Usagi Puzzle

Usagi Puzzle (うさぎパズル, Usagi Pazuru) is a Japanese flash game made by Hothukurou. The game is considered to be "a non-scary horror game" by the creator himself. The game, like Lomando.com, has, in fact, a story and somewhat similar gameplay.

The actual game is just a simple drag-and-shoot game. Your objective is to control a rabbit with the mouse to bounce the balls into the holes. However, the upper section of the second page of the tutorial asks you not to click on a button that appears randomly and to continue the game normally. On the bottom section of the same page is a description of MDMA, a psychoactive drug and the case that it was used to cure PTSD in America, which sets the foreshadow of the underlying story.

The game has 15 stages that increase difficulty in each time you clear. Strangely, it has several endings and 4 routes, which will be listed below.

Ending 1 — Game Clear
You have beaten all 15 levels, and that means that you also didn't click on the button mentioned. After completing all the levels, the game congratulates you and asks you to relax after having fun, besides wishing you a positive life. However, the text "身体も心もすっくりやすめて" (Rest your body and mind...) can be misread as "くすりやめて" (Stop taking drugs.), giving the first point to the story of the game.

Ending 2 — Welcoming
This ending is called "お迎え" (omukae), a short version for "お迎え現象" (omukae genshou) which means "Psychopomp". Other meanings are: "welcoming" and also "approach of death".

By clicking on the "Don't click here!" button, the game gets distorted and the background is changed to a static screen, a disturbing noise also starts playing. However, if the player stands still for a few minutes, something changes. You are redirected to the start menu of the game and suddenly the rabbit gets a realistic mouth and eye, plus a few black dots around.

The game resumes very differently than it was before, and now an image of a park appears. You have two options: "右を向く" (Turn Right) and "左を向く" (Turn Left). When turning right, a rabbit appears and runs toward the screen with a loud sound.

The game over message is "夢の中でお迎えがきた. よかった. "(Death has come in my dreams. I'm so glad.).

Ending 3 — Cursed
In stage 10, there's an easter egg. When you try to take the block to the right, it slowly goes out of the way until it finally opens. When you move the rabbit to the lower left, it will get stuck, and the only thing you can do is click the "Don't click here!" button. After clicking, a sentence reading "呪われたすぐに閉じろ" (Close immediately after being cursed.) appears. After a few seconds, the screen will be filled with a flood of "すぐにけせ" (Disappear) and a loud noise. There is nothing more than this and you will be redirected to Hothukurou's website.

True End — Akazu no Hako
This ending is unlocked when the player clicks the "Don't click here!" button and throws the ball inside the hole after it. The screen will get static for a moment until it reveals an image of an air vent and then the real storyline begins.

The narrator wakes up from the dream he had and notices he is trapped in a one-man cell after he had gone crazy by a certain urban legend. The truth is, the dream he had was the entire Usagi Puzzle game all along. By the fear of being found by a certain something, he screams out loud and it makes the nurses on the nurse station worried. They start discussing the urban legend that the narrator so believes, until he screams again. After that, a box comes out from the air vent in his cell, and the whole webpage background begins to flash red. You have to click on the box to be redirected to the main story, which reveals to be  Akazu no Hako .


 * Script:

English= I woke up from the sweet dream I had. Now, I can't move my body to escape from this painful reality.

And it's all because I'm tied up to a bed. I'm scared. I have to get out of here as soon as possible.

The echoing sound of the ropes squeaking is scary. I'm scared. At this rate, that thing will come.

I screamed out of fear. My voice echoes in the corridor illuminated by the moon.

The scream reached the end of the hallway to the locked nurse station.

"...That patient, isn't he noisy again?"

"Just when he got unconscious by the drug..."

"Hasn't he been getting better nowadays? He just had taken a dose, right?"

"His screams are getting louder by the day though."

"Every time he says "Don't come here! Don't come here!" he makes other patients scared too..."

"Perhaps that urban legend is really true."

"Everyone who goes to that place dies though..."

"People who go to places like that from the urban legend were always crazy. Also, that urban legend is obviously a lie."

"Is that so?"

"Ugh, I can hear his voice again."

"Don't come here!"

"Don't come here!"

DON'T COME HEREEEEEEE!

甘い幻覚から覚めてしまった. この辛い現実から逃げようにも身体を動かせない.
 * -|Japanese=

ベットに全身拘拘束されているためである. 怖い、早くここから逃げたい.

