Former Chainsaw Man Director Creates Horror Game on Roblox

The Inn

Ryu Nakayama, the director who brought the popular Chainsaw Man manga to life in its acclaimed first season, is now stepping into game development with a surprising platform choice: Roblox.

The new horror game, titled "The Inn," moves away from the traditional blocky Roblox aesthetic in favor of pale, lanky creatures designed to deliver effective jumpscares.

The game draws inspiration from classic Japanese horror and features roguelike elements with randomized runs, ensuring different scares with each playthrough.

"It was my first time working on a game, so it was both challenging and exciting," Nakayama explained about the project in a Twitter post. He added, "Roblox is currently a popular platform overseas, especially in North America, but I'm deliberately trying to give it a stronger Japanese feel."

While Roblox began as a platform primarily targeting younger audiences, it has evolved significantly over the years. The platform now hosts games that appeal to players of all ages, with some titles like "Dress to Impress" regularly attracting hundreds of thousands of concurrent players.

This evolution has encouraged developers to experiment with content that might appeal to older audiences, creating space for projects like Nakayama's horror game to find an audience within the Roblox ecosystem.

Nakayama earned significant praise for his work on Chainsaw Man Season 1, with critics highlighting the show's exceptional action sequences and visual storytelling. These elements made the anime worth watching even for those already familiar with the source material.

Despite the technical limitations of the Roblox engine, Nakayama’s project could carve out a unique space in the horror genre. By blending Japanese horror sensibilities with the accessibility of Roblox, "The Inn" may attract a crossover audience of anime fans, horror enthusiasts, and even those who haven’t previously engaged with Roblox.

As of now, no specific release date has been provided by the developer.