Shan Gui

About

Shan Gui is a short first-person exploration game set in a mystical forest. As the player, you follow a woman's footsteps to uncover a bittersweet story of love and loss. With its breathtaking visuals and immersive soundtrack, Shan Gui offers a serene and emotional experience unlike any other.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 546 reviews

story198 positive mentions

replayability5 negative mentions

Beautiful visuals and artwork that enhance the storytelling experience.
Touching and heartwarming story about friendship and self-discovery.
Relaxing soundtrack that complements the atmosphere of the game.

Very short playtime, typically around 30-60 minutes, which may not justify the price for some players.
Lack of interactivity, as there are no choices or branching paths in the story.
Voice acting quality varies, with some performances feeling flat or lacking emotion.

story
541 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The story of "Shan Gui" is a short, linear narrative that revolves around a young woman revisiting childhood memories in a picturesque Chinese setting, guided by a mysterious girl. While many players appreciate its beautiful artwork and soothing soundtrack, opinions on the story's depth and engagement vary, with some finding it charming and heartwarming, while others criticize it for being simplistic, predictable, and lacking significant character development. Overall, it offers a gentle, nostalgic experience, though its brevity and lack of interactivity may not appeal to everyone.
- “A lovely story with a great ending, I loved the art style and the plot, I highly recommend this game/visual novel.”
- “The story is simple and engaging, and I thought it was interesting that the game actually links to Wikipedia entries on the actual locations and lore mentioned in the story.”
- “Beautiful, sweet story, characters that draw you in, gorgeous artwork and a simply perfect soundtrack.”
- “A visual novel with a hollow story, no interaction, ridiculous and plain dialog, awkward voice acting.”
- “The story was just tiring, and it couldn't make me interested or grab my attention.”
- “The plot development lacks consistency and the characters also lack a good background story, being like empty shells.”
music
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
2%
The music in "Shan Gui" is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the game's tranquil atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its relaxing and soothing qualities. The soundtrack, primarily composed of piano pieces, is described as fitting well with the story and is available as a free DLC, adding value to the overall experience. While some found the music somewhat repetitive or forgettable, the majority appreciated its role in creating an emotional and immersive backdrop for the visual novel's heartwarming narrative.
- “The soundtrack is an emotional glue holding it all together, ensuring the tranquility and heartwarming storytelling came through in any language.”
- “The serene storytelling, beautiful artwork, and soothing soundtrack create an enchanting atmosphere.”
- “A beautiful story, the music is very good and has a great work of art.”
- “The music feels like a single track reworked a few times and passed off as an original OST.”
- “The music, however, often had me wanting to rage quit from the sheer irritating repetition and limited variety included, not to mention the off levels of the spoken word dialogue between those two as far as clarity goes.”
- “The soundtrack is simple, but not capable of feeling.”
graphics
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
2%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and charm, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning backgrounds and overall aesthetic appeal. However, opinions on character design are mixed, with some finding it less appealing or inconsistent compared to the backgrounds. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's relaxing atmosphere and emotional storytelling, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual novels.
- “The artwork is absolutely beautiful and very high-quality!”
- “Beautiful, sweet story, characters that draw you in, gorgeous artwork and a simply perfect soundtrack.”
- “The serene storytelling, beautiful artwork, and soothing soundtrack create an enchanting atmosphere.”
- “The character artwork didn't feel as detailed as the scenery, and the exaggerated features on the main character on the Steam page lower your opinion of the game without actually playing it; you would think it was something else.”
- “Art style might be considered elegant for backgrounds, and even character design would be nice if you were to overlook the fact that our heroine is well-endowed to an exaggeration; to a degree of being fan service, which is completely at odds with this specific setting's concept.”
- “The backgrounds are gorgeous, and most of them can be 'visited' using Google Earth's street view; the artwork is solid, although some scenes have the protagonists overly sexualized, and while I realize that some, if not most, will welcome such a thing, I found it rather out-of-place.”
emotional
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
6%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a touching and heartwarming narrative that resonates deeply with players, often evoking feelings of nostalgia and connection. While the artwork and soundtrack enhance the experience, some reviews note discomfort with certain themes and the brevity of the story, which limits emotional investment. Overall, it is praised for its beautiful storytelling and ability to evoke a range of emotions, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual novels.
- “Their bond was touching enough to make even the most stoic gamer reach for a tissue, or at least another handful of potato chips.”
- “The artwork and music transported me to a tranquil world, and the emotional journey of the characters resonated deeply with me.”
- “A simple, beautifully crafted story with an impressive amount of emotional depth and plenty of charming details.”
- “The story felt incredibly dull and uninspired.”
- “I found it hard to connect with the characters emotionally.”
- “The emotional moments fell flat and lacked depth.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The gameplay of "Shan Gui" is largely criticized for its lack of interactivity, as it is a kinetic visual novel with no choices or gameplay mechanics, resulting in a linear experience that lasts about 1-2 hours. While some users found it enjoyable for its simplicity and aesthetics, many noted that it offers minimal gameplay value and is best suited for those who appreciate reading rather than engaging gameplay. Overall, the consensus is that if you're seeking a more interactive experience, this title may not meet your expectations.
- “It provided an enjoyable hour of relaxing gameplay, and I think it is worth its low price.”
- “Wow, this was the best, most interactive game ever, with the most spot-on gameplay I have ever seen.”