無人部屋に拘束具の擦れる音が反響する怖い. 怖い、このままだとアレが来る.

恐怖のあまり叫び声を上げた. 月日を照らす、がらんとした廊下に響き渡る.

廊下の端、鍵の付いたナースステーションにまでこの声は届いた.

・・・あの患者、また騒いでますね

せっかくお薬で安静になっていたのに.

最近どんどん効き目なくなってませんか？さっき投薬したばかりですよ？

叫び声も日に日に大きくなってきてますし

「来るなぁ！来るなぁ！」って、周りの患者さんも怖がっちゃって・・・.

やっぱあの噂、本当になんですかね.

あそこに行ったほかの方、みんなお亡くなりになっていますし・・・.

あんな所にいく人なんて元から気が狂ってるのよ. 都市伝説なんて嘘に決まってる.

そうなんですかね?

うわあ、また声が聞こえてきますね.

「・・・来るなぁ!」

「・・・来るなぁ!」

来るなぁあああああああ！

Instructions
English=  How to play "Daughter in a box" (Klotski/箱入り娘) 

Sliding the wooden pieces, the purpose is to put the "Daughter" (娘) out of the bottom of the crate frame. The box opens when the "Daughter" is removed.

''' A woman in black clothes will come to kill you. ''' You can escape by running away (逃げる).

The story progresses after playing a few times. Those who can't clear the game ⇒ Please check out the Q&A below.

 箱入り娘の遊び方  木製のピースをスライドさせて、「娘」を木枠下の出口から外に出すことが目的です「娘」が取れると箱が開くようです.
 * -|Japanese=

''' 黒い服の女が殺しに来ます. ''' 逃げることで離れることができます.

何度か遊ぶとストーリーが開放されます

クリアできない方⇒ページ下Ｑ＆Ａを参考ください.

Q&A
English= '''Q.What's the storyline? Why I'm chased by a woman?'''

A.Please refer to the "The day before the nightmare" section. They will be unlocked sequentially.

Q.I am not able to solve the puzzle!

A.You can destory a block if you clicks continuously on it... (as a last resort)

Q. Is everyone dead in the end?

A.There is a living ending. The hint is placed after you cleared the fourth day. What was the woman wanting?

Q.I'm unable to proceed to the first day!

A.Do not play under browser's incognito mode. Please switch to normal mode. (For Safari under iOS, press "Task Manage" button on the bottom right corner, then press "Private Mode" button on the bottom left corner to quit.)

'''Q.I'm too scared to play it! I want to play non-scary one!'''

A.I've created a "a non-scary horror game".

[Link to Usagi Puzzle]

Q.I just want to play "Daughter in a box", without monsters!

A.I've made it.

[Link to a game called "Puzzle of prayer" (Oinori Pazuru/お祈りパズル), which is similar to Akazu no Hako, but with a different storyline and without screamer.]

Q.ストーリーは？なんで女に追われてるの？
 * -|Japanese=

A.悪夢の前日譚をご覧ください. 順次解放されます.

Q.パズルが解けない！

A.壊したいピースを連打すると・・・. （最終手段）

Q.結局みんな死んで終わり？

A.生還エンディングあります. ヒントは四日目クリア後. 女の子はどうしてほしかったのでしょうか.

Q.１日目から進まない！

A.プライベートモードで遊んでいませんか. 通常のモードに変更してください. (iOS Safariなら、右下のタスク変更ボタン→左下のプライベートボタンを押して解除してください. )

Q.怖くてプレイできない！怖くないのがやりたい！

A.怖くないホラーゲームも作ってきました.

[怖くないホラーゲーム]

'''Q.お化け無しで箱入り娘だけ遊びたい. '''

A.制作いたしました.

[お祈りパズル]

Nomura Arc
Nomura is in the Nighmare Forest (悪夢の森) being chased by a woman and to leave the place he needs to open the box by completing the puzzle "Daughter in a Box". If the player can't put the "Daughter" piece out of the box in time, a screamer of a bluish woman smiling with distorted eyes pops up with a loud sound. As soon as the player manages to remove the "Daughter" piece, Nomura opens the box and is saved from death.

Nomura wakes up desperately, realizing that everything that happened at the Nightmare Forest was just a dream. He begins to question everything that happened, to the point of throwing up as he remembers what was inside that box. Nomura reveals that he only woke up in the Nightmare Forest after returning home and having looked at a lost box in the middle of his path, and just by looking at it he lost consciousness.

