Yotsume God is a light novel + escape game by ESC-APE by SEEC, which is set in Japan and cycles around a traditional superstition that it is bad luck to have twins, triplets, and children with disabilities. The protagonist is Mai, a girl who visits her hometown with her "father" after her grandparents passed away. As she stays at her uncle's place, she hears voices and gets trapped within a temple, where she discovers more about the people there as well as her past.
App store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yotsume-god/id1349702167
Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tokyo.seec.yotumegamiEn&hl=en&gl=US
My review
This game was so fascinating and haunting at the same time, I was so skeptical and fearful for a while haha. I absolutely loved the storyline and was bummed every time I had to wait for the energy to reload, but I finally managed to complete the story. I love that I had to play some chapters of the game to unlock new parts of chapters that I have previously played, I just think it's so smart. Even after the game ends, I am still thinking about the story as well as the characters!
For a longer review, you can click here!
Gameplay
There are 26 chapters in total, including 12 endings. You do not have to play all endings but if you are keen, go ahead! Some endings are required to reach other endings.
I will go through each chapter now. The red fonts are the endings, blue are items to get, and purple are things to do.
Chapter 1: Yotsume-Shrine
It's basically a story of how you (Mai) and your dad have gone to visit the village. You will be left alone in the hall and you can search for various things - shrine, photo frame, scroll, doors and snacks. Soon there will be a red text.
- If you follow the voice: You will go the the torii and proceed to chapter 2 regardless of what you choose
- If you won't follow the voice: Ending 3: I'm Home
Chapter 2: The Purification Fountain
You realise you are stuck in the temple and you will meet Imigo, a masked person who will follow you throughout the game.
Move to the approach and you will see the lion statues. Take the stick near the left statue.
Move to the purification well and use the stick on the roof to get bowl. Use stick and bowl to get ladle. Go to well and walk about how there is no water.
Move back to the approach and click on the lion statues until they are facing each other.
Go back to the purification well and use the ladle on the water.
Go back to the purification well and use the ladle on the water.
The cleansing process:
- Wash left hand
- Wash right hand
- Rise mouth with left hand
- Wash left hand
- Get ladle to stand on end and wash it
You can get Mai's card 1 at the lower left side of the right Torii pillar
Chapter 3: Roumon Gate
Now we can enter the temple! Or so we thought - as the gate is closed and we will need to find a way in so that we can find Tagata who is Imigo's boss.
Take the bottom half of memo near the left lantern.
Go to the approach and get the top half of memo from the mouth of the left lion. Use the pieces together to get full memo.
Go to Torii and click the left column. Note the sequence of the eyes: left, right, left, left, left, right, left
Go back to approach and click on the right lion. Press theleft and right eyes according to the pattern (left, right, left, left, left, right, left). Take the matchbox from the lion's mouth. Press the matchbox to get lit match.
Go to Roumon Gate and use the lit match to light the lanterns. The gate will open and so will the next chapter!
You can get Imigo's card 1 at the left lion statue at the well.
Chapter 4: Tokyo
Somehow it rewinds to back to the uncle's house.
Choose to listen around.
You will hear some cryptic yet unfriendly conversation between your father and uncle. You will then meet your father. Use charm on him to unlock more conversations - doesn't matter which option you pick. Click on the picture frame to get a ripped photo of a baby (that will be in the archives).
Click on the table to continue your conversation
- I’d like to visit the place: continue to next chapter
- We don’t have to visit the place: Ending 3: I'm Home
You can get Makoto's card 1 at the shelf under the TV.
Chapter 5: Sagara's House
Just read the story! Haha
Chapter 6: A Handscroll
Now this is interesting because this is the first chapter that leads to an ending (but obviously it's a bad ending cos there are so much more to discover). You will meet Kuro and Shiro, the 2 kids who brought you to the shrine in the first place.
Move to votive and get a candle holder. Click on the board to see a pattern - you will realise it's like a map but upside down. If it's upright, the position of the eyes are: left, left, left, right, left, right, right, left.
Move to massya and get the ohagi (prayer food) on the table. Use the candle holder on the candle beside the rock.
Move to haiden and click on the coin box. Use the candle to the dark spot under the coin box to get a 5-yen coin.
Move to votive and use the 5-yen coin to the donation box to get a pebble.
Move to the purification fountain and give the ohagi to Kuro and Shiro. They will offer the ohagi to you but do not eat it!
