Ao Oni
Freeware horror game that spawned a cult following and adaptations.
Last updated
The game follows a boy named Hiroshi and his friends who become trapped in a mansion while being hunted by a monster.[1] The creature chasing the group is a giant, naked figure colored like a blueberry.[2]
Last updated 2026-10-05 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- noprops
- First release
- November 2008 (Japan)
- Platform
- RPG Maker XP
- Genre
- Freeware horror
- Notable for
- Cult following; influence on RPG Maker horror games
Facts from the source article.
Making and release
The game was developed using RPG Maker XP by Japanese indie developer noprops.[3] noprops also created other puzzle games during and after Ao Oni's development, such as Escape from the Haunted Room and White Room.[3] Four versions of the game were released, with the final version coming out in 2011.[3] A planned spider-like Oni enemy for the third version was scrapped due to animation difficulties.[3]
Absolute Fear AOONI, a 3D reboot, was released on Steam in April 2024.[4][5] That reboot is the first Ao Oni series game officially playable in English and Chinese.[4] The original Ao Oni was a third-person 2D title made with RPG Maker XP.[4] The version released on July 26, 2024 for Steam and Nintendo Switch offers support for ten languages and features a "High Speed Mode" with 1.5x and 2x speed options.[5]
What the cited sources add
A 2023 Game Rant article states that little is known about the monster of the 2008 game.[6] The same article calls the monster's appearance "a bit more laughable than scary."[6] A 2024 Automaton Media article reports that the game boomed in popularity through livestreams and playthroughs.[4] That article also notes that in 2011, a playthrough by YouTuber PewDiePie helped garner interest outside Japan.[4]
A Jay is games review mentions that the game has a huge fan following and inspired a feature-length film in Japan.[7] A review from the website Horrormoth states the game was released in 2008 for Windows and that a TV series was streamed on Crunchyroll.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ao Oni" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "50 Free Indie Horror Games To Play On Halloween - Indie Statik", indiestatik.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ao Oni" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "8 Strangest Villains In Horror Games", Game Rant, 2023-04-07 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ao Oni" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: V, "Ao Oni to launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch on July 26 with new modes - AUTOMATON WEST", automaton-media.com; Sakurai, "Legendary Japanese horror game Ao Oni gets first-person 3D reboot on Steam", Automaton Media, 2024-04-08; Pepe, "The history of RPG Maker & its games", Medium, 2024-08-01; "Spoopy Saturday N°3 - Walkthrough Guides, Reviews, Discussion, Hints and Tips at Jay is games", Jay is games; "Escape from the Haunted Room - Walkthrough, Tips, Review", Jay is games; "White Room - Walkthrough, Tips, Review", Jay is games; Pepe, "The h en.wikipedia.org
- Sakurai, "Legendary Japanese horror game Ao Oni gets first-person 3D reboot on Steam", Automaton Media, 2024-04-08. facts only, no text reused. automaton-media.com
- V, "Ao Oni to launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch on July 26 with new modes - AUTOMATON WEST", automaton-media.com. facts only, no text reused. automaton-media.com
- "8 Strangest Villains In Horror Games", Game Rant, 2023-04-07. facts only, no text reused. gamerant.com
- "Spoopy Saturday N°3 - Walkthrough Guides, Reviews, Discussion, Hints and Tips at Jay is games", Jay is games. facts only, no text reused. jayisgames.com
- "Il triste mostro blu nella grande casa vuota (Recensione "Ao Oni")", www.horrormoth.com. facts only, no text reused. horrormoth.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ao Oni (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Anime television series based on video games
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ao Oni (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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