In 2001, Korean game studio Sonnori launched a survival horror game called White Day: A Labyrinth Named School. It was later rereleased with an English patch that wasn’t quite done as well but it still had a big hype for being a game ahead of its time and providing a look at Korean urban legends about ghosts while discovering a story. However, the remake is currently available on Android and iOS.
The story of White Day is one about a boy, Hui-Min who goes back to school to return a journal and give his White Day chocolates to a girl he likes called So-Yeong but ends up being trapped. He discovers the ghosts that haunt the school and has to get out by banishing these spirits. There is an emphasis on Asian perspective of beliefs, the five elements, legends and mysteries. The main objective for him is to escape and hopefully stay alive as he is also hunted down by the dangerous janitor that prowls the hall.
The White Day remake is developed by ROI Games, however it is produced and directed by the previous CEO of Sonnori, Lee Won Sool. Although it is only available on mobile devices right now, it is expected to have a PC and Playstation 4 release later in 2016. There are graphical improvements from extended plots to more legends and added gameplay features from the original version.
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a game to experience from the atmosphere it creates and the ghost stories it shares. It’s both a look at Asian legends and one that will scare its players at the same time.
Developers: Sonnori Co.
Publishers: Wizard Soft (Korea); 4 Am Entertainment (UK)
Director: Lee Eun-Seok