Developed By: Wodan
Published By: Kadokawa
Category: Action
Release Date: 03.25.26
Price: $14.99
*Game Download Code graciously provided for the purpose of review
SHINONOME ABYSS is a weird and fun game, but there isn’t much to say about it. It’s essentially a top down dungeon crawler with puzzle elements. You play as a shrine maiden named Yono, and you’re tasked with escaping haunted mansions that use a series of fixed rooms. Set up traps, use items, and defeat a variety of mononoke. Clearing each level is the main goal, but there’s also a high score system that makes the game more fun.
Sound plays a huge role in this game. In each room, you need to pay attention to the noises coming from the next room to figure out the number and type of mononoke that are present. Then you use weapons to kill them, or you can lead them to traps like fireplaces. Each level has a fixed path to complete, but there’s a lot of variance based on how you play. It’s a slow burn game with some action and a lot of strategizing.
I really liked the overall atmosphere. The game can be quite tense the first time you play a level because of the sounds and overall environment. It really gives off horror movie vibes at times. Subsequent runs of each level won’t be as scary, but will be vital if you want a high score. I probably went through each level two or three times.
There are many ways to increase your score. The two main ways are killing mononoke and completing the level quickly. There are other ways, like having certain items in your inventory when you finish the level. Each level has an online score leaderboard, and completing each level as efficiently as possible can get you high on that board.
If you don’t like slow-paced games that require a lot of strategy, you might not like this one. The game is also heavily influenced by Japanese culture, history, and mythology. But it’s a really interesting experience if you can get past all that. For $15, it’s an interesting pickup.
7/10