Otogirisou
Otogirisou for the Super Famicom was a game I bought seeing it cold and unlabeled at a store for $2. I was intrigued by the creepy looking mansion on the sticker art, and at that price, it hardly seemed like a risk...
Well, turns out it was a sound novel, which is basically the same thing as a graphic novel, but with a little more emphasis on the sound effects and music. The game definitely gets it right in that respect, with nice, crisp sounds, pleasant ambient music, and the occasional growl or shriek for good measure.
You play as a young man who is in a car crash during a thunderstorm with his girlfriend, and desperate for cover, you find yourself in a creepy old mansion. You mostly just read and soak in the ambience, but the text is entirely in Japanese, so ambience may be your only choice. Still, in best Choose Your Own Adventure tradition, you are occasionally presented with a choice to make, which can lead to brief asides or an untimely end. The game does pretty well in delivering nice still portraits to aid your imagination, and goes for broke on the odd jump scare with startling visuals at specific times.
Whether or not this is for you has more to do with your understanding of the language than anything, but there is some cool atmosphere to soak in with the sound and images. It was popular enough in Japan to get sequels and a remake on PS1, but much of its charm is lost if you can't read it. I kinda like it, but I also get the occasional sleepy night where I enjoy soaking in this sort of thing.
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