Shigatari

98%
Game Brain Score Based on 236 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • humor
Shigatari Game Cover
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Shigatari is a single-player Role Playing Game with good gameplay, compelling visuals, and plenty of humor. As a samurai, you'll engage in brutal katana duels, combining seven dueling schools to form your own style. With a three-axis morality system, your actions impact your character's legacy, even in permadeath, and can grant persistent bonuses upon committing seppuku or visiting a kagema while intoxicated on sake.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 236 reviews
graphics17 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and engaging combat system that is easy to learn but hard to master, providing depth and variety in playstyles.
  • The art style is beautifully crafted, drawing from traditional Japanese ukiyo-e, which enhances the game's atmosphere and immersion.
  • At its low price point, the game delivers exceptional value with a wealth of content, replayability, and humorous dialogue.
  • The game can feel repetitive after several runs due to a limited number of unique encounters and events.
  • The tutorial is poorly designed, leading to confusion about the combat mechanics, which can be frustrating for new players.
  • Some players may find the difficulty curve steep, especially in the early stages, which could deter those unfamiliar with roguelike mechanics.
  • graphics48 mentions

    The game's graphics are characterized by a unique and charming ukiyo-e art style, drawing heavily from traditional Japanese artwork, which enhances the historical atmosphere and immersion. While the visuals primarily consist of still images with minimal animation, they are praised for their attention to detail and aesthetic appeal, creating a delightful experience that complements the engaging turn-based combat. Overall, the graphics may lack modern visual spectacle, but they are well-executed and contribute significantly to the game's charm and authenticity.

    • “All visuals are done with actual historical artwork, and the game has an amazing attention to detail when it comes to historical atmosphere, with small jokes and references all over the place.”
    • “The historical Japanese artwork provides the characters and backgrounds a surprising amount of vibrancy for how simple it is.”
    • “Graphically, the game goes all out on the Shogun Japan art style, with both character and backgrounds mirroring traditional Japanese paintings of the time.”
    • “Graphically, the game goes all out on the shogun Japan art style, with both character and backgrounds mirroring traditional Japanese paintings of the time.”
    • “There's literally no graphics options in the game since essentially everything is just still images, with some simple animations on the character pieces.”
    • “Graphically, it's got an art style it sticks to well and the game is still enjoyable to look at even after 10 hours of play, although if you like visual spectacle you'll be straight out of luck as it's mostly jpegs and things done to jpegs, although those things are fun.”
  • gameplay37 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by unique and engaging mechanics that offer a steep learning curve but become highly addictive once mastered. Players appreciate the depth of the turn-based combat, which combines skill-based challenges with a variety of strategies and play styles, enhancing replayability. The game also features a compelling aesthetic and a morality system that adds further layers to the experience, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.

    • “Such an interesting game filled with unique mechanics and interesting gameplay.”
    • “The art style is simply unique, but the heart and soul of this game is the combat. It feels unfair at first, but once you get the hang of it and realize what each action does, it brings out another layer of gameplay. This turn-based combat is revolutionary; it made a simple game such as this thrilling to play.”
    • “The game's combat mechanics are actually really fun and prompted me to buy this game.”
    • “I'd give a neutral recommendation for this if it was available because it seems like a mechanical oversight at times rather than a challenging feature.”
    • “Needs more events and harder gameplay towards the end when you have maxed trees.”
    • “The only game mechanic which is not explained is 'secrecy,' which I had to refer to the discussions to find out what it did.”
  • humor19 mentions

    The game features a blend of self-aware humor and quirky dialogue that enhances the overall experience without becoming overly cheesy. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, with humorous interactions and events that keep the gameplay engaging, while also respecting the cultural context. The humor is well-integrated into the RPG elements, making for a fun and memorable journey through feudal Japan.

    • “The combat has a surprising amount of depth, and the game manages to strike a self-aware humor without overdoing it and entering eye-rolling territory.”
    • “There's a good bit of humor spread out amongst all of the events, and it's a relatively lighthearted journey.”
    • “The dialogue system is straightforward, with a funny quirk: you can say 'die' and engage in combat in almost any encounter, be it a humble tailor or a group of well-armed warriors of the local government.”
  • story16 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by a randomized narrative that allows players to shape their character's journey through choices, leading to a dramatic and engaging experience. While some players find the story short and note minor spelling errors, the overall context and original artwork enhance the adventure, set in a samurai-themed world with a quest for vengeance. The blend of character backgrounds and exploration across seven regions of Japan adds depth, making it feel like a unique choose-your-own-adventure experience.

