Corpse Party (2021)

Very cool game but why the hell does everyone want Satoshi bro. Do people not have good taste in men in this world????

Very traumatizing! The story, cast, and voice acting are fantastic. There are tons of endings to explore, and the gore is intense. I had a lot of fun playing this on my Steam Deck (It runs really well). Just don’t play it at midnight if you want to sleep peacefully!

Kept getting wrong end in chapter 1 for 6 hours, looked at a guide. Still got wrong end, did something different and beat chapter 1.

Cried as I went to chapter 2, Got lost going around, chat helped me (shout out to croaking) if not i would've been lost and died for a long time :Wheeze:

Will recommend to friends to watch them go through the pain like i did.

This game has good characters, good horror, a banger soundtrack, a great artstyle, and to top it off a story with so many twists and turns, so unpredictable, you are practically guaranteed to enjoy yourself. That is, if you enjoy horror. If you don't enjoy horror, this game probably isn't for you, unless you really like top-down RPG games, with a retro artstyle, in which case you may really enjoy this game still, so long as you can stomach the horror elements.
The main critique I have with this game is the fact there are some choices that, no matter which choice you choose, isn't a real choice. It just makes you choose the other choice anyways, which I'm not a fan of in video games. Also,
I'm not a fan of Mayu's death, as it felt like, considering she was the main cause for the plot of this game, I feel she should have had a more memorable death. It felt very glossed over, and a bit of a very avoidable death.

Corpse Party (2021) presents itself as the definitive modern edition of the cult-classic horror experience, and from the outset it demonstrates why the series has endured for so many years. This version retells the original story with polished visuals, expanded content, and a fully modernized presentation while staying faithful to the grim, emotional core that defined the earlier releases. The game once again follows a group of high school students who, after performing an innocent “friendship ritual,” are thrust into the nightmarish remains of Heavenly Host Elementary — a school that exists in a twisted dimension stitched together by the lingering agony of murdered children. The premise may sound familiar to fans of Japanese horror, but Corpse Party gives it a uniquely intimate and unsettling treatment, emphasizing personal tragedy, psychological torment, and the fragile bonds between its cast.
What sets Corpse Party apart is how effectively it combines simple, retro-style design with deeply atmospheric horror. Despite its 2D sprite-based presentation, the game uses its environments to powerful effect. Dim hallways feel suffocating, classrooms echo with dread, and every boarded-up door or flickering light feels like a warning. The contrast between cute, expressive sprites and the horrific events unfolding around them amplifies the shock value, creating a dissonance that lingers in the player’s mind. Sound is perhaps the game’s greatest strength — the binaural, fully voiced Japanese audio adds a haunting level of immersion. It’s not uncommon to hear whispers behind you, anguished breaths beside you, or distant screams echoing down empty corridors. These sonic details do much of the storytelling on their own, transforming every step into a source of tension.
Mechanically, the game blends visual novel-style narrative with light adventure and puzzle elements. Players explore the decaying school, investigate objects, collect key items, and trigger story events that lead them deeper into the mystery. There is no combat system or traditional survival-horror weaponry; instead, the threat is ever-present but intangible. You are vulnerable, often helpless, and constantly aware that a wrong turn, incorrect choice, or overlooked clue can lead to a “Wrong End” — grim alternate outcomes that detail the gruesome fates of your companions. These bad endings are not simple game-over screens. They are fully realized narrative branches, many of them disturbing enough to stay with you long after you close the game. This structure bolsters the tension, making every decision feel important and every clue worth scrutinizing.
The 2021 edition brings together the entire original experience — the five core chapters and a large number of extra chapters — while adding new story content that expands certain characters and backstory elements. These additions give longtime fans something fresh to dive into while helping newcomers understand the broader emotional groundwork of the plot. Character relationships are a central pillar of Corpse Party’s storytelling: friendships, sibling ties, jealousy, guilt, unspoken feelings, and buried trauma all play major roles in shaping the events. The horror isn’t only external — much of it comes from watching normal students confront despair, loss, and experiences they are wholly unprepared for. The game’s willingness to show its characters breaking down, changing, or behaving unpredictably under pressure gives the narrative a strong emotional weight.
Of course, the game’s dedication to its original format means it carries certain limitations. The gameplay is intentionally simple, and progress often depends on careful searching or revisiting areas to trigger specific events. For players accustomed to fast-paced horror or more interactive gameplay, the deliberate pacing can feel slow or restrictive. The reliance on exploration and environmental triggers occasionally leads to trial-and-error scenarios where players must retrace their steps to find the single missed interaction. These moments can disrupt the flow, especially in chapters with larger, more maze-like maps. Yet this structure also contributes to the atmosphere: the feeling of being lost, confused, and disoriented mirrors the characters’ own experience.
Furthermore, Corpse Party’s horror is intense and often graphic, not in its visuals but in its descriptions and sound design. Many scenes depict violence, emotional breakdowns, and suffering that may be distressing for some players. This unflinching approach to psychological and physical horror is part of what gives the game its lasting impact, but it also makes Corpse Party a selective experience — one best suited for players willing to engage with darker and more unsettling themes.
Overall, Corpse Party (2021) stands as a faithful and enhanced recreation of a foundational indie horror narrative. It preserves the original’s chilling atmosphere while upgrading its audio, polishing its presentation, and consolidating years of additional content into one cohesive package. Its blend of narrative depth, oppressive ambiance, and vulnerability-based horror remains gripping and emotionally resonant, even for those already familiar with its twists. For fans of story-driven horror, ghost stories steeped in despair, or atmospheric adventures that rely on dread over action, Corpse Party (2021) offers one of the most haunting and memorable experiences available on Steam.
Rating: 8/10

