Higurashi When They Cry Hou

Higurashi When They Cry is a doujin sound novel by Ryukishi07 (07th Expansion) released between 2002 and 2006, widely distributed on the ONScripter platform. Set in the remote Japanese village of Hinamizawa in 1983, transfer student Keiichi Maebara watches his friends die under suspicious circumstances or vanish without a trace around the time of the annual Watanagashi Festival. The script is split into four Question Arcs and four Answer Arcs, inviting players to piece together the truth behind a 300-year-old curse, the village shrine's faith, and a web of hidden conspiracies. The bonus chapters Rei and Minagoroshi are bundled into the complete edition subtitled Hou. The game offers no branching choices; the narrative unfolds entirely through text, character sprites, and music.