Introducing the characters

Hello, Steam users! I’m Kazuhiro Tanaka, an indie game creator.

Development on the horror adventure game INORIGAMI HACK DOWN is going smoothly, and we’ve now completed roughly 90% of the game’s presentation/cutscene work.

then the amount of information that can be made public has also increased. So this time, I’d like to introduce the four main characters who will end up visiting the story’s setting: the “Sachibae House.”

Daifuku Chabashira (茶柱 大福)

The protagonist of the story — a high school boy.

Despite having a name tied to good luck and bringing fortune (“Chabashira” and “Daifuku”), he’s the unluckiest “name doesn’t match the reality” guy imaginable, constantly getting dragged into trouble.

For three days in a row, he’s been hit by bird droppings on the way to school, dropped a freshly bought meat bun on the ground… and even stepped on it with brand-new sneakers. That kind of thing happens to him all the time.

Naturally, he’s never been blessed by luck in anything luck-based — games of chance, fortunes, lotteries… nothing.

That said, he’s never experienced truly catastrophic misfortune like a life-threatening injury or serious illness.

However, since he’s often been involved in accidents, he wears a huge protective charm around his neck. It’s possible — just possible — that the “kotodama” (spiritual power of words) in his lucky name, plus that oversized charm, is what has kept him safe from fatal bad luck.

Because he’s so prone to trouble, he’s timid and prefers staying home whenever possible. But his energetic childhood friend Yurari Kaorigi drags him out anyway — constantly.

And of course, what awaits once he’s dragged outside is… bad luck.

Still, Daifuku is shy and relatively weak-willed, so he can’t bring himself to go against Yurari. He tags along reluctantly.

In INORIGAMI HACK DOWN, Yurari even applies for a strange part-time job on his behalf without asking, which leads them to visit the “house” where they’re supposed to offer prayers.

And if Daifuku — the guy who attracts trouble — is the one visiting that house… what do you think is going to happen there…?

Yurari Kaorigi (香木 ゆらり)

Daifuku Chabashira’s childhood friend — a high school girl.

Her personality: act first, think later.

She has an extremely sharp sense of smell. Not only can she detect “something delicious,” but also things like “a smell that something fun is waiting,” or “a smell that someone kind is nearby.” Whenever she senses a positive “scent,” she heads straight toward it.

By the way, no one else can sense the “smells” Yurari talks about — so whether those scents really exist is unknown.

Even so, she charges toward the source without thinking, so she naturally gets caught up in trouble.

Because of that, even if she’s getting dragged into the problems Daifuku seems to attract, she believes it’s simply her own fault — she never blames Daifuku. That’s probably why she’s able to stay friends with him.

However, when Daifuku puts himself down by saying things like “I’m unlucky” or “my name doesn’t fit me,” Yurari feels something close to irritation. So she constantly drags him out to different places, trying to push him into a more positive mindset.

That irritation is probably rooted in affection — but she hasn’t realized it herself.

Recently, she’s been spending all her allowance on trendy sweet drinks and is now broke. So, chasing part-time pay, she applies for a job posting that says:

“Wanted: Someone to offer prayers to that house.”

And of course… she applies for Daifuku too, without asking.

So what kind of “scent” is waiting for Yurari in that house…?

Toru Zenigami (銭噛 通)

A male video streamer who’s passionate about making money online — reselling, flipping goods (“sedori”), cryptocurrency, NFT art… anything.

He’s not afraid of getting labeled a “nuisance” streamer or being “canceled.” He’s always jumped into whatever seems like it could make money.

But lately, anti-resale measures have tightened, and both crypto and NFT hype have cooled down — so he’s searching for his next income source.

His channel is mainly “how to make money” lecture-style content, mixed with repeated “I’m going in” raids on topics likely to trend online.

Because he acts without considering other streamers, he’s hated not only by fellow creators but also by their fans. At the same time, he still has supporters who admire his boldness, so his channel income is decent.

That said, after the platform changed its recommendation algorithm, his growth has recently stalled.

While hunting for a new viral topic, he finds the part-time job listing:

“Wanted: Someone to offer prayers to that house.”

He also realizes the listed destination is a minor haunted spot — and at the same time, it’s also hyped up as a power spot.

If he plays it right, he can make an “exposé exploration” video: a place called a power spot is actually a haunted spot. And if the job itself really pays well, he can also present it as “a profitable part-time job tip.”

On the other hand, if it turns out to be a shady job or an illegal “under-the-table gig,” that’s also content — he can expose it.

With that in mind, Toru joins the job.

Will his plan succeed — and will he get the amount of money he’s aiming for…?

Reiichi Arayashiki (新八式 零壱)

A man who works as a freelance programmer while also researching supernatural entities.

IT — a symbol of modern science — and the occult — a symbol of the supernatural — seem like complete opposites. But Reiichi views supernatural entities as something like computer data.

Data inside a computer is nothing more than an electromagnetic record. Through software like an OS, that data becomes something humans can perceive — and once perceived, it can trigger real phenomena for the person experiencing it.

Sometimes data creates economic profit. Sometimes it creates emotional change, like entertainment content does.

In the same way, Reiichi believes supernatural entities are “something recorded in this world in some form — and once perceived by a person, it can affect them.”

Only a limited number of people can perceive that “record,” but for those who can, perceiving it can cause mental and physical reactions.

It might provoke anger, bring out grief, or cause stress that even impacts the body.

Based on this hypothesis, Reiichi has continued researching whether an unknown phenomenon like a supernatural entity could be approached programmatically.

Then he learns about a strange part-time job recruitment targeting a location said to be haunted:

“Wanted: Someone to offer prayers to that house.”

Sensing that some kind of trouble is likely to occur, Reiichi applies — both to prevent problems and as part of his research.

So… will that house truly contain the kind of “supernatural entity” Reiichi imagines…?

If you’re interested in INORIGAMI HACK DOWN, please consider adding it to your wishlist! Wishlist adds are the biggest source of motivation for an indie developer.

Thank you very much for supporting INORIGAMI HACK DOWN!