Re:Kinder

VX remake title screen

**Re:Kinder** is a 2010 Japanese freeware horror game developed using the RPG Maker VX program, created by Horafuki Yokochou (横丁 蓬福, *Horafuki Yokochou*), under the pseudonym Parun. It is a remake of 2003 game *Kinder*, originate with the use of RPG Maker 2003 program; the premise of the game is still the same to the original, centers on mental illness through supernatural lens. The English version was available on July 17th on the VGPerson website.

According to VGPerson, this was Yokochou's last game before his death in late-2011; confirmed on September 10th, he committed suicide by jumping from the ninth floor of his apartment.

## Gameplay

Throughout the game, the party can only consist of three characters (depending on player's choice, with the exception of the final battle for strategic purposes). Money doesn't particularly mean much in the gameplay, although the player does have it. The characters all have levels, but XP points don't accrue. They do have a community inventory, however, which does factor into certain scenes.

Only Yuuichi has "Willpower", but he remains unplayable, and all playable characters have no Willpower expense for their abilities. Combat has four options: Bash, Ability, Block, and Items. Weapons can be unlikely items, like children's scissors or drawing compasses.

## Premise

> "*Third grader Shunsuke goes to stay over at his grandmother's house. Upon his return home, he finds not his familiar hometown, but a ruined town of death. He meets his surviving friends and some other children their age, but a crueler reality awaits them..."*
> - Translation of premise by VGPerson
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## Characters

* **Shunsuke Takano**: The main character that the player usually controls (with some exceptions during the game). He likes to jump on beds, which can have unexpectedly steep consequences. He has a cellphone, but it can't be used to call outside the town. Regardless of choices in the game, he gets desensitized to the horrors he's seeing after a while and acknowledges this to himself. There is a suggestion of possible romantic interest between Shunsuke and Yuuichi in the game (although perhaps one-sided from Yuuichi).
* **Ryou Shimoya**: Shy and timid, he tends to need more protection than other party members. He is one of Shunsuke's best friends and tends to dress casually.
* **Sayaka Akatsuki**: She is the first party member you can find and also one of Shunsuke's best friends. At one point, her weapon is a compass for drawing. She is a tomboy, dressing in a layered short- and long-sleeve shirt combo, and very free-spirited. She often says random things to get a laugh (or try to).
* **Rei Nimura**: On the reckless side, Rei will sometimes get into dangerous situations even after being warned or advised against it. She also has a cellphone, but it likewise can't be used to call outside the town. She's one of the older characters, being a 5th grader. Her special ability is Hysteria, which plays off her loud and heart-first personality. She does tend to blame herself if things go badly after she does something rash.
* **Hiroto**: Generally tactical and reliable, he has good judgment as the oldest person in the group (a 6th grader). Shunsuke does have the choice to run to him for help at a certain point in the game. Later on, he will also give Shunsuke advice on being absolutely sure he wants to try and help Yuuichi recover from his own trauma. Hiroto's abilities are generally focused on protecting the party. He tends to blame himself if something bad happens.
* **Aya Hibino**: At one point, her weapon is also a drawing compass, but she gets a gun later. Although she's gloomy by disposition, her abilities are also generally focused on protecting the party. She is a 4th grader. Aya has a tendency to slip away from the party undetected.
* **Yuuichi Mizuoka**: A second grader, Yuuichi is responsible for the state of the town when Shunsuke arrives. Over the course of the game, Shunsuke uncovers why Yuuichi has distorted Kowada Town. He is somewhat of a tragic or sympathetic villain, in that he believes he doesn't deserve forgiveness, has a horrific backstory, and shows relative kindness to the party on occasion. For example, Yuuichi tells the player that he's keeping (most) random-encounter monsters away from the party. That said, the whole murderous game is his design, and all the adults are already dead because of what he's done to the town. He does have a cellphone, presumably from one of the adults once in the town, that he uses to contact characters who also have cellphones. He has two abilities, Smile and Bravado. They are described in-game as smiling and being brave respectively (although one of them doesn't quite match that description). These are foreshadowing for his perspective and motives. His romantic orientation is something he struggles with, and some notes in the game suggest that he had a crush on another boy (that ended violently, to put it lightly). Because he later wishes he was a princess. He does have a little bit of a catchphrase because he usually says, "Let's sing!" or "Vamos cantar!" when he appears.
* **Takumi Katsuragi:** A sacrifice to show how serious the situation is, this character cannot be saved.