PHOTO PROVIDED
A still from “The Witch’s House” is pictured.

Something that is very near and dear to my heart is the existence of early 2010s RPGMaker horror games.

So many good horror games were released in this time period in which I did not have the money or ability to play them. I watched all the big YouTubers of the time play these games in 10-25 part series. Now that I have the ability to actually play these games, I thought it would be very fun to do a bulk review to kick off my favorite holiday season.

All of these games have a puzzle aspect with survival horror gameplay elements — some more than others.

I will refrain from ending spoilers for these, even though they’ve been out for over a decade, and I will be giving them a score out of 10. Some of these games are expectedly clunky — they were made as passion projects in the 2010s and the majority of them were released for free for anyone — so my reviews are based mostly on the plot, the gameplay elements and the endings.

That being said, let’s get into it!

Ao Oni – 2008: 10/10

This game is easily the best on this list because of just how effective the game is at scaring the player. It was first released as a freeware game in Japan in 2008 and grew a cult following alarmingly fast — I was definitely one of the kids who watched “Ao Oni” videos nonstop.

You’re dropped into this haunted mansion with very little information, and have to figure out how to escape and avoid the creature chasing you.

The game’s mechanics are standard — you run around, you solve puzzles, you gather items. But the creature — a literal translation of the title, a blue demon — chases you throughout the entire game. There are scripted moments where he chases you, but there are a lot of random chases as well. I was genuinely on edge the whole time I played because I wasn’t sure where the creature was. You can’t fight back, you can only run or hide.

For the eerie nature of the game and chase elements alone I am giving this game a 10/10. The music is also a bonus — there’s a chord that plays when you’re being chased that really sets the tone. The story is fine, but there isn’t much substance to it.

Ib – 2012: 10/10

“Ib” is an adventure horror game where the titular character is stuck in an art museum after being separated from her parents. Just like “Ao Oni,” “Ib” was first released as a freeware game. Later this game was remade with updated graphics and was actually ported to consoles such as Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and Playstation 5.

This game is unique in the fact that there are enemies, but you can’t fight and the “hiding” mechanic is different. You have to escape into other sections of the museum gallery rather than wait for the enemies to move on.

It’s also unique because it’s non-linear — the game can end at any time depending on choices made.

The game is simultaneously cute and creepy, not super scary or anything, just an eerie atmosphere. Super enjoyable, 10/10.

The Witch’s House – 2012: 7/10

“The Witch’s House” is another survival horror puzzle game where your goal is to try and escape a witch’s house.

You play as 13-year-old Viola who wakes up in the middle of the forest. She finds an old mansion, lets herself inside and then is trapped inside.

The atmosphere of the game was fantastic with a super eerie feeling throughout the game. The puzzles and riddles are a little complex but the jumpscares were on par with other early 2010 games.

By far my favorite part of this game was the save feature — a talking black cat is stationed throughout the house, and talking to him saves the game. For the majority of the game the only “person” you can talk to is this cat.

There are numerous endings for the game — two of which involve body swapping. It was a pretty bland storyline up until you unlocked some secret backstory. According to sources online, the creator of this game was heavily inspired by “Ib.”

A remake of this game was made in 2018. Since then, the game has also been published for Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.

Unfortunately I do have a word limit on these, so I will be ending it here. There are three more games I really enjoyed so… stay tuned! Maybe I’ll do a part two of this review.

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Breanna Hanley is a reporter for The Express.