The Forest of Drizzling Rain

About The Forest of Drizzling Rain

The Forest of Drizzling Rain was Makoto Sanada's first game, released free in Japan on October 11, 2013, and spread abroad through fan translations. Sanada went on to make Angels of Death. In 2022 the game was rebuilt from the ground up, story and visuals included, and released on Steam by Vaka Game Magazine as the Full Ver. (2022). In 2026 the 2013 Original Ver. was added to the same purchase at no extra cost; you choose which to play from the launcher, and the makers suggest starting with the Full Ver.

You play Shiori Kanzaki, a college student left alone after her parents' deaths. In their bedroom she finds a photograph of herself as a child with her parents and an older man, marked Azakawa Village. She goes looking for the village, and at the local museum the curator, Kotaro Suga, urges her to leave straight away. She stays, and the truth comes out bit by bit.

The Full Ver. adds a whole chapter in the middle where you walk freely around the village by day, talk to the villagers and fish, and what Shiori does by day can change her night-time talks with Suga. Then comes one long night of fear in the forest. Players on Steam say the opening chapters are calm and the horror arrives later and hits hard, and many compare it to Ib, Mad Father and The Witch's House.

There are many endings, including bad endings that can happen from early on, later routes and a special scenario for players who see them all. It suits players of Japanese pixel-art horror adventures who like a story with characters to care about. The Full Ver. runs on Windows and Mac; the 2013 original runs on Windows only. Players note that one late puzzle relies on a note that is not fully translated into English.

How to play The Forest of Drizzling Rain

1. Buy and install The Forest of Drizzling Rain from Steam on Windows or Mac.
2. At the launcher, choose Full Ver. (2022) for a first play, or the 2013 original.
3. Walk Shiori around the village, examine what you find and talk to the people you meet.
4. Spend the day chapter exploring, talking to villagers and fishing, then face the night in the forest.
5. Save often, try other choices after an ending, and work towards the rest of the endings.

Tips

• Save in more than one slot; bad endings can come early and from small choices.
• Look at everything in Shiori's home and the village in the early chapters; players note it is easy to miss what moves the story on.
• Players report one puzzle near the end uses a note that is not fully translated; a Steam guide can help with it.
• The game starts slow and calm on purpose; give it time before the horror begins.

Questions