What is this?
We are going to be reading the VN ひぐらしのなく頃に as part of the Visual Novel Reading Club! Anybody is welcome to join us - it doesn’t matter if this is your first VN or if you’ve read hundreds. If you’ve read this VN before, feel free to join us for the discussions.
A few points of what to expect or to take in mind:
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Genres: Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller.
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Length: As we are just doing Ch. 1 in this run, the length is relatively short-ish, maybe around 10h-12h.
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Versions: There are multiple versions of this game. Steam has one for free.
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Log is available.
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The steam version allows to swap between languages within the setting without reloading the save, since it’s a multi-language version.
Version specifics of this game and modding.
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Only console versions are voiced.
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The text display and art is different in PC and Console.
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Texthooking is possible for the PC version. I have tested and provided some files to make it readable for Textractor here.
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You can make the Steam version feel more modern and have almost the same experience as consoles by installing 07th-mod. You have a guide available on the mod website.
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If you are playing the Console version, in order to start in the same place as PC users, you have to skip the Prologue, which is an extra chapter in the Console versions, and go for the " 共通 (Common Route)" and “鬼隠し (Onikakushi)” chapters. You can see an image of the menu options here.
Steam Description
The 58th year of Shouwa, early summer
It’s June, and the summer heat has arrived earlier than it does most years.
By day there are crickets, and by night there are cicadas.
We’re in Hinamizawa, a small village in the countryside.
There are fewer than two thousand people here. But every year, there is an event.
This event is a mysterious death.
(The series has run from 1979 to 1983)
On a certain day in June, someone dies, and someone else goes missing.
The series of deaths is connected to the upheaval surrounding the dam construction project.
A murder case that was covered up is being reenacted.
Is it a conspiracy? A coincidence? Or perhaps a curse?
Someone who was supposed to be there isn’t.
Someone who wasn’t supposed to be there is.
Someone who was alive last night is dead now.
And someone who is here right now isn’t alive.
So, there is no way to avert tragedy. There is no choice but to give up.
But don’t give up.
Only you can stand up to this.
General Info
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, PS3 and probably others (all regions)
- Vndb Link: Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi | vndb
- Language difficulty: 5/10
- Average Game Length: 10 hours
- Hookable: Yes, via Textractor
- Voiced Audio: Console version only. Steam with mod.
- Spoken Lines Replayable: Yes when applicable.
- Trigger warnings: Murder, torture, blood themes.
- Assisting features:
- In the Steam version: Instant switch between Japanese and English via settings without reloading the save.
- Full log with voice replay (when applicable) and the ability to jump back.
You can find the nomination post here.
Where to purchase
PC: Steam (Free)
Console: Switch JP version, PS4 JP version
Schedule
If the poll doesn’t change, currently planned to start the 29th of March!
| Week | Start Date | Story Days | Stopping point description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | March 29 | Onikakushi Day 1 | 俺と魅音はレナの必殺技攻略への決意を新たにするのだった (Tips 1-2) |
| Week 2 | April 5 | Onikakushi Day 2 | ひぐらしたちだけが知っているような気がした (Tips 3-4) |
| Week 3 | April 12 | Onikakushi Day 3 | 脱いだ上着にくるんで隠した写真週刊誌が、今はとても後ろめたかった (Tips 5-6) |
| Week 4 | April 19 | Onikakushi Day 4 | 俺のおどけた口調とはどうにも噛み合わない、富竹さんの言葉が引っかかっていた (Tip 7) |
| Week 5 | April 26 | Onikakushi Day 5 | 夕方の空気とひぐらしの声が、熱かった今日一日の熱をやさしく冷ましてくれた (Tip 8) |
| Week 6 | April 12 | Onikakushi Day 9 | テレビで見た灯篭流しのような華やかさはなかったが、雛見沢の住人として認めてもらえたような、通過儀礼的な心地よさがあった (No tips unlocked) |
| Week 7 | April 19 | Onikakushi Day 9-2 | お袋はさも残念そうに舌を出すのだった (Tips 9-12) |
| Week 8 | April 26 | Onikakushi Day 10 | 俺は今度こそ勝ったなら、魅音に痔の薬を買わせようと誓うのだった… (Tips 13-14) |
| Week 9 | May 3 | Onikakushi Day 11 | ２人分のティーカップのほのかな湯気が、不吉な形にぐにゃりと歪みながら、俺の部屋いっぱいに紅茶の香りを満たしていった… (Tip 15) |
| Week 10 | May 10 | Onikakushi Day 12 | 様々な負の感情はまるで渦巻く底無し沼のように、俺を安らかでない眠りへと引きずりこんで行った……… (Tips 16-17) |
| Week 11 | May 17 | Onikakushi Day 13 | 俺は殺されない＠…こんなわけも判らない内には…絶対に (Tip 18) |
| Week 12 | May 24 | Onikakushi Day 14 | 俺が……何をしないって…？？ 転校 (No tips unlocked) |
| Week 13 | May 31 | Onikakushi Day 14-2 | 聞こえてるなら返事をして下さい。…もしもーし！！」 (Tips 19-20) |
| Week 14 | June 7 | Onikakushi Day 15 | 絶対絶命…という複雑な単語は、もう思いつかなかった… (No tips unlocked) |
| Week 15 | June 14 | Onikakushi Day 15-2 | ひぐらしだけが、知っている気がした。 (No tips unlocked) |
| Week 16 | June 21 | Onikakushi Day 15-3 | END |
Will you be reading with us?
- Yeah!
- Yeah, but I’ll start late
- I’m not sure yet
- I’m skipping this one
- I’ve read this before, but will join in the discussion
Which version will you be reading?
- PC (Original)
- PC (Modded)
- Switch / PS4
- Other
