PC Gamer crowned Labyrinth of the Demon King its best horror game of 2025 in their Game of the Year awards announced December 16, and it’s a pick that makes perfect sense to anyone who actually played this oppressively atmospheric dungeon crawler. Developer J.R. Hudepohl’s solo project beat out big budget horror releases and mainstream favorites by doing what AAA games increasingly can’t: creating genuine dread that lingers long after you stop playing. This isn’t horror through jump scares or gore. It’s horror through atmosphere, sound design, and the crushing realization you’re trapped somewhere you absolutely don’t belong.
What Makes It Special
Labyrinth of the Demon King drops you into a sprawling, dilapidated Japanese castle complex where you’re supposedly a low-ranking ashigaru foot soldier hunting the demon who killed your lord. But something feels wrong about that story from the start, and as you delve deeper into fog-covered corridors filled with yokai and undead horrors, the truth becomes far more disturbing than simple revenge. PC Gamer Associate Editor Ted Litchfield called it a singular, uncompromising horror game and one of his favorite releases of 2025.
The game plays like an unholy fusion of FromSoftware’s King’s Field series, classic Resident Evil, and Condemned: Criminal Origins. First-person melee combat moves deliberately and slowly, with an unforgivingly brutal stamina system that makes every encounter feel like a desperate struggle. You’re not a superhero cutting through enemies. You’re barely surviving, anxiously fighting against your character’s sluggish movement and sword swings while managing limited resources in environments designed to make you uncomfortable.
The Atmosphere That Defines It
What secured Labyrinth of the Demon King’s place as PC Gamer’s horror champion is atmosphere so oppressive it borders on unbearable. Australian Editor Shaun Prescott, who reviewed the game with an 81 percent score, described it as infused with paralysing, insensate dread he hasn’t experienced in a game since P.T. or Murder House. That’s high praise considering how saturated the indie horror scene has become with quick and nasty experiences trying to recapture survival horror’s glory days.
Composer Remu Daifuku’s soundtrack and sound design deserve massive credit for this crushing mood. The music was created by sampling a real Japanese temple bell and the creaking sounds of Daifuku’s old house, creating audio that feels authentically unsettling rather than generically spooky. The only respite comes from the tea shop safe haven with its soothing save room music, but even those moments of calm are tinged with dread knowing you’ll eventually have to leave that sanctuary and venture back into the nightmare.
Moments of Discovery
Litchfield described his time with Demon King as full of moments of profound, unsettling discovery. Crawling down a narrow cave to emerge in a hidden chapel that feels like it’s at the center of the earth, with the base of a Kanji-covered pillar commemorating human sacrifice rising into cavernous ceilings to support the castle above. These environmental storytelling moments create horror through implication and atmosphere rather than explicit gore or cheap scares.
The Combat System
Excellent first-person melee combat lives or dies on small touches and intangibles that make the dance of light attack, strong attack, dodge, and block actually feel good. Demon King delivers through satisfying weight and consequence. The stamina system is shockingly unforgiving, with recovery resembling other games’ mana bars rather than typical stamina pools. You stop swinging, dodging, or kicking, and then wait several beats for slow upward ticks before you can act again.
But nailing a combo and punishing one of the game’s freaky horrors feels phenomenal. An Arkane-style kick breaks enemy guards and combos nicely into follow-up sword swings. Finishing blows ragdollize and occasionally decapitate foes in ludicrously satisfying ways. The combat isn’t about feeling powerful. It’s about reaching a state of flow and mastery similar to tank control Resident Evil games, where competence comes from understanding limitations rather than overcoming them.
Never Fully Safe
Even when you’ve mastered the combat and learned enemy patterns, you’re never fully in control. The crushing atmosphere, limited resources, and omnipresent threat of an unkillable yokai you accidentally released by blaspheming against the Buddha (it makes sense in context) ensure tension from start to finish. Similar to films like Oldboy, no amount of combat mastery lets you shake the queasy feeling that this story can’t possibly have a happy ending.
This persistent unease separates Labyrinth of the Demon King from action games with horror aesthetics. You’re not conquering this world. You’re barely surviving it, and the game constantly reminds you through environmental design, enemy encounters, and narrative beats that you don’t belong here and probably won’t leave alive. That commitment to maintaining dread even as you become more competent shows remarkable restraint and understanding of what makes horror actually horrifying.
The PS1 Aesthetic Done Right
Labyrinth has that truly excellent kind of throwback PS1-style art where you can tell developer Hudepohl is making a lo-fi game because he wants to and it fits his vision, not because it’s what time or resources allow. The chunky textures, limited draw distance, and angular geometry serve the horror by leaving details to imagination while showing enough to unsettle. It’s the visual equivalent of showing the monster just enough that your brain fills in the terrifying rest.
