Alessandro Rocchi
In this review we are going to discover Chorogaiden, an investigative RPG in which Japanese horror is mixed with urban culture inspired by the works of Junji-Ito and Lovecraft.
The game is developed and published in the original language by NeonRot, it was then translated into Italian by Nigredo Press, which we thank for sending us a copy to review. We recommend that you follow them on their website and on their Facebook and Instagram pages to stay up to date on new projects.
If you are interested in buying, you can find on the official NeonRot itch.io page the PDF for 11 USD.
Pure Analog Horror
Chorogaiden captures from the cover with his particular, refined and “sick” style.
As a size we are in front of a 48-page paperback manual; the dimensions are about 14.8 x 21 cm and this makes it perfect for transport.
It has a simple and fluent writing, making it easy to understand and consult the contents. Although the manual has a particular artistic direction, the author has managed to take advantage of the bold and italics to highlight the most important parts, improving reading.
But the real strength is the artistic sector, which makes production a pearl to have in the shelf. In fact, the manual combines the use of a well-defined colour palette (with colours such as yellow, black and green) with a style inspired by pixel art 1bit. This combination of colours, text and images brings back a refined sense of restlessness and shudder as you read the manual.
A Small and (Maybe) Quiet Village
The game does not have a specific setting but rather pillars on which to build its own.
As a fixed element, we find the fact that it must be a small village or a Japanese town. In addition to this, the other fundamental point is the presence of supernatural entities, the Eyes; their goal is to access our reality and completely devastate it by sending horrors of various kinds.
Given the vagueness of the setting, the Weaver (as the Narrator is called in the game) will simply have to decide on a name, and historical period and create a simple map.
The specific places are created from time to time when the Investigators (the PCs) need them; only one place must always be present but hidden from the Investigators: the Gate, or the access point of the Eyes.
The final purpose of the game is to close the Gate to prevent the Eyes from entering our world; to find this place and close it, however, the Investigators will have to carry out at least five Investigations. In the manual, we have twelve sample Investigations, all very interesting and particular.
An interesting detail is that Investigations do not have to be solved consecutively; you can also start with one and then leave it there to continue with another, with a setting that approaches the concept of “open world”.
Unfortunate and Crazy Investigators
Creating a character is extremely quick and can be done in minutes.
Choose one of the 11 available character cards (which do not represent specific characters but in fact archetypes). They are varied, ranging from the most classic Reporter or Gumshoe to the most particular Iron Man or the Static Weaver. The one that struck me the most is the Tulpamancer, that is, a user of esoteric arts who can evoke objects and/or living beings.
Inside each card we find four non-advanced Skills, among which we will have to choose one, the Dice Pool and the values of the Skills. Later we will have to decide on a background, the name and the starting object among the 12 available; this can be selected randomly by rolling a die or taken from the relative list.
Once this is done, we will have concluded the creation phase and we will find in our hands an Investigator ready to be played.
By completing the Investigations our unfortunate heroes will grow and gain Levels. At each new even Level, you must roll a d12 and increase the Dice Pool by that value; at each odd Level, however, you can acquire a new Basic or Advanced Skill.
Chorogaiden System Review
At Chorogaiden we find a fast, flexible and simple game system to bring to the table.
Each player will have a Dice Pool formed by a variable number of d12, which represents the physical and mental abilities of the PC.
In addition, each Investigator has four Skills that distinguish him:
- Body: usata in tutte le situazioni in cui è richiesto uno sforzo fisico.
- Brain: impiegata nei momenti in cui serve ragionare e dedurre.
- Mouth: the art of being able to convince or intimidate using only the voice.
- Majik: required when working in the field of the esoteric and the supernatural.
When a Check is to be made, the player must choose any number of dice from the Pool, roll them and add the value of the appropriate feature to the result. What makes the system intriguing is that the rolled dice are considered lost and must be taken from your Pool; the only way to regain them is for the roll to succeed, even partially; in any case, only one will be recovered, making them a valuable resource.
