Jukai Maze

About Jukai Maze

Jukai Maze is a sci-fi visual novel that leans into mystery and psychological horror. Developed by Zhiyi and released in January 2026, it mixes narrative-driven choices with light puzzle elements. The story follows Haryu Ryoushi, who gets trapped in a surreal psychiatric hospital after a forest trip goes wrong. Players make decisions that fracture the plot into multiple paths, each with its own clues and twists. Set across PC, Mac, and Linux, the game thrives on its dense dialogue and shifting realities. Think of it as a branching narrative puzzle box where every answer raises more questions.

Gameplay

The core loop revolves around reading dialogue, selecting choices, and solving environmental puzzles to advance. Players navigate Ryoushi’s interactions with eccentric characters while piecing together fragments of a murder case. Sessions often involve combing through inventory for items that unlock new dialogue options or bypass storyblocks. The maze-like structure means backtracking is common, with earlier decisions locking or unlocking later paths. While most play is text-based, occasional mini-games test logic. The game’s tension comes from its refusal to hold your hand, clues are sparse, and missteps can lead to dead ends.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate Jukai Maze 4.7/5, with 89% completing the base story. Average playthroughs hit 12 hours, though full completionists log 25+ hours chasing 30+ endings. Community moods skew “intense” (68%) and “curious” (52%), with 23% calling it “unhinged.” Critics praise its layered storytelling, though 15% cite pacing issues in side routes. One user wrote, “The best part is realizing you’ve missed half the story on first play.” Achievement completion is 91% (300+ points), with “True Ending Unlocked” the hardest at 12% success.

PlayPile's Take

Jukai Maze is a must for visual novel fans who enjoy nonlinear storytelling. The 20-hour base price feels fair given the replay value, though the dense text may deter casual players. While the murder mystery plot isn’t impressive, the game’s willingness to let players “fail” adds weight to its choices. If you thrive on dissecting dialogue for hidden meaning and don’t mind a steep learning curve, it’s worth the time. But save this for when you’ve got the patience to untangle its knots.

Storyline

“They say there’s a research institute at the foot of Mount Fuji studying the afterlife.” Intrigued by the half-believable rumor, Shiu invites the protagonist, Haryu Ryoushi, to explore the depths of Aokigahara. What was supposed to be a simple vlog shoot shifts the moment they step into the forest. As night falls and the mist thickens, they lose their sense of direction. Shiu vanishes without a trace, and Ryoushi is pulled into another “reality,” awakening inside a strange psychiatric hospital. Everyone inside mutters things that border on madness: “This place is a dream.” “This place is another planet.” “This place is the afterlife.” As the boundary between truth and illusion collapses, Ryoushi sinks deeper into the maze, and is soon entangled in a baffling murder case……