5 must-play horror titles that were inspired by Junji Ito's works

Junji Ito, a beloved manga artist and a pioneer of horror in the ero-guro genre (Images via Kuon and Junji Ito)
Junji Ito, a beloved manga artist and a pioneer of horror in the ero-guro genre (Images via Kuon and Junji Ito)

Junji Ito, a beloved manga artist and a pioneer of horror in the ero-guro genre, has grown in popularity as his worldwide releases have gained support. Ito is known for his great level of detail and timing when it comes to depicting the horrific. He plays on a wide range of anxieties. Ito and Ito-inspired content is in high demand among fans.

Junji Ito is a mangaka understands phobias, existential worries, and the terror of the unknown. He stands head and shoulders above any other horror writer, combining a deft artist's eye with a limitless and horrifying imagination.


5 best horror games that greatly reflect the work of mangaka Junji Ito

Many various media genres, including video games, have been released as a result of his effect on horror as a genre. What makes gaming ideal for horror is its interactivity and capacity to involve the player completely in the world, heightening the intensity of the encounter.

When gameplay is combined with the kind of terror and visual horror that Ito is capable of, the outcome is hours of dread and fascination.

1) Silent Hill

Publisher: Konami

Platform: PlayStation

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Silent Hill is the most well-known video game franchise of all time. The games convey a sense of impending doom as well as hope. Its imaginative creature designs, like Ito's, have the significance to communicate whatever is being expressed through the physicalities of the characters and situations.

The writing is identical, but the mood of the game is enhanced, and the soundtrack and sound design are held in high regard.

The game follows Harry Mason as he seeks for his missing adoptive daughter in the titular fictional American town of Silent Hill, he finds her true origins after stumbling onto a cult performing a rite to resurrect a deity it worships. There are five alternative game endings, one of which is a joke, based on the player's actions.


2) Detention

Publishers: Red Candle Games, Coconut Island Games, Playism

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch

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Detention is a stunningly-scary art game set in 1960s Taiwan during the White Terror. Detention, like so many of Ito's other works, emphasizes the youth who are afflicted by the horrors and tragedies of what will be 38 years of harsh systemic control.

As the player discovers how the historical tragedy impacted the humanity of individuals it encompassed, the psychological impact of the detailed images and loneliness, the scary atmosphere takes an emotional toll.

The player controls people that walk into a school tormented by hostile supernatural events to explore stories behind the haunted place using a simple point and click method.

The game provides players with a unique aesthetic and gaming experience by including religious aspects based on Taiwanese/Chinese culture and mythology.


3) Layers of Fear

Publishers: Bloober Team, Gun Media, Aspyr, NatsumeAtari

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch

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Layers of Fear is a horror-based game known for its themes of addiction and mortality in the face of ego. It tells the story of a painter who made too many sacrifices for his work.

When seen in the context of Ito's works, these themes are suggestive of stories like Tomie or No Longer Human. In this game, the set-pieces change and move continually, with their own awareness and psychology designed to scare and disorient the player.

The player assumes control of a returning artist in his studio. His first objective is to complete his masterpiece, and the player's job is to figure out how to accomplish this. Puzzles that require the player to scan the environment for visual clues provide difficulty. The house appears simple at first, but as the player explores it in first person, it begins to change.


4) World Of Horror

Publisher: Ysbryd Games

Platform: Microsoft Windows

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The most exact and direct relation to Ito's works is World of Horror. There's plenty of horrible visuals, including gore, cannibalism, and body manipulation, to serve an exciting, Uzumaki-esque plot as the central character learns all the dark mysteries her town has to offer, and it's written in the form of a manga.

This is likely to satisfy all Ito fans before the Uzumaki anime and his newest stories are released, as it is both a horror adventure and a visual novel.

The player queues up actions and assaults hostile creatures in World of Horror. Many creatures that are present are based on creatures from Japanese manga or urban legends, such as Kuchisake-onna. In addition to exploration and puzzle-solving, the game contains aspects from adventure games and roguelikes.


5) Kuon

Publishers: FromSoftware NA, Agetec EU, Indie Games Productions

Platforms: PlayStation 2

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Kuon is a paranormal game that combines demons, yurei, and magic. It takes place in a traditional Japanese setting. A variety of demonic entities can be found, with designs ranging from full-bodied ghosts to mutant Jabba-the-hut-like mounds of flesh and wrath. The game's scary atmosphere, elaborate locations, and dread-inducing graphic violence make it feel as though the sun will never shine again.

Kuon is a survival horror video game in which the player takes on the roles of Utsuki, Sakuya, and Abe no Seimei as they explore Fujiwara Manor's buildings and grounds.

The protagonists must explore the mansion to solve riddles and locate important artefacts in order to advance in the game. Flashing spots of light are used to display items in surroundings. Certain doors within the estate grounds are shut from the start of the game and require a certain item to open. Characters can be banned from using these goods.