{"id":67994,"date":"2026-06-10T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=67994"},"modified":"2026-06-10T09:59:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T00:59:50","slug":"japanese-indie-title-childrens-garden-turns-a-buddhist-hell-for-children-who-died-too-young-into-a-surreal-puzzle-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-indie-title-childrens-garden-turns-a-buddhist-hell-for-children-who-died-too-young-into-a-surreal-puzzle-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese indie\u00a0title\u00a0Children\u2019s Garden turns\u00a0a\u00a0Buddhist hell for children who died too young into a surreal puzzle game\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you like your puzzle games with surreal vibes and steeped in Buddhist folklore, then Children\u2019s Garden<\/strong> might be up your alley. Inspired by \u201cSai no Kawara,\u201d the Japanese mythological riverbed of souls (a kind of hell or purgatory), the game will have you stacking building blocks to help a child who has passed away find eternal rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little\u00a0context\u00a0before we get into the\u00a0game:\u00a0In Japanese Buddhist\u00a0folklore,\u00a0there\u2019s a legend\u00a0according to\u00a0which\u00a0children who have died prematurely are sent to\u00a0Sai no Kawara. As punishment for breaking filial piety, they\u00a0are forced to stack piles of stones into tall stupas (domed Buddhist monuments) to\u00a0escape this limbo. Unfortunately, demons repeatedly knock these\u00a0stupas\u00a0over, forcing the children to start again. It is only through the intervention of Jizo, a deity who is the savior of souls and protector of children, that the children are saved.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rather than taking on the role of Jizo, Children\u2019s Garden has you stumbling upon a strange device that connects to a child in the afterlife. After the child pleads with you for help, you\u2019re led to take part in the Reincarnation Ethics Program, which has you stacking onbutsu (traditional, building-block toys that served as precursors to Japan\u2019s modern building blocks) to save the child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stacking\u00a0onbutsu\u00a0is easier said than done.\u00a0While\u00a0the\u00a0goals\u00a0in the levels\u00a0remain\u00a0largely the\u00a0same (such as\u00a0stacking enough\u00a0onbutsu\u00a0above a red line or placing a specific number throughout a stage), many of the blocks\u00a0are irregularly shaped,\u00a0and the level\u00a0structure becomes\u00a0increasingly more\u00a0complex and\u00a0abstract.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Completing levels earns you Years, which can be used to uncover blacked-out lore entries on the device you found. By doing so, you\u2019ll unlock more levels and learn more about the world and the child you\u2019re trying to save. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Developed by\u00a0Wellness Mechanism\u00a0and published by Kodansha, Children\u2019s Garden<\/a> is set to release\u00a0for Windows and macOS (Steam<\/a>) in 2026. A free demo is set to be released soon on Steam and itch.io.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Published by Kodansha, Children’s Garden is a game based on the mythological hell Sai no Kawara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":68000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-67994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nJapanese indie\u00a0title\u00a0Children\u2019s Garden turns\u00a0a\u00a0Buddhist hell for children who died too young into a surreal puzzle game\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Published by Kodansha, Children's Garden is a game based on the mythological hell Sai no Kawara.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-indie-title-childrens-garden-turns-a-buddhist-hell-for-children-who-died-too-young-into-a-surreal-puzzle-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Japanese indie\u00a0title\u00a0Children\u2019s Garden turns\u00a0a\u00a0Buddhist hell for children who died too young into a surreal puzzle game\u00a0 - 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