Shan Gui

About

Shan Gui is a single player action game. It was developed by Magenta Factory and was released on August 19, 2014. It received positive reviews from players.

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

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 547 reviews

story199 positive mentions

replayability5 negative mentions

Beautiful artwork and serene backgrounds that enhance the storytelling experience.
Soothing soundtrack that complements the atmosphere and emotional tone of the game.
A touching and reflective story about memory and human connection, offering a unique narrative experience.

Extremely short runtime of about an hour, which may leave players wanting more.
Lack of interactivity and choices, making it feel more like a visual story than a game.
Voice acting quality varies, with some performances lacking emotion and clarity.

story
552 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of *Shan Gui* is a short, linear narrative that follows Han Hui, a young woman revisiting her childhood memories in a picturesque mountainous region of Nanjing, guided by a mysterious girl. While the game emphasizes atmosphere and emotional resonance over traditional plot development, many players found the story to be simple and somewhat predictable, lacking depth and interactivity, which may not appeal to those seeking a more engaging experience. Despite its brevity and straightforwardness, the game is praised for its beautiful visuals and soothing soundtrack, creating a meditative experience that resonates with themes of nostalgia and self-discovery.
- “Shan gui is a short but evocative visual novel that trades traditional plot-driven storytelling for a more meditative and atmospheric experience.”
- “The story follows a young woman named Han Hui, who returns to the mountainous region of Nanjing where she once vacationed as a child.”
- “Its gorgeous art, soothing music, and quiet storytelling create an experience that is more meditative than interactive—a kind of digital haiku set in the natural world.”
- “The story unfolds in a fixed manner, with the player's only interaction being to advance the text.”
- “The plot development lacks consistency and the characters also lack a good background story, being like empty shells.”
- “The story was pretty bland and didn't go anywhere.”
music
255 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The music in "Shan Gui" is widely praised for its soothing and ambient qualities, featuring traditional Chinese instruments that enhance the game's tranquil atmosphere and cultural authenticity. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack serves as an emotional anchor for the narrative, creating a meditative experience that complements the beautiful artwork. While some found the music somewhat repetitive, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's charm and is worth downloading as a free DLC.
- “The soundtrack consists of soothing, ambient tracks featuring traditional Chinese instruments, which reinforce the game’s sense of calm and cultural authenticity.”
- “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
167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
2%
The graphics in "Shan Gui" are widely praised for their beauty and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning backgrounds and expressive character sprites, despite some inconsistencies in character design. While the art style may not appeal to everyone, it effectively complements the game's serene storytelling and emotional depth. Overall, the visuals are considered a significant strength of the game, enhancing the overall experience despite its short length.
- “The artwork is absolutely beautiful and very high-quality!”
- “What a beautiful, simple and elegant visual journey this is, because it is very much so the beautiful visuals that drive this story.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The 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.”
emotional
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its gentle, introspective storytelling that emphasizes themes of memory, healing, and human connection, set against a serene backdrop. Players often describe the narrative as heartwarming and touching, with a poetic softness that fosters emotional intimacy, though some may find its slow pace and lack of dramatic tension less engaging. Overall, the game offers a beautifully crafted experience that resonates deeply with those who appreciate subtle emotional journeys, despite its short length and linear structure.
- “Set against the backdrop of the serene Chinese countryside, the game focuses on themes of memory, emotional healing, and human connection.”
- “Together, they embark on a serene and touching journey, exploring the mountain, reminiscing childhood memories, and forming a deep bond that may be more magical than it seems.”
- “A simple, beautifully crafted story with an impressive amount of emotional depth and plenty of charming details.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
75%
9%
The gameplay of "Shan Gui" is characterized as minimalistic and linear, typical of a kinetic visual novel, offering no choices or interactive elements. Players can expect a brief experience focused on storytelling and atmosphere rather than traditional gameplay mechanics, with reviews highlighting its lack of complexity and engagement. Overall, it serves as a straightforward narrative journey rather than a game in the conventional sense.
- “It provided an enjoyable hour of relaxing gameplay, and I think it is worth its low price.”
- “Shan gui is a kinetic visual novel with minimalistic gameplay.”
- “It's a straightforward visual novel, about an hour of gameplay.”
- “Gameplay-wise, Shan Gui is extremely minimalistic.”
- “Compared to many other visual novels, the layout is rather basic and gameplay is completely linear.”
- “Seeing how this game has no gameplay or choices whatsoever, all that's left to judge is the aesthetics and the story.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
33%
13%
The atmosphere of "Shan Gui" is widely praised for its calming and dreamlike quality, enhanced by beautiful artwork, a soothing soundtrack, and gentle storytelling. While the narrative may lack depth and player choice, the game successfully immerses players in a serene world filled with evocative visuals and cultural references, making it a delightful experience for those seeking a tranquil escape. Overall, the game's focus on mood and atmosphere compensates for its brevity and simplistic plot.
- “Mountains, forests, streams, and ancient temples are rendered in gentle pastels and warm tones, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that perfectly complements the story’s introspective tone.”
- “The serene storytelling, beautiful artwork, and soothing soundtrack create an enchanting atmosphere.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The general atmosphere of the game is successful in its goal to be calming.”
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
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
24%
63%
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that there is little incentive to play again due to the absence of choices and the repetitive nature of the story and character interactions. While some players found value in the experience at a discounted price, the overall consensus is that the game offers minimal replay value, scoring around 4/10.
- “While this might be a limitation for those looking for agency or replay value, it also aligns with the game's overall design philosophy.”
- “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 fall flat and the pacing drags. Notably, an achievement poking fun at players for starting the game adds a lighthearted touch, but the humor is often overshadowed by the art style and narrative 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.”
- “So a friend of mine a few months ago thought it funny to buy me this game.”
- “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 comedy are cringe-worthy and 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 enhance the clarity of the voice actresses, as their performances can be 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.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 nature of grinding makes it hard to stay invested in the story.”
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 commercialized experience rather than a purely entertaining one. 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.”