SHUTEN ORDER is a multi-genre murder mystery visual novel planned by Tookyo Games and published by DMM Games and Spike Chunsoft. With an original concept penned by Danganronpa series creator Kazutaka Kodaka, the brand-new title is set to launch on September 5 for PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch.
Introducing a provocative premise, SHUTEN ORDER revolves around a strange religious organization that yearns for an apocalypse that will end humanity. The nation is struck by tragedy when its cult leader is mysteriously killed, and as the protagonist, you are tasked with identifying the culprit. True to its “multi-genre” label, the game branches into five main routes that feature different game systems – ranging from stealth action to escape room gameplay and even romance.
AUTOMATON WEST recently caught up with SHUTEN ORDER’s creators Kazutaka Kodaka, Takumi Nakazawa and simadoriru in an email interview. The creators told us about their deliberate pursuit of a traditional visual novel format, as well as the significant volume and variety SHUTEN ORDER offers depending on the order you play in.
Creating common sense far removed from “regular” common sense
―Can you please introduce yourselves and your respective roles in SHUTEN ORDER’s development?
Kazutaka Kodaka (hereafter Kodaka):
I’m Kazutaka Kodaka. I handled the title’s original concept, contributed to parts of the scenario, and supervised the project.
Takumi Nakazawa (hereafter Nakazawa):
My name is Takumi Nakazawa. I was in charge of SHUTEN ORDER’s overall direction, wrote parts of the scenario, and supervised all of the scenarios.
simadoriru:
I’m simadoriru, and I was responsible for SHUTEN ORDER’s character design.
―What kind of game is SHUTEN ORDER, and how did the project come to be in the first place?
Kodaka:
In a word, it’s a visual novel game with religion as its central theme. From the start, I wanted to create a story built around the themes of ‘religion’ and ‘dismemberment murder.’
Up until now, I’ve made a conscious effort to step away from the traditional visual novel format with my works, but this time, I wanted to take it head-on and create a straightforward visual novel.
With that in mind, I aimed to make a game where various types of visual novels unfold depending on the story. Given the subject matter, I thought it would be impossible to partner with a publisher, but fortunately, we were able to collaborate with DMM Games, which allowed us to create a very rich and high-quality visual novel.
―Why did you decide to explore religion/cults as a central theme? Were there any real-life inspirations such as cults in Japan? Or perhaps, did you decide to use religious cultism as a vessel for exploring specific social dynamics or states of mind?
Kodaka:
Within a cult, what believers consider “common sense” is far removed from ordinary common sense. I thought I could use that value system to create a strange worldview and set unusual incidents within it. I wanted to fuse elements of the occult with mystery. That said, the Shuten cult is a completely fictional religion and isn’t based on any particular motif.
―What would you say are SHUTEN ORDER’s common points versus differences compared to your past major works?
Kodaka:
It’s a straightforward visual novel. I’ve poured all of my love for the visual novel genre into this project.
Making SHUTEN ORDER was like making five separate visual novels
―SHUTEN ORDER has 5 major routes that each bring a different game system/genre, but can you tell us more about this structure and how the routes link into each other?
Nakazawa:
Towards the end of the prologue, there is a scene where you must decide which of the five ministers is the culprit behind the cult leader’s murder. Based on your choice, the story branches into one of five different routes, and each route introduces its own unique gameplay system as you progress.
Once you’ve chosen a route, there is no switching to another midway through. After finishing a route, you can return to the prologue and choose a different minister, allowing you to tackle the routes in any order you prefer.
Your experience will change depending on the order in which you play. While the core scenarios themselves do not change, the clues, information, and shocking revelations you uncover in each route will dramatically reshape your understanding of the story. For example, imagine a character X who appears in multiple routes. Perhaps they are portrayed as a villain in Route A, but as a good person in Route B. Someone who plays Route A before Route B will have a very different impression of character X very from someone who starts with B. Whether you already know certain truths or not will completely change the way interpret the same scenario.
The order in which you play the routes in and the perspective you gain will give every player a unique impression. There are 120 possible route orders in total (5×4×3×2×1 = 120), so we hope you enjoy crafting your own unique play experience.
―SHUTEN ORDER is a visual novel at its core, but to what degree do its routes veer into other styles of gameplay?
Nakazawa:
This is a game through which Kodaka aimed to tackle the visual novel genre head-on. The Ministry of Security route includes some stealth action elements and the Ministry of Health route features exploration of a 3D maze, but in principle, all routes are scenario-driven and take you toward the ultimate goal of uncovering the truth behind the cult leader’s murder through various forms of visual novel-style gameplay.
―What were some challenges you faced in building the game’s structure and system?
Nakazawa:
Since SHUTEN ORDER’s five routes differ greatly in both their story themes and game systems, it required a mental shift as if we were creating five separate visual novel games simultaneously. The Ministry of Security route in particular demanded a lot of time for level design, balance adjustments, and debugging, which was quite challenging. Neilo, the developer who worked alongside me, probably had an even tougher time handling the practical tasks such as creating detailed specifications, level design, and fine-tuning.
―How much volume can players expect from SHUTEN ORDER compared to the typical visual novel?
Nakazawa:
Compared to the amount of content many people might expect, this game features a very dense and substantial structure. The average playtime to clear a single route ranges from about six hours on the shorter side to thirteen hours on the longer side. Depending on the player, completing all routes can take between 50 to 60 hours. Since it is a lengthy experience, please do not rush to finish it. The scenario is filled with foreshadowing and various setups, and skipping over details will diminish the true enjoyment. I hope players take their time and fully savor every part of the game.
SHUTEN ORDER’s hand-drawn 2D art pursues punch, not high fidelity
―What kind of audience did you aspire to appeal to with Shuten Order?
Kodaka:
I want everyone who is interested in visual novels to play this game.
―How did you approach designing SHUTEN ORDER’s cast of characters? Were there any specific trends or tastes you aspired to appeal to?
simadoriru:
For the character design of SHUTEN ORDER, my aim was to create a disturbing yet captivating world that allows players to immerse themselves without feeling any awkwardness. I also sought an approach that differs from the heavy, detailed illustrations that have become more common in recent games.
―SHUTEN ORDER’s colorful visuals seem to contrast the heavier themes of the game. What was your goal with the game’s art direction?
simadoriru:
While balancing the dark themes, I aimed for vivid color schemes that bring out a sense of mystery and intrigue in the art.
―Please leave a message for gamers interested in picking up Shuten Order.
simadoriru:
I had the opportunity to create many character designs and still illustrations for this game. Nowadays, I think it’s rare to see a work that features so many hand-drawn illustrations without using 3D. I hope you enjoy it.
Nakazawa:
While it pursues the genre in a straightforward way, I believe SHUTEN ORDER has become a truly unique adventure game. It offers a fresh experience not only for those who love adventure games, but also for those who don’t usually play them. Your impression of the narrative will change dramatically depending on the order in which you play the routes, so I hope many people will play the game and share their thoughts with each other. We are also looking forward to hearing your feedback.
―Thank you for your time!
SHUTEN ORDER launches September 5 for PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch.
