Release Date:November 1, 2024(Worldwide)
Developers:八名木（yatsunagi）
Publishers:Gamera Games
Platforms:PC (Steam)
Rating:M(Mature)
SYNOPSIS
(from Homicipher’s Steam Page)
When the protagonist wakes up, they find themselves lost in a different world. As they learn the words of the mysterious monsters that speak a strange language, they search for a way to escape. Along the way, will they fall in love with the monster men who come to their aid…? Really?
ART AND MUSIC
| Director: yatsunagi |
| Artist/Illustrator: yatsunagi |
| Writer: yatsunagi |
| OST: Kazutaka Ushiro (Composer), Mai Shiroi (Singer) |
| BGM: Kato, TK.Projects, Peritune, Ride |
ABOUT THE GAME
Homicipher is a point-and-click ADV horror game that lets you, as the protagonist, decipher and learn a new in-game language through interacting with various characters. By interpreting the gestures and expressions of the otherworldly beings you meet in the game, you begin to understand their language and their meaning; learn to communicate with them, and maybe…just maybe, even get romantically involved.👀
First off, just a few disclaimers: the developers did not advertise this game as “otome,” but rather used “女性向け (joseimuke), language decoding horror/escape ADV game” as this title’s category. So please keep this in mind in case you are expecting the game to follow an otomege format with full-blown romance routes (it does not).
FEATURES
- Point-and-click adventure game: Investigate items on screen and learn new words while trying to engage in conversations with the characters.
- Reaction choices: React by smiling or frowning at the characters (similar to Sympathy Kiss react/emoji choices).
- Action choices: During your gameplay, you’ll be given options to take certain actions with consequences, such as opening a door, answering the phone, sitting down, using a crowbar, etc.
- 34 Endings (not counting ‘mistake ends’ aka the dead ends).
- Dictionary: As you decipher the monsters’ languages, you can record and edit them in the game’s in-game dictionary, which is accessible anytime through the options menu.
CHARACTERS
While there’s a lot of characters in this game, you only get the chance to “spend time” with six of them: Mr. Silvair, Mr. Crawling, Mr. Gap, Mr. Hood, Mr. Machete, and Mr. Chopped.
Mr. Scarletella is more or less the antagonist in the story, but he’s definitely one of the main characters too. So, in total, you could say that all seven of these characters will have their own route-specific endings in the game.
I played blind throughout my entire gameplay, and I had a lot of fun with it this way. The game is quite forgiving when it comes to retracing your steps to previous scenes in case you stumbled on one of their numerous ‘mistake ends’. I can definitely say, this is one of those adv games where you just have to go with your gut!
DISCLAIMER: The contents below may contain mild spoilers for the game, so please tread or skim with caution. Below are all my unfiltered reactions and impressions of the characters, which I wrote in draft form while playing Homicipher so just a heads up: it might be a little more informal than my usual reviews! 😂
MR. SILVAIR
- Silvair-sensei 😳👉👈
- a good husbando 🥺
Mr. Silvair gave off a very sensei-like vibe. Besides Mr. Hood, he was the character who taught you the most of their language effectively! I filled out most of the entries in my dictionary because of him. He made the deciphering process so easy because he literally teaches you the language in the most hand-holdy way possible. Gotta love that about him! He also makes it a point to constantly remind you that he likes to “research” or “study” and even hints that he enjoys “researching/studying” your body, which is kinda hot, ngl (yes, I’m totally taking this out of context, lol). 😂
Tbh, I thought he was going to be standoffish, just like the vibe he was giving off at first, but he turned out to be such a pookie bear. Aww. Okay, Silvair-sensei, I see you, babe!
