Yomawari: Night Alone

Lore & Background

The game's plot begins when a young girl takes her dog Poro for a walk. After an accident nearly kills her, she finds Poro missing. Her elder sister goes out to look for the dog but does not return. The girl then leaves her house to explore the town, which has become strange and dangerous. She must evade monsters while finding clues about what happened to Poro, her sister, and who or what is responsible for their disappearance.

Reader's Guide

Yomawari: Night Alone is significant as the first entry in a series of survival horror games by Nippon Ichi Software. Its gameplay emphasizes exploration and stealth: players use a flashlight to illuminate paths and find items, with a question mark appearing for checkable objects. Items such as stones, money, and a shovel serve various purposes, including throwing, digging, and making peace offerings. A heartbeat system alerts players to nearby monsters, slowing the protagonist and limiting actions; hiding in bushes or evading monsters after observing their patterns is the only defense. The game sold approximately 48,000 copies in Japan, according to NIS. It was bundled with Hotaru no Nikki on physical Vita cartridges in North America and Europe, and a Windows collector's edition included a download code. The game was later released for Nintendo Switch in October 2018 as part of Yomawari: The Long Night Collection, alongside its sequel. Sega handled publishing for physical Switch copies in Asia outside Japan, with Traditional Chinese and Japanese language support.

Did You Know?

• The game was released in Japan on October 29, 2015, and in English in October 2016.
• Physical copies in North America and Europe came bundled with Hotaru no Nikki on the same Vita cartridge.
• The game sold around 48,000 copies in Japan according to NIS.
• It was released for Nintendo Switch in October 2018 as part of Yomawari: The Long Night Collection.