It's been said that there's only one universal passion: fear.
Because you know when you're not playing that whatever is in the game is not real, the scarier the horror game, the funner it is. There are a few horror games out there, however, that will stick with you for a while because they're just that good. This list of Asian horror games are some of the best out there and can give you a fun and frightening experience.
15. Nightfall
In this first-person survival horror game, you play as Ara Cruz, a field journalist investigating mysterious disappearances. However, she soon finds herself in a mansion filled with terrifying creatures of lore and now she has to escape. If she can’t uncover the mystery behind the people who have gone missing, she just might end up as one of them.
What’s Fun About Nightfall
- There are unique looking monsters from Phillipino culture
- There are cool cutscenes
- The graphics are pretty unique
14. Short Creepy Tales: 7PM
In this game you get to play as each of three children living in a Malay apartment. However the apartment block hosts some dark secrets, which gives players the chance to experience jump scares and creepy dialogue. As you spend a weekend in this town you’ll have to complete minigame challenges and make conversations in order to get to the end of one of many routes.
What’s Fun About Short Creepy Tales: 7PM
- It mixes 3D designs and paper cutouts
- It’s short and entertaining
- There is both Chinese and Malaysian culture featured
13. Soul at Stake
This 1v4 survival horror game features a gambling game where what you’re betting is your soul. Created by Xi’E, a ghost from Chinese folklore, this game becomes an illusion that is a real killing game. The participants will be hunted down by devils who are really poor souls trapped by Xi’E, and there isn’t much time for them to change their fate.
What’s Fun About Soul at Stake
- You can buy upgrades at shops
- There is creepy background music and sfx to enhance the experience
- Blood splatter is shown when you hurt someone
12. Bekkouame
Unfortunately this game is only available in Chinese or Japanese but that doesn’t stop it from being a fun and fast game that anyone can enjoy (thank you Google Translate). The main character is a girl who feels bullied by others and meets a mysterious woman who gives her a parasitic umbrella and a nightmarish world. However, the monsters she meets might not be the real horrors...
What’s Fun About Bekkouame
- Great visuals and soundtrack
- Relatively short and easy to play
- Cute sprites and cool cutscenes
11. Fragile
This game takes you on a journey with a young girl who has been abducted by criminals and is an example of how sometimes the real monsters are the ones who look just like us. The 10 year old girl who is the main character of this game must struggle to escape from the monsters around here all while discovering truths about the many other children who have mysteriously gone missing. You might be able to make it out of this game, but will the girl’s fragile mind be able to?
What’s Fun About Fragile
- All the illustrations are hand drawn
- The story is set in Mongolia
- There are fun puzzles and mini games
10. Dreadout
This game follows highschoolers gone astray in Indonesia, and they must use the modern gadgets at their disposal to protect themselves from ghosts as well as to solve puzzles. The main enemies here are the terrifying Indonesian ghosts, and they make the battles something to look forward to. If you like the feel of the good ol’ fashioned survival horror games, this simple but mysterious story might be for you.
What’s Fun About Dreadout
- The setting is dark and mysterious
- There is not much background music, save for some creepy tones
- The ghosts all have scream-inducing designs
9. Kuon
This survival horror game is set in Japan’s Heian period and follows three different characters during a monster outbreak at Fujiwara Manor. In this game you play as either Utsuki, Sakuya, or Abe no Seimei and explore the manor while solving puzzles and finding items to progress. Each character has their own weapons, and they can also use spell cards that can be discovered when exploring.
What’s Fun About Kuon
- Designs are based on Feudal Japan and traditional ghosts
- There is terrifying atmosphere
- There are good graphics and a good plot
8. Devotion
This game is a psychological horror game where you control Du Feng Yu, a troubled screenwriter whose family is torn. A main part of this game is going through hallways, which may seem boring, but once you start playing you’ll realize...it really isn’t. You must also visit different time periods to unlock the full details of the story, which is a unique addition to the gameplay.
What’s Fun About Devotion
- There’s excellent graphics
- Clues are hidden and must be uncovered
- It should have an atmosphere familiar to Taiwanese players
7.Corpse Party
In this survival horror game, you’re part of a group of Japanese students who have just been transported to an alternate dimension and are in a schoolhouse haunted by ghosts. The game’s story is split into five terrifying chapters, and in each chapter you’ll end up with either the True Ending or one of several Wrong Endings. If you want to stay alive you’ll have to help these spirits find out the truths behind their deaths so they can be at rest.
What's Fun About Corpse Party
- There’s a lot of character dialogue and clues for solving the game’s mysteries
- The voice actors make scenes seem realistic
- It’s essentially a very unsettling visual novel
6. Pamali
Pamali is a series of four horror games based on Indonesian folklore. It starts with The White Lady, where a young man named Jaka is planning to sell his family home only to find out he’s not alone at home. Each game spotlights a different mythical being.
What’s Fun About Pamali
- You get to learn a lot about Indonesian folklore
- You can interact with almost every option
- A summary at the end of each game that explains how you enraged the ghost
5. The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
This action-horror game is set in 1950s Taiwan and you follow a child looking for his parents after discovering his family’s background. Believe it or not, this game is based on a true story, though whether the ghosts featured in it are real depends on what you think. As you play, you must figure out which ghosts you must hide from and which ghosts you must fight.
What’s Fun About PAGUI
- There are challenging puzzles
- You gain more powerful items for fighting as the game progresses
- There is a compass and mission hints
3. White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
This survival horror game has you playing as Lee Hui-min, a new student who sneaks into school to prepare a surprise for his crush. However, he is soon trapped and has to figure out how to escape before dawn. You’ll get to solve puzzles and explore the school with your inventory, but you better make sure to manage your items carefully or else it’ll be game over.
What’s Fun About White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
- You get to direct the story with player-input dialogue options
- There are different levels of difficulty offered
- Most of the sounds in the game are creepy sfx
2. Detention
Set during Taiwan’s White Terror Period, a student named Ray finds herself trapped in her school when a typhoon hits and soon realizes there is something going on. There are monsters to be avoided and mysteries to be solved in this game that is both disturbing and surreal. This game’s creepy plot will keep you pressing to uncover all the secrets surrounding Ray’s school
What’s Fun About Detention
- The game’s defetable enemies are based on Asian myths
- You get to solve puzzles based on traditional folklore
- There is beautiful art and music
1. Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
This game is centered around the Amakura twins Mayu and Mio, the one the player controls, as they visit a place they used to play during their childhood. The twins soon learn that there’s a dark secret surrounding the village they’ve found themselves in, which may have something to do with the tortured souls haunting the place. While not all the ghosts are hostile, the ones that are must be dealt with using the Camera Obscura, an enchanted camera that can be used to defeat ghosts and hunt for clues.
What’s Fun About Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
- Puzzles are challenging but reasonable
- Creative use of lighting that adds to the atmosphere
- Cut scenes are top notch terrifying
