Toei Animation and Toydium have decided to put their artistic chops on the chopping block with NOROI KAGO: The Grudged Domain, a game that feels like it stumbled out of the PS2’s golden age of survival horror, eyes wide with ambition and a little too much caffeine. This isn’t your usual yokai romp; it’s a love letter to claustrophobic terror wrapped in a delightfully grungy aesthetic. Early Access hits Steam on 23 January, so clear your schedules and prepare your friends for a co-op horror experience that will test your nerves—and possibly your patience.

The Abandoned Hospital: Where Dreams Go to Die (Literally)

Let’s talk about the “Abandoned Hospital,” a level so drenched in atmosphere you can practically smell the peeling paint and damp corridors through your monitor. It’s a maze of misery where you and your buddies must dodge yokai, solve puzzles, and try not to become the next addition to its haunted legacy.

The centrepiece? Hyakume, a yokai with eyes on every inch of its grotesque body, like a mutant CCTV camera. It sends these eyes out to patrol the halls, presumably because chasing you down itself would just be too much effort. If one of these eyeballs spots you, you’d better have a plan—or a really fast teammate to sacrifice.

A Prologue Worthy of the X-Files

The story kicks off in 1964 when a hospital renowned for its cheap but excellent healthcare suddenly shut its doors. The official reason? Bankruptcy. The unofficial one? Rumours of shady experiments and one too many ghost sightings.

Fast forward to the present, and you wake up in this very hospital because of course you do. The place is now a haven for yokai, including a creepy shadow-boy who might be the ghost of a former patient—or just an excuse to ramp up the jump scares. Either way, it’s your job to figure out what’s going on and how to escape without becoming a permanent resident.

Yokai-Packed Nostalgia

Here’s the kicker: NOROI KAGO: The Grudged Domain is co-op survival horror for up to four players. Think Silent Hill meets Phasmophobia but with a splash of that old-school Japanese horror flair that’ll have you questioning your life choices. It’s the kind of game that thrives on dimly lit rooms, eerie sound design, and mechanics that will make you shout at your friends for not pulling their weight.

Toei Animation is flexing its creative muscles here, swapping their polished anime artistry for grimy textures and PS2-era vibes. The result? A game that feels like it was plucked straight out of 2003, polished just enough to make you nostalgic but not enough to make you comfortable.

If you’ve ever wanted to relive the glory days of survival horror while also yelling at your mates for botching a stealth mission, NOROI KAGO: The Grudged Domain might just be your cup of tea. It’s a gutsy move from Toei and Toydium, blending folklore and fear with a charmingly retro twist. Will it be brilliant? Maybe. Will it scare the pants off you? Absolutely.

Mark your calendar, and bring a spare pair of trousers—this one’s going to be a ride.