Noroi Kago The Grudged Domain is a new game from developer Toydium and publisher Toei Animation. Yes, the same acclaimed animation studio behind Dragon Ball and many other iconic anime. I had a taste of the upcoming demo and it was a terrifying experience.

Arachnophobia

Noroi Kago The Grudged Domain is a survival co-op horror game based around the theme of yokai, with up to four players, but you can still attempt to play it solo if you dare. And that’s what I did, because it was difficult to find a co-op lobby prior to the demo’s release, and it made the game even scarier when playing alone.

In Noroi Kago The Grudged Domain, I started by finding myself in a a mysterious Japanese-style mansion, where a supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, called a Gyuki, is stalking me. Fans of Japanese mythology will be familiar with the Gyuki, they’re always those demonic spider monsters that have been featured in many other games.

The objective of the game is to escape the mansion while avoiding the Gyuki. To do that, you need to destroy six cursed samurai armours scattered throughout the mansion. To do that, you have to find one of many Cursed Blades hidden around, but in order to use them to destroy the armours, you’ll have to purify them in the cleansing water first.

While you’re doing all this, you’re suffering from a curse, which gradually eats away at your bodies before turning them into half-demons. You can stave away the curse by finding talismans and using them at certain mirrors, but these are only temporary. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and each game is just a bit more than 10 minutes. The entire experience was definitely much better and improved when I played with other players since that would lessen the burden of responsibility on any single player. Still, playing with people doesn’t make the game any less scary.

The best part and highlight of Noroi Kago The Grudged Domain is its unique art style, which showcases the strong contrast between light and shadow. Sometimes, it’s a bit too dark to see what’s ahead of me, but it adds to the creepy and foreboding atmosphere of dread in the game. This is a unique trait of the game that distinguishes it from other horror games out there, especially ones made by Western developers that tend to have the same or similar visual styles. The shadows in Noroi Kago The Grudged Domain are reminiscent of the experience of reading a horror manga, which I’m sure is what the developers are going for in a bid to make the game look different.

In addition, the game’s Yokai (including the Gyuki) is based on the designs of the late Shigeru Mizuki, the original creator of the iconic supernatural anime, GeGeGe No Kitaro. The franchise focuses on the young Kitaro, the last survivor of the Ghost Tribe, and his adventures with other ghouls and strange creatures of Japanese mythology. Along with his fellow good yokai, Kitaro strives to unite the worlds of humans and Yokai.

However, players shouldn’t expect to see the franchise protagonist Kitaro himself in the game so fans might be a bit disappointed in that regard. Instead, the focus is on the aforementioned creepy and foreboding atmosphere of intense dread. It’s a great game to experience with your friends, especially during this Halloween season, similar to something like Phasmophobia. This game can be added to any list of multiplayer horror games to delve into.

2022 marked the 100-year anniversary of Shigeru Mizuki’s birth. He died in 2015 at the age of 93 years old. The latest GeGeGe No Kitaro anime, which is actually the sixth television anime incarnation of the franchise, premiered back in April 2018 and ended its run in March 2020 after 97 episodes. Mizuki’s original GeGeGe No Kitaro manga began all the way back in 1959 under the name Hakaba Kitaro and has spawned seven television series (including one Hakaba Kitaro anime), several animated movies, and two live-action films. The franchise often focuses on Japanese mythology, including the many types of yokai.

From 14 October to 21 October 2024, you can try out the demo on Steam. The full version of the game is slated for release on PC via Steam sometime in 2025.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below: