Big Hero 6 is showing soon!! Not going to lie: Hiro looks amazingly adorkable. And who else thinks Baymax is the cutest thing ever?
You bet! Hiro Yamada is already available in all his cute keybie glory at our online store~ 
What’s new this Wednesday? We’re rounding up our new keybie releases for the week so you don’t miss out on any!
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All these keybies are officially available at the E-Store (each one links to that specific character for your convenience~), and are also listed at the text-only Keybie List.
Stay tuned for updates as to when these keybies will be available at our branches, too!
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Last week I put together five of my favorite RPG Maker horror games. Five is a pretty small number though, and because of that I had to make my selections carefully. You know, for optimum awesome. Still, I won’t deny that there are more incredibly awesome games available, whether or not I had the opportunity to play them.
That’s why I’m putting together another list of RPG Maker horror games to keep you up at night!
There’s no particular order to this list this time. These are games I’ve either played myself, or watched someone else play. They’re not included in the first list would be because I either simply found the first list of games better overall, or (like in the case of Forest of Drizzling Rain) because I didn’t play them myself, and didn’t think it would be fair to rank a game I didn’t experience on my own.
Remember, all these games are free to download!
Also, like in the last post, there are also spoiler-free walkthroughs linked at the end of each game for your convenience. I know how frustrating it can be to repeatedly die just because you can’t figure out what to do :3
I’ve seen this game before, but admittedly put off playing it because the art didn’t appeal to me much. I ended up watching a playthrough instead, and now I’m mentally kicking myself for my self-inflicted spoilers as I download the game because this game is great and deserves to be appreciated.
You start as Shiori, who, after her tragic background is introduced, decides to search for her roots in the secluded Azakawa village. She learns about the village’s dying trade of night glowstones, a link to her past, and a local folktale telling children to stay away from the forest. When circumstances lead her to believe she has no choice but to do just that, she finds out for herself why this horrifying folktale isn’t just a story told to scare children.
Lovely music, lovely story, and even lovelier characters make this game well worth your time.
Jumpscares: None
Score: 8/10
Download Forest of Drizzling Rain here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
What started off as an innocent house-warming event for David Hoover turns into a creepy discovery of the previous tenant’s note, and a weird journey to find a stranger he believes he somehow relates too.
Wrestling with his own demons, David finds himself relentlessly pursued by an entity with a horrifically twisted neck with each place he tries to find answers in. It wouldn’t be so hard–if the ‘Crooked Man’ didn’t seem hell-bent on pulling David down with him.
I played this game myself after first seeing Pewdiepie start a series of it. The story was engaging, and the atmosphere was truly creepy, but if there was one reason I didn’t include this game in my top 5–it was because of the searching. So much searching. The areas were pretty huge, and though that’s a plus in general it actually becomes a pain when you’re forced to navigate these areas from one end to the other to find keys and clues that let you progress.
Not a game I’d recommend for first-timers, but a game I’d still recommend to anyone looking for a good dose of RPG Maker horror all the same.
Jumpscares: Few.
Score: 7/10
Download Crooked Man here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
The predecessor to Mad Father (notice the similar opening screen?), Misao introduces an upbeat girl named Aki, who talks about her friend, the titular Misao. Misao had been missing for 3 months, and no one has any idea where she could’ve gone. She’s likely dead, and while a few members of the student body discuss how they knew her–the school is thrust into a paranormal dimension, and it looks like Misao herself is out for revenge.
Creepy, challenging, and sometimes ridiculous, Misao offers a game laced with graphic imagery, violence, murder, bullying, and sexual assault. That it all happens in a high school makes this even more disturbing, but that’s why this game happily sits in the horror genre. Beware of simple choices, and take note that not everything is at it seems. I played this game after being hung over Mad Father, and I’d think fellow fans of Sen’s (the creator of both Mad Father and Misao) work will find it fun to note the possible links between the two games. Like Ogre and the mysterious School President, for one.
