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ARAYA

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ARAYA Game Cover
79%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
graphics, gameplay
73% User Score Based on 232 reviews
Critic Score 95%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

PCVirtual RealityWindows
ARAYA Game Cover

About

ARAYA is a single player and multiplayer survival simulation game with horror and thriller themes. It was developed by MAD Virtual Reality Studio and was released on November 23, 2016. It received very positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Araya is a first person horror game. Players will get a new thrilling experience inside a Thai hospital. The story will be told from the perspectives of 3 different characters. Players will explore different areas of the hospital in order to piece together the mysterious murder case of Araya.

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73%
Audience ScoreBased on 232 reviews
story33 positive mentions
graphics11 negative mentions

  • Strong and effective use of sound design and creepy atmosphere that build tension and deliver memorable scares.
  • Intriguing story told through three different characters with well-placed collectibles and a layered narrative that adds depth.
  • Good variety with exploration, quieter moments and chase sequences that keep the gameplay engaging and exciting.
  • Clunky and inconsistent controls, especially with door opening, slow walking/running speed, and poor mouse sensitivity hinder gameplay.
  • Numerous technical issues including bugs, camera glitches, awkward animations, and occasional crashes disrupt immersion.
  • Voice acting and English localization are subpar and immersion-breaking; some repetitive and predictable gameplay elements diminish scariness.
  • story
    109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally seen as decent to good, offering a multi-layered, culturally rich horror narrative centered around uncovering the truth of Araya's death through three different characters. While some find it immersive and atmospheric with engaging lore and collectibles, others criticize its pacing, occasional confusion, and lack of character depth or polished storytelling. Overall, it suits fans of Asian horror seeking a spooky experience, though it may feel repetitive or underdeveloped to those expecting a more refined plot.

    • “The game managed to really make me want to find out what happened to Araya and kept me immersed and invested in the story all the way.”
    • “Not unlike the horror movie anthologies of yesteryear, each character unveils plot points that not only serve the individual's story, but also add weight to the Araya universe.”
    • “The story really had depth and a sense of mystery and it kept me hooked into finding out what happens next.”
    • “The story is meh, the characters are uninteresting, and the (short) cut-scenes just suck.”
    • “I could've used more closure on almost every aspect of the story and it really feels like this was phoned-in.”
    • “There's lots of walking down hallways, the story is pretty convoluted but not very special, the level design is unintuitive (many doors are locked until they're inexplicably unlocked because you need to progress), it looks and plays very much like a VR game with ugly models and textures and weird walking and stuff.”
  • atmosphere
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in Araya is widely praised for being creepy, tense, and immersive, effectively capturing a unique Thai horror vibe set in a haunted hospital. While some note outdated graphics and minor glitches, the ambient sounds, eerie music, and well-placed scares maintain a strong sense of dread and psychological horror that keeps players on edge throughout. Overall, the game's atmosphere is regarded as a standout feature that blends exploration, jump scares, and haunting themes into a memorable horror experience.

    • “A gem among horror walking sims, sure the models and animations are janky but there's some unique scares, good atmosphere and a few tense chases.”
    • “The jumpscares, chases, creepy sounds and atmosphere, as well as the intriguing story were all memorable and even though I've played lots and lots of horror games, only a few (Realms of the Haunting, Silent Hill series, Condemned - Criminal Origins, Layers of Fear) managed to stick with me over the years and still manage to send a tickle down my spine when I read or hear their names.”
    • “The atmosphere walking around an abandoned hospital along with all the sounds make this an incredibly immersive experience, especially with the volume up loud.”
    • “Atmosphere 4/10”
    • “Camera does whatever it wants when atmosphere is creepy.”
    • “This game has okay graphics, though the graphics have some glitches.”
  • graphics
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics across these games are generally considered outdated or subpar, with many noting glitches, low detail, and inferior character animations, especially for indie titles with limited budgets. Some updates and artistic consistency improve atmosphere, but overall visuals often lack polish and optimization, detracting from immersion despite occasional praise for effective lighting and environmental art.

    • “Graphics and sound are very good and turn the old hospital into a place where you better not walk around at night.”
    • “The scares are considerably effective, surprisingly enough, and the overhaul that the team did on the graphics has made a big difference in terms of keeping this title visually afloat for a few more years.”
    • “Overall, I'd still consider the graphics good just because of the attention to detail and because it's 'just' an indie title with a small budget instead of an AAA title from a big company.”
    • “The graphics are horrible, the characters look like the only emotion they can show is plastic surgery.”
    • “Graphics are pretty dated, and their animation of characters is pretty average too.”
    • “Other than that the graphics, again, look like something from a game made at least 7 or 8 years ago, and the entire game gives off this Outlast meets Cry of Fear situation with lots of weird psycho things.”
  • gameplay
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally criticized for clunky mechanics, awkward controls, repetitive animations, and occasional glitches, which detract from the experience despite some genuinely scary moments and atmospheric design. While the game offers decent exploration and chase sequences, its lack of AI sophistication and limited interaction leads to tedious, sometimes frustrating gameplay that fails to evolve or maintain tension. Overall, the gameplay is considered below average and a weak point in an otherwise engaging horror setting.