⬇️ Spoilers
There were some parts in his route where he says he can chop off your body and reset it the way he likes. I guess it was some sort of healing mechanism in their world. I’m not sure if my deciphering was just off, but I did get the feeling that he was some kind of doctor who helps the other entities heal or return to normal from their circumstances, just like Mr. Chopped, for instance. I believe it was Mr. Silvair who helped him stay alive, besides being just a head. I liked that one ending where you kind of went insane and killed Mr. Silvair out of nowhere, but he was still following you and believed you didn’t do it on purpose (even when all that was left of him were just chunks of flesh). Idk, I thought that was kind of sweet of him! 🥺
MR. CHOPPED
- lowkey himbo
- genki (when he’s not being bullied)🥺
Poor Mr. Chopped just can’t catch a break! I feel so bad for him whenever the other monsters pick on him. Just leave this poor man—er…head alone, dammit!😭 I’m glad he found friends in Mr. Silvair and Mr. Crawling, and that they’re actually there to help him around. His cute quirk is that he’s a little high-maintenance with his hair and loves getting haircuts! Lol, I find that pretty adorbs!
⬇️ Spoilers
Mr. Chopped also gave away a couple of lore chunks regarding the “other” world and how it usually changes after an earthquake or whenever some “shaking” occurs. But it’s a bit of a letdown that this detail wasn’t fully explored in the story!
MR. HOOD
- kuudere, oniisan vibes
- *also a pookie bear*
Mr. Hood honestly surprised me. You meet him in the very first chapters of the game, and he teaches you a thing or two about their world’s language. But then, after going through the maze, you sort of forget about him. So when he actually showed up in the later chapters, I had to do a double take and was like: “Oh right, him!”😂 I didn’t realize he even had a route until he started helping you out more. To me, Mr. Hood gives off major oniisan vibes—very overprotective, always there to help, always staying true to his word. And his kuudere personality had me totally smitten!
⬇️ Spoilers
So during the game, you suddenly turn small and, by chance, meet Mr. Hood again in Chapter 4, where he decides to help you out after you ask him a favor. He carries you around in his hooded cloak, and it was kind of funny how devoted he was to protecting you, especially from that little Ms.weird-ass-blue-clad. I also thought it was really endearing when he said he should probably leave now that he’s sure the others (like Mr. Silvair, Mr. Crawling) will take care of you. 🥺 And when you tell him not to go because you like him, he says he’s confused… aww, a true-blooded kuudere, indeed!😭
MR. CRAWLING
- wife
- best boy!
Honestly, a well-deserved poster boy! Mr. Crawling is your ultimate ride-or-die homie/boyfie/wifey, whatever you wanna call him! He doesn’t mind it; in fact, he wants to be your ultimate homie/boyfie/wifey and will make sure you’re taken care of, the best way possible! He’s just as much of a main character in the game, alongside the MC. I mean, he does have the most endings. Probably because he’s always by your side, and always at your beck and call too! Dude just loves you so much and would do anything for you!
I am normally not big on the most “hyped” characters in the fandom, so I was pretty skeptical about Mr. Crawling at first. But after playing through all of Homicpher and completing all of the game’s endings, I can certainly say…yeah, the hype was very much deserved! No lies detected!
⬇️ Spoilers
There was also this one ending where you get kidnapped by Mr. Stitch, and Mr. Crawling had to frantically chase after you and Stitch. He even went out of his way to actually stand up to intimidate Mr. Stitch! I think this was one of my favorite endings! I was having a total blast! At the end, after rescuing you from the clasp of Mr. Sticth, he pulled a 180 and became a full blown yandere locking you up in his room. LOL MR CRAWLING, WHO KNEW YOU HAD SO MUCH LAYERS IN YOU!🤭 LEGIT BEST BOY FR!
MR. MACHETE
- big body, big… heart ❤
- very lowkey gap moe
Mr. Machete is defo the “Might Makes Right” kind of guy! His character absolutely embodies this trope! At first, he really doesn’t care about you. He’ll tell you he’s “bored,” sometimes challenge you to fight him, and then lose interest again if you ignore him. I also see him as a bit of a glory hound, only showing interest in others if they prove to meet his standards strength-wise.
