”Destroying a picture book”—is that really okay? The title might make you hesitate for a moment. However, what ”Shinigami Hime to Ishokan no Kaibutsu” proposes is not a game where you just read a story, but an unprecedented experience where the player themselves ”intervenes” in the world of the picture book to break and change it. While following in the footsteps of The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince and The Cruel King and the Great Hero, the visuals have completely transformed into a fantasy world wrapped in a monochrome, unsettling atmosphere. In this world of picture books that feels somewhat nostalgic yet chilling, you become a girl named ”Mono” and embark on a life-risking journey to save someone precious to you.

The protagonist Mono's driving force is just one thing: the pure and earnest wish to ”save my big sister.” This becomes the power to resist the cruel fate of her sister turning into a monster due to the ”Shinigami Disease.” By making a contract with a monster named Melle and traveling through a closed space called the ”Ishokan” (Strange Library), she also encounters the stories of other girls with wounded hearts. Why they became monstrosities—a different ”pain” is hidden behind each of them, and learning about it tightens your chest every time. Yet, the process of finding a faint glimmer of hope within that sadness is the most beautiful part of this game.

The true essence of this game is that it is not a picture book you just read, but one you can ”change” with your own hands. In the process of Mono and Melle cooperating to solve gimmicks set within the story world, interactions such as ”destruction” and ”deformation” are required. By adding challenging puzzle elements to this, the sense of immersion is greatly enhanced. It doesn't end with mere exploration; it's the feeling of picking up a picture book, tearing the pages with your own hands, changing its shape, and moving forward. This is an experience that could be called an evolution from a ”game you read” to a ”game you change.”

The artwork is handled by Sayaka Oda, who has been in charge throughout the series, and the visuals are impressive for their combination of a somewhat maddening style and cuteness. The expressions of the characters emerging in a pitch-black world seem to contain a story in each one, conveying a wealth of information just by looking at the screen. The scenario was written by Kento Jobana, known for Disgaea 7 and Bar Stella Abyss. The stories of the girls spun by his pen carefully depict past traumas and conflicts while never forgetting the strength to overcome them. At the end of the story, a gentle aftertaste awaits, where a small warmth remains amidst the bittersweetness.

”Shinigami Hime to Ishokan no Kaibutsu” is more than just an adventure game. It is a new form of interactive picture book where you read, play, break, and experience a story that will be etched into your heart. Fairy-tale-like yet cruel, cute yet painful—this work, where such contradictory elements beautifully coexist, will surely become an unforgettable memory once played. The ”sorrow” and ”hope” that can only be encountered within a game are waiting for you.