    • “But the story was fun and the gameplay overall wasn't bad so if you are looking for a decent 3 hour horror experience then look no further.”
    • “In October 2019, the game actually received a content update that overhauled the graphics and added a bit of new gameplay.”
    • “Once you get past the initial awkwardness of the door-opening mechanics, this is actually a pretty scary game.”
    • “It has some genuinely scary moments, dark environments with a good flashlight (making it dark, but not unreasonably so) and good looking visual design for the most part, but it suffers from severe z-fighting (texture glitches), clunky mechanics that work when it feels like it, very goofy animations (your character model while you sprint and crawl for example) and other odd issues, like voice lines repeating themselves and going out of sync for some reason.”
    • “Gameplay never evolves into anything and since monsters don't have any AI the majority of the gameplay is boring and without tension, since the player cannot die.”
    • “This game really moved me to request a refund because of all these glitches, terrible controls and crashes during gameplay.”
  • music
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised for its directional audio, creepy and tense atmosphere, and effective use during chase sequences, enhancing the horror experience. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive, occasionally annoying, and mismatched in parts, with limited audio options for adjustment. Overall, the sound design is considered a strong aspect that elevates the indie game's scare factor.

    • “It is directionally effective, so you can pinpoint exactly where the sound is coming from, and music in my opinion is one of the strongest scary elements here, it's so tense.”
    • “Very creepy atmosphere, subtle yet scary music and longer than many VR horror titles.”
    • “Be it creepy sounds like the occasional creaking door or ghostly moan or the fitting music, making great use of direction and distance (especially when using headphones).”
    • “By the time you are onto another "scary" chase scene, you will be less scared and more annoyed at the loud and obnoxious noise/music choices for that bit.”
    • “The music is also getting annoying after a short while.”
    • “The soundtrack loops over after what seems like every 30 seconds, some of the sounds seem low quality, the voice acting seems off.”
  • stability
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and animation problems such as z-fighting, camera malfunctions, and inconsistent mechanics. These technical flaws often disrupt gameplay, causing crashes, delayed sounds, and replaying voice lines, although some players find the glitches unintentionally amusing. Overall, the instability significantly detracts from the experience despite the game's atmospheric qualities.

    • “It has some genuinely scary moments, dark environments with a good flashlight (making it dark, but not unreasonably so) and good looking visual design for the most part, but it suffers from severe z-fighting (texture glitches), clunky mechanics that work when they feel like it, very goofy animations (your character model while you sprint and crawl for example), and other odd issues, like voice lines repeating themselves and going out of sync for some reason.”
    • “Graphics are also unoptimized and twitchy, with screen glitches and flickers causing a distraction.”
    • “Very buggy, in my case the game saved when my character dropped under the ground and became unplayable unless I restarted the whole game, wtf!”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect is widely regarded as tedious and repetitive, with limited monster encounters mainly occurring during scripted sequences. This makes progression feel dull and unengaging, detracting from the overall gameplay experience. Many users find the repetitive walking and lack of meaningful challenges frustrating and off-putting.

    • “Once you realize the only time monsters appear in the game is during scripted running sections, the game becomes incredibly tedious, since it can offer nothing more than jumpscares to break up the repetitive hospital walking simulator.”
    • “I went back to the game and it had not saved my progress, it was only like 20 minutes but it was so tedious the 1st time, I really don't feel like doing it again.”
    • “Avoid, not very scary, gameplay is tedious.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by its goofiness, awkward moments, and amusing glitches, which users found genuinely funny and entertaining. Its combination of lighthearted comedy and unexpected jump scares adds to the overall comedic appeal.

    • “The other half of the time I enjoyed the game because the goofiness and glitches made me laugh.”
    • “Pretty funny game with some jumpscares.”
    • “So awkward it was funny.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability for the game is limited, with some users finding little incentive to return to it frequently. However, enhancements like using an Xbox controller can improve playability, while additional support (e.g., touch controls) could further boost replay value.

    • “So if you'll like to go back to it again, there's also some replayability.”
    • “The game itself, in my opinion, has little replay value.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the game induces significant motion sickness in VR, negatively impacting the emotional experience despite generally feeling fine in other VR games.

  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience despite its other strengths.

    • “This otherwise above average horror game is marred by clunky mechanics, bad audio mixing, abrupt cutscenes and bad optimization.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is considered average, with satisfactory character designs and animations, though it does not particularly stand out.

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Frequently Asked Questions

ARAYA is a survival simulation game with horror and thriller themes.

ARAYA is available on PC, Virtual Reality and Windows.

ARAYA was released on November 23, 2016.

ARAYA was developed by MAD Virtual Reality Studio.

ARAYA has received very positive reviews from players and very positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

ARAYA is a single player game with multiplayer support.

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