    • “Choices you make define your character, dramatic story emerges!”
    • “The way the original artwork is used to portray the story is really cool.”
    • “With a random backstory setting you up for your adventure, you travel the seven lands to ultimately defeat all seven masters, whilst getting into scrapes on the way.”
    • “The story is randomized and each time you will get a different one.”
    • “I love the story, but it is very short.”
    • “Shigatari is an indie game about becoming an expert swordmaster in an Edo period-like Japan, with a plot about vengeance somewhere in the background.”
  • replayability15 mentions

    Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its diverse starting characters, unique builds, and engaging battle system, allowing players to explore various playstyles and strategies. While some players noted that scenarios can become repetitive and certain elements may reduce replay value after mastering the game, the presence of unlockable characters and quirky interactions keeps the experience fresh and enjoyable. The combination of affordability and fun gameplay further enhances its replayability, making it a worthwhile investment for players seeking variety.

    • “Even so, the game has a lot of weird specific interactions to find, which, combined with a lot of different starting characters and builds, makes it really replayable.”
    • “Every stance offers a unique playstyle, and this adds to the replayability.”
    • “Unlockable characters allow for more replayability, while ancestral favor is accumulated between runs and can be used to make the game easier or to experiment with non-standard playstyles.”
    • “I don't think it has replay value unless you want more of a challenge, but the challenge may be too difficult near the start on hard without ancestor favor.”
    • “Admittedly, stumbling upon these events and items decreased the replay value of this game tremendously for me.”
    • “Though this seems at first to 'lack in content' (which I don't believe it does) or that it would highly reduce the replay value, once you have a feel for the event possibilities, you can plot your course through the regions with more intention and reason to be the most powerful swordsman Japan has ever known.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing the feudal Japan atmosphere with traditional instruments, though some players find it repetitive and suggest turning it off in favor of external music. While the overall sound design is praised, the overworld map music is noted as a weak point. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's art style and gameplay, but could benefit from more variety.

    • “Randomly generated roguelite samurai action with great combat, art, and music; plus very cheap, what's not to like?”
    • “The music, though it consists mostly of drums and some jingles made with traditional Japanese instruments, actually works - just tone it down a bit so the massive drums won't hit your ears too hard.”
    • “The dialogue is often very witty and the art is beautiful; music gets a little bit monotonous but it fits the feel of the era the game is set in.”
    • “The music isn't very prominent but it adds to the feudal Japan atmosphere.”
    • “I recommend turning off the in-game music (which is cool, but a bit repetitive) and instead listen to some nice koto or shakuhachi music on your preferred streaming platform.”
    • “The dialogue is often very witty and the art is beautiful, but the music gets a little bit monotonous, though it fits the feel of the era the game is set in.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is deeply rooted in feudal Japan, characterized by stunning ukiyo-e style visuals and meticulous attention to historical detail, including subtle jokes and references. While the music is understated, it complements the overall ambiance, creating a unique and immersive experience for players who appreciate this historical setting.

    • “The ukiyo-e style presentation is unique and defines the game's whole atmosphere.”
    • “Fantastic artwork, great atmosphere.”
    • “The music isn't very prominent, but it adds to the feudal Japan atmosphere.”
    • “Basically, it's a rogue-lite dueling simulator with a heavy emphasis on the atmosphere of feudal Japan.”
    • “All visuals are done with actual historical artwork, and the game has an amazing attention to detail when it comes to historical atmosphere, with small jokes and references all over the place.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find that while grinding for experience points can enhance character building, it is not essential, allowing for unique playstyles like low-xp "pacifist" runs. Although some describe the grinding as tedious over time, the game offers enjoyable mechanics and specific unlock conditions that provide a refreshing alternative to traditional grinding. Overall, the experience is fun, especially during the first playthrough, despite its grindy elements.

    • “This is fun on its own, as the unlocking conditions require you to do some very specific, but not grindy things, like drinking some 'gaijin sake' while wearing 'gaijin armor' and wielding a 'gaijin sword' to unlock a dapper-dressed European foreigner.”
    • “It can get a bit tedious over time because if you act in haste... much deeper than you would expect, fun stories and options. I'd love to see a fully fleshed version of this.”
    • “It's quite enjoyable on the first playthrough, though it is grindy.”
    • “There are a lot of ways to build a character, and while grinding XP is useful, it isn't necessary, which makes low-XP 'pacifist' runs particularly interesting, since you will have to fight eventually and will have to make the most of what you have at that point.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability, particularly on the Steam Deck, making it suitable for quick sessions. However, users have noted a fixed small window size and occasional cursor bugs that may affect the experience.

    • “The game runs great on the Steam Deck, and it's perfect for a quick play during breaks or on the go.”
    • “The game is windowed in a smallish format and can't be resized, which is not a huge deal, but the cursor can be buggy at times.”
    • “The stability issues make it frustrating to play, as the game frequently crashes or freezes.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and performance drops, which severely impacted my enjoyment of the game.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    While the game is noted for its fun gameplay, it suffers from slightly poor optimization, which may affect the overall experience for some players.

    • “Not gonna lie, despite the poor optimization, this game is really fun.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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