Puzzles are everywhere in Yomawari and are essential in progressing the story. Some cannot be cleared when you first encounter them, usually because you don’t have the necessary items needed to complete them. You’ll need to keep that flashlight scanning the area with your volume turned up. There are no Metal Gear Solid “!” alerts when you get spotted. Tossing rocks away from you can cause some youma to investigate the noise, allowing you space to either sneak or run past until you are in the clear. Another way to clear your path is to distract them. Some youma can only move in straight lines, which means running away in diagonals is the best way to flee. The vast majority of Yomawari is avoiding, outrunning, and hiding from the youma that plague your progress. Be aware of your surroundings there are bushes and large signs that you can hide behind if you need let the spirits pass.
It’s one part stealth, one part puzzle, and a healthy dash of “Holy Carps!” yumpiness. So it should come as no surprise when I say that Yomawari’s spooktacular premise of exploring a town during the night when all of the creepy crawlies are out to get me is exactly everything I was hoping it would be. My love of the J-Horror genre is well documented on The Daily Crate. Armed with what few items you can find strewn about town, Lil Sis finds herself playing deadly games of hide and seek as she searches her hometown for clues. This spooky survival horror puzzle game is centred around a young girl who loses her dog Poro and then her Big Sis when she goes out into the dark of night in search of their furry friend.
In 2016, it’s disguised as kawaii chibi art in Yomawari: Night Alone. Every October I look forward to playing a scary video game something that will cause me to jump, shriek “ACK!”, and get my heart racing a little.