Otogirisou is a foundational horror “sound novel” developed by Chunsoft and released for the SNES in 1992. As the pioneer of the genre, it eschews traditional gameplay in favor of an immersive, text-driven narrative accompanied by atmospheric background graphics and tense audio. The story follows Kohei and his girlfriend Nami, who seek shelter from a sudden storm in a mysterious, abandoned mansion overgrown with St. John’s wort. As you read through their unsettling ordeal, the choices you make determine the path of the narrative and lead to a variety of branching endings.
How to play
The game is entirely text and choice-based. Read the narrative as it unfolds and select your actions when prompted to steer the story. The standard SNES controls apply: use the Arrow keys (D-pad) to navigate choices, Z (A button) to confirm selections or advance text, X (B button) to cancel, and Enter (Start) to pause or open the menu.
Tips
- Explore multiple paths: Completing the game and unlocking an ending adds a colored bookmark to your save file, which opens up new story branches and choices on subsequent playthroughs.
- Don’t fear bad endings: Reaching grim or abrupt conclusions is a core part of the experience, and uncovering them provides context for the true narrative paths.
- Unlock the “Pink Bookmark”: If you manage to collect enough of the standard endings, you’ll unlock a special pink bookmark that opens up comedic scenarios and twist endings.
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