Presented during GDC in San Francisco, the performance was seen by several thousand game developers in attendance, with many more watching online. As part of the world’s largest game developer conference, it was a surreal and meaningful moment for our studio to hear music from Shujinkou performed on SUCH a major stage.

The medley featured motifs and melodies alongside music from celebrated titles such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Peak, Indiana Jones, Ghost of Yōtei, DOOM, and more. To have Shujinkou included among such acclaimed works is a tremendous honor for our team.

We would like to give our special thanks to Brian LaGuardia, lead composer of Shujinkou, for his brilliant arrangement work and for the enormous creative contribution he made to the game’s 158-track original soundtrack. You can find posts about our soundtrack here:

We are also deeply grateful to Austin Wintory for including Shujinkou in the medley and giving the game such an incredible spotlight at GDC.

You can watch the Shujinkou excerpt from the medley here:

Shujinkou

You can listen to the full podcast here, and tune in to the interview from 47:05 (Timestamp).

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gwj-conference-call-episode-1010/id175107566?i=1000750266640
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4a8KKvvB9RX9tE4tRK5lsl
• Podbay: https://podbay.fm/p/gamers-with-jobs-conference-call

Polish / Quality of Life

• Improved readability of the Kanban Menu’s Labyrinth View with text being colored for the currently selected labyrinth.
• Added Change Time spots to Town 4 and Town 5.
• Sushi that heal both TR and MR now heal via percentage rather than raw values.
• When selecting an item to use that has a Self scope in combat, automatically select the current hero and proceed to the next hero.
• Add a new option to disable the Money Maker bonus (after battle concludes) from Tatiana’s Kizuna. This is only present if the player has unlocked the Money Maker bonus.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed three Kanban facing the wrong direction in Labyrinth 9.
• Add missing Kanakae Orb spot to a spot in the middle of Labyrinth 7‘s Area 1 containing new information about six kanji. It includes 18 new Blue Text terms. Our apologies!
• Fix bug where players could not access certain hidden treasure chests in towns that were located adjacent to Exit to Nation spots.
• Fix potential soft-lock for story progression in Labyrinth 10 if a player leaves the labyrinth after fulfilling specific conditions.
• Fixed issue with incorrect description for the “tongue” kanji.
• Fixed issue with Level Luck Tutorial not appearing for some players. See it by leveling any of the heroes up by one after clearing Labyrinth 1.
• Fix low FPS when Reduced Effects is toggled off while in combat in Labyrinth 1.
• Fix rare display bug with discovery percentages in the Item Compendium.
• Fix rare display bug with discovery percentages in the Kanban Menu.
• Fix sizing issue for English display of Cherry Pit item (Sabaku Arc).
• Fix various reported issues with Okkake no Osakenori, including clipping bottles, unstable handling of the surfboard, and instances where the camera would not rotate upon reaching a turn.
• Fixed several typos found in youkyuu, level loading tips, and more.
• Fixed duplication of rows holding the same item in the Koukanya shop.

Balancing

• Improve the balancing of certain purchasable armor (stats have been improved) when entering Labyrinth 8.

Our Biggest Priorities

• We want to add a “Fast-Forward” (by holding a certain key) to some minigames so that they can be played and progressed through more quickly.
• We’ve noticed some physics inconsistencies in Tatiana’s minigame, Kotoba Kyuugi, and are looking to fix this soon.
• We’ve noticed that when holding a button to move, then sliding your hand (while still holding the button) to another button occasionally does not allow the player to rotate properly in the dungeon. We are looking to fix in the near future.

Nintendo Switch – Update Notes

This will be updated when we confirm the release of the Nintendo Switch patch, 1.0.3.

Thank you!

Thank you Shujinkou players for your continued support and QOL requests! Feel free to join our Discord community if you need assistance with gameplay, want to suggest features or provide constructive feedback, or want to meet and chat with other fans of Shujinkou!