Adding another level of creepy to this game is the fact that–despite watching them die brutally in front of her–Aki doesn’t seem to feel any remorse towards classmates of hers that had once bullied Misao.
Then there’s that scene with the phone that surprises you so much you slam against a wall and die–but that’s not so much creepy as it is of horrific wtf proportions D:
Jumpscares: Yep.
Score: 8/10
Download Misao here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
I didn’t play this game myself, and after watching Pewdiepie’s Let’s Play of it–I honestly didn’t want to. While Paranoiac has an engaging story of its own and dynamic gameplay with the potential to make you play with ruined pants, I found the game’s plot too… sad.
That isn’t to say the story wasn’t well-written–I just don’t do well with sad (Witch’s House cannon-balled a hole in my heart but that was after I’d already developed a fondness for the game overall). Miki Takamura’s abusive mother and ill-treated aunt were issues I didn’t want to immerse myself in. The writing in-game was done well enough to make you hate certain people’s guts with almost the same bloodlust any Harry Potter fan would approach Dolores Umbridge with.
Then again, there’s also the misshapen monster that chases you every night, and forces you to hide in the right hiding spot or else risk dying an audibly horrible death. I should mention: some hiding places simply get you spotted with a chance to run and hide somewhere else, in another room. If you were unlucky enough, you can pick a place that gets you killed. Instantly.
I’d recommend this game to any horror fan who enjoyed multiple jumpscares in a wild chase-oriented game, or any horror fan who enjoyed getting their heart strings pulled. Repeatedly.
Jumpscares: Oh so many.
Score: 7/10
Download Paranoiac here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
Also made by Uri, who created Crooked Man, Mermaid Swamp follows four friends on a road trip who get lost in the mountains. They find help in the form of an old man who gives them lodging by a swamp. When he talks about the swamp, you hear of a local legend. It’s about a mermaid who was taken from the ocean to live in a tank of swamp water. The fate of the poor mermaid is as grotesque as the state of water of the swamp.
You control the spunky Rin Yamazaki as she and her friend end up facing one crisis after another—beginning with a mysterious disease that leaves one of their own disfigured enough to create a jumpscare when their face is flashed onscreen.
Like the Crooked Man, I just didn’t enjoy the aspect of this game that required travelling so far to find clues and keys—but I did enjoy Rin’s spunk immensely. It makes it all the more tragic when you get the worst ending, of which there are 4. Make sure you save often!
Let’s just say that not all ‘mermaids’ think the water is the best place to live in.
Jumpscares: Very few.
Score: 8/10
Download Mermaid Swamp here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
If you know any more good games from the RPG Maker horror genre, let us know in the comments!
If you’re hunting for more good horror games, check out our first list of the best scares RPG Maker horror can give!
We’re rounding up our new keybie releases for the week so you don’t miss out on any! .
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All these keybies are officially available at the E-Store (each one links to that specific character for your convenience~), and are also listed at the text-only Keybie List. Stay tuned for updates as to when these keybies will be available at our branches, too! .
Real problems, unreal dates. In the spirit of Halloween, we take dating from the point of view of one young man named Jim who takes the phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder‘ to a whole new level–and learn from his many, many exploits.
Whether winter elementals to giants to vampires to a multitude of other monsters looking for love, Jim teaches us that some dating tips are useful for any walk of life–or non-life, as it were.
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Why RPG Maker horror games? See, I’m a big fan of cute, but I’m also a big fan of horror. Not just any horror, either—I am a huge fan of spine-tingling, suspense-building, lingeringly creepy horror. The kind of horror that makes you scared before you even see anything, that makes you jump at every little noise—that makes you question any flash of white, too fast to see properly—
Until you see something smiling at you under solid black eyes.
THAT’S the horror I love, and because we celebrate all things cute here at the Keybie Cafe’s humble blog, for this year’s Halloween I’m putting together a list of superbly created RPG Maker horror games that didn’t just blow me away with great art, atmosphere, music and stories—they also happened to creep the bejeesus out of me and my friends.
