Parasocial is the latest offering from renowned horror creators, Chilla’s Art.

Following their previous release, Night Security which I wrote about here, Chilla’s Art continues to make waves in the indie horror genre with this Japanese-styled urban horror game.

Parasocial delves into the bizarre and often problematic relationships that internet creeps form with their favorite streamers. These parasocial relationships, while tragic in reality, serve as the perfect backdrop for a spine-tingling home-invasion-themed thriller.

In Parasocial, you step into the shoes of Niina, a streamer and influencer aiming to expand her audience through nightly streams.

The gameplay is split around the process of getting the stream ready: sitting at your desk, enabling your VTuber avatar, and going live to play games for your audience, and the more mundane, offline portion of Niina’s life.

What’s particularly captivating is the integration of viewer chat, where spectators comment on your gameplay, sometimes even back seating, creating an eerily realistic portrayal of the Twitch streaming experience. You take control of the game Niina is streaming while simultaneously sitting at her desk. Though the games within the game are basic, they add an enjoyable layer of interactivity.

What distinguishes Parasocial from other Chilla’s Art titles like The Bully Detective or The Night Shift is its immersive and clever gameplay loop. Unlike the straightforward and mechanically light experiences of its predecessors, Parasocial takes a unique approach.

Between nightly streams, players can explore Niina’s apartment, complete chores, text friends, and make trips to the local convenience store.

This balance between on-stream and off-stream activities contributes significantly to the game’s tension and atmosphere. These sections are rarely pulse-pounding, but they go a long way to let the atmosphere drip in.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, one of Chilla’s Art’s strengths is the atmosphere, and Parasocial is no exception. The game understands that to build tension and dread effectively, players need time to immerse themselves in the world.

As Niina becomes increasingly aware of her strange viewer, odd occurrences begin to unfold, and a palpable sense of paranoia takes hold. Was there someone standing outside my window? Did that man follow me to the coffee shop? Questions like these ramp up as the streams end and you’re forced back out into the real world. The pacing between these sections is fantastic.

The tension inside Niina’s apartment is also noteworthy.

With its dimly lit rooms and subtle ambient sounds, Parasocial creates an unsettling atmosphere that permeates every moment of gameplay. This ambiance contributes significantly to the growing sense of unease as players progress through the game

But that’s not to say it holds back on the scares. As the threat of the particularly dedicated fan intensifies, the game ramps up the horror dread and tension, offering thrilling stealth sections a la The Karaoke. The climax of the game is particularly great, with a satisfying payoff to the growing tension throughout the story.

To sum up, Parasocial emerges as one of the standout titles in Chilla’s Art’s portfolio, alongside the greats of The Closing Shift and The Convenient Store. While having relatively thin mechanics, Parasocial manages to keep the gameplay experience fresh within its one-to-two-hour playtime. The intimate cast of characters and the well-characterized plotline suit its short runtime.  The game’s multiple endings add novelty but not replayability, as all determined choices are made in the final act.  But still, with Parasocial, Chilla’s Art once again proves their skill of creating immersive and suspenseful horror experiences.

If you’d like to check out some of Chilla’s Art’s fantastic games, read about five of their best here