Cursed Merchant of Kyoto

On the fringes of Heian-kyo, along the grim road to Toribeno where the dead are carried, stands your shop. You are a disgraced Onmyoji, turning the key to your storefront once more today.

Buy cursed artifacts on the cheap, purify them under the cover of night, and flip them for a profit the next morning—welcome to a 4-chapter, 28-turn shop management sim.

But as the days blur together, an eerie unease creeps in. Why does no customer ever return? What is the shop’s Nekomata truly hiding? What is that unsettling feeling radiating from your younger sister? And what is the truth behind the dark rumors whispered by your clientele?

As the shopkeeper, every transaction brings you closer to the pitch-black heart of Heian-kyo.

■ Gameplay Breakdown

The game seamlessly blends a Shop Management Phase (buying, purifying, and selling) with a narrative-driven Story Phase where you unravel paranormal mysteries.

• Daytime: Barter & Business Appraise the bizarre items brought to your shop and haggle for the best buying price. Once purified, these relics can be sold to customers as sacred tools. Earn cash, balance the books, and keep your shop afloat.

• Nighttime: Curse Purification (The Five Elements Puzzle) Every cursed artifact is bound by the Wu Xing (the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). Solve elemental puzzles to neutralize the corruption. If you fail and the curse builds up in your shop, a horrific death by madness awaits.

• Game Over Conditions

  • Bankruptcy: Running completely out of funds.

  • Madness: Allowing the curse meter to overflow.

■ Features

• Daytime Commerce: Buy cursed goods from desperate sellers, and sell purified sacred tools to eager buyers.

• Nighttime Exorcism: Break curses through unique puzzle mechanics tailored to each of the Five Elements.

• 4 Chapters, 28 Turns: Time is ticking, and it flows faster than you think.

• High-Stakes Survival: Lose your cash and you go bankrupt; let the curses pile up and you die of madness.

• Bonding with the Nekomata: A mysterious two-tailed cat demon haunts your shop. Follow his tracks between nightly purifications to unlock special encounters and build your bond.

• Multiple Endings: The narrative branches based on your financial success and your relationship with the Nekomata. Will you survive the shadows of Heian-kyo and discover the True Ending?

• Playtime: Approx. 1–2 hours