The Influence of RPG Maker Horror Games on the Switch
Creating fear and suspense through simple pixelated graphics and a well-placed soundtrack is an exceptional skill.
Horror games, with their variety of gore and grisly details, come in all forms and sizes. While the Switch boasts some incredibly realistic horror experiences, the most influential scary games on the console arguably stem from RPG Maker.
Hailing from Japan, RPG Maker encompasses a series of intuitive yet robust RPG development tools. Throughout the years, iterations like RPG Maker 2003 and related tools such as Wolf RPG Editor have garnered high praise for making story-driven game development more accessible and user-friendly.
These tools hold a significant place in gaming history, providing individuals an opportunity to share their narratives without necessitating expensive equipment or extensive training. While not overly simple to use, they eliminate many traditional barriers associated with entering the world of game creation.
Typically narrative-focused, RPG Maker games emphasize puzzles and dialogue. Their simplistic aesthetic often highlights the overarching story. While not exclusively horror-centric, the tool has found a welcoming community in the horror genre, particularly with survival horror and eerie visual novels.
Five RPG Maker Horror Classics on Switch
- Ib (Switch eShop)
- The Witch’s House MV (Switch eShop)
- Ao Oni
- Mad Father (Switch eShop)
- OMORI (Switch eShop)
If you’ve never played an RPG Maker horror game, start with the remake of Ib. This unsettling experience, created by kouri in 2012, effectively evokes genuine dread with limited resources.
The story follows Ib, a young girl who finds herself alone in an art gallery, navigating a nightmarish alternate reality filled with abstract foes and challenging puzzles.
Dark and foreboding, Ib offers multiple endings that entice players to explore the gallery repeatedly.
The best feature of The Witch’s House is its captivating story, closely followed by its intricate puzzles. This Switch port of the 2012 game is lauded as part of the ‘golden age’ of RPG Maker games.
Players guide Viola, who wakes up alone in a forest and ends up in a creepy mansion, uncovering secrets and confronting the enigmatic figure inside while solving tricky puzzles and unlocking multiple endings.
Known for its fast and iconic monster, Ao Oni, created by noprops in 2008, gained popularity through horror Let’s Play videos. The game centers around a group of kids exploring an abandoned haunted manor, featuring chase scenes and engaging puzzles.
One of the most renowned RPG Maker horror titles, Ao Oni’s memorable story has built a dedicated following, with the remake finding a comfortable spot on the Switch.
Although often associated with RPG Maker, Mad Father is technically a Wolf RPG Editor title. This chilling game blends survival and horror seamlessly, offering a gripping narrative with eerie characters and a skin-crawling premise.
Players follow Aya’s journey as she delves into her father’s secret experiments in the basement, encountering vengeful spirits, challenging puzzles, and an unsettling storyline.
Based on a webcomic, OMORI, created by Omocat in 2020, is one of the intriguing RPG Maker titles on the Switch. This psychological horror game explores dark themes, following Sunny and his alter-ego dream self, Omori, across two worlds while uncovering secrets and engaging in turn-based battles.
Though criticized for its occasional clunkiness, OMORI’s well-crafted story will linger in players’ minds, breaking away from traditional RPG structures and maintaining engagement until the conclusion.
These RPG Maker horror games may seem dated to some, but they leave a lasting impression on players willing to give them a chance. In the horror genre, ‘less is more’ – often, not revealing the monster is the scariest approach a game can take.
Share your experiences with the games above and let us know if you’ve played or plan to play any other RPG Maker games, whether horror-themed or not.