ðə ʒˈɑːnɹə wʌz fˈɜːðɚ pˈɑːpjʊlɚɹˌaɪzd ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈoːɹ baɪ ðə dʒˌæpənˈiːz "kɹˈɪmsən ɹˈuːm" ɡˈeɪm baɪ tˌɑːʃɪmˈɪtsuː tækˈɑːɡi, wˌɪtʃ hɐz spɹˈɛd θɹuːˈaʊt ðɪ ˈɪntɚnˌɛt ænd kæn biː sˈiːn ˌɔn mˈɛni ɡˈeɪmɪŋ wˈɛbsaɪts.
The genre was further popularized in 2004 by the Japanese "Crimson Room" game by Toshimitsu Takagi, which has spread throughout the internet and can be seen on many gaming websites.