Survival horror Stealth horror Short horror PS1 horror Horror

[Chilla's Art] Aka Manto | 赤マント

Rate it

Escape an old school while the red-cloaked spirit hunts you, on one life.

Platforms: PC
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (88% of about 1,200 reviews)
Length: about 90 to 120 minutes
Players: 1
Controls: WASD and mouse to move and look, left-click to interact, Ctrl to crouch, Shift to run, Tab for the inventory
Made by: Chilla's Art
Released: 2019

What frightens In an abandoned Japanese school at night, the red-cloaked masked spirit of the Aka Manto legend hunts you through the halls while you solve puzzles and collect tapes; you have one life and no saves, so every death sends you back to the start.
Content: violence, blood.

Aka Manto is a short first-person horror game by Chilla's Art based on the Japanese urban legend of a masked spirit in a red cloak who appears in school bathrooms. You explore an abandoned school, solve puzzles and hide from him, with one life and no saves.

About [Chilla's Art] Aka Manto | 赤マント

Aka Manto (Red Cloak) is a horror game by Chilla's Art, a Japanese studio that makes short PS1-style horror, released on Steam in 2019. It is built on the urban legend of a masked spirit in a red cloak who appears to people in school or public toilets and asks whether they want red paper or blue paper, with both answers ending in death.

You explore an old, abandoned Japanese school at night. The halls are cramped and dark, items go into a small inventory, and puzzles with a touch of Japanese culture block the way. Tape recordings scattered around the school tell the story of the legend.

Aka Manto is not a scripted scare: the store says he constantly tries to hunt you while you explore, and hiding is a choice that may or may not work. You have one life and no saves, so a death means starting again; the makers warn that it is very challenging and can frustrate players who do not keep calm.

A run takes about 90 minutes to two hours, and there is a good and a bad ending. It suits players who like Japanese folklore horror and are willing to replay a short game to master it.

How to play [Chilla's Art] Aka Manto | 赤マント

Buy it on Steam for Windows and start in the abandoned school.
Explore the halls, pick up items with left-click and check them in the inventory with Tab.
Listen for Aka Manto and hide or run when he hunts you.
Solve the school's puzzles and collect the tapes to reach an ending; a death sends you back to the start.

Screenshots

A dark blue school staff room seen in low-poly PS1 style, desks and lockers in shadow

A shadowy figure sobbing behind wooden bars, lit by the player's lighter

Power switches labelled with Japanese floor names on a wooden wall, the lighter held up in the dark

The inventory screen showing a metal bucket, a cane and a lighter, with the condition Healthy

Tips

Learn the layout on your first attempts; with no saves, knowing the route matters.
Crouch and move carefully when he is near instead of running blindly.
Listen to the tapes: they explain the legend and hint at what to do.