99 Spirits

About

99 Spirits fuses RPG storytelling with puzzle solving set in Japanese folklore. You play Hanabusa, a vengeful girl chasing spirits after her mother’s death. Battles require figuring out an enemy’s hidden identity through visual clues before defeating them. The game weaves mythology about objects gaining sentience with turn based combat that mixes deduction and strategy. The core hook is its identity guessing mechanic which shifts how fights play out. As TORaIKI’s debut RPG it shows strong creative risk taking. The translated version includes the original 2012 Steam release with updated visuals. PC only but the blend of genres feels fresh despite its age.

Storyline

"Hanabusa is a young headstrong girl living in the Heian capital within medieval Japan. But when her mother is slain by evil spirits, her life turns into one of vengeance as she sets out to hunt and destroy the spirits. During Hanabusa’s travels, she meets a white fox who turns out to be a servant of the mountain god. Hanabusa receives a special sword passed down from her mother, which gives her the ability to see the true forms of spirits to help slay them. Shortly after, a spirit claiming to be Hanabusa’s long-lost father, Hidetada, breaks her sword and leaves Hanabusa powerless and confused. Now to mend her broken sword and learn the truth about her father, Hanabusa embarks on a journey to annihilate every last one of the evil spirits."