Junji Ito has become one of the most popular and influential creators within the modern horror landscape, with his style permeating across continental borders to make him a household name among the fandom. Unsurprisingly, many creators have become inspired by the twisted visions of Ito and his work has become influential across various mediums.
Enter NextDoor, a 2D pixel art visual novel developed by Sijbren Schenkels, Yun Ying Hu, Bjorn Dingeldein and Clément Panchout. The title gets its namesake from Ito’s The Woman Next Door, which inspired the project.
The game has excellent use of sound, with a beautiful midi soundtrack that also embraces terrifying ambient sounds to heighten the tense story. Visually, the use of 2D pixelated graphics benefits the extremely creepy tone allowing the player’s imagination to fill in the graphical gaps.
With a run time that matches the short story, (taking around 10 minutes to complete) NextDoor is a ideal spooky little gem.
Experience the game yourself for free at NextDoor’s ich.io page, or check out our full game playthrough here:
More Video Game Reviews
For those who have been living under a rock for the last few years, Vtubers are a popular format of streamers who use an animated avatar in the style of… Choose Your Own Demise With Ashley Lister’s Novel Horror Concept UK horror author Ashley Lister likely needs no introduction to those of you who devour indie books like midnight snacks… Christmas Massacre is a 2021 seasonal-themed stealth slasher, developed and published by Puppet Combo and Vague Scenario LLC. The game takes inspiration from the gore-drenched horror films of the 70s… Saiko no Sutoka (Hepburn: Psycho Stalker) is a survival horror game created by independent Indonesian developer Habupain for PC. The story follows a teenage schoolboy named Akira as he finds… You’d be forgiven, dear reader, for being incredulous at something as childish as Pokémon appearing on our page. Yes, yes. Straight Outta Kanto can imagine what you’re thinking. Pokémon is… Kuon, developed by FromSoftware, is an atmospheric survival horror game released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. Set in the Heian period of Japan, the game presents a gripping, eerie…Hololive Error Teaser Demo – Video Content
You’ve Never Experienced Horror Like This – Ashley Lister is Bloody Brilliant!
Christmas Massacre (2021) Game Review – Someone’s Halls Are About To Get Decked
Saiko no Sutoka Game Review – Game of Yandere Cat and Mouse
Dark Side of Pokémon – The Scariest and Creepiest Monsters
Kuon (2004) Video Game Review – A Forgotten Survival Horror Classic
Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.