Horror RPG “Noroi Ayashi” by Renji Oshikiri × Sohei Shinkawa gets faster with knowledge in an “RTA experience”—Interview [TGS2026]

From Thursday, September 17, 2026, through Sunday, September 20, 2026, the “Tokyo Game Show 2026” (hereinafter “TGS2026”), celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, was held at Makuhari Messe.

On September 16, the day before TGS2026 began, a game titled *Noroi Ayashi* was announced.

This title is a time-loop horror RTA stealth action adventure created by Sohei Shinkawa—who previously worked on numerous classic games at Nippon Ichi Software—in collaboration with manga artist Renji Oshikiri, known for works such as “High Score Girl” and “Sayuri.”

Game*Spark had the opportunity to speak with the game’s producer, Sohei Shinkawa, at the TGS 2026 venue. This article presents the details of that interview.

――Please introduce yourself. While we’re at it, could you also tell us about any games you’ve been playing recently or any that have left a lasting impression on you?

Mr. Shinkawa: I’m Sohei Shinkawa, the representative of Super Niche LLC. Though I say “representative,” it’s actually a one-person company (laughs). I also write novels under the pen name Roman Kitayama.

A game I’ve played recently that really stuck with me is *Balatro*. The fact that you can play it in short bursts on mobile devices fits well with today’s lifestyle. I used to love RPGs and adventure games, but since they can take a lot of time to play, I’ve been gravitating more toward casual games lately.

――Thank you. I believe this game is the “time-loop horror RTA stealth action adventure” you mentioned only by genre name in a previous interview. How did you and Mr. Oshikiri come to decide to make a horror game together?

Mr. Shinkawa: That’s right—it’s a “time-loop horror RTA stealth action adventure”!

The reason I ended up working with Mr. Oshikiri is, first of all, that I’m a huge fan of his myself. When people think of him, “High Score Girl” probably comes to mind, but to me, he’s a horror manga artist. He has so many iconic horror works—like “Derodero” and “Misumisou”—and I love them all.

At my previous company, we avoided working with external creators as much as possible due to rights and pricing issues, but now that I have the freedom to do as I please, when the idea for a horror game came to me, I thought, “I want to bring my passion to life,” so I decided to ask Mr. Oshikiri.

We weren’t personally acquainted, but Minoru Ikeda, the manager of Game Center Mikado, is good friends with Mr. Oshikiri, so he introduced us. We went out for a meal, started communicating directly, discussed the project, and that’s how he agreed to take on the character design for this project.

――What was Mr. Oshikiri’s initial reaction?

Mr. Shinkawa: He’s a huge fan of *The Twilight Street Exploration Squad* himself and had always wanted to make a horror game, so he accepted without hesitation. I love all things horror—whether it’s games or movies—and I’m a huge fan of Mr. Oshikiri’s work too, so thanks to that, we’ve been going out to dinner together every now and then.

――I see. Thank you. Since the genre is listed as “RTA,” I imagine the typical RTA elements like “clear the game within X hours”—are there any such achievements or mechanics built into the game system?

Mr. Shinkawa: In terms of the game system, rather than having traditional achievement-unlocking mechanics, the game is designed so that as players understand the puzzles and strategies, they can gradually skip certain sections. We want to create an RTA-style experience where players ask themselves, “How many minutes did it take you to solve it the first time?” or “How long did it take you to get to the point where you could solve it?”

――I see. By the way, from watching the videos, I got the impression it might be pretty difficult…? How does it actually compare?

Mr. Shinkawa: I think it’s relatively high! When you get a Game Over, your approach will vary depending on the person—you might think, “Maybe I should try this here?” or “This part’s too much of a hassle, so I’ll just skip it.”

――For example, if you keep dying at the same spot, do hints or something like that pop up…?

Mr. Shinkawa: Yes, there are! Don’t worry!

――Thank you! It sounds like there are plenty of ways to die.

Mr. Shinkawa: Yes. Since the pixel art is quite detailed, I think players will enjoy the variety of ways to die as well. I feel like there’s a trend these days—or rather, a growing demand—for detailed pixel art, and I personally love it too.

I felt that the groundwork for this kind of artistic expression was really taking off—not just in Japan but overseas as well—and I thought Mr. Oshikiri’s artwork would pair exceptionally well with pixel art, so I decided to go for it this time. It was the right call.

――This is just my personal opinion, but I think Mr. Oshikiri’s depiction of eyes fits really well with pixel art.

Mr. Shinkawa: Things like shifty eyes—those details can be expressed really well, can’t they?

――Speaking of the PV, the guns felt a bit out of place in the Japanese-style atmosphere. It didn’t quite feel “Japanese”… I’m not even sure why I thought that myself.

Mr. Shinkawa: The handguns used by the Japanese police are New Nambu models, and that’s the gun featured in this game as well. However, the gun in the PV is actually incorrect… We’ll fix it later (laughs)!

――So that’s what it was (laughs). Thank you. How long do you estimate it will take to complete the game?

Mr. Shinkawa: Well… for someone who’s really good at games and has quick reflexes, maybe around 15 hours. We’re assuming it’ll take roughly 20 hours or more.

Of course, as you play, you’ll gain more knowledge, and depending on how you approach it, you might even be able to skip the entire puzzle-solving process—so if you play that way, it might take even less time.

――Were there any particular expressions or insights that came from making a pixel art game in this day and age?

Mr. Shinkawa: I definitely think there’s a bit of a retro vibe to it. You know how old Gothic horror games had that rough pixel art that actually made them scarier? I think we’ve managed to capture that atmosphere well.

――Thank you. Finally, could you share a few words for players who are looking forward to the release?

Mr. Shinkawa: Fortunately, we’ve been getting attention right since the announcement, and the number of impressions on X has really taken off—it makes me happy to see that people have such high expectations. I get the sense that many people are interested simply because they “love Mr. Oshikiri’s art,” so I’m determined to create this game with the utmost care to ensure I don’t tarnish his reputation.

Since he’s a very busy person, he can’t be deeply involved in the game’s actual content, but he’s still providing thorough supervision. As a fan of Mr. Oshikiri, I want to create a game that makes players say, “Ah, this is definitely an Oshikiri work.”

――Thank you very much!

*Noroi Ayashi* is scheduled for release in 2027 on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch 2, and Switch. The price has not yet been determined.