The Haunted Building

The Haunted Building, developed and published by Genuine Studio, is a narrative-focused first-person horror experience set within the aging walls of a 1990s Hong Kong public housing complex. Rather than leaning entirely on shock-driven scares, the game constructs its terror through atmosphere, cultural specificity, and layered storytelling. It places players in the role of Lee Shing, a part-time security guard tasked with persuading tenants to sign relocation consent forms before the building’s demolition. What initially appears to be bureaucratic routine gradually unravels into a tense and deeply personal mystery filled with psychological unease and hints of supernatural interference. The setting plays a crucial role in shaping the game’s identity. The housing estate feels authentic and lived-in, from narrow stairwells and dim corridors to modest apartments cluttered with everyday objects. This grounded realism strengthens the horror elements, as the fear emerges not from fantasy environments but from a space that feels plausible and intimate. The architecture’s repetition and confined design enhance the sense of claustrophobia, while flickering lights and distant echoes inject subtle discomfort. The building itself becomes a character—its aging walls concealing secrets and its layout encouraging both exploration and paranoia. Narratively, the game unfolds as an investigative drama layered with supernatural undertones. Lee Shing’s interactions with tenants reveal complex personalities shaped by fear, denial, and unresolved trauma. Some residents resist relocation for reasons that extend beyond attachment to their homes, hinting at hidden motives and buried truths. Dialogue sequences are central to progression, offering players meaningful choices that shape the direction of the story. These decisions ripple across the narrative, influencing relationships, uncovering alternate scenes, and guiding the outcome toward one of several distinct endings. The branching structure encourages multiple playthroughs, as different conversational approaches reveal new layers of context and character insight. Gameplay blends exploration with light puzzle-solving and interactive storytelling. Players investigate apartments, gather clues, and piece together fragments of information that gradually clarify the building’s troubled history. Puzzles are integrated organically, often requiring attention to environmental details rather than abstract problem-solving. The absence of combat shifts emphasis toward tension and vulnerability, making each encounter with unexplained phenomena feel significant. Ghostly manifestations and environmental distortions appear sparingly but effectively, maintaining suspense without overwhelming the narrative flow. The audio design significantly enhances immersion. Fully voiced Cantonese dialogue anchors the experience culturally and emotionally, while English subtitles broaden accessibility. Ambient sounds—creaking doors, faint whispers, distant footsteps—maintain a steady undercurrent of dread. Silence is used strategically, allowing quiet exploration to feel heavy with anticipation. The restrained soundtrack avoids melodrama, instead reinforcing the psychological tone of the unfolding mystery. Visually, The Haunted Building favors mood over technical spectacle. Lighting is used to create depth and tension, casting long shadows across hallways and emphasizing the building’s worn textures. Character models and environments may not reach the fidelity of larger productions, but they effectively serve the narrative’s grounded aesthetic. The subtle blending of realistic interiors with occasional supernatural distortion reinforces the theme that something unnatural is embedded within ordinary life. One of the game’s most compelling strengths lies in its thematic focus. Beyond ghostly encounters, it explores displacement, memory, and the emotional weight of redevelopment. The impending demolition of the building sy…

When the game first came out, most of us were disappointed that it was only in the Chinese language when they already stated on the store page that it had English language. The developers promised us, and they delivered! We are finally able to play this wonderful game with English subtitles. The Haunted Building is a visual novel mixed with Point & Click elements. You play as Lee Shing, a new security guard at an old building. He was planning to work there temporarily, and those thoughts persisted, especially after he discovered that the building would be demolished soon and that he would have to convince the remaining few residents to sign a consent to move. It wasn't an easy job, not when the resistance is high, and slowly he is starting to see things, paranormal activities. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3613222943 I didn't expect the story to be this good. The more you play it, the more you discover. It is very well written, and each character served their role well. I especially enjoyed the side stories, which make you see everything from a different perspective. When you play the game again, the outcome will be different, as if your character stores what he saw in his memory. Those twists were really good. There is a chapter selection, allowing you to choose between 21 chapters, view 10 side stories, and get eight different endings, plus an extra true ending. The choices and consequences really matter in this game. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3610810868 There is an artwork gallery of a total of 18 photos that you'll get when you achieve something in the game. The achievements are a bit tricky, but there is an in-game list you could click on, and it will give you a slight hint of where and how to get each achievement. The puzzles were not easy as well, but if you ever get stuck, you can skip them; the dialogue can be skipped too, except for those which were not read before. The game's artwork isn't bad, but there is some inconsistency in how each character looks. It is not bad, but I wish they'd stick with one art style. The voice-overs are ok, but you could hear they weren't recorded in a professional studio, given the quality variation between the characters. The game is fully voiced, though, and I commend them for it. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3610810825 Pros: +Interesting story. +Excellent writing. +Interesting characters. +Good soundtracks. +Varieties of puzzles. (You can skip them) +Fully voiced +Collectables (posters) +Multiple endings. (Total of 8 + extra true ending) +Multiple interesting short side stories. (Total of 10) +Manual save. +Photos gallery. +Previously read dialogue skip +Steam achievements. (In-game hint of how to achieve each) Cons: -The artwork of the characters is not consistent. I have played multiple games from Genuine studio, and they always surprise me with how they write the story, and make you believe something, while it is entirely something else. The last extra bit of the story, when you crack the laptop, will make you realise everything. I highly recommend it, as well as the rest of their games. Other Reviews: Fateful End: True Case Files Review Detective Kobayashi Review Rainy Butcher Review 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑐𝘩𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎'𝑠 𝐶𝘩𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 Follow IndieGems for more reviews like this one.

3 hours ++ play time for multiple ending. Currently only support chinese language. Games including jump scare, horror scene and mini games although the control is not sensitive and need multiple tries.