Am I in Japan or not? 3D stealth ninja game has you examine the Japanese-ness of your surroundings 

You are a female ninja sneaking around a Japanese castle. You must avoid guards while looking out for anomalies that suggest you are no longer in Japan. This is the premise of Exit-8 inspired indie game Oedoshigusa by solo indie developer As-key. Released on May 12, the game is playable in Japanese or English for free on PC (Steam). 

Oedoshigusa is primarily a stealth game with Exit 8-style anomalies. As you move up and down the floors of Oedo Castle (likely a reference to the castle in Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon on the N64), you must keep an eye out for guards and take care not to alert them. Although it is tempting to just run up the next flight of stairs, it is necessary to examine the rooms on each floor to confirm that you are still in historical Japan. Some of these signs that you are no longer in Japan are more subtle than others. For example, you may stumble across a large automobile in the corridor. If you find such an anomaly, you must head back down to the previous floor. The game has 53 stages that get progressively more difficult. 

Aside from the weirdness of suddenly walking into a giant Christmas tree- other quirky things may start happening as you play Oedoshigusa. For example, after being caught by a guard and returned to the starting floor, you may find that your female ninja has a sudden costume change or haircut. One minute she is wearing a practical, all black outfit but then switches to a sexy split skirt dress worthy of Stellar Blade’s Eve. The developer As-key seems to have put quite a bit of work into her appearance, although I was uncertain as to whether some of the costume changes were actually anomalies that meant I needed to head back downstairs. As-key has amusingly commented on Steam that what counts as “Japanese culture” in the game “is based on the author’s own prejudice and mood at the time of creation.” 

The WASD or arrow keys make your character run, and holding shift at the same time lets you walk. Your ninja can also perform a swift roll with X, jump with the space bar and drop down from a ledge with X. These moves, as well as the ability to move around quietly while crouching (C key) are vital for avoiding the game’s guards. The movement keys are reasonably responsive. 

Oedoshigusa has decent graphics and atmosphere for a solo indie game. The main issue is having to control the camera with your mouse. Sometimes the camera can end up clipping awkwardly through your character, making it difficult to get your bearings in time to flee from a guard. The guards in this game are extremely fast and once they have spotted you it is hard to escape death. Oedoshigusa would be even more fun to play if it had an active camera. Alternatively, playing with a controller where you can move the camera with the right stick may alleviate this problem. As it is, Oedoshigusa is a decent-looking free indie game with an interesting concept. 

Oedoshigusa is available for free on PC (Steam).