The Shell Part I: Inferno

• Steam user Steam user …8165Steam reviews · Oct 24, 2023 · 33 h played

  Rebirth with missing body parts The Shell Part I: Inferno is a Shiravune remaster of the original Kara no Shojo, previously published by MangaGamer, and as its new title suggests, it's the first part of a trilogy that will finally come to Steam in this repackaged form.* I have loved and been transfixed by the Girl in the Shell ever since I laid eyes on her two years ago - on the verge of breaking, being born from the egg; amidst the white empty space where nothing exists but you, looking out…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4725Steam reviews · May 30, 2025 · 25 h played

  The story is interesting, but it's another one of Steam's infamous "This used to be an H-Game, but it got censored." I'm normally not opposed to this process, but you literally need an R-18 patch to get the true ending of the game. The censorship removes not only the smut but also the gore in this murder mystery visual novel. It doesn't make sense to me. I'm not opposed to sexual themes, but I do avoid outright smut. So I don't like stumbling upon these Steam games where it used to be full…

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5276Steam reviews · May 22, 2026 · 14 h played

  I will say this as a warning to other women thinking of playing this game as woman who didn't know what they were getting into: This game, where interesting in the mystery aspect, is very much male gaze-y in the worst way possible. The main character has sexual undertones with every girl/woman in the game, including teenagers (who you do have option to have sex with) and your little sister (whyyy). This all feels especially weird and kinda tone deaf since while this pseudo harem thing is…

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …8605Steam reviews · Sep 29, 2023 · 21 h played

  The story is fascinating, but the gameplay aspect is absolutely infuriating. to get a specific route you have to be at this spot on this date, without a guide it is impossible. It is just stupid.

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4174Steam reviews · Dec 18, 2023 · 40 h played

  Trial by Fire Back in 2018, Kara no Shojo (or is it Shoujo?!) showed up on Steam roughly a decade after its release. Earlier this year, it was highly recommended to me as a newfound fan of visual novels. Yet, the game wasn't exactly my type. You can probably guess what that entails from the fact that it was published by MangaGamer, the company behind other esteemed titles such as Forbidden Love with My Wife's Sister. The graphic nature of the content, combined with the skewed aspect ratio…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …1458Steam reviews · May 29, 2025 · 18 h played

  TL;DR: To other visual novel readers, I'd recommend trying Kara no Shoujo(The Shell), but personally, there're certain things that didn't click with me. Kara no Shoujo Review (Personal Take) Kara no Shoujo presents a fascinating murder mystery set in post-war Japan, offering a dense, intricate case that’s genuinely engaging. The central plot of uncovering the twisted killings and the dark secrets behind them grabs you from the start. When the game focuses on this core mystery, it shines: the…

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …8143Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2023

  Please forget my playtime. I already played this game twice on both the original and Japan HD remaster, so I think it's time for me to officially play this game on Steam to support Shiravune. Kara no Shoujo series is one of my favorite VN of all time. I first played this game in 2011, and the grim beauty of both story and visuals has still captivated me to this day. I really wish Shiravune would bring both the second episode and the last episode to Steam.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7948Steam reviews · Sep 1, 2025 · 56 h played

  i liked this novel https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3573046921

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7736Steam reviews · Jan 26, 2025 · 30 h played

  You need to install patch to experience the full content. The Shell Part I: Inferno, also known as Kara no Shoujo, is a VN mainly about mysterious murder (Yes it does have adult content but that's like 5% of the game, so you might still want to treat this game as normal VN) Characters are very appealing, a lot of detail writings are put into showing their mental and plots in this game is super mind blowing, the investigation and collecting clue parts are done really well, a game with good…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7276Steam reviews · Apr 27, 2026 · 14 h played

  I have no idea if I want to recommend this game or not. I think I have more problems with it than things I like so maybe I should not. However, the plot is pretty good. I really like mysteries myself and that is why I bought the game without propely researching it, so it is my fault. Even so I feel tricked. The steam game is not 18+ BUT you kind of need to install 18+ patch in order to get a certain ending which, for me, is insane. I did not feel like playing 18+ game, especially when it is…

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5970Steam reviews · Mar 8, 2026 · 16 h played

