PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is out now!

The new supernatural mystery adventure releases for Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS and Android. Learn about the game, the characters and some of the real life mysteries that inspired it!
By Duncan Heaney

How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead?

That’s just one of the big questions you’ll have to wrestle with in PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo - available today on Steam, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.

I’ve discussed this before, but writing about the game is a very particular challenge. This supernatural mystery adventure is surprising, gripping and extremely memorable, but to explain why would only serve to lessen the experience for you.

It’s a game that constantly confronts the player with new scenarios, new ideas and new challenges that will force you to change how you think about things. It’s a game that delights in wrong-footing you at every opportunity - just when you think you have a handle on how things are going to go, it reveals it had a new trick up its sleeve the entire time.

And it does all this while telling a thoroughly absorbing story full of compelling characters.

Read on and I’ll introduce the basic premise of the game, the characters and even some more of the real-life occult mysteries that inspired it!

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo screenshot

What is PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo about?

The game is a supernatural mystery adventure set in the Sumida Ward of Tokyo - an area once known as Honjo.

This area is home to a number of supernatural mysteries, or more accurately local superstitions, known as the Seven Mysteries of Honjo. In truth, there are as many as nine or 15 of these mysteries, but it’s known as ‘seven’ because… well, we’ll let Yoko here explain:

PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo screenshot
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo screenshot
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo PARANORMASIGHT

There is also a rumor of the fabled Rite of Resurrection, which it is said can bring someone back from the dead. This valuable prize is sought by many people, including the four playable protagonists, who each have their own reason for seeking it.

But we ask again… how far will you go to help them get what they want?


Meet the characters

You’ll play as four characters over the course of the branching story, each with very different motivations of their own… and afflicted with some very dangerous curses that can both help and hinder them in their quest for the Rite of Resurrection.

They are:

Shogo Okiie

Shogo Okiie

Shogo is a seemingly unremarkable young man who works in the planning department of Hihaku Soaps, a chemical company in Sumida.

He’s friends with Yoko Fukunaga - a young woman who has the ability to see things others cannot. Shogo is skeptical of the supernatural, but when the pair investigate the mystery of the Whispering Canal, events take a surprising turn and he’s forced to confront reality as he knows it.

Tetsuo Tsutsumi

Tetsuo Tsutsumi

Tetsuo is a gruff police detective working in the Sumida ward. Accompanied by his fresh-faced partner Jun Erio, he sets out to unravel the truth of a series of mysterious deaths all over the area.

But as the clues start to point to the supernatural, and an old archenemy resurfaces, Tetsuo realizes he must find a way to protect those most important to him.

Harue Shigima

Harue Shigima

A grieving mother, desperate for answers turns to help from private investigator Richter Kai.

Together, they set off down a dark path in search of those answers. But what is Harue willing to sacrifice to get them?

And what is she really after? The truth… or revenge?

Yakko Sakazaki

Yakko Sakazaki

Schoolgirl Michiyo mysteriously falls to her death and her friend Yakko is determined to find out what really happened.

But as she delves deeper into recent events, she discovers shocking truths about her friend.

What terrible secrets was Michiyo hiding?


More mysteries of Honjo

Last time we wrote about PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, we highlighted a few of the real-life mysteries that inspired it, as they appear in the game.

It’s pretty interesting stuff (and who doesn’t love a good spooky story), so here are a few more. How these mysteries manifest themselves in the game, however… we’ll leave you to discover that for yourselves.

The Fool’s Procession

This mysterious tale regales an encounter had by a daimyo (a lord in feudal Japan) at his residence in Honjo’s Ushijima.

When walking around his estate, he heard the sound of music, much like that of a Kagura performance. He commanded his people to find the source, but no matter how hard they searched, the music would fade when a person neared the Warigesui canal.

The source of the music was never located.

This story is also known as ‘The Procession of the Tanuki’ as many believe that these mysterious tricksters must have been behind it all…

The Foot-Washing Mansion

This story occurred in the dead of night in a residence in Mikasacho.

A foul-smelling wind rattled the house. Suddenly, a giant foot drenched in blood smashed through the ceiling! “Wash!” it commanded.

After the servants carefully washed the foot, it returned from whence it came, fixing the roof it had broken.

A man who had been visited by the foot every night asked a friend to trade houses with him. That night, the foot stopped appearing…

PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo screenshot

The Evergreen Beech

Once upon a time in North Okurabashi, a beautiful beech tree stood in the garden of Lord Shinden’s residence. It was so impressive that the house became known among the people as the Beech Residence.

Somehow, no one had ever seen a single leaf fall, and as rumors spread of the eternally green tree it because known as the Evergreen Beech.

However, this particular species of tree is actually evergreen, so the lack of fallen leaves was actually nothing out of the ordinary. This has led people to suggest that the strangest part of this legend is that it ever became a legend at all.

The Taiko of Tsugaru

There was once a daimyo in Tsugaru who built a residence on a large piece of land.

On this estate was an almost eight meter tall tower that served as a lookout for fires. Only a designated firefighter was allowed to use the large drum that resided atop the tower in the event of a fire.

While most towers used wooden blocks to sound the alarm, for some reason this residence was permitted to use drums. The residence and its special privileges led to much speculation and gossip among the townsfolk.


As you can see, these stories range from occult oddities to small superstitions, but the way they’re incorporated into the game is… well, no spoilers, but it’s pretty clever.

You can see for yourselves in PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo - out today Steam, Switch, IOS and Android.

We hope you enjoy this spookily surprising supernatural story. It’s unlike anything else out there and we can’t wait for you to start unveiling some of the secrets in store. If you play it and love it, tell people about it… but try not to ruin too many surprises, eh?

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