Shujinkou (主人公) is Rice Games Inc's debut title—a story-driven dungeon crawler JRPG.
Optionally learn Japanese as you explore this gigantic fantasy world.
Shujinkou is the first title in the Shujinkou Trilogy, and contains over 200 hours of engaging gameplay content.
Click on the publication or their score to read their review of Shujinkou!
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"Shujinkou is the new gold standard of dungeon-crawling RPGs."
"The dungeon design is a true masterclass, and if you're craving that DRPG experience, Shujinkou delivers with flying colors."
"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."
"It's an incredible JRPG that also just happens to be an extremely enjoyable learning tool."
"A well-developed cast, strong narrative, and meaningful side-quests bring depth to the adventure."
"Shujinkou is a masterfully crafted JRPG that seamlessly blends dungeon crawling, turn-based combat, and an innovative Japanese language learning system."
"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."
"Shujinkou is a genuinely worthwhile language tool wrapped up in a genuinely worthwhile indie Etrian Odyssey-style dungeon crawler."
"It’s a testament to the quality of the game that it holds up perfectly well if you don’t want to be educated by it at all, but if you do take it seriously, it’ll actually progress you pretty far down the path to proficiency all by itself."
"The game delivers what it promises with the enthralling main adventure being around 80 hours long while including a lot of optional content, showing a lot of love, passion, and dedication in its development."
"The story is gripping throughout the whole adventure, adding other objectives besides getting rid of the Akuma."
"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."
"Dungeon crawling with a side of Duolingo wasn't something that I expected 2025 to deliver. However, Shujinkou is one of the single best surprises of the year."
"At present, the soundtrack seems like a solid contender for one of this year's best scores."
"From engrossing dungeon crawling, a cast that remains compelling across an 80-hour storyline, to a capability for teaching you spoken and written Japanese, a new watermark for indie RPGs has been established."
"This went from being something I'd never heard of to one of my favorite conceptual experiences in years."
"The game does a great job of making the cast likable while being multifaceted."
"Shujinkou is both fun and educational in the best ways possible."
"The shifting settings and evolving character relationships create a narrative that feels engaging and thoughtfully arranged without relying on repetitive tropes."
"The combination of visual elements and sound creates an immersive experience that captures attention throughout the game."
"Comparisons with other titles in the dungeon-crawler genre reveal that Shujinkou’s performance stands solid against more established names."
"The characters are lovable and easy to identify with—Shujinkou is a really fun game, especially the language learning part."
"It starts out simple and gradually deepens over long periods of play, and fighting with Japanese characters adds a unique layer to the clashes."
"It is especially enjoyable to return to a previous dungeon and defeat the Yajuu we were desperately running away from a few hours earlier."
If you are a critic or journalist and would like to play, cover, or review Shujinkou, please contact us at: contact@ricegames.net
A Nintendo Switch port is currently in-development.
A physical box release is also currently being planned for the future.
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