SoulStudio, a Japanese developer specializing in interactive chat content, recently announced that it would be adapting Ryukishi07’s Higurashi When They Cry as part of its SoulChat LINE service lineup. While all eight main story arcs are planned to be adapted, the Abducted by Demons arc is set to release first, on April 17. Note that the service has been announced only for users in Japan at the time of writing.
SoulChat is a paid service that allows users of LINE (one of Japan’s most popular messaging apps) to create their own avatars and explore fictional worlds by interacting with its characters in an “isekai”-like fashion. Popular manga such as Call of the Night, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, and Dropkick on My Devil! have dedicated SoulChat services, with Higurashi When They Cry being the first visual novel to enter the fray.
After creating your unique character in Higurashi When They Cry SoulChat, you can interact with Rena Ryuugu, Mion Sonozaki, and Keiichi Maebara in the first arc. The characters’ personalities, memories, and routines have been faithfully adapted from the original work, making the title approachable for longtime fans and newcomers. Only by chatting with them will you be able to progress through quests and complete the story.
Given that SoulChat is a paid service, interacting with the characters comes at a price. Chatting with all three characters for 2 days will cost you 300 JPY (roughly $2 USD), whereas chatting for 10 days will cost you 1,100 JPY ($7 USD). Those who only want to interact with Rena can do so for 10 days for 550 JPY ($3.5 USD). Depending on your playstyle, you could blast through the first arc in a matter of hours or spend days just chatting about random things with your favorite characters.
Though the pricing for future arcs has yet to be decided, SoulStudio announced that the eight arcs (Abducted by Demons arc, Cotton Drifting arc, Curse Killing arc, Time Killing arc, Eye Opening arc, Atonement arc, Massacre arc, and Festival Accompanying arc) are set to release from 2026 to 2028. Unfortunately, Higurashi When They Cry SoulChat will only be made available in Japan, with no current announcements for accessibility in other countries.
