Etranger in the City of Doom – A Puzzle-RPG About Memory and Hope

Posted: 2026-01-11

Circle: Kujilab

Story Premise

The stage is a world floating in the sky. Tio awakens with no memories, given her name by a young girl named Rikiru who lives alone in the City of Doom. When Rikiru reveals that an angel named Norn—someone dear to her—has been captured, Tio decides to help. Together with allies they meet along the way, they embark on a journey to the land of angels.

This isn’t just a quest to save someone. Along the way, Tio’s relationship with Rikiru deepens, and the girl who had nothing slowly learns what it means to connect with others. The story explores themes of identity, purpose, and hope in a world on the brink of ruin. Reviewers noted that what initially seemed like character flaws—like Tio’s lack of traditional growth mechanics—turned out to perfectly match her narrative arc.

Core Gameplay

Puzzle-Based Combat

Built on the “World Wide Adventure” framework, the game presents puzzle-style RPG dungeons. Two difficulty modes are available: Normal mode offers generous resources and is designed for story progression, while Hard mode challenges veterans with tighter resource management. If you just want to experience the narrative, there’s even a cheat mode to breeze through battles.

Strategic Resource Management

Unlike traditional RPGs, Tio doesn’t gain stats through leveling. Instead, progression is about learning dungeon patterns, optimizing moves, and clever resource allocation. Save anywhere, reload anytime—perfect for experimenting with different approaches. Each dungeon introduces unique gimmicks and unexpected skills, showing the developer’s commitment to variety over repetition.

The “no growth” system initially worried players, but it brilliantly mirrors Tio’s character: she doesn’t need to become stronger in the traditional sense. What she needs is something else entirely—something you’ll discover as the story unfolds.

Characters

• Tio – The silent, expressionless protagonist who adores Rikiru despite (or because of) her blank slate personality
• Rikiru – A girl living alone in the doomed city, whose fate changes when she meets Tio
• Norn – The captured angel that Rikiru cherishes, whose rescue drives the entire adventure
• Ranka – A beast-girl from the Phantasma Alliance who helps Tio out of gratitude
• Siesta – An elf from the Phantasma Alliance who aids the group
• Regret – A succubus working at the Honey House brothel who treats Tio like a little sister
• Riiri – A dragon-kin noblewoman and supporter of Tio’s group (Note: includes futanari content)

Artwork & Content

• 80 base CGs with over 100 H-events covering a wide range of scenarios
• Adorable character designs with soft skin rendering and excellent lighting that brings out sensuality
• Detailed pixel sprites with smooth animations and expressive micro-expressions
• Diverse H-content including consensual scenes, dungeon mishaps, fantasy elements (futanari, petrification), and even multiple toilet humor variations
• Content ranges from wholesome girl-on-girl interactions to harder monster encounters—check tags carefully

Game Features

• Approximately 10 hours to complete the main story
• Save/load anywhere with no time limits in dungeons—perfect for busy schedules
• Cheat mode for players who want to focus purely on the story
• Full scene recollection unlocked after reaching the true ending
• Custom music tracks (not from RPG Maker’s default library)
• Made with RPG Maker MV
• Connects to previous works in the Kujilab universe for series fans

Player Reception

Multiple reviewers praised how the game exceeded expectations despite not being “perfect.” One player noted that completing the game transformed their understanding of Tio’s lack of traditional growth—it wasn’t a flaw but a deliberate design choice that matched her character arc beautifully.

The puzzle difficulty struck a good balance: challenging enough to feel rewarding, accessible enough not to gate the story. Players appreciated being able to make everyone happy by the end, with one reviewer saying, “I wanted to do everything I could to make all the main characters happy.”

The world-building received high marks for giving even NPCs their own stories. The setting feels bleak—it’s called the City of Doom for a reason—but the game shows that neither humans nor angels are monolithic groups. There’s nuance in the moral landscape.

Fair warning: some H-scenes can be rough. Multiple reviews mentioned painful-looking content, though there’s plenty of softer material too (scissoring, futanari romance, etc.). The game caters to diverse tastes including monster enthusiasts and pregnancy fans.

Recommendations

• Players who enjoy story-driven RPGs with meaningful character development
• Fans of puzzle-based combat systems who want strategic gameplay without grinding
• Those looking for diverse H-content including monster encounters and fantasy scenarios
• Anyone who appreciates narratives about found families and personal growth
• Players comfortable with content ranging from wholesome to hardcore (review tags carefully)

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