Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Celebrating All Things Spooky: Higurashi When They Cry – Rei

 Celebrating All Things Spooky, Video Games  1 Response »  Tagged with: ,
Oct 072026
 

Last year, I finished Higurashi When They Cry after a 70-hour journey and mentioned that there were still some bonus arcs left.

Well, I kicked off October by playing through the first of those bonus stories, Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Rei.

Rei consists of three stories. The first is Saikoroshi, which serves as an epilogue to the main game. Having reached a happy ending in the previous chapter, Rika now ends up in a different world where everything is different from the world she knows.

I mentioned last year that the horror label no longer quite fit the later parts of Higurashi, and the same applies here, to an extent. Saikoroshi lacks the “spooky” sort of horror that best fits October and instead features a much more somber mood that could still be seen as a type of horror. Although I liked the happy ending of the main story, I appreciate what this epilogue does and the questions it raises about what makes one world happier than another.

The second part is Hirukowashi, in which two ancient magatama are accidentally released. The holder of one will fall in love with whoever picks up the second, so when Rena accidentally swallows the first one, comedy antics ensue. It’s ridiculous and entertaining, but it also includes something truly terrifying: mahjong.

Yes, when the final section of Hirukowashi featured an extended look at a mahjong match, with characters talking about who had various hands and when to call riichi and various mahjong strategies, it was like reading another torture scene.

I’m kidding. Mostly.

The third and shortest part is Batsukoishi, which is basically just the characters discussing detailed fanservice scenarios they’d like to put other characters into as part of the punishment games. I assume this would have felt more ecchi if it had the CGs from the console version, but I never modded Higurashi, so it was just reading stuff like “imagine her cleaning the window with her butt.” Maybe I shouldn’t have played this game for spooky month…

Anyway, Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Rei was a nice capstone to the Higurashi experience, albeit not much of a horror game. You know, except for the mahjong.

If you’ve played Rei, what did you think of it?

Celebrating All Things Spooky: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

 Celebrating All Things Spooky, Reviews, Video Games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Oct 052026
 

Let’s kick off this year’s spooky games celebration by talking about Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo.

I mentioned it briefly earlier this this year, when the sequel was announced in a Nintendo Direct. I was delighted to see a new Paranormasight game, especially because of just how much I enjoyed the first one.

Paranormasight is a horror visual novel from Square Enix. It features a group of characters who end up being “curse bearers,” able to inflict a curse upon someone else in pursuit of the legendary Rite of Resurrection that can raise someone from the dead.

It’s spooky, unsettling, and (best of all for me) a bit of a mystery story as well.

Urban legends and criminal cases both come into play as you investigate the truth of what’s going on, and I really loved the way various events unfolded.

Gameplay-wise, it’s the sort of visual novel that requires you to jump around a flowchart to follow different characters’ stories and find a way to proceed, with some chapters reaching dead ends until you progress a different character’s story first. On top of that, it has some light adventure game elements and some really neat gameplay tricks (as well as a puzzle to reach the true ending that had me stumped for a long time).

The soundtrack is also fantastic. I could listen to the main theme forever.

I absolutely loved the first Paranormasight when I played it, and it’s a shame it took me this long to discuss it in detail here. We’ll get around to talking about the second game eventually, but the first’s haunting atmosphere makes it especially appropriate for this time of year.

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is available on Steam and Switch (and mobile devices, too), so if you like this sort of game, please check this one out.

And if you’ve played Paranormasight, what did you think of it?

It’s Time for Celebrating All Things Spooky 2026!

 Celebrating All Things Spooky, Video Games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Oct 022026
 

Here I am, neck-deep in both Hundred Line and Fire Emblem, and suddenly I look at the calendar and see it’s October.

I almost skipped Celebrating All Things Spooky this year, just like how I skipped the romance and mystery celebrations.

“But no,” I said to myself, “Celebrating All Things Spooky is where it all started. On top of that, you’re (possibly) associated with horror more than the other two. You can’t cancel it!”

So here we are, ready to kick off Celebrating All Things Spooky 2026!

As usual, the bulk of my content this month will be spooky game reviews.

I’ll cover games I played before but never discussed here, games I’m playing for the first time, and in general, anything I can fit under the nebulous category of “spooky.” (Remember when I decided Zero Time Dilemma counted?) My goal is to have a new review each Monday/Wednesday/Friday in October after today, although I might cut that down if I get too overwhelmed.

I’m also holding a sale this month, like I sometimes do, but this one is different.

Instead of holding an Amazon sale like I have in previous months, this year’s sale will be at Smashwords! From now until the end of the month, you can get The Book at Dernier for only $1.50 at Smashwords. I may bring my other stories to Smashwords, as well.

Finally, the tradition continues with a contest this year!

Contest

All you have to do to enter the contest is participate! Every comment you leave on my blog earns you a point, and the three participants with the highest number of points at the end of the month get to choose a prize!

This year, the available prizes are:

  • Alan Wake (gift sent through Steam)
  • Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (gift sent through Steam)
  • Not It: Spookiest Edition (gift sent through Steam)
  • Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (gift sent through Steam)
  • Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse (gift sent through Steam)
  • Silent Hill 4: The Room (gift sent through GOG)
  • Dead Age (Steam code)
  • Lakeview Cabin Collection (Steam code)
  • eBook copy of The Book at Dernier
  • eBook copy of It Came Back
  • $15 sent through PayPal
  • You pick a game for me to review!

If you choose the review option, your chosen game must be something I either own or is easily obtainable, which you can discuss with me beforehand. It must be a single game, not a collection (although the chosen game can be part of a collection). I will start playing it in November.

Now, read on for the full rules:

  • No purchase is necessary.
  • Only comments made between October 2, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT and October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT will be counted.
  • 1 non-spam, non-anonymous comment on any Celebrating All Things Spooky blog post (including replies to other comments or posts from previous years) = 1 point.
  • You must use an email address or website URL (or include another way of contacting you) in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
  • You must earn at least 5 points to qualify for a prize.
  • The top 3 qualifying point earners will win prizes.
  • The person with the most points will get their first pick of the prizes. The person with the second most points will pick second, and the person with the third most points will pick third.
  • In the event of a tie, tied winners will be contacted at the same time. A tie for third place will allow for more than 3 winners. If tied winners choose the same prize, duplicate prizes will be possible.
  • The winner will be contacted by November 2, 2026.

Ready? All right, let’s get started and enjoy this month of October!

Got any spooky games you’re planning to play?

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