Our team had an amazing time attending this year’s event, and we are incredibly honored that Shujinkou was nominated for Best Hidden Gem. While we did not take home the win this time, a video game award nomination for our debut commercial title is a major milestone for us. It shows that our work is resonating with players and critics in the industry, and adds even more fuel to what we are building next. We left New York City feeling grateful, energized, and extra motivated to keep raising the bar for our next game.

For a fully remote studio, we do not get many chances to be in the same place at the same time. The New York Game Awards helped bring almost half of our team together for a couple of days, with most of everyone based in the USA. We got to bond, hang out, and spend real time talking about Shujinkou and what is next. It was the kind of reset that reminds you why you work SO hard to do this work, and it left us even more motivated to get back to building.

One of the highlights was getting to meet so many talented people across the industry. It was a pleasure connecting with Reggie from Nintendo, along with developers and project leads and team members from Bethesda, Sony, The Pokémon Company, and more. Events like this really showed and reminded all of us how much passion and love goes into video games across the industry, and how lucky we are to be part of it now!

A special thank you to Harold Goldberg (Founder of NY Game Critics Circle), Ryan O’Callaghan (Executive Director), Makeda Byfield (Co-host), and everyone at the New York Game Critics Circle for hosting such a well-run, welcoming, and memorable event.

Thank you for celebrating games and creators in such a moving way

Onward

Team @ Rice Games

Please note: sale timing can vary by storefront and region, so if you’re seeing different end times on your store page, worry not!

Also, thank you again for the recent support and momentum—Shujinkou was nominated for “Best Hidden Gem” at the 15th New York Game Awards, ranked #11 in Inverse Magazine’s 25 Best RPGs of 2025, and recently hit its 20th review on Steam!

Check out the rankings here!

We are extremely grateful to everyone who played, reviewed, and shared the game across all platforms .

Happy holidays, and we hope you have an enjoyable time crawling through Shujinkou’s dungeons!

Team @ Rice Games

We’re very, very excited to share that Shujinkou has been nominated for “Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem” at the 15th Annual New York Game Awards, presented by the New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC).

This is super exciting! “Hidden Gem” feels like the perfect category for a self-published, debut IP like Shujinkou… especially as it is our studio’s very first commercial title! Although it has not picked up as much traction and momentum as the larger players on the JRPG battlefield, thousands of players and dozens of critics have given Shujinkou a fair go, with many taking the time to share it, review it, and recommend it to others. If you’ve done any of that for our indie game, thank you so much. You helped this game get seen!

We also want to congratulate all of the other nominees. There are so many incredible games in this category, and we’re honored to be included alongside them.

Where to see the nominees:
https://nygamecritics.com/2025/12/15/awards-all-the-15th-new-york-game-awards-nominees-right-here/

Help Support Shujinkou!

• Leave a Steam or PlayStation review (even a short one helps!)
• Wishlist / follow if you haven’t yet!
• Tell a friend who might enjoy a JRPG, DRPG, or want to learn Japanese through a fun video game.
• Share a screenshot, clip, or a moment you liked on online forums!

Let’s Do This!

No matter what happens next, the team and I are extremely proud that Shujinkou is part of the conversation. Thank you all for being part of its journey, and we’ll see you in New York next month!

Julian Rice & Team @ Rice Games Inc

Shujinkou Original Soundtrack

With a staggering 158-track collection featuring nearly 7 hours of music, Shujinkou’s original soundtrack explores dozens of musical genres and includes live performances by musicians from around the globe.

• Bandcamp: https://music.ricegames.net/album/shujinkou-original-soundtrack
• Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2098430
• Rice Games Web Store – Check it out here!

Available on…

Bandcamp

Click Here

Rice Games Store

Click Here

Steam

Click Here

Experience the epic musical journey of Shujinkou with this monumental seven-disc soundtrack, featuring 158 tracks and nearly 7 hours of unforgettable music. This massive album spans over a dozen genres, including (but not limited to) classical, rock, metal, electronic, jazz, lounge and gypsy music. It also features dozens of Middle Eastern desert melodies and East Asian influences, including Japanese and Chinese traditional music.