Even better, all these games are free to download!
There are also spoiler-free walkthroughs linked at the end of each game for your convenience, because I know how frustrating it can be to repeatedly die just because you can’t figure out what the hell to do :3
If you liked these games, check out part two of this post for more free RPG Maker horror games!
In Alice Mare, you play as a young orphan boy named Allen who finds himself delving into dream worlds that get darker as you progress. You meet with the different children you live with throughout the game, and can get 7 endings total depending on the choices you make.
Though it’s described to be an adventure game with just a ‘teaspoon’ of horror, the whole game carries a sense of unease from the themes each of the children’s stories carries. Each child’s past is actually based on a different fairy tale and is beautifully illustrated with adorable pixel sprites, lovely, sketchy ‘cutscenes’, and captivating music.
If you love puzzles and riddles, this is just the game for you.
Jumpscares: Very few
Score: 7/10
Download Alice Mare here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
If I were basing how good the horror games are on this list purely on how scary they are, this game would be number 1. I found Akemi Tan the most recently while looking for new horror games to play, and was intrigued when the blog I found it in casually shared how this game left one of the mods’ nerves in tatters.
An RPGMaker game that scared the wits out of bonafide players? I had to try it out. I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, if I had to be honest—I haven’t even finished this game yet, mostly because I can only play this game at night after work and I don’t want to play it alone.
The story starts off simple enough: set in rural Japan, a young girl named Shimoda makes an offering of fruit to the Ou (translated as King) on behalf of her family. Because Shimoda is unsupervised, hungry, modern, and therefore not in any real position to fear punishment for breaking the strict rules of tradition—she takes one of the fruits.
She finds out how screwed things are—and frankly, she is—when she wakes up alone in her house later that night.
Just the title screen image and that unsettling ringing ‘music’ should be enough to give you a taste of what to expect. The drawn art in-game may not be the best out there but don’t come for the art. Come for the heart-attack-inducing scares.
Jumpscares: Oh my god.
Score: 7/10
Download Akemi Tan here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
Mad Father tells the tale of a young girl named Aya Drevis who makes it her mission to find her father, a dedicated scientist who was ‘unfortunately’ held prisoner by an unknown spirit.
As Aya, you wake up to find that your spacious house is filled with undead victims of your father’s extensive ‘work’, and now you have to make your way through levels of tormented souls and creepy dolls to save your father from an angry spirit—who may not be as evil as you think.
The dialogue consists of detailed art instead of pixel sprites, and voice acting to that lets you hear Aya either ponder in thought, gasp in terror, or scream while dying a horrible death. There are chase scenes to tickle your sense of panic, too!
Jumpscares: None
Score: 8/10
Download Mad Father here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
Viola is lost in the forest, and to find a means to get through a solid wall of roses blocking the only way out, she enters the house of a witch. A normal-looking house with rich carpets, bright torches, flowers in vases, furniture that moves mysteriously on its own, and blood on walls and stone floors.
Think that escalated quickly? That’s what The Witch’s House is all about—just when you think you’re okay, you’re suddenly face to face with a huge, murderous teddy bear hell-bent on killing you. No, I’m not exaggerating. That’s also just one of the many, many, many ways this house can kill you.
The ambiance in this game is so well put together that I wasn’t able to continue after 3 minutes of playing alone in the dark. In terms of story, well. Let’s just say that in terms of horror, this game has it in spades.
Fummy, who created this game, also has a beautifully illustrated light novel that serves as a prequel to the game. It offers a detailed backstory to the witch, and meaning to several items references in the game.
Jumpscares: Bajillions
Score: 9/10 (would’ve gotten a 10 if that ending hadn’t scarred me from replaying the game for life)
Download Witch’s House here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
Any list of RPG Maker horror games that doesn’t include Ib doesn’t deserve to be called complete. True story. Ib is a masterpiece that can show anyone how quality isn’t all just in graphics. It’s also the very first RPG Maker game I’ve ever played, and it’s why I got into playing RPG Maker horror games to begin with.