Nomura tries to forget what happened and also tries to continue normally his day. However, he realizes that in his bedroom there was, surprisingly, that woman who was chasing him in the Nightmare Forest. The same screamer of the bluish woman pops up, and Nomura is killed.

The game over message is "1日目:野村は謎を解いたが、殺された. （クリア！）" (First day: Nomura solved the mystery but was killed. (Stage Clear!)).


 * Script:

English= Haah... Haah... Haah...

It was all a dream...

My entire body is sweating.

I really thought I was gonna die.

What was that?

What the fuck was that woman?

That dream was so real that I'm still out of breath.

Barf.

Just by remembering what was inside that box, I threw up.

What the fuck was that?

When I was going home and stared to that box, suddenly my conscious started to fail...

That woman was always chasing me.

It was really messed up, really.

Uuf, seems like I've got unconsciously nervous about what happened today.

That's unexpected, but I might actually have a "delicate" side.

Huh?

Why is that woman...

...in my bedroom?

[SCREAMER]


 * -|Japanese=

はぁっ、はぁっ、はぁっ.

夢、か.

全身が汗まみれだ.

マジで死ぬかと思った.

なんだよアレ.

なんなんだよあの女.

リアルな夢すぎて、まだ息切れしてやがる.

うげ.

箱の中身を思い出して、ゲロが出てきた.

なんだったんだ一体.

帰ってあの箱を見つめていたら、急に意識が遠のいてきてーー.

女がすっと追いかけてきた.

マジでやばかった. マジで.

はぁ、やっぱ無意識に今日のことでビビってたんだろうな.

意外とオレ、繊細なのかも.

あれ.

あの女がなんで.

オレの部屋に.

Kobayashi Arc
Same as Nomura Arc and so on, the player needs to take the "Daughter" piece out of the box. If the player can't remove the piece in time, the same bluish woman screamer appears. But if the player succeeds, Kobayashi opens the box and escapes death.

Kobayashi wakes up, realizing that the dream he had was similar to a certain urban legend. Looking at his desk, he notices that the box was no longer in his room, making him sigh in relief. Kobayashi begins to wonder about what happened at the Nightmare Forest, but went into denial after over-thinking. He began to believe that everything that happened was just a dream, and even thinking that Nomura wasn't murdered by the woman, but by a serial killer. When he left his house, it was already morning. He walked to college, and found Ikeda on the way. As Kobayashi approached her, he noticed that it wasn't Ikeda, but the woman in black clothes. Kobayashi becomes self-aware that he still didn't woke up from the dream and is killed by the woman.

The game over message is "2日目:小林は謎を解いたが、殺された. （クリア！）" (Second day: Kobayashi solved the mystery but was killed. (Stage Clear!)).


 * Script:

English= I had a terrible dream.

I was being chased by a woman with a kitchen knife. It was exactly like that urban legend.

I quickly checked my desk, just to see that the box disappeared.

I sighed in relief. Still, my head just won't stop thinking about what happened.

The hell was that dream anyways?

Inside that box was.... No, I don't want to remember it.

What if... That woman was actually chasing for...

.....Ugh, I shouldn't take conclusions like that.

It was just a dream.

A dream that showed all my fears.

That's right. Nomura got stabbed by a weirdo and died.

Urban legends... Curses... The hell to those ideas. I've had enough of that damn dream.

When I left the entrance, the sun was rising.

Before I knew it, it was already morning.

I always forgot about important things, and as you can see, I'm kind of an airhead. Anyways, I adjusted my clothes and then I walked on my way to college.

In a short while, I noticed that Ikeda was walking in front of me.

"Hey, Ikeda!"

I called her out. As I approached, Ikeda turned around.

That was not Ikeda.

I see.

I still didn't...

...wake up from that dream.

[SCREAMER]

ひどい夢を見た.
 * -|Japanese=

包丁を持った女にずっと追われる、都市伝説通りの夢.

はっとして机の上を見ると、箱は消えていた.

ふぅ、と呼吸を整える. 頭の中は、まだまとまらない.

なんだったんだ、あの夢は.

箱の中身は、・・・・・・いや、思い出したくもない.

もしかして、あの女が追ってきたのは.

・・・・・・だめだ、考えるのはよそう.

あれは、ただの夢だ.

自分の恐怖心が見せた、夢.

野村は頭のおかしい奴刺されて死んだのだ.

都市伝説とか呪いとか、もうそういう考えは捨てよう. もうあんな夢を見るのはこりごりだ.

