Sonokuni: Built By A Hip-hop Crew Turned Developers Gets a Demo

Sonokuni is a game developed by the Japanese developer and hip-hop group Don Yasa Crew. The game is a fast-paced top-down 2D action game inspired by characters from Japanese mythology. Now there’s a free demo on Steam. 

First reported by VGC. Sonokuni’s Steam demo went live today. What’s amazing is that the developers of the game are a hip-hop crew. They decided to learn how to program during COVID-19. This game is the fruits of their labour. 

The game’s aesthetic is inspired by Hotline Miami but that is where the inspiration ends. It’s a trial-and-error dungeon-crawler affair. As a player enters the room the door shuts. The exit only opens once all foes have met their end. It’s a tough trial, a single hit means you’re finished and you start right back at the beginning of the room. 

The trial and error element is not to be downplayed, certain enemies need to be introduced to your sword sooner than others, but while doing so you can also come into contact with projectiles. So players need to plan their route or die multiple times before figuring out the optimal strategy. 

All of the mad hack-and-slash chaos is set to an upbeat J Hip-hop soundtrack that perfectly matches the pace you need to set to survive. The game is coming soon, so if it seems like it’s to your tastes remember to wishlist it.

If you’d like to find out more about the game check out its Steam page here. 29 new games are coming to Xbox next week, find out more here.