Inunaki Tunnel

About

Inunaki Tunnel is a single player casual simulation game with horror and anime themes. It was developed by chill_my_art and was released on November 19, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Inunaki Tunnel is a horror adventure game where you explore the infamous Inunaki Tunnel, said to be the most haunted place in Japan. The game features a found-footage style and a non-linear story, allowing players to investigate the tunnel's chilling events and make their own conclusions. Your choices and interactions will affect the outcome of the game, making each playthrough unique.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 216 reviews

atmosphere33 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game effectively creates a creepy atmosphere with its dark environments and VHS-style graphics, enhancing the horror experience.
Inunaki Tunnel offers multiple endings and secrets, encouraging replayability and exploration.
The game is based on real Japanese urban legends, adding depth and intrigue to the story.

The game is excessively dark, making it difficult to navigate and find items, which can lead to frustration.
Players must complete the game multiple times to unlock all achievements and endings, which can feel tedious due to the linear gameplay.
There are few genuine scares throughout the game, relying more on atmosphere than on actual threats or jump scares.

atmosphere
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
4%
The atmosphere in "Inunaki Tunnel" is widely praised for its creepy, immersive quality, effectively utilizing darkness and ambient sounds to create tension and a sense of dread. Many reviewers highlight the game's retro aesthetic and VHS-style graphics, which enhance the overall experience, while some note that the reliance on atmosphere over jump scares contributes to a more unsettling and engaging horror experience. However, a few critiques mention that the atmosphere can sometimes overshadow gameplay, leading to a less dynamic experience.
- “The atmosphere of Inunaki Tunnel is what the game is about, and it delivers.”
- “Absolutely loved this; the atmosphere is brilliant.”
- “The old graphics, the sound work, and the intriguing story, based on real events, will immerse you in a very special atmosphere.”
- “However, what is great in atmosphere lacks in everything else.”
- “There's no ambience, no atmosphere, no scares, no danger, and no audio stimulation besides some flowing water and footsteps.”
- “Walking around is rather tedious and uneventful; there's little to nothing in terms of the sound ambiance, so the whole atmosphere is not as thick as it should be in a game about being alone in a creepy dark tunnel and forest at night.”
story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
71%
10%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and clarity in the narrative. While some appreciate the incorporation of Japanese urban legends and the atmospheric storytelling through scattered notes, others find the plot underwhelming and reliant on players exploring thoroughly to piece together the backstory. Overall, the game offers a short, intriguing experience but may not satisfy those seeking a detailed or engaging storyline.
- “A brilliant short and sweet story forged by many Japanese urban legends about the village, catering to all lovers of traditional Japanese culture and myths, as well as modern Japanese urban legends.”
- “The environments are consistently creepy, and the gradual storytelling through optional notes found in various locations works pretty well and adds to the mystery. The overall feeling of solitude and vulnerability hits rather hard.”
- “While its story isn't original, it is interesting, and the notes scattered around the game show great insight into a fictional world of Eastern horror.”
- “The story suffers from convenience store's plot-by-notes storytelling, and if you don't pick up any of the origami or notes you won't have any idea what's going on.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is similar to convenience store in that it is full of cheap jump scares, many of which are unrelated to the plot.”
- “The story and puzzles don't really align whatsoever; there are few if any hints as to what you are looking for.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The game's graphics feature a distinctive lo-fi VHS aesthetic that effectively enhances the horror atmosphere, though they may not meet modern graphical standards. While some players appreciate the unique visual style and immersive environment, others find the dim lighting and low-poly graphics can hinder gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered stylish and fitting for the horror genre, but they may not appeal to everyone, particularly those seeking more advanced graphics.
- “The game looks very realistic without actually being graphically very advanced.”
- “This audio-visual aesthetic is remarkably well-done for what the game is.”
- “While the graphics could better meet modern standards, the video-recording visual style brings another haunting layer of tension to the player's experience.”
- “Most notably the grainy VHS-style graphics, which really help to set up the atmosphere.”
