Yomawari: Night Alone

Yomawari: Night Alone for PC and PSV is a survival horror stealth game. It was developed by Japanese Nippon Ichi Software, known mostly for the Disgaea series.

Plot

Yomawari: Night Alone takes place in a small Japanese town. It tells the story of a little girl, whose dog Poro goes missing because of an incident that happened, when they went out for a walk. The terrified girl returns home and asks her older sister for help; the sister then goes out to find the dog. The girl is supposed to wait for her, but after many hours it becomes clear that something bad must have happened, so she goes out into the night by herself, searching for Poro and her sister.

Mechanics

In Yomawari: Night Alone you play as a small girl, who has to explore a small town after dark. What's worse, it quickly turns out that the streets are full of wraiths. The girl cannot fight them, so she needs to remain hidden. She has to sneak past the ghosts, divert their attention, and try to outsmart them.

The gameplay emphasizes the stealth aspect. You have to learn how the wraiths move around and use the elements of the environment (e.g. the bushes) to hide from them. The game also features logic puzzles. You also get to see a visualization of the girl's heartbeat—the faster her heart beats, the closer a potential threat is.

The girls can also use various items. The flashlight lights her way and makes it easier to find other useful items, such as stones, which you can throw to activate otherwise inaccessible buttons or to make noise, which draws the ghosts' attention. You should also gather coins, which you can use to buy favors from the local deities.

Technical aspects

Yomawari: Night Alone for PC and PSV features attractive 2D visuals, an isometric view and a cartoonish graphic style, which works well with the horror atmosphere. The designs of the wraiths are quite unique, and they're based on the Japanese folklore.

Last updated on 31 May 2016