The “Kurayami Translation Project,” as it’s lovingly referred to by absolutely no one, was born out of a desire to see this underappreciated PC98 game (and subsequent Windows 95 port) opened up to much wider audiences.
Though it certainly does stumble with many of the pitfalls of the genre, such as overemphasizing the lewder aspects of the story in its advertising while downplaying the compelling narratives that await within, Kurayami is a fantastic visual novel that does more with less.
While the scenario is the same each time, you are essentially greeted with a different story depending on which female companion happens to be trapped in the elevator with you at the time. Even when you replay with the same character, the developers did a fantastic job at reusing the same imagery — or even dialogue — in different contexts to tell a distinct story based on the choices you make.
Who Are We?
A lifelong fan of video/computer games and Japanese culture (it all started as a 90’s kid obsessing over Power Rangers!), Admin Mari began this passion project because Kurayami Scenario 1 told such an interesting story. With the fascinating history and aesthetic of the PC-98 series, she hopes Kurayami’s English translation will be a good gateway into the PC-98 world, if you’re not already hooked.