- “My only criticism is that it is very hard to see, and I would like a graphic quality slider or drop-down menu because this game always runs on ultra.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The gameplay is primarily focused on creating a tense atmosphere rather than delivering a robust narrative or complex mechanics, featuring simple point-and-click puzzles and fetch quests that can feel slow-paced. While the game offers a few different endings and some engaging moments, it is largely a walking simulator with minimal challenge and limited interactivity, making it more suitable for fans of atmospheric horror than those seeking deep gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the aesthetic and tension but note the gameplay's simplicity and lack of variety.
- “The gameplay is simple, but there is a distinct point-and-click/fetch quest puzzle aspect that I enjoy, some of them requiring a legitimate bit of thought (not a lot by any means, but a bit).”
- “The gameplay is mostly comprised of being a walking simulator and puzzle-solving with hints of Japanese culture.”
- “Great price and if you love horror games it's a must-have. Graphics are okay, gameplay is a bit slow, not too many jump scares, puzzles are okay; however, walking in a dark tunnel always gives me the creeps. Overall, I like the game.”
- “Same aesthetic, same mechanics, same short story experiences.”
- “[i]Inunaki Tunnel[/i] is 95% atmosphere and 5% gameplay.”
- “There is nothing else to gameplay (except a single puzzle in the entire game): no danger, just chill walking around.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the slow and uneventful walking mechanics, which detract from the overall atmosphere. The lack of engaging sound ambiance and confusing puzzles further contribute to a frustrating experience, leading some to seek external guides for assistance. Overall, the grinding elements are seen as a significant drawback, making the gameplay less enjoyable.
- “Walking around is rather tedious and uneventful; there's little to nothing in terms of sound ambiance, so the whole atmosphere is not as thick as it should be in a game about being alone in a creepy dark tunnel and forest at night.”
- “It's slow, tedious, hard to see where you're going, and just not a whole lot of fun.”
- “I liked two other games by this same publisher (Okaeri and Stigmatized Property), but I found this one tedious.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with controls and audio functioning well, but some significant issues arise with bugs and glitches, particularly with the face recognition feature. Additionally, the game's slow movement speed detracts from the experience, leading some to find it frustrating and not worth replaying.
- “Face recognition in your camera is quite a buggy gimmick and not much would change if it wasn't in-game at all.”
- “These games are suspenseful, but this entry is super buggy and not worth the energy to go through again since you move so slow even while sprinting.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to those interested in collecting achievements and exploring multiple endings, with three distinct outcomes available. While the experience is short and atmospheric, players seeking depth may find the replay value lacking unless they are motivated to uncover all content. Overall, it serves as a brief yet enjoyable horror adventure.
- “The replay value is low if you don't care for getting all the endings, but overall it was a nice little adventure, and if you're looking for a cheap short and spooky experience, this game can fulfill that desire.”
- “There are a few simple puzzles and item-finding quests during the hour-long playthrough, plus three endings, which are always awesome when it comes to replayability!”
- “The replay value is low if you don't care for getting all the endings, but overall it was a nice little adventure. If you're looking for a cheap, short, and spooky experience, this game can fulfill that desire.”
- “A short, but extremely atmospheric and well-designed horror game based on real events™ with some replay value if you dare to try and collect all achievements.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been criticized for stuttering issues, particularly in new areas, which is attributed to it being one of the developer's early titles.
- “I feel compelled to mention, as I've done with all of my other reviews, that being one of their early games, it comes with the issue of stuttering in new areas.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops that ruin the overall experience.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization makes it nearly unplayable at times.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game's minimalistic sound design, featuring only ambient noises, effectively creates a profound sense of isolation and heightens their awareness of the environment, enhancing the emotional experience of solitude.
- “With the game being completely silent save for the wind, water dripping, your own footsteps, and the occasional sound that could only have been caused by another living (or not living) creature, it made me feel truly alone, and wanting to be aware of my surroundings at all times.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users noted that the game's music can be challenging or unengaging at times, prompting them to seek alternative tracks, such as Indian meme music, to enhance their experience during certain sections.
- “I had to open up some Indian meme music to get past some parts, like the shaking van where we had to retrieve the axe.”
- “The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's monetization strategy is not explicitly detailed in the reviews, but the nostalgic 90's-era low-resolution VHS aesthetic suggests a potential focus on retro-themed content or microtransactions that align with this style.