  What stayed with me most about Kara no Shoujo wasn’t the gore, or even the ending itself. It was the way the game keeps giving you this quiet hope that if you just keep going, if you just understand a little more, you might still be in time to change something. By the end, what hurts is realizing you never really were. That’s probably the cruelest thing the game does. A lot of people will remember the bodies first, the crime scenes, and that strange mix of beauty and disgust in the way the…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …6194Steam reviews · Nov 2, 2024 · 17 h played

  Very good story but on god please download the uncensored patch. This steam version softlock you in 2/3 of the playtrough and has a lot of cut content. I would put a negative review but it's the censored version that's the problem and not the game itself that is bad. Outside of that, it's worth every penny.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4811Steam reviews · Dec 18, 2023 · 21 h played

  Recommended if you like to play seek & find games but with your favorite characters dismembered limbs.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …8453Steam reviews · Sep 4, 2023 · 19 h played

  My paranoia about KnS series will never be broken.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …6583Steam reviews · Apr 16, 2025 · 34 h played

  ✅ Murders, Mutilations, and Mysteries. Oh My! ✅ Intriguing 1950s Post-War Noir Japan ✅ Good Characters, Art, and Music ✅ Several Cute Girls and Routes ✅ The Story Will Crush You.. why did u have to die.. ❌ A Very Westernized Translation 🔞 Patch is Needed

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …9354Steam reviews · Jan 8, 2024 · 44 h played

  I would say for the most part I quite liked this visual novel. I'm always down for a good mystery story and I'm glad this mostly delivered. The mysteries themselves were consistently interesting and the pacing was surprisingly solid. If only other mystery writers like Uchikoshi, Nakazawa, and especially Ryuukishi07 can learn pacing better like this game. Even though I'm generally not into dark gory stuff, I actually thought the way it was handled in the story was quite good. Having just…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …2414Steam reviews · Jun 9, 2026 · 14 h played

  it's a detective game, and you can't even get to the murderer's reveal without downloading a 18+ patch on an external website... (And honestly, seeing the content of said patch ... the pdfiles/abuse of power situations are not worth the effort) We're not talking about getting alternative endings or extra endings, it's the main storyline that gets cut off! I shouldn't have had to go on forums to learn about this either. if you're gonna have a different version of the game on steam to respect…

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …1798Steam reviews · Aug 27, 2025 · 10 h played

  The Shell Part I: Inferno is a chilling and emotionally intense visual novel that plunges players into a post-war Japan soaked in sorrow, trauma, and mystery. As a remastered version of the cult classic Kara no Shōjo, it introduces newcomers to a deeply unsettling detective story with modernized visuals, fully voiced characters, and an enhanced user experience. What at first appears to be a standard noir murder mystery quickly reveals itself to be a layered, psychological journey where human…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4440Steam reviews · Jul 5, 2024 · 7 h played

  It's extremely annoying that you're softlocked into a bad ending in this release unless you go download the adult patch on an external website, which then subjects you to adult scenes even if you didn't want to pursue that route. The story of Kara no Shojo is great and I'm playing this as a reread because the last time I touched this was years ago but I spent over an hour driving myself insane with game guides trying to advance the story when I couldn't. I don't care if the steam release is…

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …0757Steam reviews · Oct 22, 2025 · 20 h played

  if you like incest play this game

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7644Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2023 · 15 h played

  Delve into the Dark Secrets of Tokyo in 'The Shell Part I: Inferno!ヽ(´• ω •`)、 Intro : Step into the shadows of 1956 Tokyo in the gripping mystery-thriller visual novel, 'The Shell Part I: Inferno.' As you embark on a journey as Private Detective Reiji Tokisaka, you'll be drawn into a series of gruesome murders that have plunged the city into darkness. The game's post-war setting adds a layer of intrigue and melancholy, immersing players in a world filled with secrets waiting to be…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …2986Steam reviews · Apr 4, 2025 · 22 h played

  Please be sure to download the 18+ patch from the publisher's website. The game is impossible to fully complete without it. Additionally, please look into the content warnings before proceeding because the "mild violence" warning on the Steam page is laughably understated. -- It's 1956. Tokyo detective Reiji Tokisaka - tasked with finding the killer behind a series of gruesome murders - is approached by a young girl to take on her case with only the words: ""Find my true self."" As he…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …9991Steam reviews · Feb 1, 2025 · 27 h played

