Shujinkou (Demo)

Rice Games Inc
PS5
Average rating 4.15 stars out of five stars from 181 ratings
  • In-game purchases optional
  • Offline play enabled
  • 1 player
  • Accessibility features (8)
    Accessibility Features
  • PS5 Version
    Vibration function supported (DualSense wireless controller)
Blood, Language, Violence
  • In-game purchases optional
  • Offline play enabled
  • 1 player
  • Accessibility features (8)
    Accessibility Features
  • PS5 Version
    Vibration function supported (DualSense wireless controller)

Editions:

Base Edition
PS4PS5
  • Shujinkou
Shujinkou (Demo)
PS5
    Deluxe Edition
    PS5
    • Shujinkou
    • Digital Artbook
    • Select Soundtrack
    Super Deluxe Edition
    PS5
    • Shujinkou
    • Digital Artbook
    • Select Soundtrack
    • Akuma Quests DLC
    • Swimsuit Quests DLC
    Deluxe Edition
    PS4
    • Shujinkou
    • Digital Artbook
    • Select Soundtrack
    Super Deluxe Edition
    PS4
    • Shujinkou
    • Digital Artbook
    • Select Soundtrack
    • Akuma Quests DLC
    • Swimsuit Quests DLC

    Ratings and reviews

    Global player ratings

    Average rating 4.15 stars out of five stars from 181 ratings
    181 ratings
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    Every review comes from a verified owner of this game or item and is evaluated by a team of moderators. Check the Ratings and Reviews Policy for more details.
    SamBishop
    Rated 11/16/2025
    Super Deluxe Edition
    A Phenominal Way to Learn Japanese... Oh, Hey and a Great Game Too!

    Not since something like The Oregon Trailer has an educational tool felt like something you WANT to play. Shujinkou is a dense game, but so is the Japanese language, and the ways this game applies, effectively, a phonics approach to both common objects (or animals) is perfect. I'm still smiling as I think about hearing other words in games where I've flicked on the Japanese audio track and knowing - intrinsically - what they are: kumo (spider), ryu (dragon), shika (deer). It's a magical thing to play a game a learn along the way, but Shujinkou is also a really solid RPG with deep mechanics and a plot that starts small and expands into something that is teased to be truly epic in scope. The characters are interesting, the tone is hopeful and sweet without being saccharine, and the learning never stops; you'll understand some basic kanji by the time the game's dropping it's cliffhanger. I genuinely can't think of a more compelling way to learn the basics of Japanese while also just playing a really fun game at the same time. I wish learning everything was as fun as Shujinkou makes understanding Japanese.

    DisabledGmr
    Rated 11/2/2025
    An Accessible Way To Learn Japanese

    I recommend this game to anyone who struggled learning Japanese the traditional way. As someone with low vision I struggled to learn Japanese traditionally until I found the Shujinkou demo which has over 15 hours of content if you do everything. In terms of accessibility the game is designed with big font and great contrast allowing gamers with low vision to read and learn as well! My own studies learning Japanese hit a roadblock due to my limited vision, once I reached kanji and furigana I found they were both too small for me to read and put off learning Japanese until I found the Shujinkou demo. The development team took an important and very basic design choice to use big font and good contrast across every menu and interface which ensures everything is readable which is helpful for learning a new language. From the very start you find billboards or "kanbans" that start to teach you about various things in Japanese culture such greetings, verbs, sentence structure ect it is great! I am not usually one for turn based games but this is the only game I am obsessed with in the turn based category because each encounter is an opportunity to increase my knowledge of Japanese. You can for example learn the names of different animals as you encounter them in battle each battle brings forth a new learning opportunity and also new challenges do not think you can over level your way to victory in Shujinkou. The music is also great and I could listen to it for hours. If you ever struggled to learn Japanese or thought it might be impossible for you, I recommend you to try the demo and see if you like it.

    Shujinkou (Demo)

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    Accessibility Features

    Update as of --May 8th 2025--
    🌟 SAVE TRANSFER FROM DEMO TO FULL GAME IS AVAILABLE NOW! 🌟

    *DEMO VERSION*
    The demo version contains roughly 15-20 hours of gameplay.

    Aiming to appeal to both speakers and non-speakers of Japanese, play as Shu, Jin, and Kou as you try to save the world from the Akuma in this single player JRPG!

    A retired samurai (主) is entrusted with saving his home from intelligent, language-devouring "Akuma" alongside an eccentric fox (人) freed from a cursed abode and an astute princess (公) with her own ambitions.

    Shujinkou is a dungeon-crawling JRPG that offers a unique opportunity to learn Japanese as you play. It features thousands of Japanese words, phrases, kana, kanji, and grammar elements that players can master through focus, diligence, and consistency. The language content spans from JLPT N5 to N1 standards, accommodating learners at any stage.

    However, learning Japanese is entirely optional. For those more interested in the adventure, Shujinkou delivers a rich JRPG experience. Players can immerse themselves in hundreds of skills, items, equipment forging, cooking, fishing, quests, minigames, shops, and countless achievements and records to break.

    Explore a vast world, engage with a riveting story, meet multifaceted characters, enjoy stunning artwork, and lose yourself in hours of dynamic music.

    All these elements are woven together through an 80-hour story campaign with over 200 hours of gameplay content, gradually introducing a complex set of RPG mechanics throughout the journey to create a truly comprehensive experience.

    * Learning functionalities are implemented through a series of optional gameplay mechanics and systems. Shujinkou is not a learning tool, and can be fully enjoyed as a traditional JRPG.

    ** There is no in-game auto-save feature.

    Platform:
    PS5
    Release:
    11/15/2024
    Publisher:
    Rice Games Inc
    Genres:
    Role Playing Games, Educational
    Screen Languages:
    English
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