- Eat ohagi: Ending 1: Yomotsuhegui
- Do not eat ohagi: Shiro will give you another pebble.
Move to the approach and put both pebbles under the left lion statue. Press the eyes according to the pattern at the votive (left, left, left, right, left, right, right, left). Now we can get the scroll for chapter 7!
You can get Tagata's card 1 at the top right of the board at the votive.
Chapter 7: A Brush and Ink
You realise you still can't go home, and you need to find an effigy and brush.
When you talk to Imigo, you will need to choose between 2 options:
- I want to know about it: Learn more about foster parenting
- Why do you ask such a thing?: Ending 3: I'm Home (after chapter 9)
Look at the cups to note that the eyes are looking at each other (left eye looking right and right eye looking left).
Move to the purification fountain and get the towel at the right.
Move to torii and use the towel on the dirty part of the board to read the history of the temple. Note the left eye looking down and right eye looking up.
Move to Roumon gate and look at the top right corner of the gate where the post touches the roof (where the eyes intersect) to get brush and ink.
Move to inside Heidan and give it to Tagata to end the chapter.
You can get Kuro's card 1 at the left of the candle in Heiden
Chapter 8: Effigy
Move to inside Heidan. Click on the box and you will see these numbers 34 – 7&8, 29 – 11&12, 23 – 9&10
Move to outside Heidan and talk to Tagata. He will list 3 priests - Kunihiko Sagara (34), Toragoro Sagara (29), Tokunaga Sagara (23).
Move to the approach and get the piece of paper - you will see it has many numbers corresponding to certain words.
If you link the order of the priests and the numbers in the box, you will note that Kunihiko Sagara corresponds to 7&8, Toragoro Sagara to 11&12, and Tokunaga Sagara to 9&10. You will need to flip their names to become Sagara Kunihiko, Toragoro and Tokunaga respectively. Find the 7&8th, 11&12th, and 9&10th letters of each priest to get the words "Ku", "'To", and "Ku", which are the numbers 959 according to the paper you found.
Move inside Heidan and use the code for the box to get a dagger.
Move to Torii and use the dagger on the vines to see eyes in this pattern (right, left, left, left, right, right, left).
Move to entrance of temple and click on the yellow bell strings to the pattern. The donation box will open, take the effigy and give it to Tagata.
You can get Shiro's card 1 at the left crimson flower bunch in massya
Chapter 9: Returning to Shigan
If you picked "Why do you ask such a thing?" in Chapter 7: A Brush and Ink, you will automatically play Ending 3: I'm Home.
Tagata will ask you what is your name
- Family name
- Sahara: Continue
- Sayara/Saori/Sawara: Ending 2: Forgotten Name
- First name
- Mai: Continue
- Mao/Mae/Maie: Ending 2: Forgotten Name
- Is it really correct
- Yes: continue
- No: rechoose name
- A voice
- Answer the voice: continue to next chapter
- Won't answer the voice: Ending 3: I'm Home
Chapter 10: Yotsume God
You will need to play this chapter a few times
1st time
Take the wooden board at the lower right side. It will show the votive, front of Haiden, and Torri.
Move to inside Haiden. Take the effigy which is beside the candle. Click on the box at the right and use the wooden board to fit in it.
Move to the places on the wooden board and count the number of crows
- Votive: 1
- Front of Haiden: 3
- Torri: 5
Move back to inside Haiden and input the code 135 to the box to get the Higanbana, or crimson flower.
This part is not really required when you play the chapter subsequent times
- Move to massya and take the paper scrap from the bottom of the left fence.
- Move to Roumon Gate and take the paper scrap from the right lantern.
- Move to the purification foundation and take the paper scrap from the right pillar.
- Move to the approach and take the paper scrap from the left lion statue. The paper scraps will flash white and become a photo of the 2 statues at the main sanctuary.
Go to the main sanctuary and use the crimson flower on the right statue and take the key. Use the key on the shrine door.
