Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗Shadowrite
Ying Studios · Published by Ying Studios · Official site ↗
Content notice: Pixel-art renditions of ritual sacrifice scenes and discussions of death and the afterlife maturely
Last updated 5 Sept 2026
Wander into the world of the dead to bring your mother home in this voodoo-inspired cozy dark JRPG. Brave six handcrafted mausoleums, claim their spirit gems, and unravel the ritual that took her. Lose yourself in the town of The Crossroads where every ghost has a story and grudges to uncover
About this game
Two siblings are whisked away during a mysterious ritual and trapped in a spirit world. To return home, they must unlock the six domains of Blood, Dream, Plague, Hex, Shadow, and Time, while uncovering the truth behind the Shadowrite. Somewhere in The Crossroads, a grimoire holds the secret to going home.
The liveliest town you've seen, except that everyone in it happens to be dead.
NPCs follow daily schedules. Shops open and close, residents wander between home, work, and the inn, and the town changes with the clock.
Build relationships through your choices to uncover secrets and puzzles hidden across The Crossroads
Battle corrupted spirits in combat where hesitation costs you the fight.
Swap your entire party's job compositions mid-battle using Weave Shifts. Go offensive for burst damage, defensive to weather a big hit, or switch to healing in a pinch.
Weapons level up through combat, unlocking new spirit skills at milestones. Every skill you discover is added to your Grimoire, a collection of your growing understanding of the afterlife.
No quest markers. No waypoints. Just a logbook and your instincts.
Piece together solutions by talking to NPCs, reading signs, and paying attention to who's awake and who's asleep.
The answer is always in the world. You just have to look.
Handcrafted dungeons with branching paths, hidden loot, and bosses whose defeat reshapes the town.
Dungeon progress unlocks new town events, NPC quests, shop inventory, and story revelations. The town and the mausoleums feed each other.
Craft hot chocolates at Chokola's Cradle for buffs, or take a debuff for double battle rewards. Risk and reward await you at every corner.
Switch your party leader's job outside combat to unlock unique abilities. Pickpocket unsuspecting spirits as the Bloodfiend. Fight the nightmares of sleeping NPCs as the Dreamweaver. Bless gravestones and sacred objects as a Plaguedoctor.
Each ability opens new interactions, quest paths, and secrets.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i3 / AMD Ryzen 3 (dual-core 2.0 GHz)
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Integrated graphics with Vulkan or OpenGL 3.3 support (Intel HD 4000 / equivalent)
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 500 MB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX-compatible / integrated audio
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 (quad-core 3.0 GHz)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Dedicated GPU with 2 GB VRAM (NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon RX 560 or better)
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 500 MB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX-compatible / integrated audio
Supported Languages
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Shadowrite Development Update #1
All About AmbienceHi Shadowrite community! I have been hard at work focusing on making Shadowrite's visuals a lot more atmospheric, leaning 100% into a cozy, dark vibe that makes you want to snuggle up and pull up some hot cocoa as you relax by a bonfire.The lights and shadows make a big difference on the vibe of the town. What do you think?Story Trailer is Now OutI have also updated a new trailer for the game showcasing details of the story our party has to uncover as they figure out the secrets behind a sacrificial ritual plaguing their town for generations. Check it out below!SocialsThreadsXInstagramYoutubeRedditRead full article on Community Announcements (LucienTheNecroseer)AnnouncementsOfficial
After a year of work, Shadowrite is officially announced!
Welcome to The CrossroadsAfter a year of work, Shadowrite is officially announced! The announcement trailer just dropped and the Steam page is live for wishlisting. To everyone who's been following along, thank you. This game is part of your story too. What is Shadowrite? A Voodoo-inspired pixel-art JRPG built around Final Fantasy XIII's paradigm-shift combat. Two siblings, Yunie and Zen, get pulled into a spirit world during a botched family ritual and must clear six elemental mausoleums to find their way home. What makes it differentMid-battle job swapping across six unique jobs: Bloodfiend, Dreamweaver, Plaguedoctor, Shadowmancer, Hexer, Puppetmaster ~100 spirit skills unlocked via weapon leveling (FF9 / Expedition 33 lineage), catalogued in a Pokédex-style GrimoireLiving spirit town with full NPC daily schedules in the style of Majora's MaskNo quest markers, ever, just a logbook and tavern gossipSix handcrafted mausoleums that are rich with lore TrailerWhat's next Late 2026: Closed Steam Playtest — request access through this page 2027: Public demo before Steam Next Fest Follow along https://bsky.app/profile/shadowrite.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/shadowrite_gameI'll be posting development updates here once or twice a month going forward. The work is just beginning. — LucienRead full article on Community Announcements (necroseer)
