Among the many engines, platforms and programs available for game development, it is almost strange to say that software designed primarily for creating turn-based RPGs ended up becoming an icon of the horror genre. Yet, despite being the “birthplace” of beautiful and moving games like To The Moon, independent developers found in it a way to create immersive, charming and, above all, simple horror games. The platform does not require developers to know how to program in the traditional sense or animate, for example, which made it much easier for people with a good story to tell to create games.To The MoonGames from this era are defined above all by their stories. Because they are shorter games, often made by a single person, RPG Maker titles avoid many of the issues players complain about in modern games in the genre, such as long stretches with little content designed to pad out the runtime, or “empty” scares and jumpscares. Instead, they focus on building an almost intimate atmosphere. Immersive sound design, an atmosphere that makes you feel as though you are inside the game, an abundance of visual and character details that add to the storytelling, and jumpscares and puzzles that serve a purpose within the context all come together to create a unique experience, characteristic of the “golden age” of these games.And, of course, there are the stories and themes these games explore. They deal with trauma, bullying, tragedy and loss, using metaphors for human feelings such as pain, suffering and grief. These are themes players inevitably encounter sooner or later in life, and, especially in the context in which these games emerged, their lack of horror games with more “relatable” subject matter meant that they spoke very directly to their audience.Despite being old games, they remain extremely interesting and charming, and their themes have become increasingly relevant with the rise of psychological horror games we are seeing today. Of course, a game like this will not offer the same experience as Silent Hill 2, but within its considerably narrower scope, it can evoke just as much emotion in the player, if not more. So, let’s take a look at some of the most celebrated and renowned games from this era:RPG Maker IconsCorpse PartyWhen this game’s title comes up, many people immediately think of the anime or manga series, which largely set the horror aside in favor of focusing on somewhat problematic +18 content, considering that the protagonists are children and teenagers. But the games are not like that! Only the original game, released in 1996, was made in RPG Maker, so this article will focus on it.The game follows a group of friends who perform a friendship ritual as a joke and end up in an alternate reality: a school called Heavenly Host that, without giving away too many spoilers, was created in response to the trauma experienced by several students who were murdered years earlier. It is a terrifying place, filled with cruel ghosts and the bodies of its countless previous victims. As we switch between several groups of characters—the larger group was separated when they were transported there—we must find a way to keep the characters alive and heal the trauma of the souls trapped inside, putting an end to the cycle.It is one of the biggest games on this list, with multiple storylines following its different groups of characters, and one of the most complex, filled with secrets to uncover, twists and morally ambiguous characters.Ao OniAo Oni may be the most famous RPG Maker game, largely because of its popularity among YouTubers during the golden age of indie horror gameplay videos. It was a hit on the biggest channels of the time, including PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jackscepticeye and others, and it was many players’ first introduction to the genre.The story follows four students who investigate an abandoned house on the outskirts of the town where they live. All the classic horror tropes happen for a reason: they become trapped inside, get separated and are pursued by enormous blue monsters known as the Onis. Playing as Hiroshi, we must reunite with our friends and find a way out by solving puzzles and avoiding certain death at the hands of the Onis.MisaoMisao stands out from the other games on this list because it has two canonical storylines. To experience the full story, it is best to play both. The difference between them is the player character. At the beginning of the game, you choose whether to play as a male or female character, and certain aspects of the story, dialogue and situations change depending on whether you play as a man or a woman. This also directly affects the ending, which I will not elaborate on to avoid spoilers, but the character’s gender has important repercussions.The game explores themes of bullying and abuse. The school the player attends is transported to an alternate reality filled with monsters and terrifying elements under the influence of Misao’s vengeful spirit. Misao was the player character’s classmate, and she disappeared several months earlier. Now, in this new reality, we must discover exactly what happened to Misao, find a way to calm her spirit and return to our own world, uncovering the terrible events the poor teenager endured.Mad FatherThis is one of the most famous games in the “RPG Maker horror” genre, and for good reason! Mad Father has everything: a gripping and terrifying story, family drama, romance, a carefully crafted atmosphere and wonderful