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Watch trailer on Steam ↗Under the River
夜火游戏（Night Fire Game） · Published by 夜火游戏（Night Fire Game）
Content notice: The game contains some adult content elements: Combat and weapon imagery without bloodshed or gore, depictions of bones/skeletons, derogatory language, intense pain, criminal behavior, bleeding, violent acts, accidental death, physical injury, corpses, violent depictions, suicide, partial nudity, and alcohol consumption.
Overwhelmingly Positive — 96% positive (574 reviews) · 12 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Under the River: The Borrowed Skin-She saved you—but turned you into a monster. You live on, wearing her skin as your body rots. To survive, you must devour her. One begs you to eat her. One begs you to stay human. What will you choose?
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Price history
Indie, RPG, Simulation · 2026 · More under £5 games
Explore the dark choices of survival in Under the River, an indie RPG where your decisions define your fate. Worn by a saved but now monstrous entity, you must choose between staying human and succumbing to the beast within.
About this game
Game introduction
During the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Sui'an had not yet sunk beneath the lake; it was still a thriving, prosperous city in western Zhejiang.
Shuijsheng's opera troupe received an invitation to perform for a ritual sacrifice to the "River God," and the destination was none other than this ancient capital, nestled between mountains and water.
However, during the journey, he slipped and fell into the river. Contracting a severe illness, his life hung by a thread, until he was saved by Qingqing, a drowned ghost.
From then on, cloaked in a sinister "demonic skin," he was reduced to a half-human, half-ghost existence. His flesh gradually decayed, and his time grew short.
Qingqing informed him that only by consuming her spectral form could he extend his life;
His junior apprentice sister, however, said it would be better to pray for divine mercy to overcome this calamity.
The solemn-looking sacrificial ceremony concealed untold secrets.
Shuijsheng gradually realized he had stepped into a labyrinthine plot that connected the realms of humans, ghosts, and gods...
He must uncover the truth within the profound depths of the ancient city,
Make a choice between Qingqing and his junior apprentice sister,
And find his own path to redemption.
Game background
This work is adapted from Pu Songling's collection of classical Chinese short stories, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, incorporating elements from tales such as The Painted Skin, Old Master Zhang, The Fox's Daughter, and Wang Liulang.
Character introduction
Li Qingqing, an 10018-year-old girl who drowned, refused to be reincarnated and instead became a water ghost, lingering in the rivers of Sui'an.
Huang Cuicui, a 10016-year-old girl, is the daughter of an opera troupe leader and Shuisheng's junior fellow apprentice.
Game experience
Under the River is Nightfire Games' debut title, with initial script drafting by Huyu and subsequent refinement and production by Huyan.
The game features 150,000 words of text, 11 unique endings, and fully voiced dialogue throughout all 1,500 lines.
Players will take on the role of an opera performer in the Ming Dynasty, making choices based on their own judgment and ultimately deciding between two female protagonists.
The game contains some adult content elements:
Combat and weapon imagery without bloodshed or gore, depictions of bones/skeletons, derogatory language, intense pain, criminal behavior, bleeding, violent acts, accidental death, physical injury, corpses, violent depictions, suicide, partial nudity, and alcohol consumption.
The game is currently in full development, and we warmly welcome everyone to come and take an early look.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS *: Windows 7, Windows 8.1
- Processor: Intel Core i3 2.00 GHz 或 AMD A10
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 3000
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i3 2.00 GHz 或 AMD A10
- Memory: 5 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics 3000
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 6 GB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
2026/03/07 update
Fixed the issue where fast-forward mode might crash in certain situations Fixed some cases of incorrect voice line positioning Fixed some text errors Thank you all for your continued support! If you run into any other issues, feel free to join our player discussion group and chat with us: 1039088439 (QQ)Read full article on Community Announcements (夜火游戏)Patch NotesOfficial
2026/03/06 update
Fixed the issue where autoplay sometimes pauses unexpectedly in certain situations Fixed some cases of incorrect voice line positioning Optimized UI scaling and adaptation across various screen resolutions Thank you all for your continued support! If you run into any other issues, feel free to join our player discussion group and chat with us: 1039088439 (QQ)Read full article on Community Announcements (夜火游戏)AnnouncementsOfficial
The romance adventure game "Under the River" officially releases on March 6!