Once you enter, you will see the Yotsume God which is quite scary to me.. I think it's the red and black theme which really creeps me.. Anyway as it reaches out to you, Imigo will dash forward to protect you
- Take Imigo's hand: Ending 4: Turnover
- Don't take Imigo's hand: Tagata will pull Imigo away
The Yotsume God will then grab you
- Use the effigy: continue to the next chapter
- Don't use the effigy: Ending 5: Mother (you must get ending 5 to get future endings)
Chapter 11: Farewell
You will need to play this chapter twice
1st time
Move to the approach, purification fountain and Torii to talk to Tagata, Kuro and Shiro, and Imigo on all topics. After which, talk to Imigo to leave the shrine
- Yes: Ending 6: Yotsume God
- No: Nothing changes, click yes and just accept the ending
2nd time
You need to clear Ending 3: I'm Home to get the book
Move to the main sanctuary and click on the book to read a diary about your past
Move to the approach, purification fountain and Torii to talk to Tagata, Kuro and Shiro, and Imigo on all topics. After which, talk to Imigo to leave the shrine
- I have someone who is waiting for me: Ending 6: Yotsume God
- I might not have anyone waiting for me: Ending 7: Yotsume's Princessc
You can get Shuji's card 1 at the right lantern at Roumon Gate
Back to Chapter 10: Yotsume God
2nd time
You need to clear endings 3, 5, 6, and 7
Take the wooden board at the lower right side. Take the effigy which is beside the candle. Click on the box at the right and use the wooden board to fit in it. Input the code 135 to the box to get the Higanbana, or crimson flower.
Move to inside Haiden and talk to kuro on "???"
Move to the front of the main sanctuary and talk to Shiro on "charm"
Move to Torii and talk to Imigo on "bell" to get a bell. Use the bell on the charm.
Move to massya and use the charm on the rock. Enter the garden of Higan and get the mirror at the biggest grave.
Go to the main sanctuary and use the crimson flower on the right statue and take the key. Use the key on the shrine door.
Hello to Yotsume God again!
- Take Imigo's hand: Ending 4: Turnover
- Don't take Imigo's hand: Tagata will pull Imigo away
The Yotsume God will then grab you
- Use the mirror: continue to the next chapter (the past of Sagara's family)
- Don't use the effigy: Ending 5: Mother
Chapter 12: The Past of Sagara's Family
You learn the true story of your family's past, where your grandma and uncle are so obsessed with the tradition and had to kill Imigo or Uma because he was the younger twin, which made your parents die of heartache too.. so there's nothing much to do in this chapter except be wowed by the storyline
Chapter 13: Yuma
Looks a bit like chapter 11, you also have to complete it a few times
1st time
Move to the approach, purification fountain and Torii to talk to Tagata, Kuro and Shiro, and Imigo on all topics. After which talk to Imigo to leave the shrine
- Yes: Story continues, you will see your "father" and he will bring you back to the garden of Higan
- No: Nothing changes, click yes and just accept the ending
At the garden of Higan
- Pick dad: Ending 9: Yotsume God (The Truth) (You will get a wedding photo - you will need it to reach Ending 12: Yotsume God(New))
- Pick Uncle Makoto: Ending 8: I Stand up for Myself (You will get a photo of a baby - you will need it to reach Ending 11: Turning Back the Clock)
2nd time
Go to the main sanctuary and get the ohnusa. Use the ohnusa on the old sword to get the treasure sword.
Move to the garden of Higan.
- Use the rewinding time book: Move on to the next and final chapter!
- Not going to use the rewinding the time book: nothing happens
You can get Mayuko's card 1 on the ground in front of the big grave in the garden of Higan
You can also get Souichi's card 1 in front of haiden. Use the mirror on the bottom of the donation box.
Chapter 14: Tagata
Woohoo final chapter! So happy to reach this! :)
This is the highlight of the chapter - you need this to finally get the true endings!
So Yuma will faint as you use the book, and Tagata will try to stop you. At long last the identity of Tagata is revealed, he is the twin brother who lived while his other twin became imigo (somewhat like Mai). However he pledged himself to be the guardian of Yotsume God due to self-guilt of living while his brother died, and only Yuma stayed with him while other kids came and left, so he wasn't too keen on letting Yuma go.
Tagata will look like a 4-eyed Yotsume God which is also very scary to me..
- Do nothing: Ending 10: Spirited Away
- Use the treasure sword: You can then choose which picture you want to put into the pond
Which picture?
- If you only experienced one of the endings between 8 and 9, then you won't have any choices
- Photo of a baby: Ending 11: Turning Back the Clock (you need to complete Ending 8: I Stand up for Myself)
- Wedding photo: Ending 12: Yotsume God (New) (you need to complete Ending 9: Yotsume God (the Truth))
The final ending is so bittersweet.. Mai gets to reunite with her family (all alive), but she forgets her "father".. And that's all for this walkthrough! Hope it has helped you! :)