This aesthetic also connects Demon King to gaming history. The King’s Field series and early survival horror pioneered first-person horror atmospheres on limited hardware, proving you didn’t need photorealistic graphics to create dread. Labyrinth honors that legacy while demonstrating those design philosophies still work in 2025 when executed with skill and understanding of what made those classics special.
Why It Beat The Competition
What horror releases did Labyrinth of the Demon King beat to claim PC Gamer’s crown? Mainstream gaming saw multiple high-profile horror releases in 2025, yet none captured the singular vision and oppressive atmosphere that defines this indie dungeon crawler. The contemporary indie horror scene is an embarrassment of quick and nasty riches, but Labyrinth feels remarkable even against bigger budget horrors of 2025, according to Prescott.
The difference comes down to commitment and focus. Many modern horror games chase trends, incorporate multiplayer components, or dilute their horror with action sequences designed to appeal to broader audiences. Labyrinth of the Demon King never compromises. It’s unrelentingly grim from opening moments to credits, maintaining its oppressive mood without relief beyond those brief safe room respites. That singular vision resonates more powerfully than technically impressive games that hedge their horror bets.
The Reception and Recognition
Labyrinth of the Demon King launched May 13, 2025, on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch with immediate positive reception. Steam reviews turned Very Positive almost instantly, with players praising its disturbing atmosphere, challenging combat, and unique blend of Japanese folklore with survival horror mechanics. The game also runs flawlessly on Steam Deck, making its oppressive atmosphere portable for those brave enough to play horror games on commutes.
Beyond PC Gamer’s best horror game award, Labyrinth earned five nominations at the Horror Game Awards and appears on multiple year-end best games lists. For a solo developer’s project priced at just $20, competing against AAA budgets and established franchises, this recognition validates Hudepohl’s uncompromising vision and the power of atmosphere over spectacle in horror game design.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Labyrinth of the Demon King?
Available on Steam, GOG, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch for $20. The game runs perfectly on Steam Deck.
What games is it similar to?
It plays like a hybrid of FromSoftware’s King’s Field series, classic Resident Evil survival horror, and Condemned: Criminal Origins, with first-person dungeon crawling and brutal stamina-based melee combat.
How long does it take to beat?
The main story takes approximately 8-12 hours depending on exploration thoroughness and combat skill. The interconnected world encourages backtracking and discovery of hidden areas.
Is it actually scary?
Yes, through oppressive atmosphere and dread rather than jump scares. PC Gamer’s reviewer compared its unsettling mood to P.T. and Murder House, two of horror gaming’s most psychologically disturbing experiences.
Is the combat difficult?
Extremely. The stamina system is unforgiving and enemies pose genuine threats throughout the game. Mastery comes from understanding limitations rather than becoming overpowered.
Can I play it casually?
Not really. This is uncompromising survival horror designed for players who want oppressive atmosphere and punishing difficulty. Casual horror fans might bounce off its harsh mechanics.
Who developed it?
Solo developer J.R. Hudepohl, with composer Remu Daifuku creating the standout soundtrack by sampling real temple bells and creaking house sounds.
Will there be DLC or a sequel?
Nothing has been announced. The game feels complete as a standalone experience, though its success might encourage Hudepohl to explore this world further.
Horror Done Right
PC Gamer’s recognition of Labyrinth of the Demon King as 2025’s best horror game sends an important message about what makes horror actually horrifying. It’s not photorealistic gore or elaborate set pieces. It’s atmosphere, sound design, environmental storytelling, and the unshakeable feeling that something is deeply, fundamentally wrong with the world you’re exploring. AAA horror increasingly struggles to deliver this because committee-driven design smooths away rough edges that might alienate mainstream audiences. Marketing departments demand broader appeal. Publishers want multiplayer modes and live service hooks. The uncompromising vision required for truly disturbing horror gets diluted until you’re left with action games wearing horror costumes. Labyrinth of the Demon King exists because one developer had a clear vision and refused to compromise. That singular focus created something that resonates more powerfully than technically superior games made by teams a hundred times larger with budgets a thousand times bigger. Sometimes the scariest things come from the smallest places, and 2025’s best horror game proves that indie developers with passion and vision can still create experiences AAA studios have forgotten how to make. If you want to understand why PC Gamer chose this obscure dungeon crawler over mainstream horror releases, there’s only one solution. Buy it, play it, and prepare to feel genuinely uncomfortable as you crawl through that fog-covered labyrinth wondering what horrible truth awaits in the demon king’s castle. Just don’t expect to sleep soundly afterward. The best horror stays with you long after the credits roll, and Labyrinth of the Demon King lingers like a curse you can’t shake.