The Language Learning RPG Shujinkou has been released:

Shujinkou - Language Learning Overview Trailer

Learn one of the world's hardest languages while immersed in this JRPG adventure. Shujinkou is a story-driven, turn-based dungeon crawler that provides players with the opportunity to learn Japanese. Play as Shu, Jin, and Kou as you try to save the world from the Akuma!

RPGFan reviewed Shujinkou:

Shujinkou Review

In an interview with Game*Spark News, Shujinkou director Julian Rice expressed his desire to create a first-person dungeon crawler (DRPG) in the vein of Etrian Odyssey. With so few games like this in the current landscape, I was eager to try it before release.

From the outset, Shujinkou wears its Etrian Odyssey inspiration proudly. After a brief ten-minute introduction, the game throws you into the first dungeon - a forest reminiscent of the classic First Stratums from that series. Even early on, it’s clear that the genre’s best elements are completely intact in this game. Shortcuts feel just as rewarding as ever, and the incredibly dangerous FOEs (an EO acronym for powerful mini-bosses), called Yajuu here, are omnipresent. In fact, the game introduces you to them as early as the second floor. Throughout my playthrough, I found it deeply impressive how enjoyable each labyrinth is to explore. The dungeon design is a true masterclass, and if you’re craving that addictive DRPG experience, Shujinkou delivers with flying colors.

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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.

Score: 95/100

Thanks Couchpotato!

RPGamer interviewed Director Julian Rice about Shujinkou:

Shujinkou Interview

Rice Games’s Shujinkou is a dungeon-crawling RPG that sees three protagonists — Shu, Jin, and Kou — banding together to take on the Akuma, language-devouring monsters that terrorize the land. Shujinkou offers a vast world, two-arc story campaign, sixteen different labyrinthine dungeons to traverse, and an optional language-learning element across its gameplay. Ahead of its release later this month, RPGamer was given the chance to ask director Julian Rice about the game’s features and development.

Jordan McClain (RPGamer): What inspired you to make Shujinkou, and where did you draw inspiration from?

Julian Rice (Rice Games Inc): The inspiration for Shujinkou started with the word itself — Shujinkou (主人公) in Japanese means “main protagonist.” Growing up, I spent time in both the USA and Asia, particularly Taiwan and Hong Kong, and my mother is Taiwanese. When I first started learning Japanese in high school, I would break down each kanji character and compare it to my somewhat limited knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin). When I came across the word shujinkou, I had a eureka moment—like almost every other word, each kanji within the word had its own distinct meaning. That sparked the idea of creating three characters—Shu, Jin, and Kou—each with unique personalities inspired by their respective kanji. In the early days, I imagined them sailing the seas, riding airships, and embarking on grand adventures to save the world from looming threats.

Six years ago, I didn’t yet know how to make a full-fledged game, so I started by following YouTube tutorials to create a simple platformer. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t the game I truly wanted to make. On top of that, the art team I had assembled wasn’t specialized in a style that suited a platformer. So I decided to pivot toward a genre I’ve always loved — dungeon-crawling RPGs — and that’s how Shujinkou really started taking shape.

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Thanks Couchpotato!

The dungeon crawler Shujinkou will be released on February 13:

Shujinkou - Combat Overview Trailer

Learn one of the world's hardest languages while immersed in this JRPG adventure. Shujinkou is a story-driven, turn-based dungeon crawler that provides players with the opportunity to learn Japanese. Play as Shu, Jin, and Kou as you try to save the world from the Akuma!

Thanks Couchpotato!