'Hapunan' - why this Filipino horror game about selling duck eggs is going viral

Modern streaming culture has produced no shortage of viral gaming sensations. The most recent title to emerge is an unusual one - a Filipino horror game called Hapunan. The game throws you into the shoes of Niko, a vendor selling Filipino street food Balut (essentially fertilized duck eggs).

The premise is simple: you're a Balut vendor, and your job is to take care of your day-to-day responsiblities. Securing business permits, locking your windows and doors before work, selling food to customers. It features low-poly visual style similar to what you'll see in old games on the N64. So what is it that's actually grabbing people's attention?

Well, there's some cultural depth to the experience. The game, which starts as a 'work simulator,' devolves into a horror survival experience, with threatening figures lurking in the night. Gunmen equipped with threatening grins and heavy inspiration drawn from Filipino folklore.

The Philippines has been subject to a range of government-driven human rights violations and extrajudicial killings during the reign of their former president - Rodrigo Duterte. Even referred to in media as 'The Punisher,' his actions led to the deaths of over 30,000 people in the name of a proclaimed "war on drugs." Amnesty International declared it a "murderous war on the poor."

While the game doesn't explicitly refer to these atrocities, the broader environment undoubtedly influences the experiences of solo Filipino developer Yukon. Whether it's the smaller touches, like the interior design of Niko's house, or the sheer concept of a horror game based around a Balut vendor.

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Credit: Yukon

Hapunan provides a unique snapshot into a culture, quite unlike what you're used to seeing in conventional Western titles. In a way that clearly resonated with streamers and gamers around the world.

The game can be purchased for $3.99 on Itch.io, and is also available for download on iOS and the Google Play store. For 30-40 minutes of your time, it's worth checking out.

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