Get ready for a jump-scare with these Japanese horror games
Founded in 2019 by two brothers, Chilla’s Art (チラズアート) is a small indie game studio based in Japan. Presiding exclusively in the horror genre, they’ve developed a style of uncanny characters, retro graphics, short storylines, and dark, spooky settings. They take on everyday tasks like working at a coffee shop, delivering packages, and riding the train, giving them a horrific twist.
We’ve found Chilla Art’s best games and listed them below for when you’re in an extra spooky mood for some horror games.
NOTE: Steam has issued a mature content warning for all games listed so take caution as these are all psychological horrors!
Very Positive (98%) | Single Player | $7.99 | 2 hours
Imagine you’re a Vtuber spending your days doing what you love most, playing video games. Until one day you accidentally download a virus from a game sent in by a viewer. This virus causes you to accidentally face reveal, every Vtuber or no-face steamer’s worst nightmare.
It gets worse because now you have a hooded stalker who forces you to play the games he recommends.
With two ending options, will you survive?
If you’re looking for a stream of this game we recommend this one by Foolish.
“i discovered Chilla's art games and have been hooked since. This is one of my favorites so far! so many jump scares. I nearly jumped out of my chair a few times while having minor panic attacks during the entire gameplay lol so fun.” by Bunii on Steam
Parasocial is available for purchase on Steam here.
Very Positive (89%) | Single Player | $5.99 | 2 hours
You work the night shift at “Chilla’s Coffee,” a local coffee shop. At the beginning of each shift, your manager clocks out, leaving you to wait on customers and tend to the shop alone. There’ve been some stalking incidents recently, but that could never happen to you, right? Your shifts go smoothly until you slowly start noticing that things are off.
This game has three possible endings for you to discover.
Will you be able to escape your stalker?
If you’re looking to watch a stream of this game we highly recommend this one by Foolish.
“love this game completely, from the art style to how you can interact with customers. made me feel as if i was actually being watched the whole time while working.” t on Steam
You can buy The Closing Shift on Steam here.
Very Positive (80%) | Single Player | $6.99 | 1 hour
Similar to the popular game The Exit 8, in Shinkansen 0 you’ve found yourself in an inescapable loop of time.
On a bullet train in the middle of the night headed for Tokyo, a young boy, aware of the looping, tasks you with finding anomalies on the train.
Your goal is to get to the front of the train and stop it so you and the other passengers can escape. However, to get there you must correctly guess whether or not there is an anomaly in each train car.
If you guess correctly you move forward but if you guess incorrectly you move backward.
With two endings will you get off the train or face the sad reality?
“First half is the scariest one, then it becomes more interesting but less scary. The way the devs scare you in this game tho is so unique, big fan.” Xyilo on Steam
You can find Shinkansen 0 on Steam here.
Very Positive (84%) | Single Player | $2.99 | 1½ hours
You’re a college girl working the night shift at a convenience store, tending to customers and completing other tasks. But when strange things start happening around the store, you begin to notice odd happenings.
Play through four shifts and find yourself at the good ending or the bad ending.
As one of Chilla’s Art’s older games, this one features a PS2 art style giving it a retro, yet unsettling, feel.
“Convenience Store does a fantastic job of juxtaposing mundane and creepy. At the start of the game, it’s easy to miss the small weird things happening while you stock the shelves. But as the game progresses these strange encounters become more and more overt.” nowayfarout on Steam
The Convenience Store is available for purchase on Steam here.
Very Positive (92%) | Single Player | $7.99 | 1½ hours
Night Security is exactly as described on Steam, “a Japanese psychological horror game about night security.”
Play as Keigo, a security guard for an office building, and watch the intensity of the game’s horror rise as you investigate each floor. You must go all the way to the 11th floor to beat the game and discover one of its two possible endings.
If you’re looking to watch a stream of Night Security we recommend this one by Shoto.
Pro tip: Shoto has played many of Chilla’s Art’s games, so if you’re looking for a play-through he’s your guy.
“This one is a really good title done by Chilla. The jumpscares were well done and the tension you get in each floor was amazing.” Momonzo on Steam
You can buy Night Security on Steam here.
Very Positive (92%) | Single Player | $7.99 | 2 hours
Chila’s second release of 2024 is The Bathhouse Restored Edition a rerelease of their game The Bathhouse, including enhanced graphics, a new storyline, improved character models, and more.
You decide to move and start anew after being offered a job at a bathhouse in the countryside and an apartment to live in. From then on you begin working there, and quickly begin to realize that everything is not as it seems.
With three endings to discover, where will you find yourself in the end?
“Combines psychological horror with atmospheric exploration. Interact with odd customers, uncover dark secrets, and experience multiple endings as you navigate through unsettling environments.” edtchy on Steam
Buy The Bathhouse Restored Edition on Steam here.
Very Positive (82%) | Single Player | $9.99 | 2 hours
Your mom left you and your sister, and never came back.
Attend school and help care for yourself and your sister as you go about everyday life as a child.
To avoid spoiling this game’s plot, we’ll just say kidnappings happen, and depending on which of the three endings you get, you might just make it out alive.
“A very heavy and emotionally potent story” Breaking Bernier on Steam.
You can buy The Kidnap here on Steam.
Mostly Positive (75%) | Single Player | $2.99 | 1 hour
It's night and you're at your job as a delivery man delivering packages to apartments at night. As you slowly unravel the mystery of notes you find, you also discover that there’s something off about the residents you’re delivering to.
Will you find ending 1 or ending 2?
If you’re looking to watch a play-through of this game we recommend this video by Dylan’s in Trouble.
“This game is the reason I always grab and support Chilla's Art. Whilst having a very creepy atmosphere and giving me the jump scare of my life, it highlights important issues in our society about how we treat disabled, poor, or struggling people .” Ominous on Steam
Purchase Night Delivery on Steam here.
With a range of plots and characters, this list contains just some of Chilla’s Art’s great games! Let us know your favorite Chilla’s Art game in the comments below!
And of course show some support for Chilla’s Art on their socials, which are all linked on their website.
That’s all for this week!