That’s why, in his route, you actually have to prove to him that you’re sTrOnK af! And only then does he start seeing you as someone he can care about. Damn, bro’s got some standards, huh?😅 I gotta say, I surprisingly enjoyed his route! It was fun following him around while he just straight up ignores the heck outta you! 😂
⬇️ Spoilers
Machete gave off Khal Drogo vibes! LMAO He’s definitely that guy, who will only acknowledge his significant other if they meet his standards in strength! That’s why, during his route, you have to fight Mr. Hugeface and actually kill him while Mr. Machete is watching! I loved that scene where he was all, “DAMN, YOU STRONG! ME LIKE YOU!” It was so satisfying to finally be acknowledged by him!😂😂😂 He even lets you drink his blood when he noticed you were tired and hungry from fighting! Aww. That surprising gap-moe move had me clutching my chest! Also loved how this mf just straight-up throws you to another building so you can cross it with him. Reminds me of how Benkei chucked Shanao like a softball to land on Shungen’s boat in Birushana! AHAHAHA!
MR. GAP
- underrated
- chaotic
- also best boy (accdg to me)
While everyone’s on the Mr. Crawling hype-train, Mr. Gap, was actually my MVP! He’s a weird one—very red-flag, very chaotic, but he gets the job done! In fact, he’s the one who mostly helps you in ***life-or-death situations! (more on spoilers) Sure, he loves getting something in return, but he’s true to his word. If he says he’ll help you, he most definitely will—and in the most efficient way possible!
He was also the one giving MC (you) clues about yourself, your backstory, and the like! Honestly, Mr. Gap is so great, and I’m sad he’s so underrated…😔
⬇️ Spoilers
Mr. Gap has truly proven to be this game’s MVP, saving you time and again during the most crucial moments, especially in life-or-death situations. Haha, I’m probably praising Mr. Gap too much, aren’t I?😂😂😂 You can tell he’s best boy for me! ROFL 😂 Sure, he’s a bit chaotic and red-flaggy, especially with how he deliberately takes things from you, but he was kind of cute, especially in his ending when he offered you a hug! There was also that one scene where he just randomly showed you that urban legend pamphlet, all because he made a cameo in it, and he was so proud of himself for making it to the cover.😭 LMAO! WHAT A CHAOTIC HIMBO!
MR. SCARLETELLA
- 🚩🚩🚩
- sus
Who is Mr. Scarletella? And why is he so obsessed with you? Is there any connection between him and MC? I played through all the endings, hoping to uncover more about him, but aside from a few tidbits here and there about his role in the story, my questions about his identity and motives remain unanswered, which was a bit disappointing. That said, I did enjoy the chase scenes with him!
⬇️ Spoilers
I believe the entire Homicipher world revolves around Mr. Scarletella, which makes him a really intriguing character in the game. It was revealed that he was actually the one who pulled you into their world when you were just messing around with the rumored urban legend of that abandoned apartment building. But who he is, what his motives are, and why he’s so obsessed with you kind of remain unanswered, at least in my gameplay. Perhaps I’m missing some info or details, but I’m fairly sure I’ve played all the scenes in the game. Or maybe I’m just too dumb to theorize or connect the dots (cackles).😭😭😭 The Scarlet Rain ending, where we won and declared him as our slave, was my favorite of his endings! But I really wish we could’ve been given more lore about his character.
TRAILER
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I checked my hours on Steam and was quite surprised to see that I clocked around 15 hours in my gameplay of Homicipher. I was going at it blind, and didn’t look up any guides until I hit a roadblock and literally couldn’t figure out how to unlock End16! That was bonkers!
I initially played the game demo back in 2023 when it first came out but was really disappointed by how it all played out. Unaware of the game’s mechanics, I guess I was just very confused at that time and even felt annoyed by how everyone grandiosely hyped it up as “horror otome,” when, to be honest, it felt more like a point-and-click adventure game, similar to Amnesia: The Dark Descent. That disappointment made me avoid the game this year, and I even refused to talk about it, because I didn’t wanna be a sourpuss among the excited users surrounding its hype. OH BOY I AM SO GLAD I GAVE THIS ANOTHER CHANCE!
When I played the demo last year, I didn’t realize that you actually had to decipher the language in the game. I was also playing with my ally docked on the TV, so I clearly didn’t know I had to click on the lines/phrases and type-in my guessed words. So yeah, that was defo a big user error on my part! Oops! (I am not the smartest soldier I fear) 😂 Once I got the hang of how the mechanics worked though, it was actually so much fun! Deciphering all them odd symbols and phrases, just so you can communicate with your ghoulish husbando, is quite an endearing task, don’t you think? They also practically spoon-feed you when it comes to teaching/learning their language, which I’m quite grateful for in this game.