  Absolute masterpiece. Having played the original MangaGamer translation five years ago, I decided to replay this VN via this new remaster to refresh myself on the plot before tackling the third game recently translated. In nearly all regards, this remaster is the superior product, as much as the original holds dear to my heart. It contains a bit more content not found in the original; the CGs are touched up; frustrating aspects of the original's gameplay have been fixed and more…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5520Steam reviews · Aug 16, 2023 · 38 h played

  Kara no Shoujo is good VN with few problems. I have already reviwed Kara no Shoujo when Mangagamer released it on Steam years ago. If you are interested in reading that you can find [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198006455520/recommended/965810/]the review here. But now let's focus on how Shiravune release fares ... For some reason Shiravune felt the need to rename the game, probably so it wont be confused with Mangagamer release, or they just wanted to localise the name so…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …2104Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2023 · 2 h played

  A review copy was provided by the publisher, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/shiravune]Shiravune. Placeholder review. Follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38444643/]my curator page and subscribe to [url=https://lgreviewers.substack.com/]my blog for more reviews of saucy games while I finish this review. A dark and gripping murder mystery VN I've heard good things about The Shell (AKA Kara no Shoujo), but I never expected to get so immersed in it. It's a well-written…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …8410Steam reviews · Nov 21, 2025 · 27 h played

  ***The game requires a patch from the publisher's site in order to experiene the full story, not just H scenes*** REVIEW: Wow what a pleasant surprise this VN was, and exciting ride from start to finish, with a ton of choices and endings besides the good one which are actually worth checking out. Like mentioned above, the game has alot of choices to pick from, which will lead you into a bad ending if you pick the wrong ones. Other few times you will be investigating crime scenes and it…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4799Steam reviews · Jan 26, 2025 · 6 h played

  Shaping up to be a great game so far but the translation/localization is just awful, archaic, 'remove-all-traces-of-Japanese-ness' 4kids tier cringe. Natsume-chan -> "Natsuckme" are you kidding Shiravune? What a joke.

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …6470Steam reviews · Dec 5, 2024 · 9 h played

  heavily censored wtf

  negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …0603Steam reviews · Mar 9, 2024 · 17 h played

  As someone with zero interest in the 'Adult' scenes, I still highly recommend everyone that wants to play this seeks out and downloads the 18+ patch. Thankfully the jarring sex scenes are less than 1% of the story and you get the benefit of actually seeing the corpses in the investigation scene - vital in knowing where to click your mouse - instead of essentially silhouettes. Great story. Very dark. Voice acting was great, music was enjoyable, dialogue was very natural and engaging…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5607Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2023

  Hoping to see parts 2 and 3 on Steam soon. It'll be nice to finally get this series completely translated, voiced, put on Steam, and added to my collection.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …1804Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2023 · 12 h played

  Check out our [url=store.steampowered.com/curator/36364102-Horny-Hentai-Festival/]Steam curator , [url=www.youtube.com/curatorhhf/]YouTube channel and [url=twitter.com/hhfcurator]Twitter! [18+/VN] Mysterious, horror, and rich story with interactive elements. This is based on Fullvoice HD remastered ver. Tremendously cute and beautiful artwork by popular artists. [18+]『殻ノ少女』リマスター版の世界版。日本語音声有り、テキスト無し。

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …2581Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2024 · 58 h played

  Never before have I loved anyone. For I know the terror of being loved by another. Thus, I resolved to never fall in love. Yes, I swore as much to myself. But then, you changed everything. Canto - XII

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …3984Steam reviews · Mar 19, 2024 · 67 h played

  A mesmerising story of love, loss and life Kara no Shoujo tells the hauntingly beautiful tale of Reiji Tokisaka, a private detective in 1950s post war Japan, and Toko Kuchiki, a sick highschool girl whose real identity is the central theme of a gruesome series of murders. It combines shockingly brutal serial murders and a gripping mystery surrounding it all into a neat little package that's sprinkled on top with beautiful characters, gorgeous soundtrack and above all, a very humane outlook on…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …3461Steam reviews · Nov 8, 2023 · 36 h played

