Konami has a new horror game on Steam, and it’s not quite what you’d expect – Bail or Jail is an asymmetrical multiplayer party game that brings Halloween to the Steam store in July. Previously released on Nintendo Switch under the name Obakeidoro, Bail or Jail is a very cutesy take on the Dead by Daylight formula that pits one monster against a team of humans trying to stay out of their clutches.
Bail or Jail, developed by Free Style Inc, is based on the Japanese childrens’ game keidoro, which is probably best known in the west by names such as ‘cops and robbers’ or ‘manhunt.’ Described as a “three minute tag battle with extra twists,” the human team must avoid capture by the monster player while they attempt to nab everyone and lock them in jail.
Matches are three-on-one, and much like Dead by Daylight there are a selection of monsters that players can choose from, each with their own unique abilities, such as being able to slip through walls or tracking player footprints. Humans, on the other hand, have lanterns that can be used in an emergency to stun the monster.
Players can play solo with an option for computer-controlled players, online with other human players, or locally on a single PC. Konami says a quick match feature will allow groups of friends on Discord to join one another online easily.
There are in-game unlockables too, and Konami says that “updates such as limited events, new maps, and new characters are in the works” following the game’s release on Steam on July 21.
If you’ve ever been too intimidated by the slightly more terrifying and grisly nature of Dead by Daylight – or you have young kids who you want to introduce to the genre more gently – then it seems like Bail or Jail might be just what you’re looking for.