Shujinkou (2025) · Tastebuds

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.

Puzzle Role-playing (RPG)Strategy Adventure Educational exploration anime jrpg party-basedPlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Nintendo Switch

Log it

Sign in to log this.

Character

Earnest, plot-driven, resolved and grave.

earnestironic
character-ledplot-driven
resolvedopen-ended
gravecomic
cooloverwhelming

Who loves it, who doesn't

No profiled raters yet.

Ask the title

A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.

YesNoUnclear

Reviews

No reviews yet.

From the critics

A few lines from each review; the whole review is on the critic's site. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.

Digitally DownloadedMatt SainsburyFeb 20255/5 stars
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.
Read the review
RPG FanZek LuFeb 202595/100
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.
Read the review
Digital ChumpsNathaniel StevensJul 20259.5/10
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.
Read the review
Nintendo LifeTrent CannonOct 20257/10
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.
Read the review
oprainfallLeah McDonaldJan 20263.5/5 stars
Shujinkou is clearly a love letter to Japanese language and culture, created by a team with passion for both games and language. Despite the technical issues and uneven pacing, I really loved my time with this game. As someone relearning Japanese, immersing myself in the language learning aspects was both a great refresher and a genuine learning tool at times without ever losing focus on also being a fun game experience. The combat is engaging with just the right amount of difficulty, and the characters are charming and memorable. I still listen to the music every chance I get. It’s a long game, so if you get it be prepared for the commitment, but I think it’s well worth your time.
Read the review

Snippets via OpenCritic, where 94% of critics recommend it.

About the game

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Developer: Rice Games
Publisher: Rice Games
Released: February 13, 2025
Modes: Single player
Perspective: First person
Engine: Unity