  First of all, I'm pleasantly surprised with such a close connection to Cartagra. I expected to see a simple cameo or something, but the characters appear constantly and even have a few emotional scenes on their own. And knowledge of Cartagra helps to notice how much Innocent Grey improved. Kara no Shoujo (the original title of The Shell) feels stronger as both murder mystery and convincing story in general. And increased interactivity helps immersing into it and not losing focus (pixel hunting…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …2232Steam reviews · Aug 13, 2025 · 17 h played

  This is my fourth time reading Kara no Shoujo (First time in original Japanese, then the Mangagamer release, then again when KnS2 was released, and finally now that KnS3 is translated), and this time around, it's been every bit as good as my previous readings. This is one of my favorite stories in the visual novel medium. The Shiravune version adds quite a number of improvements to the original, including an hour long prologue, which adds some repetitiveness, but also some additional story…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4716Steam reviews · Apr 21, 2025 · 16 h played

  It's genuinely infuriating without a guide, but is one of the most gripping and well-told visual novels I've ever read, regardless. I love the post-war setting, the horror and police-procedural elements all work terrifically well, and the art is beautiful. If you like graphic crime stories like "Silence of the Lambs" or "Se7en", you owe it to yourself to jump in and ever look back. The h-scenes are weird and shoehorned in, and add very little to the experience, except embarrassment. I…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …0051Steam reviews · Feb 15, 2025 · 30 h played

  Cartagra was really good. Kara no Shoujo is a whole new beast altogether. A true detective mystery, KnS is all about finding cruel ways to break the player, and color me broken. Terrifying and disturbing bad ends, shocking revelations, disgusting (but really good) gore make this game extremely memorable and unique. Coupled with Sugina Miki's classy, sexy art and MANYO's fantastic arrangements, KnS will leave you wont for nothing. KnS takes the premise of Cartagra and sends it through the roof,…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7146Steam reviews · Sep 10, 2024 · 28 h played

  Good game, amazing story but I'll be honest... it was a pain to get the 'true ending'. I would've prefered, if the game itself has a timeline feature or something along those lines present in the 'Zero Escape series'. Not a big fan of having to use a guide to reach the true ending because god forbid I missed to click on a single spot for the third time after having to click somewhere entirely different during the investigation sections.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5669Steam reviews · Jun 27, 2024 · 27 h played

  Adult content aside, this is an outstanding detective story with superb musical scores. It has many gruesome and shocking revelations but also genuinely heart touching moments to offer. Highly recommended even at full price.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4910Steam reviews · Jul 28, 2023 · 1 h played

  Mystery/thriller VN + beautiful music/art + interactive = The mystery grows into the unsolved murder cases that may be linked. Investigate people and various sites. Fully voiced and multiple endings. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35180752-3-point-play/] Follow our curator for similar games

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5640Steam reviews · Jun 13, 2026 · 12 h played

  I love my bug-obsessed sister ❤️ Reiji is THE GOAT

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …0248Steam reviews · Feb 7, 2026 · 50 h played

  Post WW2 Japan murder cases..... one of the best VN out there : ) I want you to find something... Me. My true self. Toko </3

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …1104Steam reviews · Nov 4, 2024 · 73 h played

  Morbid. --- Thriller. --- Dark. --- Interesting. --- Cool looking corpses. --- Morbid art. --- TOKO <3 -- Interesting and super fu**ked up VN that I FRIGGIN LOVE (it's because I love sick stories and thrillers so much). ANYWAYS. This is a VN series & I recommend playing "Cartagra" before playing Kara no Shoujo 1 (the shell 1), simply because it's llike a prequel & KnS (the shell) has some main characters from cartagra in it, even the protag & it will be way better if you played that before…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …0089Steam reviews · May 3, 2024 · 97 h played

  Highly recommend this if you like detective, mystery, and psychological horror stuff, and can deal with gruesome ♥♥♥♥. I had absolutely no interest in the H scenes, however I did end up downloading the patch because, along with the H scenes, the gore was heavily censored, making crime scenes difficult to examine, so I recommend downloading it from Shiravune's website.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …9222Steam reviews · Aug 8, 2023 · 30 h played