The atmosphere and setting of the game were so immersive that I literally binged it for 4 hours straight until I reached my first ending. However, while the gameplay was a fun experience, the story is far from perfect. There are no backstories for the characters, and the lore feels very surface-level. Any attempts to explore it remain quite vague, which was a little disappointing for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the characters and the MC.
Some of my other small gripes are as follows:
- No CGs/Gallery.
- the endings aren’t quite satisfying.
- Replayability can be a hit or miss for some. While the game is generous in letting you retrace chapters to reach certain endings, many hidden choices are hard to find without a proper guide. So, it definitely requires a lot of patience if you’re playing it blind.
- There were some translations that were awkwardly phrased, but because it’s not a text heavy game, this became a non-issue to me.
How are the jumpscares for this game?
While there are a decent amount of jumpscares in the game, I personally didn’t find it that scary. Athough, please take this with a large grain of salt coming from someone who generally loves the horror genre. The game is definitely eerie! Heck, the entire atmosphere in Homicipher is eerie, which I believe adds to its charm. So, if you’re someone who can stomach “eerie” and a few jumpscares, I think you’ll be fine. However, if you’re not good with horror games at all and didn’t like, say… that single jumpscare in Kureha’s route in 9RIP, I probably wouldn’t recommend this game to you!
All the Characters Are Your Pookie Bears!
I believe the game taps into a player’s sense of surprise, not so much through its plot, but by catching your expectations off guard.
What do I mean by this? Despite the monstrous appearance of all the characters, the game manages to make you care about them by showcasing moments where their true, more human qualities are revealed. These characters, who may at first seem frightening or even repulsive, are gradually shown in a more endearing light through your interactions with them as MC.
Come to think of it, It’s quite a clever contrast, no? You’re initially confronted with these horrifying creatures, but as you progress, the game slowly peels back layers of their personalities, revealing softer, more human sides, making you feel attached to them in ways you didn’t anticipate.🥺
I loved all of the characters in Homicipher, but my personal favorite was Mr. Gap! He was too clever, and too wise for his own good!😌
Of course, no one can deny that Mr. Crawling was best boy indeed. He was the perfect wife, and truly deserving of being the poster boy in this game!
Character Ranking:
Mr. Gap > Mr. Crawling > Mr. Hood > Mr. Silvair = Mr. Machete >>> Mr. Scarletella = Mr. Chopped
I do stand by what the devs said though, that this isn’t an otome game. They were right to categorize it as joseimuke because the relationships here can be seen as either romantic or platonic. It all depends on the player’s interpretation; whether you view Mr. Crawling and the others as liking you romantically or in a purely friendship-based way.
Does Homicpher live up to its hype?
Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that it does something different by steering away from the traditional romance-focused dating sim. And no, because while it’s a fun point-and-click game with unexpectedly endearing characters, it’s pretty much just that. It lacks a compelling lore that could have elevated the characters further. The game is far from being a “dating sim masterpiece”, and calling it the best romance dating sim ever feels like subjectively over-praising it (to me anyway).
I do understand the hype surrounding this game though! A lot of us want to experience something new, and that’s where Homicipher really stands out. It offers a fresh take on dating sims, which is what ultimately makes this game so unique and very engaging. Deciphering the words adds a layer of entertainment to the gameplay, and the carefully thought-out, likable characters, plus the horror setting are the cherry on top! It’s undoubtedly deserving of praise on that front.
Do I recommend this game? YES.
To be honest, I’m not even sure why I wrote this review. The game is already so popular that it doesn’t need my input to help it get noticed. But Idk, after 100% completing it, I just felt compelled to jot down all my thoughts. Full stop. I guess I was really enjoying this title that much, huh? 😅 If that doesn’t say enough, I’ll add that I went into this game expecting overhyped edginess, but what I got instead were unexpected moments of fluffy endearment and the chance to discover seven lovely pookie bears along the way!🥺😭 So yeah, I really like Homicipher. The plot, or lack thereof, may not be the best, but the characters really drive this game home! For horror fans who also love romance, this is definitely a great game to indulge in!
