Free & Fun Japanese Computer Games – Part 2
You step into the weathered pub. An old man hunched over the wooden counter lifts his hand towards you.
“Hail, adventurer. Lookin’ for gates, ya say?”
“Well. I have just the thing. Step into the back…” He hobbles past a red curtain behind the counter.
As you two step towards the growing lights, you can’t help but smile at the familiar hum that begins in your ears.
…
Alice Mare
Genre: Light Horror
Author: △○□×
Platform: Windows
Gameplay: Solve whatever puzzles or riddles that lie before you as you go on to fulfill the White Rabbit’s request. Multiple endings!
Summary: You play as Allen, an amnesiac orphan on your first day at your new orphanage. After greeting the fellows kids at the behest of your enigmatic caretaker, you go to turn in for the night… But through the shadows of your room you see a cat jump into your wardrobe.
After following it through to the other side, you find yourself in a different world, and are tasked by the “White Rabbit,” to retrieve the lost keys of the wonderlands of “Alice.”
Maybe through the memories of the other children, may you find your own. Come, Alice. Down the rabbit hole we go.
Who could enjoy it: People who love playing games or reading stories about disturbed children and their twisted backgrounds. ♥(´∀`
People who love childhood fairy tales weaved in with the theme of Alice in Wonderland (gone wrong)!
Thoughts: The unique sprite styles (cute, yet slightly off-putting), and the off-kilter creepy atmosphere was perfect to me.
The puzzles in this game, are mostly all riddles or word problems. (i.e. If I have a wolf, sheep, and a cabbage…) The game is more riddle solving rather then item-finding.Which is good! Solving the riddles will probably exercise your Japanese prowess more than finding multiple, creepy, and probably bloody items to progress further into multiple, creepy, and increasingly bloody areas. :D
(Not that I have anything against bloody areas! …As long as the victims’ last pleas for help were written in bloody Japanese.)
Every character is connected with a fairy tale, and for all the allusions you could make off this game, so for analytic junkies, this could be a game you could really get into! (Get those head canons ready!)
Scariness level: Did you feel a cold breeze just now? …気のせいか…
This game isn’t made to out-right scare you (if you exclude maybe two or three jump scares). It’s more made to chill the air around you by just a couple degrees.
Conclusion: If you love the theme Alice in Wonderland gone wrong, melded together with your favorite childhood fairy tales, this game could be your vial of “Drink-me!” (Ba-dum, tshh. No? What do you mean that wasn’t even a joke…)
Lines from the game:
魂の無いものは、喋らないだろう?
ずっとまえに、あなたがいちばんいきてるきがしないっていったわね。
ここはアリスが言うこと、思うことがすべてだからね。
…
脱出ゲーム「あいつ勇者やめるって」
Genre: Escape the room
Publisher: HappyHoppyHappy Co
Gameplay: Point-and-Tap
Platform: Androids and iPhones
Summary: You are a hero. A tired, grumpy hero, ready to throw his sword of legend into a volcano made out of lava dragons. You want out of this hero gig. But they wouldn’t let you jig right out the front gate of the castle. Hailed Hero Abandons King, in the time of a big-shot demon reigning terror on the land? You’re gonna have to channel your inner ninja for this one.
Come and begin your quest, TO STOP BEING A HERO!
Who I think will enjoy it: People who like the idea of salty old heroes who just want to retire.
If you love the feel of old RPG games, and hate reading kanji in the dialogue! (But if you fear that would hamper your ability to understand the situation, don’t; The dialogue doesn’t get too complex or deep.)
Thoughts: This game is a quick play. Since the puzzles are relatively simple, maybe 30 minutes of game-play? If you’re really good at 脱出ゲーム, you could probably clear it in 5~10 minutes in the first run.
There’s a hint system in the game! The hints are unlimited as long as you have 1 gold dublo- 1 gold piece! in your inventory.
If seeing ads on the top and bottom of the screen grind on your nerves, this game may not be the best fit for you. But, if you just glance over a few of the app ads, you may find something you really like!
(Hint: If you find an ad for an app called COMICO, definitely check that out! I love the manga series hosted on that app.)
Conclusion: A clean game, reasonable puzzles, and short play-time. It’s like a good RPG-flavored sandwich for your hardy adventurer stomach. If you want a game but not a commitment, download this game! (In fact, this entire game is about breaking a commitment…)
Lines from the game:
しゃべれるのはひみつニャ。おこまりならヒントをあげるニャ。
これが おうさまの いっていた かくしつうろ だな!
うんめいのひと と ここで あえるって いわれたから まってるんだ!
…
フレンズ・ホームメイド
Genre: Dating sim (Boy-only candidates)
Author: とまつリケ
Platform: Windows
Gameplay: Choose-your-outcome, visual novel
Summary: Choose your gender, occupation, and which room-mate you want (from the 明るくて素直タイプ or the, クールで無口タイプ) straight from the start!
And after you’ve made your choices, jump right into a night spent with your chosen honey. ♡
Who could enjoy this: People who like mellow, really relaxing games.
If you want to enjoy a dating sim romance, without any of the heavy drama.
Thoughts: Once you start up the game and the music is playing, it immediately sets a mood of “Let’s just relax together.”
The candidates both have enjoyable personalities and routes.
You could easily finish the game in one sitting, maybe 30 minutes to an hour to get all the routes for the game. (Unless you’re stopping along the way to pick some sentences to toss into your Anki basket!)
Conclusion: I highly recommend playing this game without a dictionary through the first run. The slice-of-life conversations between you and your room-mate is an easy and fun read.
Perfect game to put down your sword and shirk off your cape, for a mug of hot cocoa and your fluffiest blanket.
Lines from the game:
俺たち一応ルームメイトなんだから
何をしてる時ってよりは、誰といると楽しいってことだよ
今俺たち夫婦みたいだよね?
…
Important!:
Always be careful whenever you download files from the internet. I personally have had no problems with the computer games mentioned in this article, but, when downloading files over the internet, always make sure you have a good anti-virus software, scan often, and keep in mind, better safe than sorry! If you feel a program may put your computer at risk, do not download it.
I take no responsibility for any damage caused to your systems by these programs/downloads. Enter the gates at your own risk.
Hoping to become a teacher one day. Maybe I’ll incorporate games into my curriculum?
I love your reviews on all these games available online! I find it hard to find free games online (that are also legal). This guide will certainly come in handy! I haven’t had a chance to play any of these games yet, but I plan to!
Awww, thanks! Yeah, I know, trying to find legal free games is a killer… But that’s where I try to help!
Thanks for your comment. It means a lot.^^
I love the concept of the quitting hero. I wonder how many main characters just think “really, do I have to save the day?”
This hero will become an inspiration for those who don’t yet have the courage to step down… *wipes eyes*
勇者ヨシヒコと魔王の城。
Just started watching this series and it’s one big parody of JRPG and deconstruction of many tropes. Sure it has a bit of repetitive humor, but it’s really fun. Available on Netflix.
I really wanted to try Alice Mare, but unfortunately when I try to play the game, no text appears in the text boxes, and what little text there is is corrupted (in the menu, for example, as well as the read me text document) so that it looks like @%* and so on. I tried looking on the main site for the game, but there’s nothing there. My japanese isn’t really the greatest (hence wanting the game, for practice), is there a solution to this?
Hmm, have you changed your language for non-Unicode programs to Japanese? It might solve your problem!
Yes, that seems to have fixed it. Thank you!
My pleasure. ^^