“A solid contender for one of this year’s best scores” – Tech-Gaming (Review – 9/10)

Immerse yourself in heart-pounding battle themes, sweeping character motifs, and emotional boss music, alongside instrumental versions of vocal tracks and tracks that have multiple variations (each with unique solos and arrangements). Minigame tracks, battle tracks, and more have Shu, Jin, and Kou’s powerful melodic motifs expertly arranged and integrated to create an immersive listening experience.

“One of the most memorable soundtracks of the year, a massive compliment considering it’s up there with the likes of Hades 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.” – Gfinity (Review – 9/10)

Composed by several world-class composers and artists from the USA and Japan, brought to life by over a dozen live performers, and mastered by Warner Music Japan, the Shujinkou Original Soundtrack is an extraordinary six-year collaboration that celebrates the heart and soul of Shujinkou.

“These songs are phenomenal… it’s an outstanding soundtrack” – Noisy Pixel (Review – 9.5/10)

From start to finish, it’s a thrilling musical experience you won’t forget!

Recent News about the Shujinkou Original Soundtrack

Downloadable Files & Space Requirements

Album Download (MP3 / 320 kbps): 1.1 GB available space

Album Download (WAV):  7.2 GB available space

Track List (158 Tracks)

Shujinkou Original Soundtrack Credits

Lead Composer: Brian LaGuardia

Artists: Brian LaGuardia, Robert Mullis, Ryo Noguchi, Frank Tedesco, Masaki Takao, Kana Kitada, Julian Rice

Label: Rice Games Inc

Other Credits

Female Vocals
Megumi Hidzuki
Sasha Y

Background Vocals
Brian LaGuardia

Violin
Tracy LaGuardia
Issaku Matsumoto
Julian Rice

Acoustic Guitar
Ryo Noguchi
Robert Mullis

Electric Guitar
Ryo Noguchi
Robert Mullis

Bass Guitar
Robert Mullis

Cello
Adam Riggs

Piano
Frank Tedesco
Kana Kitada

Erhu & Zhonghu
Michael Fitzmaurice

Saxophone
Makoto Douchi

Flute
Makoto Douchi

Shakuhachi
Zac Zinger

Shinobue
Zac Zinger

Doumbek
Brian LaGuardia

We will be posting the full list of changes, polish, and bug fixes applied to this 1.0.2 release for Nintendo Switch below, as it will be easier for Nintendo-based gaming outlets and Nintendo Switch users to reference everything at once.

 New Features

• There is now a new “Visual Fidelity” setting in the Options Menu that improves visual graphics at the cost of performance on the Nintendo Switch. The performance is largely unaffected on stronger devices, and we strongly recommend enabling this setting on Nintendo Switch 2.
  • This is the best that we can do regarding improving graphic quality without a Nintendo Switch 2 development kit.

 Bug Fixes

• Fix issue where Kaifuku Ball could not be used outside of battle.
• Fix a game softlock/freeze when approaching a certain boss battle from a certain position and angle in the final area of Labyrinth 2.
• Fix an issue with button input sometimes not working smoothly when selecting party members for a special battle.
• Fix an issue with button input in the Tsuri (fishing) minigame occasionally causing the game to stall after a completed reel.
• Fix an issue with camera clipping in the Omikuji system.
• Fixed a few typos and accidental usage of kanji in certain furigana-only fields.
• Fix a rare bug where a character’s Onsen outfit could stay in place even in dialogue taking place outside of the Onsen.
• Fix rare case of game freezing (harmless, but for too long) when saving the game.
• Fix issue with being unable to interact with Kunihiko in Fuu Underground when playing Okkake no Osakenori.
• Fix harmless error that may appear when a Yajuu joins a normal battle.
• Fix input error that could take place when spamming inputs in the Fuu Underground.
• Fix residual errors that may pop up when finishing Okkake no Osakenori.
• Fix the equipment type of two late game equipment pieces.
• Fix very small navigation issue with buttons and controllers for a couple dozen spots.
• Fix typos and other issues found in a few dialogue scenes.
• Fix a progression bug that only occurs for some players in Labyrinth 10.
• Fix an equipment duplication error.
• Fixed a few instances of graphical clipping in certain labyrinths.
• Players can no longer access the Enemy View menu while the Kanakae UI is active.
• Remove “No Extra Notes” text from Okkake no Osakenori to prevent text overflow.
• Reduce special effects intensity of certain battles to improve overall performance.
• Unity vulnerability fix has been implemented. Read more about it here.
• Nintendo Switch-only Bug Fix: When pulling from the Omikuji, the camera will clip with a 3D model.
• Nintendo Switch-only Bug Fix: Some graphical clipping of some assets in the second area of Labyrinth 5.
• Nintendo Switch-only Bug Fix: Fishing minigame (Tsuri) can sometimes soft-lock due to button input navigation issues.
• Nintendo Switch-only Bug Fix: Game crashing in Labyrinth 7 due to memory management issues.

