Inyou Douji Monogatari

inyou douji monogatari is a deep puzzle-platformer, in which your goal is to reach the exit of each level. the character’s ability to fly freely allows for a full exploration of vertical space within levels in a way uncommon to most platformers.

the game draws on aspects of the japanese ‘comical action’ arcade genre, including precise platform jumping and challenging enemy patterns, as well as action-oriented boss stages.

there is also a significant puzzle element to be found in inyou’s yin-yang motif, similar to ikaruga. same colored enemies can be killed with your weapon, while opposite colored enemies can only be stunned. as with every obstacle presented in the game, the implications of this mechanic are thorougly explored. some environmental manipulation is generally required in order to free a path to the exit. toggled platforms and pushable blocks add to the puzzle aspect in places, similar to games like sokoban, and lup salad.

while box-pushing, color coded enemies, and some other notorious elements the game employs are generally warning signs of a shitty game, the excellent level design in inyou douji keeps everything fresh. there are multiple solutions to most stages, and there is usually no need to seek full ‘completion’ by hunting every pickup or killing every enemy. the game instead encourages wit and speedy progression.

the aesthetic feels true to the designer’s genre inspirations (especially umihara kwawase), right down to the flashy transitions, glittering item pick-ups, and the hideous, though charming, digitized photo backgrounds.

unfortunately the lack of english instructions means you’ll need to take a few minutes to figure the menus out through trial and error. once you’ve figured out the simple commands though (be sure to learn how to save on the world map), the rest of the game is self-explanatory. literally, in fact, as the game eschews western-style text tutorials in favour of pre-level demonstrations in the style of the aforementioned umihara kawase. on returning to the main menu, the game seems to crash in vista. nonetheless, it’s worth the hassle.

having played a lot of doujin games lately, inyou douji really stands out due to it’s razor sharp level design. a serious 5/5.