From point-and-click games like Affection to visual novels like Crimson Gray, some games incorporate yandere tropes in unique and interesting ways.
Translated as "lovesick," "yandere" is a Japanese character archetype that refers to a person who is so unhealthily obsessed with one individual that it makes them willing to commit criminal acts for their "love." At best, the yandere character will stalk the object of their affection and make that person the center of their world. At worst, the yandere may kidnap their special individual, and even hurt or kill them or other related individuals.
Although shows such Mirai Nikki (Future Diary) largely contributed to the trope becoming mainstream, many great video games have also featured and in some cases focused on yandere characters in recent years.
Affection
Created in early 2019 for the "SCREAMWORLD" game jam, Affection is an obscure horror point-and-click game that follows an amnesiac man who wakes up in a strange, mostly barren room. While exploring the bleak facility, he encounters several other characters and discovers that they are all trapped. Unlike the protagonist, the other characters do remember their previous lives, but they also don't remember how they ended up in this building.
As the days continue, the other characters slowly get brutally killed, which leads to the final survivors believing that the protagonist is the perpetrator. It's revealed that a strange creature has actually been killing the other characters so that the protagonist would eventually fall in love with the creature. Each time the scenario fails, the creature erases the protagonist's memories and starts the whole process again with new victims.
Dear Mariko
Released in 2015, Dear Mariko is a short horror experience that is one of the many interesting RPG Maker horror games. After meeting each other two years ago on Christmas Day, Mariko and Darien have loved each other and been together. Despite their mutual love, however, Darien has been dealing with a stalker named Shinku, which has put a strain on the otherwise happy couple's relationship.
Eventually, the stress and fear caused by Shinku becomes too much for Darien, and so he decides to leave Mariko in order to escape from Shinku and to protect Mariko. The only thing Darien leaves behind is a letter revealing his reasons for leaving, which is, terrifyingly, found by both Mariko and Shinku. In 2016, the developer released an updated version titled Dear Mariko: Crimson, which adds more lore.
Nothing Special
Released towards the end of 2021, Nothing Special is a short visual novel that joins the many other unique horror games available on Itch.io. As a young female protagonist, the player gets kidnapped by a girl she doesn't recognize. To "take care of her," the girl feeds the protagonist maggots and forcefully bathes her while keeping her trapped in a room.
As the girl talks to the player, she reveals that she discovered the protagonist's art online and became infatuated with her work. After a short and essentially meaningless conversation between the two on Discord DMs, she decides to kidnap the protagonist. Depending on the player's choices, they'll receive one of two endings.
Yanderella
Created by the three-person development team Charon, who has also made multiple other yandere-focused games such as Mikoto Nikki and Shihori Escape, Yanderella is a 2013 RPG Maker horror game about a young man named Yatarou who is stuck between two yandere love-interests. While growing up, Yatarou had two childhood friends named Hinata and Honoka, and the three were inseparable. But, after Hinata moved away, Yatarou lost contact with her and slowly drifted away from Honoka.
Years later, Hinata returns and the group ends up reconnecting, but it soon becomes apparent that both girls are in love with the protagonist. Towards the end of the game, the player decides whether to solidify a relationship with one of the girls or to simply remain friends. If the player does pick one, however, it will not end well for anyone.
Irisu Syndrome!
Years before Doki Doki Literature Club and other similar horror titles that have the player interact with the game's files as part of the immersive experience, the free horror puzzle game Irisu Syndrome! pioneered the genre. Although the game has never been officially released outside of Japan, there's a fan-made English patch. To play this game, players must shoot white squares at the various shapes falling from the top of the screen. If two or more shapes of the same color hit each other, the player gains points.
Despite sharing some similarities with innocent puzzle games like Tetris or Bejeweled, the game's story centers around the main protagonist, Irisu Kyouko, using the game to try to convince herself not to commit murder. Because of her love for Uujima Satoshi and his own manipulations, Irisu feels compelled to murder both him and their two other friends.
Space Yandere
Because of the nature of the trope, most yandere-focused pieces of media typically don't end well, but the 2021 RPG Maker horror-esque title Space Yandere is one of the few instances where the player has a chance to create a truly happy ending. Taking place on a spaceship, the player controls a small orange robot named Digit that was created by a young woman named Luna. After an unspecified apocalyptic event ruined Earth, Luna and several other humans are now traveling to a new planet.
Even though she could've stayed behind to try to save Earth, Luna joined this expedition because she fell madly in love with a scientist named Alex. But, when she discovers that Alex is already in a relationship with another scientist named Eden, she snaps and tries to kill everyone on the ship. Now, Digit must try to stop Luna, bring her back to her senses, and save the entire crew.
Mistrick
Developed by Hatoge, who also developed the mystery horror game Sofia?, Mistrick is an RPG Maker comedic horror-esque title that was made for the 2022 Yandere Game Jam. Taking place after the events of Hatoge's previous title Misfiction, the game follows a narcissistic former-convict named John Blanc who gets teleported into a strange parallel world by the serial killer Chase Colt, who was John's "neighbor" while in prison.
As John tries to find a way to escape and dies in various different ways, Chase claims that he loves him and wants them to be together forever. But, since John is also a yandere, Chase quickly finds himself dealing with more than he bargained for.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a 2021 horror visual novel and an expanded version of the popular 2017 freeware game Doki Doki Literature Club. Like the original title, the game follows a male high school student who is invited by his childhood best friend to join the school's literature club. While writing poems, the protagonist can try to date three of the four girls in the club.
But, as the game goes on, the in-game characters start dying and the game itself begins glitching out. Eventually it's revealed that the non-datable club member, Monika, has gained sentience and is trying to change the game so that she can date the player. In this expansion, there're also some new side stories, art, and music.
YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story
Released in 2013 by well-known Japanese developer Nitroplus, YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story is a horror visual novel that initially appears to be a regular dating sim. Players take control of a high school boy named Shinichi whose life completely changes after he becomes friends with his strange classmate Aoi and rekindles his relationship with his childhood friend Miyuki.
During the first playthrough, the player can only pick Miyuki as a love interest. Although the second playthrough allows players to pick Aoi's route, Miyuki will remember the previous playthrough, and will not want to let the player go.
Crimson Gray
Unlike most yandere-focused stories, the 2017 visual novel game Crimson Gray actually addresses mental health. The main character, a high school boy named John, is struggling with severe depression. When he is at his lowest point, he meets a yandere girl named Lizzie, and the two decide to try to help and support each other.
While there are bad routes that lead to typical yandere endings, the true route has John helping Lizzie obtain medication to help with her emotions and Lizzie helping John overcome his self-depreciating tendencies.