You play a little girl named Ib (pronounced ‘Eve’ ) who goes to an art gallery with her parents. While looking at the bizarre yet intriguing works of artist Weiss Guertena, she finds herself lost deep within a dark, eerie version of the gallery she’d just been exploring. Unfortunately, you and Ib will discover that art can be very dangerous outside the confines of its frame.
Ib holds a warm, fuzzy spot in my heart because of its haunting music, memorable story, and even more memorable characters. Guertena’s world is as beautiful as it is deadly and creepy, and after one playthrough (I played through all the endings and then some), I never saw an art gallery the same way again.
Many of you may have already played it, but kouri, Ib’s creator, has released a version with 3 new endings, and an extra dungeon. I can tell you it’s worth going back to Guertena’s gallery for!
Jumpscares: Yes
Score: 10/10
Download Ib here!
Stuck? Peek at the walkthrough.
While I stand by the reasons why I love these particular titles, all these are just my personal picks for personal reasons. I’m pretty sure there are more games out there (that I may or may not have played yet) that are awesome in their own right.
That’s why I want to know your favorite RPG Maker horror game! Let us know in the comments! Meanwhile, if you want to try even more horror games, check out my other post for more horror RPG maker games!
For this #What’sNewWednesday instead of new designs, we’re continuing with our line up of new items–and we’re happy to introduce the latest dotty-eyed additions to the Keybie Cafe: Keybie Pens!
Why use a regular pen when you could be writing down notes and stories and diary entries with your favorite keybie character peeking up at you? Use them at school, use them at work, use them to write spur of the moment good ideas while you’re at a coffee shop, or let them hang from your neck while you’re on the go.
These cute mini pens are just as chibi as our keybies, and can have any keybie design on their chubby bodies. They’ve got black ink, equally colorful straps to match, and click-pen action!
Keybie pens come in 5 colors, starting with–
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Who looks good in blue? Ao Haru Ride is a no-brainer, as is Aoba Seragaki and Ciel Phantomhive. Hatsune Miku and the Scouting Legion sigil rock blue too–but we especially love that new little girl riding a certain dragon…
We’re rounding up our new keybie releases for the week so you don’t miss out on any!
This blog post is unfortunately late–post-con weeks (Cosplay Mania was fun, tiring, and an overall exhausting weekend well spent) are usually as busy as pre-con weeks, especially with a few personal matters demanding time too.
For that same reason, we don’t have as many new releases, but we’ll return to our regular updates next week! Fighting!
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All these keybies are officially available at the E-Store (each one links to that specific character for your convenience~), and are also listed at the text-only Keybie List.
Stay tuned for updates as to when these keybies will be available at our branches, too!
This month at the Keybie Cafe, we’re putting our witch hats on and sharing Halloween related posts every Monday, from costumes, treats, to a personal fave–scary games!
First things first though, we’ve got Cosplay Mania 2014 coming up this weekend–and new designs and exciting new items now available in the Cafe’s store!
I was supposed to finish this post last night, but (and I’m sure lots of people can relate, sadly) I was stuck in traffic for 6 hours. OTL
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All these keybies are officially available at the E-Store (each one links to that specific character for your convenience~), and are also listed at the text-only Keybie List.
Stay tuned for updates as to when these keybies will be available at our branches, too!
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Our keybie canvas tote bags are finally here~! >///W///<)/
These tote bags can fit school stuff, work stuff, laptops and other essentials, and will be available at Cosplay Mania this weekend!
Keybie tote bags will be available for pre-order through our custom order form from now on, too.
We’ve got 4 designs ready:
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We only have one of each design, so better make reservations ahead if you want to score them at Cosplay Mania!
Take these sturdy cuties to your office, to school, to the gym, or even the beach! They make great casual book bags, everyday work bags, or if you just need a roomy, light bag to carry all-around essentials with your favorite keybie character proudly printed up front in all their dotty glory.
Each tote bag can have any character from our collection printed on front.
