"Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide" is a mystery adventure co-written with the participation of Yuji Horii and published by ENIX in 1985. A college student and his lover search for his missing sister in Karuizawa, gradually uncovering family history. The game integrates command investigation, map movement, and role-playing combat into the same process.
| Title of the work | Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide |
|---|---|
| The publication date listed in the materials | 1985-05-31 |
| Platform | PC-88 |
| Genre | ADV |
| Also known as | The Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide |
| Development | ENIX |
| Release | ENIX |
| Website address recorded by the source | https://www.jp.square-enix.com/ |
| External links to source records | https://erogamescape.org/~ap2/ero/toukei_kaiseki/game.php?game=15637 / https://vndb.org/v5570 |
The disappearance in the villa
The protagonist vacations at his lover Kumiko's Karuizawa villa, only to find that her sister Nagisa has not returned after going out shopping. The two began asking people nearby, searching for clues in shops, hotels, churches, and other places. The protagonist in the story is not a professional detective; the investigation stems from a personal relationship with the missing person.
People and past events
Kumiko and Nagisa are sisters from the Takagi family and have lost both parents. Before Nagisa disappeared, she investigated the cause of her parents' car accident, and this clue connected the current disappearance to Takagi Sangyo's past. Nagisa's friend Asami then assists the protagonist; Hotel manager Sekiya and riding club member Nishimura each have different information.
Maps and surveys
Players move from the map to the investigation location, then use commands to ask, view, and show items. New information changes reactions in other places, requiring revisits of people you have met before. The later indoor investigation also requires specifying the location on the screen to find files and hidden passages. The process is organized into six chapters, with the investigation area gradually expanding.
Role-playing elements
In the latter part, the game introduces item collection and battles. Looking back on the creation, Horii linked these attempts to his interest in RPGs at the time. Besides analyzing characters' speeches, players also search for items on the map and use them to handle later battles.
Distribution History
In 1985, the game was first released for the PC-8801. Square Enix released the FOMA version on December 12, 2005, redrawing the graphics while retaining instructions and RPG elements. It is often discussed together with 'The Port Town Serial Murders' and 'Hokkaido Serial Murders: Disappearance in Okhotsk,' but the three works are not the same consecutive cases.
Source: Structured works maintained by the Bangumi community, filtered and rearranged by this site.
Related entries
- Characters:Protagonist (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Characters:Kumiko Takagi (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Characters:Nagisa Takagi (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Characters:Asami (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Characters:Masao Takagi (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Characters:Sekiya (Karuizawa Ryokan) (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Characters:Nishimura (Karuizawa Horseback Riding Training) (Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide)
- Creation:Yuji Horii
- Original release:ENIX
- Mobile Port Version:Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide FOMA Edition
- Early Mystery Works by Yuji Horii:The serial murder case in Port Town
References
- Bangumi Work Entry: Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide
- Bangumi Copyright Notice
- GAME Watch: Karuizawa FOMA Edition released
- GAME Watch: Yuji Horii 30 Years Review
- MAGES. Interview with M2 developers
- PC-8801 Player Guide
Source author: Bangumi article contributor and community maintainer; License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/); Adaptation: This site filters and reorganizes structured facts, without copying the article summary.
Data compiled on: 2026-10-07.