It’s October, so you know what that means. It’s spooky season!
While Halloween culture in Malaysia isn’t as strong as, say, the US, I’d say that we certainly have an appetite for all things horror. At least, if you’re not a scaredy cat…
In any case, we’ve compiled some proudly Malaysian-made horror games here for those who want to lean into the season with some scares.
1. Cellar Vault Games’ Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open
Cellar Vault Games has finally released their long-awaited title, Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open after four years of being in development.
Featuring a unique papercraft aesthetic, this game is visually mesmerising, and the plot is certainly intriguing, too.
This is the follow-up to the studio’s well-received title Paper Ghost Stories: 7PM, which Vulcan Post reviewed back when it was called Short Creepy Tales: 7PM.
Cellar Vault Games has definitely established itself as a must-watch studio, especially when it comes to spine-chilling games.
This indie game developer has actually released other spooky demos on itch.io as well, if you’re interested to play more of their creations. These include The Plight, The Spookey Sugary Saloon, and Short Creepy Tales: The Long Road Ahead. Could we possibly be seeing any of these titles turn into full-length games?
Where to get the game: Steam
Price: RM30
Ratings: Positive
2. Nimbus Games’ CHIYO
Released early this year, CHIYO is a first person, hardcore escape room-styled puzzle game set in an Edo era Japan horror background.
The game is set in the same universe as Malice, which was also developed by Nimbus Games. The Vulcan Post team has actually bravely played and reviewed this horror co-op game in the past.
The founder of the studio, Joseph Teng, actually has experience creating escape room designs and even owned a few escape rooms. This expertise is certainly something he leverages in creating his games.
Despite the negative reviews the game had gotten (which we later got clarity from the studio about), we actually quite enjoyed the game, so we have high hopes for CHIYO. After all, the game did win Best Audio Design at Level Up KL 2023.
Where to get the game: Steam
Price: RM32
Ratings: Mostly positive
3. Kaigan Games’ Simulacra trilogy
Somewhat a cult classic, Simulacra got its rise to fame after notable YouTubers such as jacksepticeye and Markiplier played it. It follows the “found phone” format and encompasses three games in its series (Simulacra 1, Simulacra 2, and Simulacra 3).
Basically, each of these interactive horror games play out through a phone, which belongs to a missing victim, that was found by the player.
The franchise’s third instalment was released last year, which we’ve played and reviewed.
Although Kaigan Games is best known for the horror franchise, the studio has also been working on some upcoming games Nullspace and Deadly Rehearsal.
Nullspace is not a horror title, but Deadly Rehearsal does seem to have a spooky edge to it, so we’re super excited to see more about it.
Where to get the games: Steam
Price: RM49.95 for the Trilogy Bundle
Ratings: Very Positive for Simulacra 1 and Simulacra 2, Mixed for Simulacra 3
4. Cerebral Games’ Yan魇: Parasomnia
While only a demo for now, we couldn’t leave this game off the list for how promising it looks.
The developer had posted about the demo on Reddit a few months ago, garnering over 2,000 upvotes. And it seems like many users have had positive things to say about the demo so far.
The game follows the Wan siblings who are exploring their childhood home after a simple funeral wake. From there on, a darker plot begins to unravel.
The game is actually created in collaboration with Nimbus Games. There’s not much about Cerebral Games online, but from Reddit comments left by the developer online, it’s likely that they have previously worked at Nimbus Games, having mentioned that they worked on Chiyo.
With that background, we cannot wait to see what spooky horrors await with Yan魇: Parasomnia.
Where to download: Steam
Price: Free (demo)
Ratings: N/A (for now)
5. Persona Theory Games’s Kabaret
Indie studio Persona Theory Games is perhaps best known for its narrative-driven approach to games, having made its debut with a visual novel, Fires at Midnight. But before that, they were actually also involved in Sara Is Missing, the precursor to the Simulacra games.
Their sophomore title, Kabaret, delves into a world where monsters from Southeast Asian myths and folklores dwell. Practices from the region such as tea ceremonies and traditional games like congkak are explored in this title.
To be fair, the game isn’t really a horror title, but it does have dark and spooky themes, which to me can be just as frightening (if not more) compared to jump scares.
Having played it ourselves, we can vouch for the game’s visual appeal. Unfortunately, the game might be marred by some controversies that the studio has faced.
Last year, the studio came under fire with allegations of toxic workplace behaviours as well as sexual harassment. According to an article by Virtual SEA, in late 2023, the company implemented “significant changes” such as new management, committed to cultivating a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
Where to get the game: Steam
Price: RM49
Ratings: Mixed
Putting Malaysia on the map with horror games
It’s worth noting that many of these games we listed actually feature Malaysian elements. For instance, Yan魇:Parasomnia is set in Ipoh, while Kabaret has a glossary that explains Malay words.
It’s awesome to see how indie studios are able to tap into our culture and local settings to create unique experiences for gamers everywhere.
After all, fear is a universal feeling. As such, we hope these games not only spook local players, but global horror fans too.
- Read other articles we’ve written about gaming here.
Featured Image Credit: Cellar Vault Games / Nimbus Games / Cerebral Games