After rolling the nuts and adding the characteristics, you will have to compare the Table of Successes in the manual; there are four possible outcomes:
- The Perfect Success (from 21 onwards): in addition to performing the action perfectly, the Weaver will give a reward to the PG.
- Success (from 15 to 20): the action is completed.
- Mixed Success (10 to 14): The action is complete but there is a price to pay.
- Failure (from 9 down): the action has failed and the Weaver will have to choose the consequences.
Chorogaiden Combat Review
Given the extreme simplicity of the game system, the combat is also very narrative and immediate.
We do not even have a system of initiatives, we simply follow the narrative; when damage is inflicted on the Investigator, one or more d12s will be removed from his Reserve based on the severity of the blow received.
The problems begin when an Investigator runs out of his Pool because in this case, he will lose consciousness. His companions will have to take him to safety otherwise he risks being kidnapped by the servants of the Eyes and dying permanently. If once safe, he can rest for 4 hours or more, he recovers a number of d12 equal to his level plus 2; this is the only other way to recover Dice.
Enemies, on the other hand, do not have Dice Pool, but are eliminated only when the Weaver considers that they have suffered enough damage; this leads to situations in which adjusting the clashes is quite difficult, but since it is not the focus of the game, the weight of this choice is not felt too much.
Personally, I felt the lack of a bestiary or any list of opponents. Certainly, given the narrative nature of the game, it is not essential, but it would certainly have served as a support for the Weaver in creating faithful clashes with the vibe sought by this role-playing game.
The Eyescape and the Iris Focus
One of the most interesting mechanics is the Eyescape, an indicator of the influence of the Eyes useful to keep the voltage even higher.
At the beginning of each Investigation, the Weaver rolls as many d12 as there are players plus the Investigations left open; he must then mark the results, withdrawing the same ones. They make up the Eyescape.
The interesting part comes now: every time during a Test you get one of the Oculorama results, the Focus of the Iris increases by 1. Each Focus value corresponds to a different effect on the game world; for example, if the focus reaches 15, a series of yellow-eyed owls will begin to spy and follow the Investigators; in addition to this, many other special and nightmare effects can make the sessions even more engaging.
Another very interesting mechanic is the Beyond Focus Check (BFC). By sacrificing a d12 from his Reserve and increasing the Iris Focus by 1, each Investigator will be able to obtain clues and advantages. Instead of rolling dice, you have to use a quadrant of 4 sections and a pencil; the Investigator will have to spin the pencil and see in which section the tip stops, generating different consequences. For example, you may receive visions of new clues, or be briefly checked by the Eyes.
Chorogaiden Solo Mode Review
This option completely varies the cards on the table (even literally). In the solo mode, the Eyes will be played while they try to distort reality and access it. Using a deck of Major Arcana, a d4 and a d100, we will create a small City and bring our evil influence to it.
We will fish from the deck of the Arcana and mark places and characters on the map of the City, consulting the relative table. As an eye we can observe only one area or person, so now we have to move; we must therefore roll a d4 to understand what kind of distortion to reality we apply based on our work and if this guarantees us Points of Power.
When we have accumulated at least 10 Points of Power, we can roll the d100 and see if we can access the world. If the roll gives a result less than the number of Points of Power, then our goal will be achieved; otherwise, we will have to continue and accumulate more Power.
This mode allows you to create many mysteries and environments that can be reused for other classic sessions with a group of players. It is, therefore, an appreciable addition, which expands the possibilities and versatility of this role-playing game.
Chorogaiden Review Conclusion
To conclude the review, I find that Chorogaiden is a title that all lovers of horror and Japan should have in their library.
Starting from the very particular and impactful artistic style, we also find a very simple and engaging system, which keeps the tension high throughout the session. Surely this is a horror game that will give you goosebumps.
For this reason, I recommend Chorogaiden with my hands down and I invite you to discover its mysteries, but be careful that the Eyes are watching us!
