Feature: "Unsettling Yet Captivating" - SHUTEN ORDER Creators Talk Cult Religion And Dismemberment

Creator Kazutaka Kodaka – known for Danganronpa, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, and more – has cultivated quite the reputation for his wild, engrossing video game stories, but the upcoming SHUTEN ORDER might just be one of his boldest yet.

Launching on 5th September 2025 on the Switch eShop from DMM Games and Spike Chunsoft, SHUTEN ORDER takes place in a world swiftly reaching its end. The leader of a religious cult – the titular Shuten Order – is murdered by dismemberment and subsequently revived in a temporary body to track down the culprit. Guided by two self-proclaimed "angels", the protagonist must investigate each of the five ministers of the Shuten Order, with each route containing its own unique gameplay hook.

Pretty wild stuff, then. To find out more, we recently caught up with Tookyo Games' writer Kodaka-san, game designer and director Takumi Nakazawa, and illustrator simadoriru...

Nintendo Life: SHUTEN ORDER has a fascinating premise. Can you walk us through how the project started?

Kazutaka Kodaka: I wanted to create a game themed around a cult religion. I aimed to make a game featuring strange incidents that occur within a value system completely unlike ordinary thinking. That led me to start crafting a story based on the themes of ‘religion’ and ‘dismemberment murder.’

Until now, I had made an effort to distance my works from traditional visual novels, but this time, I had the idea of creating a straightforward, full-fledged visual novel. With that in mind, I decided to make a game where various types of visual novels unfold depending on the story. Given the theme, I thought it would be impossible to partner with a publisher, but fortunately, we were able to collaborate with DMM, resulting in a very rich visual novel.

Each of the five ministers starts a new branch of gameplay in SHUTEN ORDER. How did you come up with this approach, and what kind of challenges did you face?

Takumi Nakazawa: When Kodaka constructed the initial plot, this concept was already incorporated. According to Kodaka, 'This time, I wanted to create a straightforward adventure game. However, simply making a direct, straightforward game wouldn’t be interesting. So, my aim was to let players enjoy various types of adventure gameplay within a single work.' In reality, the plot was developed alongside the themes of religion and dismemberment murder, so I believe it was a concept that came together through collaboration.

During production, one major challenge was implementing completely different game systems, scenarios with varying tones, and distinct UI designs all within one game. This required several times the effort of a typical adventure game and demanded frequent mental shifts. Neilo, the developer who worked alongside us, probably put in even more effort and faced greater difficulties than I did.

Which of the five ministers was particularly difficult to develop?

Nakazawa: The Ministry of Security route was especially challenging. We struggled with balancing the stealth action segments. The game system was intended primarily as a tool to enhance emotional immersion, and we wanted to create a story-driven game that players could enjoy for its narrative.

The action shouldn’t be so difficult that no one can complete it, but it also shouldn’t be so easy that there’s no point in playing. We spent a long time carefully searching for the perfect balance and repeatedly fine-tuning it.

The art style for the game is beautiful. How did you design the characters? Did you work from descriptions provided by the scripts?

simadoriru: After reading up on the scenario and setting, I focused on adding a touch of theatrical flair to enhance the tricks and the story.

I love the use of colour in the game, too. Was there a particular mood that you wanted to express with the visuals?

simadoriru: Perhaps it is a mix of pop appeal and eeriness. I hope the visuals come off as unsettling yet captivating.

Which games, if any, did you draw inspiration from for this title? Did you look back on your own work with Danganronpa, for example?

Kodaka: This work is influenced by every visual novel I have ever loved. It serves as a culmination of all the visual novels I've ever read.

It’s perhaps too early to ask this question, but is there potential for DLC for Shuten Order? Could we perhaps see more ministers with their own unique gameplay hook?

Nakazawa: At present, there are no plans or concepts for a sequel. If this game is a commercial success and we receive a lot of feedback from users, I believe DMM would consider it. For those who wish to see a sequel, please help spread the word about SHUTEN ORDER. Please promote it!

I have to ask about Too Kyo Games. Kodaka-san, you’ve been upfront about monetary troubles recently. How are things at the moment? Has your work on SHUTEN ORDER helped stabilise the business?

Kodaka: If there is demand, the company will continue, and if there isn’t, the company will likely go under. That is normal.

The SHUTEN ORDER IP belongs to DMM, so the sales do not directly affect us. However, honestly, I hope many people will play the game.

(Note: since our questions were submitted, Kodaka has stated that the business has somewhat stabilised following strong sales of The Hundred Line - Last Defense Academy, and that he no longer sees "bankruptcy as a serious future" - happy days!)

Finally, is there anything we’ve not touched on that you’d like to say about SHUTEN ORDER?

Nakazawa: SHUTEN ORDER is designed so that your impressions change significantly depending on the order in which you play its five routes. Each route offers different ‘fragments of the truth,’ so what you know, or don’t know, greatly affects how you perceive and feel about the story.

Perhaps you might encounter a huge surprise revealed in the first route you play. Then, how would your experience change when playing the other routes with that knowledge? While the core story content doesn’t change, the experience will definitely be different compared to playing without knowing those surprises.

That creates a play experience unique to you. After clearing all the routes, I encourage you to share your thoughts with other players. That exchange, too, is part of the enjoyment of SHUTEN ORDER.

simadoriru: This game features an extensive cast of characters, and I designed nearly all of them, including the mobs. I hope you take the time to look closely and enjoy every detail.

Thank you to Kazukata Kodaka, Takumi Nazakawa, and simadoriru for taking the time to speak with us. SHUTEN ORDER launches on the Nintendo Switch eShop on 5th September 2025.