Horror visual novels Psychological horror Horror Anime horror

Online Obsession

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You finally meet your online friend in real life. Do not trust the cute cover.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Stores: Steam, itch.io
Price: Free
Rated: 4.8 out of 5 on itch.io (3,785 ratings)
Length: a few hours per session, per the itch.io page (demo)
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse and keyboard
Made by: sourmilk
Released: 2025

Get it on itch.io Steam (coming soon, wishlist)

What frightens A cute game about meeting your online friend in person turns into a horror story. The pastel chats and mini-games give way to red-and-black scenes, a hooded figure with a knife and a locked bedroom you have to pick your way out of.
Content: violence, death, suicide, self-harm, depression, physical abuse, animal cruelty, discrimination.

Online Obsession is a horror visual novel by the solo maker sourmilk, made in Ren'Py. You play an online gamer who meets a friend from the internet in real life, and the pastel story turns violent. A free demo is out on itch.io for Windows, macOS and Linux; the full game is in development and coming to Steam.

About Online Obsession

Online Obsession is a visual novel by sourmilk, who is making it alone. It asks a simple question: you have an online friend you play games and chat with every day, so what happens when you meet them in person, and can you be sure nothing will go wrong? The maker calls it a horribly adorable experience and warns straight away not to let the cute cover deceive you, because it is a horror game.

The opening looks like a cosy game about friendship. You customise your character, including pronouns, personality, skin colour and hair, then chat with friends through stickers and messages, play a card-matching mini-game in an online game lobby and meet people around a snowy city. Then the colours drain to red and black, and the story asks very different things of you: searching a dark bedroom for a key, picking a lock with hairpins, answering quick prompts before time runs out.

The maker lists multiple endings, a true ending and achievements. The game deals with horror, violence, depression, death, suicide, animal cruelty, physical abuse, self-harm and discrimination, and it has flashing images and loud sounds, so read the mature content list on the itch.io page before you start.

What is out now is a demo, released on 14 February 2025 and free to download for Windows, macOS and Linux. The full game is still in development, with a Steam page marked coming soon. It suits players who liked Doki Doki Literature Club or MiSide, where a bright, friendly game slowly shows what is underneath.

How to play Online Obsession

Download the free demo from the itch.io page for Windows, macOS or Linux and unzip it.
Read the mature content list on the itch.io page first, since the game includes self-harm, abuse and flashing images.
Customise your character's pronouns, personality and looks at the start.
Read the story and chats, pick replies, and play the mini-games and quick prompts as they come up.
Replay with different choices to look for the other endings and the true ending.

Screenshots

Online Obsession screenshot: a pink online game lobby with two chibi avatars, a cat girl and an angel, waiting for a match

Online Obsession screenshot: a phone chat with an online friend full of stickers, in a pink bedroom

Online Obsession screenshot: red-haired Adisorn in a fur-collared coat leans in a diner booth, chatting

Online Obsession art: a hooded figure in red and black, face in shadow, grips a knife against a blood-spattered background

Online Obsession screenshot: a hairpin in a door lock in a dark red scene, with three hairpins left

Tips

Keep your hands near the mouse in the later scenes; some prompts are timed.
Save before choices you are unsure of, so you can come back for other endings.
If you are sensitive to flashing images or loud sounds, lower the volume and take care in the red scenes.

Questions

Is Online Obsession free?

The demo on itch.io is free to download, with the option to pay what you like. The full game is still in development and has a Steam page marked coming soon.

Is Online Obsession a horror game?

Yes. Despite its cute art, the maker describes it as a horror experience and lists mature content including violence, death, suicide and self-harm.

Does Online Obsession have multiple endings?

Yes. The maker lists multiple endings, a true ending and achievements.

What platforms is Online Obsession on?

The demo is available for Windows, macOS and Linux on itch.io.