…right? Darkwood is a stunning statement to the contrary, delivering one of the most oppressive atmospheres and frightening game experiences of the 2010s, all from that top-down perspective. With an emphasis on uncertainty, supernatural spirits, shadows, and uncertainty, the J-horror influences are clear.
4

Lone Survivor

Isolophobia

Lone Survivor

Released

March 27, 2012

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Language

Developer(s)

Superflat Games, Curve Studios

Publisher(s)

Superflat Games, Curve Digital

In the early 2010s, indie gaming experienced its first major boom period, with several games created by small studios breaking through to the mainstream and giving AAA games a run for their money. In the horror space, Amnesia usually gets the credit here, but Lone Survivor deserves its laurels too.

Related

10 Best Indie Horror Games of 2020s (So Far)

The 2020s have absolutely spoiled indie horror fans so far. Here are the smaller but creepy games horror fans can explore.

Lone Survivor is a perfect encapsulation of the lo-fi gritty digital camcorder aesthetics of the best J-horror, in a game narrative clearly inspired by the likes of Silent Hill, providing an adrenaline shot of inspiration to the horror genre in a time when it was catatonic. This one’s a must-play for horror fans who haven’t experienced it.
3

The Cat Lady

Feline Friends

The Cat Lady

Systems

Released

December 1, 2012

Developer(s)

Harvester Games

Publisher(s)

Screen 7

Engine

Adventure Game Studio

The early 2010s remain the golden age of indie gaming, with new digital platforms like Steam providing unfettered access to new developers, and even the big console guys beginning to lower the barrier of entry. In modernity, horror fans tend to consider The Cat Lady one of the biggest boons of that era. In the adventure-style point-and-click game with incredible writing, players take control of a depressed woman who finds herself under the spell of a demonic entity determined to torture her. It’s an emotional game defined by its grungy J-horror aesthetics that make it stand out from the crowd, and a beloved darling of the horror indie boom of the early 2010s.
2

Phasmophobia

Bust Some Ghosts

Phasmophobia

Released

October 29, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen // Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence

Developer(s)

Kinetic Games

Publisher(s)

Kinetic Games

While the early 2010s were undoubtedly a golden age for the indie gaming space, it never disappeared, only evolving into new territories. In the early 2020s, indie horror games began to make a push into the world of co-op. This might seem like it would diminish scares, but instead it opened up a whole new popular subgenre that has resonated with players. Phasmophobia is the standard-bearer of that new wave of co-op indie horror games. In it, players are tasked with hunting a roster of terrifying ghosts using substandard digital equipment which ghosts mess with. It’s a great reinterpretation of the digital/analog tensions explored in classic J-horror, and the ghosts themselves are clear send-ups of the onryo visual archetype.
1

Inscryption

Play Your Cards Right

Inscryption

Systems

Released

October 19, 2021

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Developer(s)

Daniel Mullins Games

Daniel Mullins is well known for pushing the boundaries of whatever game genre he works on. That was never more true than in 2021 when he released Inscryption, perhaps the first horror card-game video game that was stunningly inventive and delivered some incredible scares.

Related

5 Influential Indie Horror Games That Changed The Genre

The most influential horror games don’t always come from the AAA space — sometimes, great indie horror games push the genre forward.

Not to spoil some of the game’s biggest twists, but it becomes clear as the game progresses that the player is dealing with the game on multiple levels of digital reality, harkening back to J-horror roots like Pulse, which do the very same. It’s a stone-cold classic and undoubtedly one of the best horror games of the 2020s so far.

More

8 Great Horror Games That Sold Poorly

These horror games deliver a variety of frightening experiences across their diverse settings, but they all share one thing in common: poor sales.