Chat with the Immortals-themed romance adventure game "Under the River" officially releases on March 6! Dear players, thank you for waiting so long!The Ming Dynasty supernatural romance text adventure game Under the River, independently developed by Night Fire Game, is now officially scheduled to launch on Steam on March 6, 2026!In the Jiajing era, the ancient city of Sui’an.We play as the opera performer Shuisheng Li, who, after a near-drowning accident, puts on a bizarre “ghost skin” and becomes a half-human, half-ghost being. His flesh gradually rots away, with little time left to live.The drowned ghost girl Qingqing Li begs you to “eat her” to extend your life; your childhood sweetheart and junior sister in the troupe, Cuicui Huang, hopes you will “pray for divine grace” to overcome this calamity.This is not merely a choice between survival—it’s a labyrinth that spans the realms of humans, ghosts, and gods. What unspeakable secrets hide behind the seemingly solemn grand sacrificial ceremony? When classical zhiguai tales meet the realistic allegory style of Da Ming 1566, how will you find the path to your own redemption?\1.A fresh take on Liaozhai, rustic and suspenseful: Adapted from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, blending famous stories like Painted Skin and Wang Liulang, it tells a “Liaozhai version of Great Ming” tale about human nature and obsession.2.Red rose and white rose, tangled love: Choose between the “water ghost” Qingqing Li, who has lived for 10018 years, and Cuicui Huang, the troupe junior sister who grew up with you. Your heart will decide the final ending.3.Multiple branching endings, uncovering the truth: 150,000 characters of text, 11 distinct endings. Every choice can lead you toward salvation… or eternal damnation.4.Full voice acting throughout, total immersion: Over 1,500 lines of full voice acting, paired with authentic traditional Chinese-style music, letting you personally experience that eerie yet touching legend.The curtain rises...Read full article on Community Announcements (夜火游戏)Patch NotesOfficial
2025/12/21 DEMO Version Update Log
I. Bug Fixes 1. Fixed an issue where certain scenes could loop indefinitely2. Fixed incorrect BGM matching in some scenes3. Fixed text display errors4. Adjusted inconsistencies between voice lines and text in certain parts II. Optimizations 1. Added additional sprite variations for certain scenes2. Redesigned parts of the UI3. Enhanced visual effects during specific scenes4. Added new facial expressions for character sprites5. Adjusted audio levels where volume was too high6. Re-recorded selected voice lines We truly appreciate all the feedback and support from our players. We'll keep listening and continue refining the game. If you encounter any bugs or have suggestions for improvement, feel free to reach out to us via:Official QQ Group: 1039088439 The full game is scheduled for release on March 6, 2026. We can't wait to share it with you!Read full article on Community Announcements (夜火游戏)AnnouncementsOfficial
'Under the River' Production Log: Game Scene Design Showcase
Hi everyone, I’m huyu from Nightfire Games. Today, I’d like to walk you through our environment design. Our story is set in the Jiangnan region, so while creating the scenes, we studied plenty of Jiangnan towns—from Shaoxing and Jiaxing to Hongcun Village in Anhui.After releasing the demo last time, we received a lot of feedback from players and have been gradually polishing the experience. Some players mentioned that there aren’t enough environments in the current demo. Originally, we planned for 20 scenes during the project’s initial phase, but now we’ve decided to expand further. We’re aiming to increase the total to around 30 scenes moving forward.Lastly, thank you all for testing our demo. We’ll keep refining the game based on your feedback. We truly appreciate your support, and if you could help us out—maybe drop a review or add the game to your wishlist—that would mean a lot. Thanks, everyone!Read full article on Community Announcements (夜火游戏)
