Clock Tower

A survival horror point-and-click video game franchise created by Human Entertainment, known for its tense pursuit gameplay.

Action

Adventure

Games

1995–2003

Years

Platforms

$57.12

Ø CIB

-25.1%

24M change

About

The Clock Tower series debuted with the 1995 Super Famicom game Clock Tower, which was later ported to PlayStation as Clock Tower: The First Fear in 1997. The franchise continued with the 1996 PlayStation sequel (released in the West as Clock Tower in 1997) and Clock Tower 2 (released in Japan as Clock Tower Ghost Head in 1998). The games are characterized by their point-and-click interface, puzzle-solving, and escaping from the iconic antagonist, Scissorman.

Director Hifumi Kono conceived the franchise at Human Entertainment, drawing heavy thematic inspiration from Italian giallo cinema, particularly Dario Argento's film Phenomena. The narrative of the original Clock Tower (1995) centers on orphan Jennifer Simpson navigating the Barrows mansion. Due to its initial Japan-only release, the debut title gained a cult following abroad through unofficial fan translations, often circulated as Clock Tower [Homebrew] (1995) ROM hacks.

To expand the audience, Human Entertainment released the updated port Clock Tower: The First Fear (1997) for the PlayStation and Windows. The series transitioned to 3D environments with the PlayStation release of Clock Tower (1997) in Western territories, which continued Jennifer's struggle against the slasher threat. This was followed by the spin-off Clock Tower 2 (1998), which introduced a new protagonist, Alyssa Hale, and a split-personality gameplay mechanic. The franchise's emphasis on vulnerability, hiding mechanics, and panic meters heavily influenced the survival horror genre, paving the way for Capcom's spiritual successor Haunting Ground and Kono's later project NightCry.