 Thank you!

We’ve seen far more players on the Nintendo Switch this month than our launch month in February for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam), reaching thousands and thousands of players from around the world trying to learn Japanese and play through our dungeon crawler.

Thank you Shujinkou players for your continued support and QOL requests! Feel free to join our Discord community if you need assistance with gameplay, want to suggest features or provide constructive feedback, or want to meet and chat with other fans of Shujinkou!

Join the Shujinkou Discord Server!

Bug Fixes

• Nintendo Switch (coming soon): You will be able to set the new “Visual Fidelity” setting in the Options to improve visual graphics at the cost of performance. We strongly recommend using this setting on the Nintendo Switch 2.
• Fix resolution problems on ultrawide monitors, including proper dropdown display of selectable 16:9 resolutions.
• Fix harmless error that may appear when a Yajuu joins a normal battle.
• Fix input error that could take place when spamming inputs in the Fuu Underground.
• Fix residual errors that may pop up when finishing Okkake no Osakenori.
• Fix the equipment type of two late game equipment pieces.
• Fix very small navigation issue with buttons and controllers for a couple dozen spots.
• Fix typos and other issues found in a few dialogue scenes.
• Fix a progression bug that only occurs for some players in Labyrinth 10.
• Fix an equipment duplication error.

Our Biggest Priorities

• We want to add a “Fast-Forward” (by holding a certain key) to some minigames so that they can be played and progressed through more quickly.
• We’ve noticed some physics inconsistencies in Tatiana’s minigame, Kotoba Kyuugi, and are looking to fix this soon.
• We’ve noted that some bottles can get stuck in the path of play in Otogawa’s minigame, Okkake no Osakenori, and are looking to fix this soon.
• We’ve noticed that when holding a button to move, then sliding your hand (while still holding the button) to another button occasionally does not allow the player to rotate properly in the dungeon. We are looking to fix in the near future.

Nintendo Switch – Launch Notes

Some bugs have been reported & fixed for pending 1.0.2 patch (ETA: Between October 24th – 31st). Please note that we discussed the patch going through checks in our Patch v1.42 update, but it has unfortunately not been finalized and approved just yet. Please check back once in a while to see when the patch is released!

• Bug: When pulling from the Omikuji, the camera will clip with a 3D model.
• Bug: Some graphical clipping of some assets in the second area of Labyrinth 5.
• Bug: Fishing minigame (Tsuri) can sometimes soft-lock due to button input navigation issues.
• Bug: Crashing in Labyrinth 7 due to memory management issues only on Nintendo Switch.
• (More may come soon depending on player reports)

Thank you!

Thank you Shujinkou players for your continued support and QOL requests! Feel free to join our Discord community if you need assistance with gameplay, want to suggest features or provide constructive feedback, or want to meet and chat with other fans of Shujinkou!

• Shujinkou on Nintendo eShop: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/shujinkou-switch/
• Shujinkou on PlayStation 5: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP6882-PPSA04625_00-SHUJINKOUGAMEPS5
• Shujinkou on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1386630/Shujinkou/

For your GRAMMY consideration

Shujinkou Original Soundtrack

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media 

As our lead composer Brian LaGuardia phrases it: “Labor of love doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

Listen now:
https://www.brianmlaguardia.com/shujinkou-fyc/