Visual Novel · Defold · GDD v0.1
Torii
A narrative visual novel walking Western protagonist Alex — and the player — through a living encounter with Shinto philosophy. Not a lecture. A threshold crossing. Four seasons with kannagi Hana, elder craftsman Ojii-san, village child Kiri, and kami felt in light and sound, never fully seen.
Warm · unhurried · quietly sacred
Haru → Natsu → Aki → Fuyu
Seasons
Four chapters · one year
Haru (春): purification, misogi, new beginnings. Natsu (夏): matsuri festival, mikoshi, kami draw close. Aki (秋): harvest gratitude, Obon, mono no aware. Fuyu (冬): stillness, Ma, quiet before renewal.
Each chapter introduces 3–4 Shinto concepts through experience — torii, harae, kami, musubi, kotodama, kamidana, norito — not dialogue dumps. Glossary unlocks as encountered.
Routes & mechanics
Musubi · Mono no aware · Kegare
Route A Musubi: Alex integrates Shinto, returns home changed. Route B Mono no aware: peace without resolution — impermanence was the lesson. Route C Kegare: Alex leaves unchanged; not a bad ending, an honest one.
Light ritual interaction sequences, Gratitude Journal (one player line per day, shown in epilogue), hidden Kami Sensitivity stat drives visual overlays, seasonal calendar UI for festival observances.
Writing and art project — 19-step Defold build spec. Free Chapter 1 (Haru) · full game $9.99 itch.io / $12.99 Steam.
Japanese Culture Network
Explore the Japan Empire
Shares DNA with Kakuriyo no Yūsha and the broader Japanese Culture Network — teaching Western audiences what Shinto actually feels like from the inside.
