DOGEZA

DOGEZA is a first-person Japanese horror exploration adventure set in a castle during the Edo period. The player takes the role of a feudal lord left alone for a single night, with no retainers or servants. The lord meets again those whose deaths he once ordered, and the castle is cursed. Escape depends on atoning for past actions through dogeza, the deepest bow of apology in Japan.

The player explores the castle at midnight, including the keep, the turrets and the grounds, looking for a way past its sealed doors. Items and writings left behind by the dead can be gathered around the castle, and the player must decide who deserves an apology. The game describes a proper way to apologise to the dead, referred to as the rite of repentance. Some doors are sealed with a red-glowing padlock and do not open easily, so small changes in the environment need attention. Vengeful spirits wander the castle, and the player must avoid their gaze, as a wrong apology carries a penalty.

The game has three endings, and it is left open whether any of them allows the lord to survive. A single run takes around 30 to 60 minutes, and reaching every ending takes roughly 90 to 120 minutes. Streaming and Let’s Play guidelines are available on the official website of the developer, MasaKa Studio.