Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs

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An island, eighteen relatives, a fortune in gold, and a witch who may be the killer.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Price: Paid
Rated: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (95% of 2,897 reviews)
Players: 1
Made by: 07th Expansion
Released: 2016

What frightens In October 1986 the Ushiromiya family gathers on their private island of Rokkenjima to fight over a dying man's fortune. A letter arrives from someone claiming to be a witch, and brutal murders begin, each leaving an impossible riddle behind and the question of whether the killer is one of the eighteen people there or something that should not exist.
Content: blood, violence, strong language, sexual humour.

Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs is a long murder-mystery sound novel by 07th Expansion. On 4 October 1986 the wealthy Ushiromiya family meets on its private island to argue over an inheritance, a letter from a self-proclaimed witch arrives, and a chain of brutal murders begins. You read the story and try to solve whether the culprit is human or a witch.

About Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs

Umineko When They Cry is the second sound novel series by 07th Expansion. The Question Arcs were released on Steam by MangaGamer in 2016 for Windows, Mac and Linux, with redrawn character sprites that can be swapped back to the original art.

It is 4 October 1986 on Rokkenjima, an island owned by the Ushiromiya family. The old head of the family, who built a vast fortune, has little life left, and his children gather for the annual family conference with one thing on their minds: the inheritance. Rumour says he hid ten tons of gold somewhere, and a riddle carved in an epitaph is said to point to it. Then a letter arrives from someone who claims to be a witch, and the presence of a 19th person on an island that should hold only 18 begins to hang in the air.

What follows is a series of brutal murders, each leaving unsolvable riddles at the scene. The story asks how many will die, whether the culprit is one of the eighteen, and whether the culprit is a human or a witch. It is a kinetic novel: you read rather than make choices, and the game invites you to solve the mystery yourself from the clues it lays out, with a character chart and tips menu to help.

The tone swings between family drama, comedy, mystery and real horror, with gruesome deaths and a witch whose taunting laughter becomes part of the dread. It is text-heavy and suits players who enjoy reading and puzzling over mysteries rather than playing in the usual sense.

How to play Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs

Buy Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs on Steam for Windows, Mac or Linux.
Choose between the new and classic character art in the options if you like.
Read through each episode, clicking to advance the text.
Use the tips and character chart in the menu to keep track of people and clues.
Try to solve how the murders were done before the story tells you.

Screenshots

Beatrice laughs maniacally beside a sweating, shaken young man in a white suit, with red text calling him incompetent

Two cousins, a girl in a school blazer and a young man in a white suit, joking in a garden of flowers

Tips

Keep notes on who was where and when; the game is built for you to theorise.
Read the tips entries after each episode to review the clues.
Settle in: it is a long, text-heavy read, best taken in several sessions.

Questions

Is Umineko a horror game?

It is a murder mystery visual novel with strong horror: brutal killings on a cut-off island and a witch who may be behind them. Steam players tag it as horror and psychological horror.

Do I make choices in Umineko?

No. It is a linear sound novel; the challenge is solving the mystery yourself.

Who made Umineko?

07th Expansion wrote and made it; MangaGamer publishes the English Steam release.

Can I use the original art?

Yes. The Steam version has new sprites, swappable with the classic art.