characters. It follows Aya, a girl who lives with her father, a highly intelligent scientist, and his assistant, Maria. Her mother died some time ago, and the game begins on the eve of the anniversary of her death.Aya soon discovers that the kind of experiments her father conducts would be strongly condemned under the Geneva Conventions. He specializes in human experimentation, using people on the margins of society because they “would not be missed.” On that fateful night, the failed experiments, reanimated bodies and vengeful spirits created by the house of horrors hidden in the laboratory beneath the mansion where Aya and her parents lived break free. Aya must now escape from them—and from her father, who is a true mad scientist. But can she escape her own nature?Witch’s HouseThe most charming and puzzle-filled game on this list, Witch’s House tells a gripping story that draws you in emotionally, especially because practically every room, puzzle and interaction can kill you in some way. This forces the player to balance the desire to explore and uncover secrets with the caution required when there is always a chance of encountering yet another creative and unexpected death.Going into any aspect of the story in greater detail would ruin the experience. The way each environment and each sprite reveals a little more about the characters’ stories before ultimately building a broader picture is extremely compelling. In broad terms, you play as Viola, a girl from a nearby village who travels to a house in the middle of the forest to play with her friend Ellen, who lives there, ignoring all the warnings that the house is a Witch’s House—the home of a witch.IbAnother game built around the trend of characters being transported to alternate universes, which was particularly strong in this genre, Ib may be the most unusual and beautiful game on this list. It takes place in a universe created by an artist, and its interpretations and adaptations of works of art into environments, puzzles and the game’s own art style are exceptionally well done.The story follows Ib, a child who visits an art gallery with her parents and ends up in a terrifying and bizarre world: a distorted version of the gallery that exists “inside” and under the influence of the works of an artist named Guertena. She meets two other people trapped there, Garry and Mary, and the three join forces to find a way back to the real world.The Crooked ManOf all the many RPG Maker horror games I have played, this one comes closest to an experience like Silent Hill 2. Its protagonist, who has a past even he does not fully understand, carries a truckload of trauma from place to place—a hospital, a hotel and an apartment complex—in search of fragments of another person’s life. Along the way, he meets seemingly random characters who are connected to his story in some way, encounters monsters and uncovers a profound truth about himself.That is exactly what we do while controlling David, who has just moved into a new apartment and finds notes left by the previous tenant, along with strange occurrences and noises at night. He decides to investigate and understand how everything is connected to him, all while being haunted by the titular Crooked Man, a figure from a nursery rhyme of the same name that is known in Brazil as Homenzinho Torto.Yume NikkiTo round out this list, we have probably the most controversial game ever made in RPG Maker. Yume Nikki is loved by some and hated by others, and there is not even a consensus on whether it is a horror game. It has no jumpscares, but its atmosphere, environments, characters and especially its sound design make it, at the very least, an unsettling and surreal experience.It has no dialogue, battles, quests or anything like that. Yume Nikki is simply about this: you play as an extremely reclusive girl named Madotsuki, who refuses to leave her home. All you do while she is awake is go to sleep, and when she falls asleep, you can explore a completely surreal world with 12 doors leading to equally bizarre places. Your goal is simply to explore everything in search of 24 effects. The game is widely considered a metaphor for isolation and depression, but the way it is interpreted and felt is simply impossible to describe. It is truly an experience that must be lived, not told.ConclusionThe influence of these RPG Maker games can be felt throughout the history of horror games over the past 30 years. Countless indie games and even AAA titles have tried to emulate the experience and atmosphere these games created. Yet games made with RPG Maker itself continue to be released and achieve considerable success, such as the famous Fear & Hunger, from 2018, and its 2022 sequel, notoriously frightening and difficult dungeon crawlers, or Omori, from 2020, a psychological horror game that remains highly popular to this day. Several of the games mentioned here, including Ao Oni and Mad Father, have also received remakes and rereleases in improved and more complete versions.Fear & HungerRPG Maker is a fascinating tool, and the way horror game developers explore all its possibilities to tell moving and gripping stories, pairing them with gameplay experiences that keep players engaged and genuinely immersed in those worlds for hours, is remarkable. It deserves far more recognition within the broader horror genre. If you enjoy a good scare, these titles are well worth a try!Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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