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Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club

18 Games with a horror setting like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentHow this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

We filtered the 32 games similar to Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club down to the 18 that fit the “Horror” category. Slay the Princess, Immortality and Saya no Uta top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club.

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GenreCasualSubgenreVisual Novel
Tags
NarrativeDarkSolo
Year 2024Dev Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 7

Quick answer

Within the “Horror” category, the closest game to Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club is Slay the Princess — scoring 81/100 on our similarity scale. Immortality and Saya no Uta follow close behind.

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The best games with a horror setting like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club

18 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club. Each one has been evaluated across 7 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Slay the Princess
Slay the Princess
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorTactical
Steam👍 97%· 32KOC90· 27
Year 2023Dev Black Tabby GamesOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ Like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, it's known for visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, deep RPG systems and puzzle design

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting100
Immortality
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorOpen World
Steam👍 84%· 1.9KIGDB92· 3OC88· 73
Year 2022Dev Half MermaidOn Xbox · Android · PC

✓ Like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, it's known for adventure storytelling, deep simulation and visual novel storytelling

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, horror tension and open world exploration

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting100
Saya no Uta
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorCozy
Steam👍 90%· 9.4K
Year 2019Dev Nitro Plus · Asoberu! BD-GAMEOn Android · PC

✓ Shared with Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, cozy, relaxing feel and setting anime

Genre100Game mode100Tone92Setting72
Emily Is Away Too
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeHorrorCasualPixel Art
Steam👍 93%· 6.2KIGDB81· 2
Year 2017Dev Kyle SeeleyOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ Shared with Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: deep simulation, visual novel storytelling and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: deep RPG systems, horror tension and vibe casual, while skipping dark, oppressive atmosphere

Where it drifts furthest from Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: tone.

Genre100Game mode100Setting100Tone46
Her Story
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeHorrorCasualOpen World
Steam👍 89%· 10KIGDB85· 6OC85· 48
Year 2015Dev Sam BarlowOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Shared with Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: adventure storytelling, visual novel storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, horror tension and vibe casual, while skipping dark, oppressive atmosphere

Where it drifts furthest from Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: tone.

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 9 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Setting100Tone45
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorFirst Person
IGDB90· 2
Year 2009Dev Chunsoft · Spike

✓ If you enjoyed Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, expect visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, survival mechanics and visual first person, while skipping deep simulation

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 15 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting100
Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorAnime
Steam👍 96%· 33K
Year 2020Dev Nikita Kryukov · Nikita Kaf PublishingOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ If you enjoyed Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, expect visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: horror tension, setting anime and visual pixel, while skipping deep simulation

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting71
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorSci-Fi
IGDB86· 6
Year 2012Dev Chunsoft · Rising Star GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, it's known for visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, survival mechanics and setting scifi, while skipping deep simulation

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting69
Virginia
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorCasual
Steam👍 64%· 3.4KIGDB68· 17OC73· 69
Year 2016Dev Variable State · 505 GamesOn PS4 · PC · Mac

✓ Like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, it's known for adventure storytelling, visual novel storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, vibe casual and exploration and discovery, while skipping deep simulation

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Setting100Tone74
Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorAnime
Steam👍 99%· 906
Year 2018Dev 07th Expansion · MangaGamerPlaytime ~7hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ If you enjoyed Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, expect visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror tension and setting anime, while skipping deep simulation

June, 1983. The summer heat has arrived earlier than it does most years. By day there are cicadas, and by night, the higurashi. Hinamizawa, a small village in the Japanese countryside. While there are fewer than two thousand people there, every year, 'something' happens.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting58
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorSci-Fi
Steam👍 82%· 4.8KIGDB80· 22
Year 2016Dev Spike Chunsoft · Aksys GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ If you enjoyed Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, expect visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, horror tension and deep RPG systems, while skipping deep simulation

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting52
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorAnime
Steam👍 96%· 37KIGDB82· 9
Year 2010Dev Spike Chunsoft · NIS AmericaOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, it's known for visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, horror tension and survival mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

Where it drifts furthest from Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: setting.

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 14 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting46
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorAnime
Steam👍 96%· 31KIGDB85· 8
Year 2012Dev Spike Chunsoft · NIS AmericaOn Linux · PC · iOS

✓ Shared with Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: adventure storytelling, visual novel storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: horror tension, puzzle design and setting anime, while skipping deep simulation

Where it drifts furthest from Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: setting.

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting45
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorAnime
Steam👍 83%· 22KIGDB88· 13OC83· 75
Year 2017Dev Spike ChunsoftOn PS4 · Android · PC

✓ Shared with Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, survival mechanics and horror tension, while skipping deep simulation

Where it drifts furthest from Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club: setting.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting39
Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
CasualVisual Novel
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorCozy
Steam👍 98%· 1.3KRAWG👍 100%· 28
Year 2016Dev 07th Expansion · MangaGamerPlaytime ~5hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ If you enjoyed Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club, expect visual novel storytelling, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, cozy, relaxing feel and linear, story-driven structure, while skipping deep simulation

The 58th year of Shouwa, early summer. It’s June, and the summer heat has arrived earlier than it does most years. By day there are crickets, and by night there are cicadas. We’re in Hinamizawa, a small village in the countryside. There are fewer than two thousand people here.

It predates Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone82Setting55

Complete list of games with a horror setting like Emio: The Smiling Man - Famicom Detective Club

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