Magaruten (Free Horror ADV) Introduction and Review

This is an article introducing "MAGARUTEN," a horror adventure game that was entered into the 17th WoodyCon and won 6th place in the storytelling category.
This short film is based on a story reminiscent of a classic horror movie, but with added elements of comedy and romance.

The completion time was just under two hours.
It has some puzzle-solving elements, but it's a game that can be completed in one go.

Game Overview (No Spoilers)

University student Tamio is invited by his friend Kiyoshi to go on a hot spring trip, as Kiyoshi has won four hotel vouchers.
However, the travel destination seems to be a place with a spiritually ominous history.

After many twists and turns, Tamio, Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi's girlfriend Orie, and Tamio's childhood friend Misao, a mentally unstable, eccentric, occult-obsessed, perverted stalker woman, end up going on a hot spring trip together.

Will the four of them be able to complete their trip safely?
In addition to the horror elements in the main story, the film also features a bittersweet romance and comedic elements stemming from Misao's outrageous behavior, which are also appealing aspects of the story.

Thoughts and screenshots included (spoiler alert)

It felt like watching a movie, and I played through it all the way to the end in one go.
With its carefully crafted gameplay, engaging characters, horror tropes, and even some light puzzles, this game was full of features designed to keep players engaged.

The contrast between what he's doing and the joyful expression on his face is simply priceless.

I laughed at the ridiculously creepy font used on what was supposed to be a sign for accommodation.

I personally liked how the story was structured so that you had to remember this fact right at the very end.

This was the scene that made me laugh the most in the film.

A scene where the journey to university is repeated over and over again.
I liked how the repeated nature of the event was emphasized by having the character travel the same path back and forth.
I felt that the way they incorporated these "pauses" in the storytelling, rather than simply having it move along at a rapid pace, was very skillful.

He's a total pervert, but it's helpful that he's eavesdropping, as it speeds things up.

Orie's expression is amusing because it shows a hint of happiness.
Misao is an interesting character, but Orie is also genuinely cute, so it really hurt my heart to see her go.

Even though he's a god-like being who controls misfortune, the way he asks questions like some middle-aged guy who's been reincarnated into another world in modern times was kind of cute.