- “Shan gui is a kinetic visual novel with minimalistic gameplay.”
- “Compared to many other visual novels, the layout is rather basic and gameplay is completely linear.”
- “Gameplay-wise, well, there's none.”
- “Seeing how this game has no gameplay or choices whatsoever, all that's left to judge is the aesthetics and the story.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
34%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful artwork, soothing soundtrack, and serene storytelling, creating a calming and enchanting experience. Despite the lack of impactful choices and a somewhat common plot, the high production value and attention to detail in the visuals and music contribute significantly to the overall ambiance. Players appreciate the tranquil environment, which is enhanced by cultural references and character development, making it a delightful short visual novel to enjoy.
- “The serene storytelling, beautiful artwork, and soothing soundtrack create an enchanting atmosphere.”
- “This novel greatly describes the scenery and atmosphere of the locations the protagonist visits with nice illustrations.”
- “While the plot is largely boring and thematically common, at least they put a good production value into the art and the atmosphere.”
- “Despite its concise length and overall lack of choice, it's a decent visual novel with excellent backdrops, good character illustration, and a beautiful soundtrack that fits the overall atmosphere of the VN.”
- “Its calming atmosphere and likable characters definitely make the experience, and for what problems the game has, it makes up for it in pure charm.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
Character development in the game is noted for its depth and emotional storytelling, particularly within a short playtime, allowing players to connect with the characters. However, some reviews criticize the lack of a cohesive story, which hampers character growth, and point out inconsistencies in character design that clash with the narrative's tone. Overall, while there are strong elements of character development and appealing visuals, the effectiveness is often undermined by narrative issues and design choices.
- “This laser focus allows for deep character development within the short playtime.”
- “Strong character development and emotional storytelling.”
- “Shan gui is not long or have a deep story, but in the hour or so it lasts you get treated to interesting real-life locations, pretty visuals, a nicely rounded main character, some nice character development, and an overall wonderful feel-good atmosphere.”
- “No story means no character development.”
- “Because of the disconnect between the character design and the story.”
- “The character design and game music are no more than average; however, the biggest problem is the story.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
The game has been criticized for its low replayability, with a score of 4/10, as players noted that there is virtually no incentive to replay due to the lack of choices and the repetitive nature of the story and character interactions. While some found value in experiencing the content once, the overall consensus is that the game offers little reason to revisit after completion.
- “First is that there’s absolutely no replay value whatsoever unless you want to hear the exact same story and character interactions again.”
- “The replay value is absent - because this is not a game, bear with my redundancy - but this doesn't mean you won't find yourself drawn to re-experience some of the aforementioned time bubbles.”
- “I finished the whole game in 60 minutes, and with the lack of choices for replay value, there's really not much of a reason to play this more than once.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find the character designs unintentionally hilarious, leading to laughter in serious moments, others feel that the overall comedic elements are lacking and the pacing drags. Notably, an achievement poking fun at players for starting the game adds a lighthearted touch, but the humor may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game's charm lies in its quirky art style and occasional funny moments, despite some shortcomings.
- “Though it's funny, there's an achievement for hitting 'start game' that basically says 'congrats, you didn't buy it just to idle!'”
- “The story is alright and there are some funny bits in it.”
- “I just can't stop staring at their faces and their dorito-like eyes looking in different directions, and for me, that ruined the mood in some of the scenes (like when they share sandwiches, I just can't stop laughing at the derp face of the main character, when it was supposed to be a cute scene).”
- “Shan Gui is short, unfunny, and can even manage to feel like it's being dragged on.”
- “The humor falls flat and often feels forced, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “Attempts at humor are so weak that they detract from the overall experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The optimization of voice acting in the game is inconsistent, with some performances being strong while others fall flat. Players may need to adjust sound settings to ensure the voice actresses' performances are not overshadowed by the background music.
- “You may want to adjust the sound settings in the options and turn the music down a bit, as both of the voice actresses are, for the most part, very quiet, and the music may drown out their performances.”
- “Voice acting quality varies, with some performances feeling lackluster.”
- “You may want to adjust the sound settings in the options and turn the music down a bit, as both of the voice actors are, for the most part, very quiet, and the music may drown out their performances.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the visual novel has been criticized for feeling like an advertisement for a specific location, with some users perceiving it as a commercial endeavor rather than a purely entertaining experience. Despite this, many still found the overall experience enjoyable.
- “Considering it's based on real locations, and you get a hotlink from time to time to get information about those locations, I can't help but feel this is just an advertisement about a mountain set in visual novel form for some reason, and then they decided to sell this advertisement rather than just give it away.”
- “While at times this visual novel feels a little more like an advertisement for the purple mountain, I feel like overall it was an enjoyable experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly noting that the dialogue contributes to a sense of monotony.
- “The dialogue is mostly tedious.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
- “The repetitive tasks required for leveling up make the experience feel monotonous.”

Buy Shan Gui

2h Median play time

3h Average play time

1-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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