Learn Japanese etiquette with the novel game Manner Battler Rei

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-06-02 15:08 JST)

Japanese solo developer HIJIKI has released a free game called Manner Battler Rei for PC, iOS, and Android. The game only supports Japanese.

Manner Battler Rei is a short novel game where players can learn about Japan’s intricate ceremonial and business etiquette. The game takes place in a world with Manner Battles, competitions where competitors point out manner mistakes. A tournament is being held to decide who is the strongest Manner Master. The protagonist is a 6^th year elementary school student who walks the path of a Manner Battler and enters this tournament where fierce bouts unfold.

A Manner Battle involves looking at a scene and pointing out if something doesn’t follow proper etiquette and what the infraction was. Battles will be decided and the story will change depending if you’re able to skillfully pick out these infractions.

Manner Battles are high tempo affairs depicted through easy-to-understand anime-styled illustrations, and the game provides comical explanations of proper etiquette for daily life, ceremonies, and business situations.

HIJIKI, the game’s developer, has released a number of short games including Palphone-sama: Curse call, an adventure game where players use their actual web browser to look up information and solve mysteries.

In Japan, etiquette experts sometimes appear on television, and the funny concept of them battling it out for supremacy has spread on social media from time to time. Even just the other day, manga artist Gen Tamura posted a manga to Twitter about etiquette experts battling that gained a lot of attention.

You could say Manner Battler Rei is another work following the trend of battles revolving around the tiniest details of etiquette.

Manner Battler Rei can be played on Japanese novel game website Novel Game Collection.