Horror visual novels have all the atmosphere you could want to get yourself scared at night. The best horror visual novels, in particular, are being released on a regular basis, offering plenty of options for enthusiasts to enjoy. As long as you keep up with genre news, you probably know which titles you want to check out and which ones you can skip. If you don’t, and you just want to play a good horror VN that’s new and fresh, you don’t have to worry. This is a list of the best horror visual novels that have been released in the past twelve months and are ready to play in 2024. They all have unique artwork and stories that will get you invested in finishing them, just to see what the creators have in store for you. Some have jump scares while others rely on atmosphere and scary stories until the end. You’ll also find that mystery is a large part of these games. You’re exploring an unfamiliar world that’s doing everything it can to keep you scared. There’s no better way to experience a visual novel than that.
World of Horror
World of Horror is a game that not only looks great but is ambitious enough to impress you with everything it does. It was developed by Pawel Kozminski for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC. They got their inspiration from Junji Ito, who’s known for his body of horror artworks, and H.P. Lovecraft. Both creators have a cosmic feel and that’s what you get when you start playing this VN. It opts for a black and white, pixel art look that makes you feel like you’re in a different time period. Add to that the gameplay and you’ll end up mesmerized by what the game has to offer you. They take typical visual novel gameplay with plenty of storyline to immerse you in this new world. Then they add a turn-based combat element that you don’t typically find in games like that. Then it all gets mixed together with atmospheric music and a constant countdown to the safety of dawn. It’s the rare kind of game that you might have to stop playing, just to take a breath and remind yourself that none of it’s real. They also use a lot of alliteration as the names of the mysteries you have to solve.
Slay the Princess
Slay the Princess was released by Black Tabby Games in October of 2023. That was a very good month for it, since the game is a prime example of the horror genre and how it can be used to confused and scare you into doubting yourself and all the decisions you make. The art is black and white and penciled by hand by award winning graphic novelist Abby Howard. That’s just the beginning, though. All of the lines are voiced by Jonathan Sims and Nichole Goodnight and they never hold back when it comes to jump scare and atmospheric music. Your main goal at the start is to head to a cabin and kill a princess. It should be pretty easy, since she’s shackled and all alone. You’ve been told that, if you fail, the entire world will end. That seems like a pretty easy task, until she starts talking to you. Maybe you’re delusional or maybe you’ve been lied to. Maybe she’s just a victim and you’re the final part of an evil plan to get rid of her. The game has branching narratives, and it will take multiple playthrough to find out if you’ve made the right decision.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo was released by Square Enix in March of 2023 and quickly went on to win the Japanese Game Awards. Having such a large company as the developer and publisher isn’t very common with horror VNs, but the size of the company seems to have worked very much in its favor. What’s fun about the game is that it doesn’t really start until after you’ve solved the mystery. That’s when things really take a turn, and you have to figure out what’s real and what’s an illusion. Your main goal is to bring back the dead by using the Seven Mysteries of Honjo, but beings with the power to curse you stand in your way. The artwork is very impressive and that’s due, in no small part, to the Sumida City Tourism Division. They put their full support behind the project and allowed the team to take 360° photos of the community for use in the game. It lets you view the entire city and move the camera around in a big sphere. You’ll need that freedom when you start collecting clues, because most of them are very hard to find.
Conclusion: 2024 is Great for Horror
If you love horror and visual novels, then 2024 is going to be a great year. The games on this list have all been released in the past twelve months, so they’re all new and ready to show you a good time. These are the best that the year has to offer, and you can find them on multiple platforms. If you don’t want to get them on console, they’re available on Steam to download. Each one is filled with atmosphere that you’re going to get immersed in as soon as you sit down to play it. There are twists and turns to follow, and they all make sure to keep you uneasy the entire time you’re playing them. The voice acting is great, and the artwork makes them stand out from all the other visual novels you could be playing instead. There are also branching narratives that will give you plenty of reasons to go back and play them multiple times. Even after you’ve unlocked everything, you might still have some lingering questions that will never be fully answered. That’s what makes them so much fun and you’re going to want to check them all out as soon as you can.