Shujinkou
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Shujinkou Media
Shujinkou - Pre-Order Trailer - Nintendo Switch
Shujinkou - Switch Announcement Trailer
Shujinkou - Gameplay Trailer
Critic Reviews for Shujinkou
You won't become fluent in Japanese by playing Shujinkou, but it will introduce the basics of both hiragana and katakana to you in a game that features the best bits of the Etrian Odyssey series in a very clever way. The combat system is solid enough that not even the counterintuitive menus could keep me from diving back in for more.
Suffice it to say, Shujinkou is one of the most ambitious indie games I’ve ever played. It not only satisfies the DRPG craving, but also rivals the industry and genre giants in delivering a complete experience. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the genre or just curious to try something new, this is the one.
Shujinkou from developer Rice Games is a surprisingly entertaining JRPG that features a design that harkens back to early elements of the genre, while mixing in a learning experience to further its beautiful complication.
Summary - Both a decent language learning tool and a good game, Shujinkou pulls off a pretty impressive feat here. Some of the controls are a little more complex than I would like, but everything else is spot-on.
Shujinkou is a genuinely worthwhile language tool wrapped up in a genuinely worthwhile indie Etrian Odyssey-style dungeon crawler. It’s an inspired, intelligent idea and I hope people give it a chance despite being as indie as they come. On sheer ambition and creative energy, I would be hard-pressed to point to anything I have ever played that’s more impressive than this.
While Shujinkou isn't perfect, the fusion of Japanese language learning and turn-based combat provides a wonderful title that both educates and satisfies the gamer patient enough to learn and engage with its systems.
The game pays a fair homage to several of its influences such as some Atlus entries and also brings some good new ideas to the table. Learning Japanese is optional, but even for casual players vaguely interested in learning, some words will linger on their minds, and the didactic approach is a great idea.
