Rice Games Inc is excited to announce that Shujinkou is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch digitally on October 2nd! Check out a brand new trailer featuring Japanese actresses on the Rice Games YouTube channel!
Pre-orders begin September 18th 2025 with a 10% discount!
Watch the brand new trailer below:
Since its initial launch in February, Shujinkou has received hundreds of quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes inspired by both player and critic feedback. A list of patch notes released since then can be found by our News page:
Unlike the PS5 & PC releases, the pricing structure will differ for the Nintendo Switch version:
Edition
USD
CAD
EUR
GBP
Shujinkou - Standard Edition
$29.99
$39.99
€29.99
£26.99
Shujinkou - Deluxe Edition
$59.99
$69.99
€59.99
£49.99
Shujinkou - Super Deluxe Edition
$69.99
$79.99
€69.99
£59.99
Furthermore, there is a pre-order discount of 10% for all three editions.
Edition (PREORDER PRICING)
USD
CAD
EUR
GBP
Shujinkou - Standard Edition
$26.99
$35.99
€26.99
£24.29
Shujinkou - Deluxe Edition
$53.99
$62.99
€53.99
£44.99
Shujinkou - Super Deluxe Edition
$62.99
$71.99
€62.99
£53.99
Shujinkou - Standard Edition on Nintendo Switch includes...
Base Game (Genya Arc)
Shujinkou - Deluxe Edition on Nintendo Switch includes...
Base Game (Genya Arc)
Add On - Sabaku Arc
Application - Shujinkou Digital Artbook - Learn More
Application - Shujinkou Select Soundtrack - Learn More
Shujinkou - Super Deluxe Edition on Nintendo Switch includes...
Base Game (Genya Arc)
Add On - Sabaku Arc
Add On - Swimsuit Quests - Learn More
Add On - Akuma Quests - Learn More
Application - Shujinkou Digital Artbook - Learn More
Application - Shujinkou Select Soundtrack - Learn More
The major price change for the standard edition is a result of Shujinkou being split into two parts, as the game features two full-length story arcs (40+ hours each)—specifically, the Genya Arc and the Sabaku Arc.
The PS and PC versions come with both arcs included (effectively two games in one), but the Sabaku Arc will be sold separately on the Nintendo Switch.
The Sabaku Arc takes place immediately after the end of the Genya Arc, and will be available separately for the following prices:
Product Name
USD
CAD
EUR
GBP
Shujinkou - Sabaku Arc
$24.99
$33.99
€24.99
£19.99
With this news, brand new Key Art for the Sabaku Arc makes its debut below:
Shujinkou marks Rice Games' debut commercial title and the first installment in a planned trilogy. The game's expansive world spans six nations, each with its own story arc and a rich cast of major and minor characters. This year's release includes both the Genya Arc and the Sabaku Arc. The Genya Arc follows the battle against the language-devouring "Akuma" to save Shu’s homeland, while the Sabaku Arc explores diplomacy in a new nation and the struggle to alter an ally's prophesied fate, revealed through a mysterious painting. Each arc offers roughly 40–60 hours of gameplay and introduces its own cast of new protagonists to befriend and antagonists to face.
Since launch, thousands of players around the world have enjoyed Shujinkou, with many fans sharing directly with us that the game inspired them to start pursuing Japanese language classes and even helped some land new jobs connected to their passion for Japanese. Others have spent hundreds of hours exploring Shujinkou's 200 quests, multiple minigames, and thousands of character interactions across its expansive cast. Based on player data, earning the Platinum trophy typically takes roughly 250 hours, reflecting Shujinkou's breadth of unique content.
Preliminary reviews have been excellent, with Shujinkou earning a 90 Metacritic score (Universal Acclaim) and a 94 OpenCritic Top Critic score as of August 2025.
We've submitted over 70 review keys worldwide, but as a small self-publishing studio, it remains a challenge to gain broad media attention. Sales have been modest on PC but have exceeded expectations on PlayStation, and we remain committed to supporting the game with monthly patches across all platforms.
With its upcoming Nintendo Switch release, players can explore dozens of handcrafted labyrinths on the go and even use the touchscreen to practice writing hiragana, katakana, and a wide range of kanji.
Rice Games Inc is a multilingual team of game developers from around the world. Many team members are fluent or native speakers of multiple languages, including English, Japanese, German, and Mandarin.
With teammates spread across more than seven time zones, ensuring smooth coordination over Shujinkou's over six-year development period was no small feat. The team's global presence spans several countries, including:
United States: California, Hawaii, Washington, Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Utah, etc.
Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany
The Rice Games team is composed largely of young, highly motivated individuals eager to leave their mark on the video game industry with their first major commercial release. While some team members bring years of experience—particularly within the Music Team, with arrangement and composition credits—they, too, are venturing into new territory, having never worked on an RPG of Shujinkou's scale.
Thanks for reading this major update, and we hope to see you dungeon-crawling on the Nintendo Switch next month :). Team @ Rice Games