Local Indonesian horror games should deserve a thumbs up since there are a lot of games made in Indonesia which have been getting recognition by international gamers. Moreover, Indonesian games have also gained many international rewards which make them more able to compete within the game industry on the global scale.

Unfortunately, the fame of local games seems to be less heard because many Indonesian gamers prefer to play foreign games. In fact, in terms of quality, the local games that are made in Indonesia are not less good than the foreign games. One genre of games made in Indonesia that is quite popular with the global market is horror games.

“There are a lot of local horror games who bring topics of Indonesian mythologies, which are very well packed. Since the mythological characters in the games have never been seen by wider audiences globally, it surely attracts so many people (gamers) outside of Indonesia who want to play the horror games,” Kama Adritya, Head of Nextren Group, explained.

These are the following list of top ten horror games made in Indonesia:

DreadOut

This game has been widely known globally among international gamers. There are three series in DreadOut which have been launched by Digital Happiness, namely, DreadOut, DreadOut Keepers of the Dark, and DreadOut 2. Since 2014, this game has introduced figures of Indonesian local ghosts, such as sundel bolong, kuntilanak, and pocong.

DreadOut can also be considered as a survival horror game. It tells a story about a girl who was in high school named Linda and her friends who were trapped in the unpopulated city, but full of ghosts. Interestingly, in order to beat the ghosts, gamers have to use cameras!

“DreadOut has gained a lot of compliments because of the distinctive storyline and the varied figures of ghosts which are different from ghosts outside of Indonesia. So, basically, this game attracts many international gamers who are interested in playing it,” said Kama Adritya.

Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror

This game has been released by StoryTale Studios in 2018. The word “pamali'' originated from Sundanese, which means an order that can not be disobeyed. This game brings tales from Indonesian folklore which will make us chills for a moment. There are chapters in this game, and every chapter brings different endings. It depends on what we get throughout the game.

Pulang: Insanity 

This game is produced by an indie developer: Ozysoft, designed with the first-person view. Set in 2005, the game tells a story about Rudy. He got deeply in debt until one of his friends invited him to carry out gift rituals (ritual pesugihan). The ritual turned out to require human as a sacrifice. During the game, we are asked to solve the puzzles out of a mysterious village in order to stop the malignant ritual and soon to repent.

Ghost Parade

This horror game has been released by Lentera Studio along with publisher Aksys Games in 2018. Just like the name of the game, it is made in Indonesia, telling a story about the Ghost of Suri who was supposed to take a journey through the forest, so she can go back home safely. During her journey, she will face many challenges. She has to utilize her “ghost” abilities to guide her back home.

Illustration: DreadHaunt horror game visuals (Photo: digitalhappiness.net)

DreadHaunt 

DreadHaunt is one of the local horror games that is interesting to play. Yet, this game hasn’t been officially released, and it will also be a paid game. It will also be different compared to other Indonesian horror games. It is because the game is designed for multiplayer games. 

“DreadHaunt is unique because it carries the concept of a multiplayer game, so it is supposed to be played together with other players. Since there are many single-player horror games, this game offers something different, and it will be quite fun and exciting,” said Kama Adritiya.

DreadHaunt will tell a story of mass hysteria among the five players. Interestingly, each player doesn't know which one of them got possessed and what kind of creatures they possessed. This game will challenge the player to remain alive until the end of the game.

DreadEye

After the success of DreadOut, the developer, Digital Happiness continues to release DreadEye. The players will play the role of a shaman in charge of concocting potions that will be used for ghost summoning rituals.

This game can be considered different from other horror games. It is because the game is supposed to use VR (Virtual Reality) to play the game, so the player (or gamer) is able to get the very sensation of meeting local Indonesian ghosts such as pocong, tuyul, genderuwo even more real!

Keramat

Developed by Haunted Zone Entertainment, this Keramat horror game is set in a haunted village. Gamers will play the role of a girl, named Bulan, who lives in the haunted Rawa Village. And, the worst thing is that this village is full of ghosts. In this game, gamers asked to free Bulan from the ghosts’ attack in the village. 

Jurig Space

This horror game tells a story about the adventure of a high school girl who wants to find out why there are a lot of ghosts in her school. During the game, we will meet local ghosts, such as pocong, kuntilanak, as well as the scary tuyul. Interestingly, to get rid of the ghosts, gamers just need a camera on her cellphone.

Infectonator

Already made in three series, Infectonators is a local game that is unique and different from others. The reason is that we will not see ghosts in this game, but zombies outback that attack the city. This game becomes more unique because gamers are not asked to get rid of the plague, but they are supposed to infect many humans, conquer the world, and change civilization.

Jurit Malam

This game has been developed by Gambir Studio. Just like the name, the term “Jurit Malam” is often used as an event to test our guts in school. It tells a story about the school building which has long been empty. There is Rei, an indigo girl, who has to solve the mystery happening in her school. Gamers will face many thrilled and frightening challenges throughout the game. 

Cover: Screenshot of the game "DreadOut 2" (Photo: digitalhappiness.net)