8 Best Chilla’s Art Horror Games

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Chilla’s Art, a game development firm based in Japan, was established by two siblings. This innovative company specializes in creating games that delve into the eerie aspects of everyday existence. Common themes in their games encompass low-paying jobs, the sense of loneliness and vulnerability experienced in solitary work, and an underlying fear of encountering unfamiliar individuals.

Chilla’s Art excels at creating chilling horror, leveraging some rougher or unfinished aspects of their game design. This unique approach to game design gives their work a distinctive style that stands out in short-form video game horror, easily identifiable even at a glance. Currently, there are 22 games developed by Chilla’s Art available on Steam, and here is a selection of the finest ones.

8. The Convenience Store | 夜勤事件

No Job Is Worth This

People who played “The Convenience Store” and abandoned it due to its slow tempo and glitches might find it unexpectedly listed here. However, the unsettling atmosphere that the game generates makes it worth persevering until the end. Moreover, there’s no save feature, so completing this approximately one-to-two-hour game requires determination.

In Chilla’s Art games, two frequent themes are set: the character works nights at a low-paying store, immersed in a grim, ominous cityscape, and encounters mysterious VHS tapes at their new place of work, hinting that there is something eerily amiss about the convenience store and its job.

7. The Caregiver | 終焉介護,

Beware The Raven

Title Character: The Haunting Caregiver

Storyline: This supernatural horror narrative revolves around the harrowing experiences of elderly care providers, who find themselves in a chilling predicament while attending to their elderly patients. Among them is Souichi, an 83-year-old gentleman whose health is deteriorating, necessitating home care. However, those who visit his residence for check-ups have a peculiar habit of vanishing without a trace.

Game Description: This eerily suspenseful game delves into the mysteries that unfold in Souichi’s household, taking inspiration from yōkai folklore as its foundation.

The game offers a more instinctive gaming journey compared to “The Convenience Store,” yet it’s not entirely free of frustrating glitches and lacks a save function. To ensure you finish the game without interruptions, it would be wise to allocate approximately two hours for playtime.

6. Jisatsu | 自撮

Is It Worth The Risk For The Footage?

A movie director has been assigned by their superior to capture footage of eerie urban investigations within deserted structures. Regrettably, the director encounters an enigmatic paranormal conundrum, featuring instances of demonic possessions and unsettling dolls.

This game creates an atmosphere of fear and mystery using elements similar to real-life horror and hidden camera footage. The goal is for you to find five tapes to uncover the secrets about the eerie past of this deserted residence. As one of Chilla’s more modern creations, the gameplay is designed to be user-friendly; however, the character’s head bobbing can sometimes cause a bit of disorientation.

5. Shinkansen 0 | 新幹線 0号

Wait, Was That Lady Smiling Before?

This game marks the developer’s exploration into the popular horror genre of anomaly detection, which has gained traction recently. It bears a resemblance to “Exit 8” but possesses a unique twist. The unnamed player-character navigates through moving train compartments, searching for alterations in the surroundings and passengers. Some of these changes are conspicuous while others are fiendishly challenging to spot.

The objective is to travel securely through the train cars until the character arrives at their destination station. This game could be considered a spiritual sequel to their previous work, known as “The Ghost Train.” It shares the same narrative structure and first-person perspective of someone attempting to return home, unlike a mere imitation or departure from Chilla’s Arts’ usual storytelling approach.

4. The Bathhouse | 地獄銭湯 Restored Edition

Free Accommodation. Shower Not Included.

Players who experienced the earlier version might recall a game-altering update that was pulled from circulation. However, the creators reintroduced it, bringing back all its problematic intensity. Notably, “The Bathhouse” stands out among Chilla’s Arts productions as it offers a rich narrative. Maina secures employment at a rural bathhouse and enjoys the benefit of free lodging, despite having to bathe there. Similar to other games on this list, interactions with NPCs are often unfriendly, and the tasks can be repetitive.

But not long after, things take an unsettling turn. Beyond the strange interactions with customers that seem to step right out of the uncanny valley, the bathhouse feels eerily haunted. Despite this, Maina is obliged to carry on with her work as usual, all while hearing the whispering voices of ghostly employees and the shrieks of spectral monkeys reverberating through the deserted rooms of the bathhouse. There are two distinct endings to discover, making it worth going back to play again to uncover them both.

3. Parasocial | パラソーシャル

The Horrors of Doxing

This game, titled “Parasocial,” possesses an additional layer of meaning beyond its core gameplay, reflecting its widespread appeal among streamers and YouTube gamers. It’s particularly renowned for its deep, branching narratives that offer multiple playthrough options, making it stand out as one of the most replayable games in existence.

The central character is a live-streaming personality who conceals her real identity behind an anime avatar during broadcasts, ensuring privacy and anonymity. However, one fateful day, a hacker intrudes into the stream, exposing her hidden face to the public. This storyline delves into the dangers of online identity exposure, creating an atmosphere of apprehension and hinting at potential threats throughout. The narrative keeps the audience on edge until the climactic conclusion.

2. The Closing Shift | 閉店事件,

I’ll Have A Matcha Chillappuccino To Go.

The Closing Shift” serves as an excellent introduction to Chilla’s Art games, encapsulating all that sets these games apart. The main character is a young woman who works the closing shift at a café. This game highlights the vulnerability of individuals working alone late at night and the specific fear some women experience regarding unwanted attention.

In “The Closing Shift,” a troubling individual persistently follows a young woman, who finds herself juggling the everyday tasks of her low-paying job while constantly being under the shadow of an unnerving and stalkerish character, who seems fixated on her actions.

1. The Ghost Train | 幽霊列車

Don’t Get Off On The Wrong Platform

The story “The Ghost Train” follows an insurance broker named Kensuke, who sticks to a predictable routine each day. Being a habitual man, he has a fixed schedule after work: visiting the restroom, grabbing a drink, taking a smoke, and then catching the subway home, always claiming his favorite seat in the second carriage. However, on July 25th, an unexpected series of events begin to unfold disastrously.

The Phantom Express”

This captivating game, titled “The Phantom Express,” showcases Chilla’s Art at its most chilling in the realm of Japanese Horror. It boasts multiple storylines, intriguing characters, and a haunting aura of sorrowful longing. Kensuke, a man feeling his life slipping away, might find the supernatural terror of this ghost train exactly what he needs to reclaim his existence. This game is a must-play for any horror gaming enthusiast.

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2025-01-10 00:16