  Okay, so I've just finished the "normal ending" and lawdy this is a fantastic mystery game! I own the original Kara no Shoujo translation by MangaGamer, which is listed as an Adults Only game on Steam. This, however, is not. That's because it is heavily censored, for both sex and gore. As with all Shiravune titles that I've encountered, you'll need to download a 3rd party patch to enable the full content. Personally, I'd be fine without the sex scenes, but my disappointment lies with the…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5141Steam reviews · Jul 29, 2023 · 1 h played

  I now own two copies of Kara No Shoujo, here's hoping that they put out 2 and 3

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5014Steam reviews · Aug 17, 2026 · 49 h played

  Searched for something similar like Saya no uta and found this. You'll definetly need the 18+ patch to get the different endings in this game. Except the unecessary h+ scenes would rate this a 7/10

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …6941Steam reviews · Apr 13, 2026 · 21 h played

  Kara no Shoujo is without a doubt a gem and a must-play for anyone interested in mystery VNs. The story is incredibly gripping and carries a mystery that unfolds beautifully while tacking heavy themes that did resonate with me personally. The soundtrack is absolutely top tier with some pieces having already made their way into my playlists. The only gripe I have are the H-scenes, as they didn't really fit the pacing and tone of the story for the most part sometimes detracting from the serious,…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7020Steam reviews · Mar 31, 2026

  The Shell or Kara no Shoujo is a thought provoking visual novel that sticks with you, much like Innocent Grey's breakout work, Cartagra. I have played both of them through "other" means and feel very compelled to officially support their works, even before some of my favorite visual novels. You can play this game blind first, but I heavily recommend playing Cartagra first. There are H-scenes and gore in this game if you choose to play with the patch. Do not play this game for the H-scenes,…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5596Steam reviews · Feb 2, 2026 · 11 h played

  Only read this if you’re mentally prepared. This thing will mess you up for weeks.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …3352Steam reviews · Jan 22, 2025 · 8 h played

  "The moon is a kind mistress to the lonely"

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …8946Steam reviews · Jul 25, 2024 · 13 h played

  Cute girl dismemberment!

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …7829Steam reviews · Apr 22, 2024 · 41 h played

  Buy it if you want to say "ain't no way that happened" every 30 minutes

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …9827Steam reviews · Jan 2, 2024 · 1 h played

  Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. (Don't mind my playtime atm, I played this long ago and decided to purchase it on Steam too, replay it & get a hard copy-- that should tell you how good it is, at least for me, right?) Aside from that, let's begin, the tale of Inferno. Beautifully crafted (as usual from Innocent Grey works) and crude detectivesque story, with a lot of references on The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. With a setting in Tokyo's 1956, art & OST is surely a 10/10 and I can…

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4985Steam reviews · Jul 30, 2023 · 1 h played

  Having played the original steam release I can safely say this is probably one of my favorite VNs of all time. Everything about is just so excellently done. Be it the setting, the characters, and most importantly the story. I hope that having this version be censored will allow the other parts to come to steam (this game can be patched to restore the cut content). Overall this is a VN I wholeheartedly recommend you give a read if dark mystery and branching choices are up your alley.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …8190Steam reviews · Sep 26, 2026 · 42 h played

  i will forevr keep searching for a vn that made me feel like this it left me empty but i wld read it all over again such a bittersweet feeling ;ㅅ; id do anything to experience this for the first time again i love u kuchiki toko ⁠𖹭

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …4477Steam reviews · Jul 14, 2026 · 27 h played

  Kinda dissapointed ngl. Like ofc its not bad. But atleast KNS1 does not make up for the glaze. Just my opinion but yea I dont think this is that good. I still have faith in KNS2 and 3, im sure they will be better like I played 30min of KNS2 and im sure it will be way better with just those 30min. But yea overall it dissapointed me.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …9589Steam reviews · Feb 10, 2026 · 17 h played

  i am also obsessed with toko

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …1694Steam reviews · Jan 5, 2026 · 26 h played

  The Shell (Kara no Shoujo) is an entrancing first part of a three part murder mystery visual novel series. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. It's become my own obsession. The artwork is beautiful. The story is captivating and, man, the mystery is really well done! I'm currently reading the final part of the series and I can't wait to see how it wraps up.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
• Steam user Steam user …5222Steam reviews · May 28, 2025 · 3 h played

  One of the best visual novels I've played in a long time.

  positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →

Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.