玄関を出ると、太陽が昇っていた.

知らぬ間にすっかり朝になっていたようだ.

ずっと頭の中は霞がかかったようで、ぼんやりとしていたが、習慣とは恐ろしいもので、いつの間にか身支度を整えて大学への道のりを歩いていた.

しばらくすると、目の前に池田が歩いていることに気づいた.

おい、池田.

そう声を掛けて近寄ると、池田が振り返る.

それは池田ではなくて.

そうか.

俺はまだ.

夢から覚めていなかったのだ.

Ikeda Arc
After the player takes the "Daughter" piece out of the box, Ikeda escapes the Nightmare Forest. She wakes up in her bedroom, noticing that the box is nowhere to be seen, just like in Kobayashi's case. Ikeda starts crying for feeling guilty after opening the box, begging for mercy. Suddenly, the sound of her door opening is heard, making Ikeda confuse. When she turns around, Ikeda finally realizes that no matter what she does, that woman will never forgive her and her friends. She is then killed by the woman.

The game over message is "3日目:池田は謎を解いたが、殺された. （クリア！）" (Third day: Ikeda solved the mystery but was killed. (Stage Clear!)).

English= "I'm alive..."

I woke up from the nightmare.

The box I left in my bedroom isn't here anymore.

"*Sob* What...What have I done..."

While I was escaping, I saw what was inside the box.

Somewhat I can understand the reason why that woman was chasing me.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry......"

Tears are falling from my eyes and my body doesn't stop shaking.

At that time, a noise came behind me.

"Huh?"

I understand now.

That woman will never forgive us no matter what.

"Nooooo!!"

「私、生きてる・・・・・・」
 * -|Japanese=

悪夢から目が覚めた.

部屋に置いてあった箱は、もうない.

「ぐすっ、わ、私なんてことを・・・・・・」

逃げながら見た、箱の中身.

あの人が追いかけてくる理由が、何故か分かった気がする.

「ごめんなさいごめんなさいごめんなさい・・・・・・」

涙が溢れ、体の震えが止まらない.

そのとき、背後で物音がした.

「えっ」

私がわかっていた.

あの人が、私たちを消して許さないことを.

「いやああああ！！」

Watanabe Arc
Watanabe wakes up in the Nightmare Forest and he needs to escape as soon as possible. However, there's two endings for his arc, which both will depend on the player's choices.

When the player opens the box, Watanabe wakes up in his room. He notices that the woman in black clothes is in his room, approaching slowly. Watanabe is then killed by the woman. After this, when you try to play the game again after seeing the game over screen, a message saying "The truth is under the page" (真実はページ下) appears. Scrolling the page down, there will be a message saying "Don't escape" (逃ゲルナ) and "Don't open it" (開ケルナ). However, if you scroll the page too much, the bluish woman screamer appears with a loud noise. The page then reloads.

The day before the nightmare
The day before the nightmare (悪夢の前日謹, Akumu no Zenjitsu) is a part of the storyline from Akazu no Hako. As the title itself says, it's a series of events that happens before the 4 protagonists enter in their nightmares, so it's recommended to read them before playing their arcs.

Each of the stories can be unlocked after clearing the Days (Except in Nomura Arc which is automatically unlocked). Bellow, there is a list of every story before the nightmares.

Ghost Story (Nomura Arc)
Ghost Story is an explanation about the Urban Legend that is spreading around Japan, the Akazu no Hako. The legend says that someone found a strange wooden box with a letter in unreadable scattered Japanese characters in an abandoned small city, specifically, in an abandoned apartment at Room 103. And the tansu (old Japanese drawer) was tied tightly with a rope so the drawer couldn't be open. But when the rope is cut and the drawer is opened, a sheet of paper written "Do not open" (開ケルナ) is included.

When the person destroyed the paper and closed the drawer because he was feeling a strange sense of danger, he could hear noises inside of the object and reopened again in a naive curiosity, a box suddenly appeared. After touching it, his destiny was sealed, and from now on, a woman would come in his dreams to kill him.

Even when the truth lies inside of this box, as long as you don't solve the mystery from the box, you won't wake up from your dreams. And, you absolutely must not open the box. Do not open it.

Links
NOTE : The following game contains a screamer with flashing lights!
 * hothukurou.firebird.jp/game/Truth/index.html

Showcase video

 * Gameplay/Preview: youtube.com/watch?v=B5eQf6AFksE