Summary
When the time comes to make a game, there are many available tools. Unity, Source, Twine, and other engines allow designers to craft all manner of virtual worlds, from the most welcoming to the most inhospitable. Horror can mean blood and gore rendered with the highest fidelity or psychological thrills with barely anything graphic.
Since the original’s debut in 1992,RPG Makerhas served as the catalyst for many games. Indie developers of all stripes have leveraged its user-friendly toolset to craft stories of terror and revulsion. Indeed, it is this very toolset that has made some of the horror genre’s greatest and most intriguing achievements possible. This is even more impressive, given how this engine was originally made to help developers create RPGs with turn-based combat, only for developers to take some wild turns with this engine over time.
Updated June 19, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:TheRPG Makerengine is extremely versatile and user-friendly. Players can not only create colorful games in the adventure or exploration genre but also, as shown in this article, spine-chilling stories that, despite their 16-bit design, are scary enough to give players nightmares.
The fact that many of the horror games created in RPG Maker have such great reviews goes to show both the engine’s potential and the wonderful opportunity it provides talented developers. There’s a ton of talent out there, and thousands of ghost stories to tell in RPG Maker games. And the best part is that most of them are not expensive, so players can try them without too much of an investment.
1Alicemare
A Great Combination Of Psychological Horror And Surrealism
Focusing on a boy named Allen who has lost his memory and finds himself in an orphanage,Alicemareblends surrealism and psychological horror perfectly to deliver an eerie experience. Despite being warned not to wander into the world of stories, Allen is trapped in the bizarre and dangerous realm.
Alicemaredives into complex topics, such as trauma and loss, and explores the fine line between what’s real and what isn’t. As the game progresses, players will discover more and more about Allen’s past, and the darkness behind it.
2Chloé’s Requiem
Players Will Learn Chloe’s Dark Past As The Game Progresses
With a dark, Gothic style art,Chloé’s Requiemis centered on a girl bearing the same name. Players will progress through the game as Michael, a boy who finds himself in the middle of a dangerous supernatural world immediately after meeting Chloé. To reveal the mysteries behind her past, both of them will have to explore a world full of eerie elements and dark secrets.
With puzzles and a narrative revolving around grief, guilt, and sacrifice, players will have a fun, yet spine-chilling time progressing through the game and discovering all the secrets inside it.
3Your Star
A Cult Classic With Puzzle And Exploration Game Mechanics
A great thing about RPG Maker is how fledgling developers can make titles in this engine to wow the masses.Your Staris a great example of the same, letting players step into the shoes of a young boy who must explore a mansion all by his lonesome to find his lost sister. Suffice it to say, this game has its fair share of horrors that can strike fear in the hearts of most players.
The traditional gameplay loop of exploration, puzzle-solving, and fights make for a great time, with the title’s overbearing horror aesthetic making it clear why so many people are huge fans of this title. It’s a veritable cult classic that is pretty enjoyable despite some minor flaws here and there.
LISA: The Painfulis a video game that pushes the RPG Maker engine to its limits and shows what’s possible with this tool with a lot of creativity. The sheer amount of love present in the game makes it clear why so many people are huge fans of this title, with the drab and bleak nature of the world juxtaposed with moments of dark comedy in a title that boasts excellent writing chops.
LISA’s engaging combat and fun story make it a worthy title to check out, with players finding Brad to be a pretty multifaceted character as he embarks on an adventure to save Buddy from her kidnappers. Along the way, he’ll find a wealth of eclectic characters and some nerve-wracking moments when the game’s muted horror roots reveal their fangs.
Fear & Hungeris a game that has come out of nowhere and shows just how malleable the RPG Maker engine is in the right hands. The first game was a test of the player’s patience and zeal to explore a game that genuinely hated them, featuring pulse-pounding combat where every encounter could spell doom for the player if they ended up biting off more than they could chew.The second game ended up working on the strengths of its predecessor, expanding on everything from the combat to this series' tantalizing lore.
The result is one of the best sequels of all time that also tones down the difficulty… albeit just a smidge. The game is still devilishly hard and will brutally test players to their very limits, with every save feeling like a breath of fresh air for players who have genuinely struggled for what feels like ages!
6Lisa: The First
A Story About Abusive Parents, And The Psychological Repercussions Around Them
Most people are well aware ofLisa: The Painful, which is easily one of the best RPGs that players can get their hands on. However, what most people aren’t aware of is the fact that this game is actually a follow-up to a video game that was inspired byYume Nikkiin many ways.Lisa: The Firstis an RPG Maker horror game that focuses on the titular character and her strained relationship with an abusive father, manifesting itself in a string of disturbing nightmares that are pretty harrowing to discover firsthand.
The wacky and unnerving nature of this title makes it one of the most underrated horror games around that fans should check out for themselves. The dream sequences are bizarre, trippy… and extremely uncomfortable when Lisa’s dad becomes a central figure, showing the true depths of his depravity.
7Ao Oni
A Heart-racing Quest To Escape A Demon
Ao Oniis a horror game that takes place in a haunted mansion. After being separated from his friends, the main character must navigate the mansion, solving puzzles and avoiding a monster known as the Ao Oni, or blue demon.
This monster hunts them throughout the game, appearing at random intervals and shocking players with its presence every single time. The game’s simple, pixelated graphics and eerie music contribute to its tense atmosphere, and players must use their wits and hiding skills to survive this harrowing experience.
8The Witch’s House
A Young Girl’s Quest To Escape A Creepy House Filled With Multiple Horrors
The Witch’s Housefeatures a young girl named Viola who finds herself trapped in a mysterious forest, hiding in a house that is filled to the brim with ghastly occurrences and scary moments. As she tries to escape, she encounters a variety of horrific creatures and must solve puzzles to progress through the game.
The game’s story is filled with twists and turns, and its eerie soundtrack adds to its unsettling atmosphere despite the visuals looking “cute,” for lack of a better term. However,the biggest gut punch delivered by this game comes at the ending, and players who have yet to check outThe Witch’s Houseshould make it a point to play through this masterpiece if they love how the horror genre shines through the medium of video games.
Fear & Hungeris a horror-themed role-playing game that is easily one of the hardest and most unfair experiences anyone can put themselves through. The game makes no effort to hide the fact that it actively hates the player, with death present at every corner and hounding the player at every step of the way.
Fear & Hungerfeatures a variety of enemies, including grotesque monsters and twisted versions of familiar creatures. Combat is turn-based and requires strategic thinking, with limb dismemberment being critical to render enemies ineffective. Of course, the player’s limbs are also free real estate and can be hacked off at a moment’s notice, severely inhibiting their effectiveness in battle. That being said, a content warning is required here —Fear & Hungerdepicts graphic and sexual violence in a disturbing manner that can be hard to stomach, so player discretion is advised.
10Pocket Mirror
A Heavily Ambiguous Game That Works Well With Its Narrative
Created usingRPG MAKER VX ACE,Pocket Mirroris a horror game in which symbolism is paramount. Because of this, those looking for a straightforward game with a simple A-to-B plot should look elsewhere. For everyone else,Pocket Mirroris a nightmare in the best way.
Almost everything within is subject to interpretation. In some games, ambiguity is the result of laziness, of game designers not knowing what end result they’re trying to achieve, but in this game delving into symbols for their true meaning is half the point. With original artwork, an original soundtrack, and visual novel elements,Pocket Mirrorgoes above and beyond most RPG Makertitles.
