Chilla’s Art returns with their latest short horror game based inside the setting of a Karaoke bar. Its Japanese title reveals that the game would be played as the protagonist singing alone in karaoke. Like with the majority of Chilla’s Art games, the story follows Mira, a teenage Japanese girl who is being stalked by someone. This is another slow burner but one which has one of the most terrifying climaxes yet. But what is The Karaoke plot? How does it differ to the Developer’s other horror games? Well this article will dive into the game’s story and ending. Let us dive into the world of Chilla’s Art.
The Story of The Karaoke
The Karaoke begins with a black screen and a lovely touch of Japanese voice acting. Our protagonist sets the scene for the start of the game. We learn that the goal of this game is to go sing Karaoke with our friend Moeka after finishing their basketball afterschool activities. However, as the game title suggests, we would be going to the Karaoke bar alone. So what happens to Moeka? Well as you play through the game naturally, time will fly by as you play basketball with Moeka. When your Coach enters the room telling you both to go home. Forced to stay behind to clean up, you note how Moeka is not with you as you get changed and head to your bike. You think nothing of it. Perhaps she will meet you at the bar when she is ready.
Inside the Karaoke Bar
Your first bit of information is revealed by Moeka who tells you that she cannot go to the Karaoke bar as the Coach needed to speak with her. You head on to the bar and get settled in for a 2 hour timeslot. Between singing a few songs where the gameplay mechanic is a standard rhythm based game (Yakuza, anyone?), you get phone calls from Moeka. The next one you receive is the start of the horror. Moeka is attacked by someone on the phone, she exclaims and calls out in a panic for the attacker to not come closer. The phone hangs up after Moeka begs the attacker to not touch her. Somehow, our protagonist continues their evening, singing more songs and ordering food and drinks to the room.
Who is the Man in the Corridor?
Strangely, every time she goes to investigate where her food and drink could be, they magically appear on the table inside Room 12. When you go for refreshments a strange and ominous man appears in the corridor, blocking your path. Upon returning to your room a filled drink is on the table. After ordering food and checking on its progress, the meal appears once again inside Room 12 when you were not in it. These moments act as red herrings, making you paranoid. They plant the idea in your head that the man in the corridor is messing with you, almost taunting you as he vanishes into another area of the bar. This red herring acts similarly to the hooded man in The Closing Shift, hiding the real stalker away from us. Out of sight, out of mind.
The Nightmares
During your third song, the screen will appear bloody, audio distorted and abruptly cut out to static. That is when Moeka called you again, distressed and clearly crying, she tells you that she cannot make it. When you leave Room 12, the lights are out. Signifying that the television going distorted and strange was not something ominous, but the result of a technical malfunction. Our protagonist experiences a nightmare, where she sees Moeka crying blood. You awake on the sofa. How did you fall asleep? The drink that was left for you on the table was likely spiked by the man in the corridor. He can be seen coming into your room at random intervals, likely visiting to check if the drugs had taken affect.
The Reveal
When you awake Moeka calls you once more, revealing that she took a photo of her attacker. We see that it is The Coach. The next time you try to reach your friend the phone disconnects, Moeka has likely been caught. With the bar now emptied, neither employee can be found inside. The entrance is also blocked off by a truck. When you go to investigate the security cameras, the stalker is revealed. Coach enters the bar through the back door. Mira phones the Police, being told that she must hide for 4 minutes until they arrive. When the timer gets to zero, Couch is arrested and you learn about his crimes. Unfortunately, Moeka could not be saved and she remains traumatised by the events of that night. The game ends here.
The Enemies in The Karaoke
There are two main threats in The Karaoke. One is The Coach who attacks Moeka and comes for you next after learning your whereabouts, likely as a result from traumatising your friend. The second however, is the “employee” of the bar who brings your drink and meal to the table without you seeing him. He spikes your drink to render you unconscious, obviously to take advantage of you inside Room 12.
The Endings of The Karaoke
The Karaoke has 6 endings, you will likely experience ending 6/6 in your first playthrough unless you find the Janitorial Closet Key behind the front desk. This ending is achieved by stabbing Coach who will die after being taken to the hospital. The case is ruled as a self-defence due to evidence showing Coach’s previously crimes. But Mira is traumatised from the events, so is her friend Moeka who was attacked that night. In other endings, such as 4/6 and 5/6 you can find evidence of a hidden camera in the changing rooms and pictures of other girls that Coach was taking advantage of inside his truck’s glove box. It is revealed that Coach was assaulting these women. You have to wonder if the employee at the Karaoke bar was acting on his own or helping the Coach by knocking these girls out.
Related: How to Get All Endings in The Karaoke.
The best ending you can get is ending 5/6. In this, after gathering sufficient evidence to put the Coach behind bars, he is arrested at the school where both Mira and Moeka avoided being assaulted. The friends are able to move on, knowing that he will not harm another girl again. Chilla’s Art highlights the terrifying world of being a woman, especially a teenager in which many will try to take advantage.
That is the story of Chilla’s Art The Karaoke. We hope it cleared up any questions you may have had regarding the events that unfold within the game. For more Indie Horror Game content, feel free to look at How to Evade All Monsters in The Classrooms and How to Get All Endings in Cannibal Abduction. Follow us on our Facebook page if you are interested in staying up to date on all the latest gaming content written by us.