This is a fantastic remaster of the PSP version of this game, making it the definitive edition to play in my opinion.
The setting is one of the game’s strongest elements, anchoring its oppressive atmosphere and psychological horror. The school exists in a twisted alternate dimension, cut off from reality, where time loops, spirits linger, and the architecture itself seems to shift maliciously. The attention to environmental detail - the bloodstains, tattered notes, broken hallways, and eerie silence - is remarkably effective in creating dread. The school isn’t just a backdrop - it’s a character in itself, feeding on suffering and trapping its victims in a cycle of trauma.
The narrative weaves a grim, emotional charged story rooted in loss, regret and supernatural vengeance. As the story unfolds across multiple chapters and character perspectives, players uncover disturbing details about the school’s dark history, including the tortured souls of the children who died there and the twisted rituals that keep them bound. The game excels in its layered lore, gradually revealing how the curse operates, who is behind it, and how the characters’ own emotional baggage feeds into the horrors around them.
Through scattered notes, ghostly encounters, and multiple branching endings, the narrative paints a bleak picture of how trauma echoes through time. Most chapters offer multiple routes or decisions that can lead to dramatically different outcomes - some progressing the story, others ending in gruesome, often emotionally devastating, failure. These “Wrong Ends” aren’t just filler; they’re a core part of the experience, fleshing out side characters, expanding the lore, or providing chilling what-if scenarios that deepen the horror.
The gameplay is simple but tense, mixing exploration, light puzzles, and survival horror. You mostly walk around the haunted school, find items, talk to ghosts, and try to avoid getting killed. There’s no combat, but chase scenes and deadly traps keep you on edge. The old-school, top-down style might feel dated to some, but it adds to the game’s retro horror vibe. That said, it can be frustrating - some puzzles aren’t clear, and the lack of autosave means one mistake can send you back way too far.
This game was a very haunting, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately memorable horror experience. Its blend of disturbing storytelling, emotional character moments, and eerie atmosphere makes it stand out, even years after the series began. While its dated visuals and trial-and-error gameplay won’t be for everyone, those who can look past the rough edges will find a chilling story full of mystery, tragedy, and genuinely unsettling moments. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, this version offers a solid and expanded way to experience one of the more unique horror titles out there.

panty shots at underage girls are really unnecessary