Rules of the Inn

The guests who obeyed the rules are still in the ledger, and nowhere else.

At night you cannot leave your room in an old Japanese inn.

The rules on the wall are the only thing keeping morning within reach. But some nights a thing arrives wearing the name of a thing the rules describe, and then the correct rite is how you hand yourself over.

"If the shadow moves, lower your eyes." You have memorised that one.

So: did something move behind the paper screen just now, or did you imagine it?

Judge wrong, and morning will not come.

What you do

• Watch the room from your futon. A rustle of cloth, a shadow, a flicker of lantern light - find what is wrong

• When you find it, perform the rite the rules demand. Lower your eyes / cover your ears / quell the flame

• Gaze upon the hanging scroll, but never meet its eyes. Do not cross that line

The rites are easy to memorise. What is hard is deciding, in a dark room, whether this is the moment.

No two nights arrive the same way

Nothing is on a script. There are 32 kinds of wrongness, 38 individuals - and which wall, how large, and how close is drawn fresh every time.

Which one comes, which surface of the room it comes through, how large it is,

and even whether the rules on the wall are still legible - all of it is drawn fresh each night.

It does not always wear the same face.

The reaction that was fast enough last night is too slow tonight. That is why you go back in -

to find out how it comes for you next.

Every night the room gets heavier

Each dawn adds another rule. More to remember, more to watch.

By the seventh night you notice how long you have been holding your breath.

Which dawn will you be given?

The one who endured. The one who was devoured. The one who broke the rules.

And the one who touched the truth of this inn.

Which ending you are given is decided by your seven nights.

Easy to pick up. Nowhere to run.

• Mouse only. No movement, no inventory - only looking, and the rites

• One run is all seven nights. More than one ending is waiting for you

• Text in Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese

• Play with the lights off and headphones on

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Note: This game contains dark scenes, sudden sounds, startling imagery, and flashing light.

If you have a heart condition, or are sensitive to light or sound, please lower the volume, play in a well-lit room, and take breaks.

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Streaming, Video and Let's Play Policy

I love watching Let's Plays! It genuinely makes my day when someone streams, records or uploads video of Rules of the Inn. If you post one, I will come and watch it. Play it however you like, and say whatever you like about it.

No application and no individual permission is needed. Please go ahead, within the terms below.

• Individuals and companies alike. If you belong to an agency, a studio or a talent management company, no additional permission is needed.

• Live streams, recorded videos, clips and short-form video are all fine.

• Any platform is fine (YouTube, Twitch, niconico, bilibili and others).

• You do not need to avoid spoilers. Please show the game all the way through to its hidden ending.

• You may monetise your video. You do not owe us any share of the revenue.

• You may use the game's video and audio exactly as they appear in the game.

Just these few things, please.

• Do not extract the music or sound effects on their own for use as material in unrelated works.

• Do not upload or stream footage of a modified build of the game.

• Please don't post videos whose main purpose is to let viewers watch the story footage alone, without commentary of your own.

• Please don't combine the game with content that is unlawful, or that defames any person or group.

One request, and only one: when you stream or post a video, a link to this store page would make me very happy!

Coverage of the demo alone is just as welcome as coverage of the full game.

Contact

Please get in touch about anything at all. Japanese or English are both fine.

• E-mail (best for private enquiries and review key requests) - kcreates.go (at) gmail (dot) com - anti-bot measure: please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with a full stop.

• Steam community discussions (for public questions and thoughts) - reach it from "Community Hub" at the top of this page, then "Discussions".

These guidelines may be revised without notice. We accept no liability for any damages arising from your videos or streams.